| abstract | - John Creasy is a burnt out former CIA agent who suffers from depression and alcoholism due to his past work as an assassin. His friend Paul Rayburn offers to get Creasy a job. Creasy is reluctant, but accepts anyway. Rayburn, who runs a security firm in Italy, gets Creasy hired as a bodyguard for the daughter of wealthy businessman Ettore Balletto. Creasy is introduced to his young charge; Lupita "Pita" Balletto. He at first barely tolerates her, and is annoyed by her pestering questions about his life. However, the two begin to bond over their mutual interest in the classic novel Of Mice and Men and soon grow close. Creasy becomes a replacement for Pita's parents in their absence and he coaches her in her swimming. Having been given something to live for, Creasy gives up drinking. Creasy is frustrated when he learns that neither of Pita's parents came to see her perform in her swimming final. She is not disheartened however and actually wins. Creasy congratulates her and they prepare to head home. As they leave, however, the two are attacked by a gang of armed men. Creasy tries to fight them off, managing to shoot and kill four thugs, but is then shot multiple times and seriously wounded. The gang then escape with Pita in a car. While Creasy lies in his hospital bed, Rayburn keeps him up to date with events. The Balletto's agree to a dead drop ransom of ten million dollars as is demanded by Il Voce (The Voice), the mastermind behind the kidnapping ring. However, the money is intercepted and stolen by a crime syndicate known as Il Frantellanza (The Brotherhood). Shortly thereafter, Pita's body is found in the back of an abandoned car; killed in retaliation for the failed ransom delivery. When Creasy learns of this, he is enraged and halts his recovery, visiting Pita's mother Rika and promising to kill everyone who was connected to or profited from Pita's kidnapping. Rayburn, although fearing for his friend's health, supplies him with the weapons his needs to carry out his vendetta. Creasy traces the licence plate number from one of the cars used during Pita's kidnapping and meets Giorgo Rabbia, who it turns out was the driver during the abduction. Creasy takes him hostage in the car Pita was taken in. He tapes Rabbia's hands to the steering wheel and interrogates him; when Rabbia proves uncooperative, Creasy cuts one of his fingers off and cauterizes the wound with a lighter. Rabbia then directs Creasy to a nightclub to find a man known as the Butcher. Creasy then shoots Rabbia in the head, killing him, and blows the car up. Creasy breaks into the nightclub during a rave and finds the Butcher, as well as another kidnapped known as the Fatman. Creasy shows them a photo of Pita and asks if they recognize her; the Fatman admits that he does, while the Butcher does not, so Creasy shoots him with a shotgun. Creasy interrogates the Fatman and shoots him in the leg. The Fatman reveals that Il Voce's real name is Dino Fossella before Creasy shoots him in the chest. Creasy then sets fire to the nightclub before leaving. Creasy is tipped off by journalist Nadia Schembri that Il Frantellanza is actually a gang of corrupt cops led by Chief Cantarella. While Canterella is driving through town, Creasy blows up his car with a rocket launcher. Creasy marches over to the wreckage to retrieve Cantarella and is shot at by Cantarella's goons, but Creasy kills them all. When Cantarella comes to, he finds himself tied to the hood of a car. Creasy reveals that he has inserted an explosive device into Cantarella's rectum and questions him. Cantarella reveals that the kidnapping was set up by one Vico Mansutti; the Balletto family lawyer. Creasy walks away and the device explodes, killing Cantarella. Creasy heads over to Mansutti's house, only to find him dead in his pool, his throat slashed. Creasy enters his office and finds documents relating to the Ballettos. Creasy visits the Balletto house, where he reveals evidence of Ettore's desperate financial situation. He forces Ettore, in front of Rika, to confess to organizing the kidnapping on Mansutti's advice so as to scam the insurance company. However, he didn't count on the intervention of Cantarella and his group, which led to Pita's death. He also admits to killing Mansutti, blaming him for what happened to his daughter. Creasy departs, leaving a pistol with a single bullet, which Ettore uses to commit suicide. Following up on his lead, Creasy breaks into the house of Giacomo Sandri, Fosella's nephew. He is shocked to learn that Sandri is a family man, but kidnaps him anyway. They get into Sandri's car, where Creasy forces him to drive to the kidnapper's hideout. However, a car drives by carrying the remaining members of Il Frantellanza, who try to shoot Creasy. Sandri is shot in the neck and badly wounded, but Creasy returns fire and causes the other car to crash. Sandri takes Creasy to the gang's clubhouse, which Creasy enters ready to take down Il Voce. Suddenly, Sandri accelerates forward, trying to run Creasy down, but Creasy shoots him and causes him to crash his car. Sandri succumbs to his wounds and dies, while Creasy gets into an intense firefight with the kidnappers. Abrata, who was seen earlier bringing food to a captive Pita, avoids detection by hiding under a truck. Creasy mows down waves of kidnappers, blazing a trail of destruction through their hideout. He corners Fosella, who tries to shoot Creasy. However, Creasy shoots Fosella multiple times and leaves his body floating in a water tanker. A relieved Creasy staggers out of the battlefield just as the police are arriving. Abrata, still hiding under the truck, emerges and shoots Creasy several times. Police then swarm in and Abrata is killed. With the child kidnapping ring dismantled and Il Frantellanza finished, Creasy's mission is fulfilled, and he dies.
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