It's January 1986, and Pat Kowalski has just turned 18, but there's no cause for celebration. His father is dying, and the local bank is foreclosing on their house. Pat talks to his senile great-grandmother, who tells him a story about a man dying in front of her in 1894. What she doesn't tell him is that the man - Mister Good Boots - had been carrying a suitcase worth of gold coins. These coins would be worth a fortune today - if any of them are still left.

But Pat's not the only person in their small Central Illinois town who needs money. Pat's classmate Vince is watching his college dream evaporate. Vince has also convinced himself that Pat's family stole something of great value from his family in the 1920s. He's willing to do whatever it takes to right an old wrong. Vince has another advantage - Pat doesn't know Vince is looking.

The two men are both trying to figure out if there's any gold left and, if so, where it is. While they look, they discover a lot about their own history, from bodies buried under an abandoned restaurant to both family's relationships with Al Capone. It's a race where the winner gets the gold, and the loser gets a bullet.