 Inept gunman Ed Leggett botches an attempted late afternoon robbery of Cotton Harmon s roadside diner, resulting in serious injuries to both men. Leggett forces Cotton s wife Doris to treat his own injuries and ignore Cotton s. When Dan Mathews arrives, Leggett threatens to use Doris as a hostage, but he is ultimately convinced to release Cotton and Doris and take Dan instead. Sergeant Williams and a phalanx of Highway Patrol officers surround the diner, but night they are hesitant to rush the building or use tear gas because of Leggett s nervousness and his unpredictability. Dan is forced to use a combination of psychology and fearlessness to try to defuse the situation.