Art Jeffries is the main protagonist of the action film Mercury Rising. He's an FBI Agent, who goes on the run to protect nine-year-old autistic boy Simon Lynch from corrupt NSA agent Nicholas Kudrow.
He is portrayed by Bruce Willis, who also portrayed John McClane in the Die Hard franchise, David Dunn in the Unbreakable Trilogy, Mr. Church in The Expendables, A.K. Waters in Tears of the Sun, Korben Dallas in The Fifth Element, Harry Stamper in Armageddon, John Hartigan in Sin City, Frank Moses in Red and Red 2, Joe Hallenbeck in The Last Boy Scout, Paul Kersey in Death Wish, and Butch Coolidge in Pulp Fiction.
Biography[]
He was working an undercover assignment of infiltrating a militia group in the town bank of Sturgis, South Dakota, but it ended in failure and several deaths. Art was then removed from undercover duty and placed on 'rookie' assignments in surveillance by his boss, Joe Lomax.
He was called by his friend and partner Tommy Jordan, who had helped him to keep his job after the bungled raid. Tommy asked Art about investigating a missing a nine-year old boy who disappeared his parents were killed by an assassin. However, Art figured out the kid was still in the house.
Most of Chicago P.D. called it Murder-Suicide; they think the boy's father killed his wife. the boy's mother, and himself because they were struggling financially. But Art doesn't buy it, because the gun the dead man was carrying cost over $1,000; the dead man was a blue-collar worker, so he wouldn't be able to afford a gun like that on his salary.
Art soon found the kid, Simon Lynch, an autistic savant with a genius-level intellect but severely limited verbal and social skills. They brought him to a hospital, and the nurse told Art about Simon's condition and doubted he could answer any questions. Art figured the person who killed Simon's parents is back, so he took Simon out of the hospital to protect him.
His friend Tommy helped him out, but he had to keep low profile since the FBI thought he went rogue. Simon and Art went back to the house in the morning and reenacted how Simon's parents were killed. Art makes arrangements to meet NSA agent Dean Crandell in the Wrigley Building.
They both befriend Stacey Siebring, and Art asks her to watch Simon for a minute. Crandell explains why Simon's life in danger: His boss, corrupt NSA agent Nicholas Kudrow, wants Simon dead because the boy cracked a top secret nuclear code he found in a puzzle magazine. Just then, Crandell is killed in plain sight by an assassin working for Kudrow. Leo Pedranski who worked with Dean and his best friend typed in a letter that Kudrow killed Simon's parents. He typed on untraceable carbon paper with his fingerprints on it.
He was going to deliver it to Jeffries, but it was too late. Art who made friends with Stacey and told him he was an FBI agent and Simon life is in danger. Leo's girlfriend Emily Lang saw his body and decide to send the letter Jeffries herself, he called Art's friend Tommy. She met Art and gave him the letter who is the mastermind behind this and this letter will have enough proof to put Kudrow behind bars. Art decide to see Kudrow for a minute and ask Tommy to put Simon witness protection. Art gives him 24 hours to call off the manhunt on Simon and tell the papers that his government was cracked by a nine year old autistic boy or he sends the letter to senate oversight committee that can put Kudrow behind bars. Art knows Kudrow is bluffing and he will give in Jeffries demands. Kudrow visited the FBI building played Art and Tommy's boss, Kudrow turn the tables on Jeffries by using his authority and the fact that Jordan arranged the Witness Protection under false pretenses.
He plans to have the NSA take over the protection for the meeting location. After Kudrow leaves, Jordan shows the evidence to Lomax and despite his initial doubts, Jordan confirms that the fingerprint markings on it were Pedranski's, now fully validating the evidence against Kudrow. Jeffries, with Jordan and a small FBI task force's help, sets a trap at the meeting spot. During the battle, Jordan protects Stacey, and the FBI team takes on Burrell, who is killed, trying to escape, when the windows blow out slashing his face open. Jeffries and Kudrow fight on the roof during which Simon walks to the edge of the roof and grabs Kudrow's gun, giving it to Jeffries and allowing him to take control as Jordan and the team come in.
In a last-ditch effort to get his victim back, Kudrow grabs Simon, is shot at point blank range by Jeffries, and subsequently falls to his death over the edge of the building. The case is over, Art is cleared on any wrongdoing and keeps his job as an undercover agent. Stacey drove Art to meet Simon at his new school and Simon is happy with his new foster parents that took him in. Simon owes Art his life and embrace him as his FBI agent friend.