For Allen Edwards, the term “Great Depression” perfectly encapsulates reality. As a Maryland teenager, he lives in the slums where he struggles to help his family survive. This includes low-level criminal activity with his best friend, Chucky. Despite his efforts, his family is barely scraping by. Then an unexpected opportunity presents itself. While on another caper with Chucky, they witness a shocking event, one that could upend the city. Chucky—always the worrywart—advises keeping quiet. Allen disagrees. If they play their cards right, they can use their secret knowledge to score a massive payday. So, what should they do? Allen goes for broke, and his decision sets into motion more chaos than he imagined. Everyone gets involved—the police, the local thug he and Chucky work for, private investigators, a female schoolmate hellbent on righteousness—everyone. But Allen doesn’t care. He’s fed up with going hungry. For him, it’s opulence or death.