 Career criminal Steve Talbot s "final" jewelry heist goes awry when he has to kill the jeweler and is spotted by a bystander who notifies the Highway Patrol. Talbot s inexpensive getaway car breaks down before he can reach the airport and flee the area with his wife Audrey, so he hitches a ride with Jim Rogers and his wife, who are pulling a travel trailer. He subsequently takes Mrs. Rogers hostage in the trailer after a radio broadcast identifies him as a fugitive. Dan Mathews and his officers release the car and trailer from a roadblock, then drive ahead to the airport to capture Audrey Talbot and position themselves for an attempt to capture her husband and rescue the terrified Mrs. Rogers.