The FBI is called in to help the LAPD apprehend a vigilante group targeting robberies set up by crime boss Vic Tooner, a suave career criminal adept at dodging the law. After successfully breaking up seven heists, the vigilantes, known as Vanguard, suffer their first loss when one of their members is killed by Tooner's gang. The murder victim is revealed to be a grad student at a local university, and the team goes on to discover that Vanguard is a group of grad students. While they struggle to find Vanguard's motive, the team deduces that a group of highly gifted students decided to take on Tooner and his gang, which he runs with military like discipline. Realizing that Vanguard is in over their heads, the team tries to uncover other members while they work on connecting Tooner back to the murder. Charlie then helps set up a sting that brings Tooner and Vanguard face to face and the FBI is able to take everyone in to custody with the exception of Tooner, who dies in a gun battle at the scene. Ultimately it's discovered that the leader of Vanguard, Clayton Campbell, had sought revenge on Tooner after he got away with raping and murdering a young woman Clayton had tutored.
