D.E.A. agent Shane Tanner is the son of a legendary cooler named James Dalton (played by Patrick Swayze in the original film). Nate Tanner is Shane's uncle, and the owner of the Black Pelican, a bar located in Nate's new permanent home of Tyree, Louisiana. Nate gets a call from his rival, who is nicknamed "Wild Bill", the former Black Pelican cooler who has been trying to steal it from Nate. Wild Bill asks Nate to meet him at a pier, supposedly to discuss a truce. Nate goes to the pier and is ambushed and beaten badly by Wild Bill.