In a small, desolate town, a drifter named Collie arrives, trying to leave his troubled past as a boxer behind. He crosses paths with Fay, a disillusioned widow running a neglected bar. Fay, intrigued by his brooding demeanor, offers him work on her rundown property. Meanwhile, Uncle Bud, a local ex-cop turned conman, has his eye on a big score and sees potential in Collie's physical prowess. Bud convinces Fay and Collie to join him in executing a dangerous scheme involving the kidnapping of a wealthy family's young son for ransom.

As the plot unfurls, tangled emotions and hidden motives surface, leading to escalating tension between the trio. Fay, torn between her attraction to Collie and her loyalty to Bud, becomes increasingly conflicted. Collie's mental fragility surfaces, causing instability among the conspirators. The plan teeters on edge as trust unravels, personal vendettas ignite, and the boundaries of morality are tested. With stakes growing higher and external pressures closing in, each character is pushed to their limits, blurring the line between desperation and deceit. Ultimately, nothing is as it seems in this web of manipulation and mistrust.