Lured to a prison with a promise of information, the Chief and Mark are taken hostage by three convicts desperate to escape. Together they plot to undermine the escape attempt by turning the situation to their own advantage.

The power station for a four mile square area of town is destroyed in an explosion, and when a similar attack takes out the auxiliary generator at Police Headquarters, Ironside realises that somebody somewhere is trying to cover their tracks. The question is, who - and what is their goal?

After a murder is committed in a San Francisco park, the Chief takes part in a live TV broadcast in the hope of provoking such a panic in his prime suspect that the man will make a mistake, or lead Ed to some hard evidence.