The episode kicks off with Cole Ellis (Giacomo Gianniotti), purchasing a cup of black coffee from the barista, Greg (William Wilder), who playfully mocks his choice. Just then, Max Mitchell (Vanessa Morgan) enters, also seeking her caffeine fix. Greg, interrupted by a call from his mother, presents Max with his signature drink, the “Max-ternoon delight,” which she eagerly embraces as her beverage legacy. Ellis invites Max to an air-ballooning event but discovers he has misplaced the tickets. To his surprise, Max casually produces them from her pocket. As Ellis rushes off to prepare for his performance review, the tension at Metro Police Department is palpable.
Detective Simmons (Michael Xavier) confidently wagers $20 that his review score will surpass Ellis's. Ellis, philosophical about the process, notes that the review aims to pinpoint areas for improvement rather than assigning a numerical value. Simmons, however, contends that his list of required improvements will be shorter than Detective Yates's (Amy Goodmurphy), who boasts of her reign over performance evaluations while conveniently forgetting to wrap her cousin's baby shower gift. Simmons calls her out on her procrastination, a sentiment Ellis echoes. Yates defiantly denies the accusation before casually revealing her stash of tequila meant for the baby shower, hinting at a mischievous plan.
Chief Li (Terry Chen) reveals he's under pressure to deliver favorable reviews to avoid Commissioner Russo laying blame on the mayor. Simmons reminds him of their solved cases, prompting Li to focus on their methodologies. When Yates offers him coffee, he sharply rebukes her, demands sugar, and strides away. She, clutching her tequila bottle, threatens to spike his drink.
Suddenly, Li receives a chilling private message on his laptop, warning of an active bomb attached to his chair. He glances down, spotting the ominous device and snapping a photo for evidence. The bomber issues stark instructions: stay put and evacuate the premises. Moments later, a dumpster explodes outside the station, setting a three-hour deadline.
Ellis bursts in, alerting Li to the explosion. Li swiftly orders an evacuation in ten minutes and notifies the tactical response team about the bomb. Ellis insists on wheeling Li out, but the chief refuses, placing him in charge. Together, Ellis and Simmons evacuate the personnel, who find their phones inoperable. Meanwhile, Max, donning a sleep mask, wanders into the now-deserted hallway and heads to Li's office. She warns him of the bomb and urges him to flee, but he ignores her plea, opting instead to seek help despite the phones being down and the power failing.
Outside, Commander Sanders (Sharon Taylor) and her armed tactical team arrive. Ellis updates her on the dire situation. She informs him that all communication devices within a half-mile radius are non-functional. Simmons confirms that everyone has been evacuated except Li. Officer Jim (Giacomo Baessato) reports that the satellite phones are operational and someone claiming to be the bomber is on the line. Ellis takes the call, identifying himself.
The bomber issues an ultimatum: no one enters the building, and $10 million in unmarked bills must be delivered. Ellis cautions that securing such a vast amount will take time. The bomber retaliates with a grim warning of dire consequences if his demands aren't met. Studying the bomb photo, Sanders pretends ignorance, assuring that a robot is being prepared. Ellis hesitates to defy the bomber, but Sanders reassures him that the bomber won't detonate the device until he has his ransom.
The tactical officer expertly maneuvers a remote-controlled robot towards the entrance, its mechanical movements echoing tension. Jamall Johnson, the bomb technician, advances with his equipment, steely resolve etched on his face. Inside, Max draws nearer, the sudden clang of a noise piercing the air prompting her to hastily warn Johnson about the booby-trapped doors. Her voice carries urgency as she alerts her team to the peril.
At the command center, Ellis watches the unfolding scenario on live footage, his eyes locking onto Max. He dashes towards the entrance, his voice resonating with reassurance as he vows to extract her. Her response is a reminder of his steadfast rule against making hollow promises. He implores her to stay as distant from Li and the ticking time bomb as humanly possible, hinting at a shared aspiration: "We'll make that hot air balloon ride happen." Their fingers brush through the glass barrier, a fleeting touch imbued with unspoken promises.
Returning to Li's office, Max relays the ominous discovery. On Li's laptop screen, the bomber materializes, a specter of accusation. He berates Li for defiance, insists Max remains stationary, and slashes thirty minutes from the clock's relentless countdown. Ellis swiftly informs Sanders of the time reduction, who responds with a philosophical nod about the job's inherent risks. Yates puzzles over how the bomber monitors them without internet access, to which Sanders hypothesizes a short-range frequency, placing the bomber within a half-mile radius. Ellis directs Jim to assemble a mixed team of uniformed and plainclothes officers to comb the vicinity. Sanders proposes an alternate entry via the garage or roof, an idea Ellis initially dismisses but considers conditionally. She underscores the TRT's expertise in bomb disposal.
On Max's desk, Yates' baby monitor catches her eye. Li mentions the backup generator's inability to power the air conditioning, prompting her to assist him in removing his jacket. Curiosity gets the better of her as she inquiries about the bomber's identity. Li insists it's a money grab, unrelated to him. She gently prods him to address his control issues, which he fiercely denies. With 1 hour and 41 minutes remaining, Jim uncovers CCTV footage revealing A man disguised as a cleaner sneaked into the police station last night. Yates reveals the station employs four cleaners who were informed of maintenance, granting them a paid night off. The bomber is caught in the act, rigging the doors. Upon closer examination, they discern the genuine cleaner unwittingly aided the bomber with his cart. Yates dashes off to locate him.
Within the station, Max attempts to lighten the mood with a game of charades, but Li remains disinterested. Her probing into his personal life earns her a single question in return. She asks, delicately, if he has ever loved. His response, tinged with nostalgia, confirms it was a distant memory.
At the command center, Ellis shares the tale of the hot air balloon adventure with Simmons, who teasingly inquires if it was a romantic outing. Ellis downplays it, drawing Simmons' curiosity further. Seeking Sanders' input, she recounts her husband's proposal in a hot air balloon. Ellis ponders if Max views it as a date, but Simmons, declining to delve deeper, strides away, leaving the question hanging in the air.
Inside the police station's confines, Max regales Li with tales of the hot air-balloon adventure, hinting that it was more than just a casual outing. Intrigued yet cautious, Li ponders over Ellis's true motives. Suddenly, the bomber's face flickers on Max's laptop, his tone laced with discontent as he berates Ellis's team for their lax attitude. Dialing Ellis on a satellite phone, the bomber demands confirmation on the ransom's readiness for the exchange. Ellis, reassuring him with a steady voice, affirms that the money will be ready, pleading for Max's release. The bomber, skeptical, brands Ellis a liar and slashes 30 minutes off the already ticking clock, leaving Ellis with under 58 minutes to scramble the funds.
As if on cue, Yates's call interrupts Ellis's frazzled thoughts, revealing the cleaner's eviction and new abode in an RV. Rushing to the scene, Ellis, accompanied by his team, discovers the cleaner lifeless beside an open prescription bottle, its contents – thyroid pills – ominously close. Li, sniffing cautiously at the bottle, detects a faint almond scent, prompting Ellis to explain the telltale aroma of potassium cyanide. A search unveils $5,000 in cash, suggesting to Ellis that the bomber might have paid the cleaner off with a deadly consequence.
Jim's arrival at the command center, toting a duffel bag stuffed with $10 million in cash and a covert tracker, injects a sense of urgency. Sanders cautions Ellis against making the drop, her words falling on deaf ears. She warns solemnly that whatever transpires, the responsibility rests solely on his shoulders. Simmons's plea for reconsideration, asking if Ellis would make the same gamble if it were his life on the line, goes unnoticed.
Back at the station, Li, overcome by the heat, strips off his shirt, revealing a tapestry of tattoos that stuns Max into inquisitiveness. Recognizing the emblem of the Crimson Vipers gang, Max's curiosity piques further. In the command center, Sanders informs Ellis of a grim reality: defusing the bomb might be impossible, but cooling it could buy them five precious seconds. She reveals Russo's order to postpone the drop and her readiness to seize command if necessary.
Meanwhile, Max's probing into Li's tattoos leads them to a basement stash of TRT gear, complete with satellite phones. Li, aware of the bomber's potential surveillance, nevertheless tasks Li with retrieving the phones. Li encounters Jin (played by Byron Mann), who poses as a bomb technician. As she attempts to secure the phones, Jin dismisses the need, casually inquiring about the bomber's whereabouts. Their return journey to Li's office is punctuated by Li's casual query about the balloon event, to which Jin confirms it was indeed a date, eliciting an exasperated oath from Li.
Li's recognition of Jin as a fellow Crimson Vipers member sparks tension. Drawing the gun she earlier confiscated from him, Li outsmarts Jin by pointing out the ban on smartwatches for bomb techs due to their interference with explosives. Jin counters, explaining how his watch, linked to his heartbeat, could inadvertently trigger the bomb. In a tense standoff, Li orders her to surrender the gun to Jin, pleading for her freedom. Jin, amused by Li's concern for her, taunts him about Sadie's fate, labeling it an accident. With a mocking grin, Jin handcuffs them together, slashes another 30 minutes from the clock, and vanishes into the shadows.
With under eleven minutes ticking away on the clock, Sanders seized control and notified her team of their impending action. Yates took a hearty swig of tequila, followed suit by Simmons. Recalling the baby monitor, Ellis turned to Simmons, inquiring if he could establish a connection to it. Inside the station, Max maneuvered to unlock the handcuffs and harnessed the baby monitor to communicate with the command center, alerting them to the bomber’s presence within the confines of the station. He instructed that if she could somehow manage to decrease the bomb’s temperature, it might buy them some crucial time. Li, exhorting her to flee, met with her steadfast refusal. On the count of three, Li rose abruptly from his seat, just as the bomb detonated in a fiery blast. Fortunately, TRT swiftly intervened to rescue them. Moments later, EMTs stretchered them out of the ravaged building. Spotting Jin amidst the chaos, Ellis gave chase. Jin, responding with aggression, engaged Ellis in a fierce fight that culminated in Jin losing his footing and tumbling down a staircase. With a sleeveless undershirt clinging to his sweaty skin, Li confronted Jin, blaming him for Sadie’s fate. Jin, curse-laden, shot back at Li.
Jin confessed to his team that he had been operating undercover to dismantle the Crimson Vipers. Max revealed that Jin had been after the $6 million seized during a street racing raid, stored in the evidence room. Li raised a toast to Max for his lifesaving bravery. Yates playfully suggested she and Simmons get matching tattoos, to which Simmons promptly declined. When alone, Li expressed gratitude to Max for keeping silent about his past with the gang. He disclosed that when Jin and Sadie married, Jin began abusing her. He had become an informant in a bid to save her, but she tragically perished during a raid. The gang tattoo was all he had left to remember her by. Shortly thereafter, Max thanked Ellis for honoring her promise, emphasizing that it was she who had kept her word, not him.
The following day, Li watched Sadie (Kat Ruston) frolic with her son, their eyes meeting in a poignant moment.
