L.A. Confidential meets Collateral -- 
After the traumatizing death of his partner, Detective Michael Sullivan delays his retirement for one final night to put an end to the case that has consumed his entire life.

SYNOPSIS:

After his partner is gunned down while on the hunt for XAVIER (the alias of a disappearing hitman consuming his career and life), Detective MICHAEL SULLIVAN takes a two month leave of absence to dwell on his impossible hunt for justice. Disillusioned and fed up with the corruption infiltrating the entire city, he decides on retirement. As the last honest cop in RIVERSIDE, Sullivan acquiesces to the police chief's request to stick around for just one more night on the job to train an incoming transfer, Detective JOHN CASEY. A typical night in Riverside, Sullivan and his new partner are called in to the scene of a double homicide at a local strip club. The victim, JOEY DELUCA (a former associate of drug lord TOMMY RUSSO) and his bodyguard were gunned down with no exit wounds and a shell casing with Xavier's mark pointing to him as the suspect. Forensic Investigator (and former girlfriend of Sullivan) EMILY WILLOWS pushes through their sexual tension to lift a single fingerprint from the scene.

Sullivan & Casey then chase down various leads including a young prostitute and a shady gunrunner who spills the name of MATTHEW ROTH. Roth’s prints end up matching the one found at the murder scene. Thinking this could be Xavier’s real name, Sullivan calls in a favor to an old buddy at the FBI to pinpoint Roth's location.

Upon confronting Roth at his apartment, a gunfight ensues, leading to a twist ending that will change the course of our character’s lives forever…

“The script is a great crime thriller with an elevated plot and excellent dialogue. With great tension and action, the script should attract a strong producer and appeal to broad adult audiences.”

--The Black List evaluation of UNDER THE GUN.

More Evaluations from the Black List website (blcklist.com):

"The author has a great grasp of dialogue, from Lee and Michael’s opening discourse on pancakes to Michael messing with Stuart about his cocaine abuse. The dialogue contrasts nicely with the tension of the action sequences. Michael’s phrase “I’d take a stand up crook over a crooked cop any day” sums up his entire philosophy, and the plot, in a memorable way. The plot has great complexity, from the pain surrounding Lee’s death to the history between Michael and Emily. The author also has a great grasp on how the crime game works, which is evident in Michael’s conversation with Bobby on the bureaucratic lines that can’t be crossed. Michael’s final vow to “clean up the city” shows his renewed determination to stamp out evil, and leaves room for a sequel.”

“The script is propulsive and economically paced, and many of the action set pieces are engaging and well-described. The narrative's thematic concerns about the nature of necessary evil are quite promising, and the way Riverside becomes something of its own character adds a lot of dimension to the read. UNDER THE GUN shows a lot of potential and its immersive, well-researched world and noir sensibility are definitely to be admired. UNDER THE GUN could certainly find success as a piece of gritty genre fare, especially if helmed by a capable director. The script features a lot of promising elements that could make for a crowd-pleasing thriller."