 When Andrew Sterling, a successful black urbanite writer buys a vacation home on a resort in New England the police mistake him for a burglar. After surrounding his home with armed men, Chief Tolliver realizes his mistake and to avoid the bad publicity offers a thief in his jail, Amos Odell a deal. Amos is to pretend to take Andrew prisoner and hold him for ransom but let him go and escape. Amos and Andrew suddenly realize that the Chief s problems are all gone if the two of them both die in a gun battle. The worst partnership in film history then tries to get away from the local police.