A “Breaking news” slide interrupts commercials for the fictional RBS television network, leading to an emergency newscast hosted by Susan Myles and John Woodley. In Charleston, South Carolina, reporter Steve Levitt and his cameraman are caught in a firefight between the U.S. Coast Guard and a group of terrorists on a tugboat. Overwhelmed, the coast guards surrender, and they, along with the camera crew, are taken hostage onboard the tugboat.