Raising Heroes

osh Sullivan and Paul McEwen are a young, successful, New York couple nervously awaiting the outcome of a yearlong custody battle to adopt a son, the orphaned four-year old child of Paul’s late best friend, Susan who willed them custody. Their court opponent is the child’s bigoted grandmother who is contesting her daughter’s will with a vengeance.

Everything seems to be going their way until Josh walks in on a brutal mob hit intended to look like a deli robbery. He becomes the sole witness. Believing he has escaped without being implicated, he is shadowed by the lead thug Victor, the most ruthless of the professional killers-for-hire. Josh is targeted for termination at a later time.

With the final court hearing only three days away, Josh seeks guidance from Nicole, his best friend, rather than worry an already anxious Paul. Together, the two friends decide that avoidance is the best possible solution, at least until after the hearing.

Having made his decision, Josh heads back to his upper Westside apartment to whisk Paul away for a “weekend to remember” in the Pocono Mountains. Meanwhile, the Mafia godfather Mr. Nappi, has claimed Josh as easy game for his son Michael’s induction as a hit man. He orders Vito, a scruffy looking but efficient killer to mentor him during his initiation into the family.

However, plans go awry when Josh catches Michael off guard, rummaging through his bedroom. A violent struggle ensues as each tries to obtain a gun that is just out of reach. The confrontation climaxes as Josh inadvertently pushes Michael out their six story window, sealing the man’s fate as well as his own.

The “weekend to remember” becomes a weekend of survival as Mr. Nappi puts out a contract on both Josh and Vito, forcing them to outwit and outrun a variety of Mafia goons.

Vito, determined to redeem himself in the eyes of the family, embarks on his own vengeful manhunt for the couple.

The tri-state cat and mouse chase abruptly ends with Paul being captured by Vito and brought to the bowels of a Mafia owned bistro. With Paul in danger, Josh decides to stop running, face his pursuers and fight for his life, his love and his family.

Facing fear head-on, Josh confronts Vito in an intense Mexican standoff where he is presented with the option of trading his life for Paul’s. Instead, he trades Vito’s life for some information left on his answering machine, inviting him to a midnight rendezvous in a midtown parking garage. The late night Mafia set up turns deadly as one of the Mafioso is revealed to be an undercover cop and teams up with Josh to defeat the mob.

The story speeds to its conclusion as Josh and Paul are forced to confront their Mafia antagonists in a bloody shoot out.