Fantasia arrives at the Los Angeles home of her friend, Jackie, during a small birthday party for Bobby, who is videotaping a couple as they dance. Jackie is surprised to see Fantasia, remarking that she thought her friend was on her way to Star City, Arkansas. However, Fantasia tells Jackie that she is leaving that evening. Fantasia then opens the door for two men, Ray Malcolm and Pluto, who force the party guests to the floor at gunpoint. While Pluto ties up the men, Ray slaps Jackie across the face, demanding to know where Marco lives. After Bobby takes Ray and Fantasia to Marco’s house, Ray pours lighter fluid on Marco’s wife and threatens her with a flame until Marco reveals the location of his cocaine and cash inside a wall. Back at Jackie’s house, Pluto receives a phone call from Ray and stabs Jackie as Bobby’s videotape of the party plays on the television. Ray tests Marco’s cocaine while Marco is asphyxiated with a plastic bag. Seeing a photograph, Ray realizes that Marco has a child and orders Fantasia to find him. She searches the house and finds the boy in a dark room, crying. Meanwhile, in Star City, police chief Dale “Hurricane” Dixon comforts his child, Bonnie, as she awakens from a nightmare. The next morning in Los Angeles, police officers, news crews and a crowd gathers at Marco’s house and his child is taken from the scene. Finding Bobby’s driver’s license, detectives Dud Cole and John McFeely go to Jackie’s house, where they discover the victims and Bobby’s videotape. Based on a neighbor’s sighting of Ray’s car parked outside the house and the audio track of Jackie’s voice on the videotape, the detectives determine that the suspects are on their way to Arkansas. From his patrol car in Star City, Dale reports to an officer that Ray was born in town and that he is on his way to his uncle’s home to await the arrival of the suspects. At a briefing in Los Angeles, the detectives establish the identity of Pluto, who has worked with Ray since they served time together at San Quentin State Prison. Dud receives a call from Dale, who is eager to make the bust at the Malcolm property, but Los Angeles police chief, Jenkins, orders Dale to refrain from surveillance. Meanwhile, Fantasia, Ray and Pluto drive down Highway 70 in New Mexico and stop at a hotel in Deming. As Fantasia snorts cocaine, she expresses remorse for the murders. Pluto plans to sell the cocaine in Houston and return to Chicago, but when Ray argues that they should keep some of the drug and distribute it in Arkansas, Pluto contends that going to Star City is a bad idea. When Fantasia questions why Pluto doesn’t party with them, Pluto restrains Ray and takes control of the drugs. Fantasia reassures Ray that Pluto will take care of them and says they should follow him to Chicago, where they will have enough cash to maintain their addiction. As Dud and John arrive in San Antonio, Texas and drive to Star City, Dale pulls up behind with his siren on and tells them to follow him. At a diner, Dale is insistent about taking control of the case, introduces the detectives to his deputy, Charlie, and pays a $12 bill with $10. Although Dale had been ordered not to conduct surveillance at the Malcolm property, Dale reveals detailed knowledge of the location and is convinced that Ray’s uncle is unaware of his nephew’s actions. Meanwhile, Pluto finds a local newspaper report about the murder with their photographs and Ray hits Fantasia, blaming her for protecting the child, but she insists that she could not find him. When Dale, Dud and John meet Ray’s uncle, they find the man is hard of hearing and is suffering from dementia. As Fantasia, Ray and Pluto change vehicles at a used car lot, Dud and John have a barbeque dinner with Dale’s family. Later that evening, while the men drink, Dud warns that they should not trust Ray’s uncle, but Dale says that he has never had to draw his gun in his six years as police chief. Inside, Dale’s wife, Cheryl Ann, tells Dud that she has never seen her husband so excited and is concerned that he does not understand the difference between fiction and reality. Rejoining Dale on the porch, Dud says that the case is the responsibility of the Los Angeles police and suggests that Dale need not be involved in the apprehension of the suspects, but Dale insists on taking part in the action. In an Odessa, Texas convenience store, Ray becomes agitated by the presence of a highway patrolman and reaches for his gun, but Fantasia calms him down. As they drive away, the officer follows and radios for information about the vehicle, suspecting they fit the description of the fugitives from Los Angeles. When he learns that the car is not registered, the officer pulls them over and orders Ray and Pluto to get out of the car at gunpoint. Fantasia shoots the officer and despite Ray’s protests, Pluto turns around and drives to town to get rid of the car while Fantasia laments her actions. Back in Star City, Dale tells Dud that he’d like to join the Los Angeles Police Department and asks for a recommendation. Later, at the diner, Dud tells John about Dale’s plans to join the force in Los Angeles and partner with them, but as they snicker, Dale overhears them. When they realize Dale was listening, Dale receives word from the police station that they have received surveillance photographs of Fantasia and Ray from the convenience store. Seeing the images, Dale identifies Fantasia as Lila Walker. In Houston, Ray, Pluto and Fantasia arrive at the home of Pluto’s connection, Billy, but his roommate, Beaver, tells them that Billy won’t return until the following evening. Although Pluto is suspicious that Billy did not inform him of the change in plans, he decides to wait. Later, Ray prevents Fantasia from calling her family in Star City, and she reminds him that the only reason she got involved with the heist was because he promised her money and the chance to go home. Pluto agrees to let Fantasia to travel ahead of them because they will no longer fit the description of the suspects. Meanwhile, Dale, Dud and John stake out the Walker family house. Dale explains that they are good people and that he got to know Fantasia when he arrested her for shoplifting as a teenager. He claims to have tried to help her, but she disappeared five years ago and rumors suggested that she went to Hollywood to become an actress. Dale argues that Fantasia is not a killer, and says that letting Marco’s son live back in Los Angeles proves her innocence, but John is unconvinced. As Fantasia’s brother, Ronnie, listens from the dining room, her mother tells the officers that she has not heard from her daughter and Fantasia’s young son, Byron comes to the table to ask for food. As the detectives leave, John speculates that Fantasia is returning home to see her son and upsets Dale by asking if he knows her intimately. Back in Houston, Ray discovers that Fantasia stole their cash before leaving for Star City. When Fantasia arrives at a remote bus stop, Ronnie meets her and warns that Dale is on the case. Fantasia admits that she used to know Dale and insists on seeing her baby. When she suggests that Ronnie take her to a place outside of town where she can visit with Byron during the night and leave in the morning, Ronnie drops Fantasia off at the abandoned home of a friend’s dead grandmother. That night, as Dale watches the Walker house, he sees Ronnie leave with Byron and follows them to Fantasia’s hideout. Meanwhile, in Houston, Billy returns and claims that he doesn’t have all of the money they negotiated, but argues that since Ray and Pluto are wanted men, they should accept a reduced payment. As Pluto stabs Billy, Ray shoots Beaver. After discovering only $8, Pluto and Ray drive away and Pluto demands that they split the money and the cocaine, but Ray confesses that Fantasia took their cash. At Fantasia’s hideout, Dale watches as she says goodbye to her son and gives Ronnie the cash, then confronts her in the house at gunpoint. She tells him that Ray and Pluto will be arriving soon and she is waiting for their call. When Dale starts to call Dud and John, Fantasia threatens to refuse picking up the phone for Ray. Dale says that he does not have the legal authority to help her, but Fantasia points out that he did not have the “legal authority” to have sex with her when she was seventeen years old and asks why he didn’t come inside when Byron was there to see his son. Although Dale denies paternity, Fantasia reminds him that she was a virgin before they met. Waiting for Ray and Pluto to arrive, Fantasia goes to her purse for cigarettes, but before she can open it, Dale takes the bag and finds her gun. She insists that she did not mean to shoot him, then offers him cake that she bought to celebrate Byron’s four birthdays that she missed. Telling Dale that her father was white and had another family, Fantasia reflects that Dale had sex with her because she looked white, but dumped her because she was black. In the morning, Charlie is unable to contact Dale, and at a nearby gas station, Ray calls Ronnie and gets Fantasia’s number. Tipped off by a local who saw Ronnie and Byron driving in the early morning, Charlie, Dud and John ask Ronnie to lead them to Fantasia. When Ronnie denies the claim, Dud asks Byron and the boy admits to seeing his mother. Meanwhile, as Fantasia begs Dale to let her go and to accept Byron as his son, the phone rings. Dale prepares for the arrival of Ray and Pluto and promises to let her go while Byron guides the detectives to Fantasia. When Ray and Pluto arrive, Fantasia invites them inside. As she hurries past Dale to hide, she tells him that she loves him. Dale forces the men to the ground at gunpoint, but Pluto stabs Dale. Shooting Pluto, Dale follows Ray outside, but as he aims, Fantasia pushes him away and Ray’s return fire hits her in the forehead. Although Dale is also hit, he kills Ray. Calling for help from his squad car, Dale tells Charlie where he is and the detectives soon arrive at the house. As Dud and John recover the bodies, Charlie comforts Dale, who is unresponsive, and calls an ambulance. When Byron approaches Dale and asks for Fantasia, Dale asks the boy to stay by his side.