Hard Target 1993

As the misty veil of dawn lifted over the Crescent City, a desperate fugitive found himself in a frantic bid for survival. A relentless pursuit by a gang of heavily armed men had driven him to the banks of the Mississippi River, where he made a valiant attempt to outrun his pursuers across a rickety wooden dock. However, one adversary, clad in black and wielding an advanced crossbow, seemed hell-bent on delivering the fatal blow. Two bolts pierced the fleeing man’s chest, one striking his military dog tags, before he tumbled into the churning waters. His lifeless form was later pulled from the river, and a gang member, Pik Van Cleaf, pilfered a money belt from around his waist. The gang leader, Emile Fouchon, quipped to the man responsible for the victim’s demise that the experience must have lived up to expectations.

Meanwhile, in Detroit, Natascha “Nat” Binder embarked on a poignant journey of discovery. Her quest was driven by the disappearance and presumed murder of her father, a former US Army veteran and manual laborer. As she scoured local missions and soup kitchens for any sign of his whereabouts, Nat’s determination only grew stronger. Eventually, she found herself in the French Quarter, where the sounds of jazz and revelry mingled with the scent of decay and desperation.

At a seedy diner, Nat’s carelessness with her wallet led to a brazen robbery attempt by a group of rough-looking goons. However, their nefarious plans were foiled when Chance Boudreaux, a man of unyielding skill in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts, intervened with brutal efficiency. As he dispatched the would-be attackers, Nat’s eyes met his, and she implored him to serve as her escort while she searched for her father. Though initially hesitant, Chance eventually agreed to join forces with Nat, citing a pending departure on a ship.

As they converged at the New Orleans docks, Nat found herself facing another obstacle: Chance’s union dues remained unpaid, rendering him unable to work. With a keen sense of opportunism, Nat proposed paying his back dues in exchange for his assistance in finding her father. Chance, ever the pragmatist, accepted her offer, and thus began an uneasy alliance between two individuals from disparate walks of life, bound together by their pursuit of truth and justice in the unforgiving city that never sleeps.

As Chance (actor name) suggests to Nat that they report Binder’s disappearance to the authorities, she hesitates due to her previous experience with the police, who seemed woefully uninterested in pursuing any leads. Undeterred, the duo decides to pay a visit to Homicide Detective Marie Mitchell, who is struggling to make sense of the scattered evidence at hand. Their visit takes a somber turn when Nat’s father’s remains are discovered in a charred warehouse, assumed by authorities to be an unfortunate accident given his homeless status. Chance’s subsequent investigation leads him to one of Binder’s dog tags, which bears a peculiar hole that sparks curiosity and raises suspicions.

As Chance delves deeper into the mystery, he finds himself face-to-face with two rough-looking thugs who warn him off pursuing any further inquiry into Binder’s death. Defying their threats, Chance overpowers them and is subsequently arrested for trespassing. In a surprising turn of events, he shares his findings with Mitchell and Nat, revealing that Binder’s death was far from accidental – the telltale hole in his dog tag suggests a sharp, edged weapon was used.

Meanwhile, Elijah Roper, an acquaintance of Nat’s father who knew him as both a veteran and a regular at local homeless missions, comes forward to share crucial information. It transpires that Binder had been distributing flyers for none other than sleazy brothel owner Randal Poe (actor name), whose murky dealings have attracted the attention of Fouchon and Pik. Their sinister operation offers wealthy hunters the opportunity to stalk human prey in exotic locations worldwide – all for a hefty price tag of $500,000. New Orleans has served as their latest hub of activity.

As the police investigation into Binder’s murder gains momentum, Emile and Pik pay Poe a visit, determined to extract any incriminating information he may have shared with authorities. In a gruesome display of brutality, Pik employs a pair of scissors to excise one of Poe’s earlobes, warning him that further cooperation will come at a steep price. Chance later catches up with Poe while he’s receiving a massage and subjects him to a similar brand of rough treatment, extracting valuable intel on Nat’s father in the process.

In a shocking revelation, Chance discovers that city Coroner Morton is complicit in Fouchon’s and Pik’s nefarious activities, deliberately covering up their murderous exploits. As the stakes continue to rise, Chance finds himself at the forefront of a perilous battle against these ruthless hunters and the corrupt officials who enable them.

As Fouchon pays an unexpected visit to Morton, he discovers the doctor incinerating medical records in his fireplace, a move that seemed to align with Mitchell’s earlier directive for Binder’s body to be re-examined. The doorbell rings, and Morton’s curiosity is piqued as he peers through the spyhole only to be met by the cold gaze of Pik, who promptly dispatches him. With the authorities closing in, Fouchon reveals a plan to conduct one final hunt in New Orleans before fleeing to Eastern Europe, where they can operate beneath the radar for years to come.

Meanwhile, Poe has been leveraging Roper’s skills for some time and now extends an offer of $10,000 per year, which Roper gratefully accepts. Fouchon and Pik meet with another client, demanding upfront payment for their services and arranging a high-stakes game involving a human target. As Roper joins Fouchon and Pik at an abandoned train yard, he’s presented with the cash in a money belt and given a head start, mirroring the experience of his father, Nat. If Roper can reach the river, he’ll be free to keep the payment, but if not, he’ll fall prey to their relentless pursuit.

As Fouchon’s crew begins to close in on Roper, they stalk him through a cemetery, surrounding him from all sides. Despite initial attempts to evade capture, Roper is eventually forced to confront his tormentors and seizes one of their automatic rifles, using it to take down his pursuers before the ammo runs out. Fouchon approaches his client, kills them, and collects their fee, knowing it’s already deposited in his bank account. His goons continue the hunt, ultimately cornering Roper on a bustling city street. With nowhere else to turn, Roper attempts to garner assistance from passersby but finds most people shun him due to his homeless status. In the end, Fouchon’s crew catches up with Roper and delivers the fatal blow. Pik retrieves the money belt containing the payment, bringing the hunt to a close.

As Chance (actor name) and Nat revisit Det. Mitchell (actor name), they’re met with shattering news: Roper has vanished into thin air. The unlikely duo dashes off to the French Quarter to gather intel from the enigmatic Poe. Unbeknownst to them, fate had other plans. Amidst Poe’s hasty preparations to depart, Pik appears, his shotgun at the ready. A split second later, Poe lies lifeless on the cobblestone streets of the historic quarter.

Their stroll through the Quarter is short-lived, as Pik and Fouchon’s goons descend upon them like a storm cloud. Det. Mitchell (actor name) takes a bullet and meets his maker in a hail of gunfire. Chance commandeers a motorcycle from one of the thugs and speeds off with Nat by his side, leaving Pik hot on their heels. A thrilling chase ensues, with the duo dodging danger at every turn.

Their next stop is a precarious overpass, where Chance dismounts, hands Nat over to safety, and launches himself back towards the pursuing SUVs. With pistol in hand, he takes down one of the trucks, igniting its gas tank and sending it up in flames. Undeterred, Pik and Fouchon’s crew continue their relentless pursuit.

In a daring move, Chance and Nat leap from the overpass and land with a thud in the cargo car of a rumbling train. As they make their way through the bayou, they face yet another challenge: a venomous snake intent on biting Nat. With quick thinking, Chance catches the reptile, severs its rattling tail, and plants it in a nearby tree as a booby trap.

The consequences of this cunning ploy are swift and merciless. One of Fouchon’s henchmen triggers the trap, only to have the snake exact revenge on his unsuspecting face. Pik and Fouchon seem ecstatic about this turn of events, reveling in the prospect of tracking down Boudreaux, who will prove a formidable quarry.

As Chance and Nat evade their pursuers, they find solace at Uncle Douvee’s farm, nestled deep within the bayou. The shotgun-wielding patriarch regales them with tales of his plan to lead Fouchon’s crew into a trap at the Mardi Gras Graveyard, an abandoned factory where the city’s iconic parade floats are stored. Chance sets off on horseback while Nat remains behind, waiting for Douvee’s signal.

Meanwhile, Fouchon and his men arrive at Douvee’s farm, unaware of the deadly surprise awaiting them. With a cleverly set trap, Douvee’s cabin explodes in a shower of sparks, claiming several lives. The uncle dispatches Nat to contact the sheriff while he rides out to join Chance, setting the stage for their next daring move.

A series of serendipitous events propels Pik to the Mardi Gras graveyard, where fate and circumstance converge in a thrilling sequence of events. As Chance utilizes the factory as a sanctuary and launching pad for a daring counterattack against Fouchon’s ruthless henchmen, the warehouse serving as a storage facility for elaborately crafted floats becomes a battleground. With his quick thinking and cunning, Chance emerges victorious from a tense standoff with Pik, ultimately claiming the upper hand when he takes down Pik with a precision shot.

Meanwhile, Nat and Douvee converge on the scene, joining forces with Chance to take down the remaining members of Fouchon’s entourage in a series of intense confrontations. Douvee suffers a non-life-threatening injury, but his determination only grows stronger as he continues to fight alongside Chance. As the stakes escalate, Fouchon seizes Nat as a human shield, compelling Chance to surrender his shotgun and engage in a brutal hand-to-hand combat.

The two adversaries exchange blows for several minutes, their movements a blur of sweat, muscle, and adrenaline-fueled intensity. In a bold move, Chance deploys a grenade, using the explosive device to gain the upper hand against Fouchon. As Fouchon stumbles backward, his panic-driven attempts to defuse the grenade only hasten its deadly countdown. The blast ultimately proves too powerful, claiming Fouchon’s life as it ignites.

With the dust settled and the chaos subsiding, Chance is reunited with Nat and Douvee, the trio emerging from the mayhem battered but triumphant. As they depart, the three friends share a moment of solidarity, their bond forged in the crucible of adversity.