Several unidentified dead men dressed as Santa Claus are shown in various positions. Six days earlier, Nick and Rudy are cellmates in prison three days away from release; Rudy is incarcerated for grand theft auto. Nick has been corresponding with a young woman named Ashley, who is waiting for him on the outside. When Nick is killed during a prison uprising, Rudy takes his place and lets the beautiful Ashley think he is the one who has been writing her the love letters. Before long, Rudy discovers that pretending to be Nick was not such a good idea after all, as some fellow criminals intend to use him for their own purposes—robbing the casino at which Nick used to work.