Vanessa Lutz, a resilient yet troubled teenager, navigates a life filled with hardship and dysfunction. After her mother, a prostitute, and her stepfather, a drug addict, are arrested, Vanessa decides to escape her tumultuous life in Los Angeles. With a heart full of hope, she sets out to find her estranged grandmother, carrying little more than a basket, a red jacket, and a gun for protection. Her only guide through the journey is a crudely-made scrapbook containing photos and addresses that might lead her to a safer future.

Her travels are abruptly interrupted when her car breaks down on the freeway and she accepts a ride from Bob Wolverton, a seemingly-kind counselor who works with troubled boys. As their conversation progresses, the veneer of Bob's demeanor starts to crack, revealing his sinister true nature. Vanessa quickly finds herself in a fight for survival, as their encounter transforms into a cat-and-mouse game. Her street smarts are put to the test as she embarks on a perilous adventure, wrestling with who to trust and how to stay one step ahead in a world that has consistently let her down.