A bickering couple driving cross-country through California pick up a psychotic hitchhiker who threatens to kill them unless they take him to Mexico.
Walter Mancini is a egoistical newspaper editor who is driving across California with his spiteful wife Eve, on a weekend getaway to save their troubled marriage. But after they pick up a stranded motorist, Adam, the man takes them hostage and reveals himself to be a fugitive who is running from both the police and his two accomplices after robbing a bank and making off with all the loot. Walter and Eve try to find a way to not only get rid of their passenger but also to deal with each other when both see the tempting offer of that stolen $2 million in cash that Adam has on him.—matt-282
Somewhere in northern California, Walter Mancini (Franco Nero), an alcoholic reporter, and his spiteful wife Eve (Corrine Clery) are on a road trip with a trailer heading back to Los Angeles. Their marriage is strained over their long conflict over Walter's drinking, and Eve's suspected infidelity. During an overnight stay at a local campground, Walter gets a little too rowdy with some of the other campers and breaks his left hand.
The next day, as Eve is driving with Walter along a rural two-lane road, they pick up a hitch-hiker (David Hess) whose car has just broken down. The hitchhiker introduces himself as Adam Konitz and he initially asks them to drive him to the nearest gas station so he can get to a phone to call a tow truck for his car. When Eve and Walter protest over driving their guest over a long distance, Konitz pulls out a gun on them and reveals himself to be a sadistic escapee from an institution for the criminally insane, and he is running from the law after robbing two million dollars from a bank in a nearby town with his partners. Holding the couple hostage, he orders Eve to head to Mexico. They are soon stopped by two policemen for speeding. After Walter attempts to signal them by writing "SOS" on his matchbox, Konitz shoots them both cops. He threatens to kill Walter and Eve if they pull another half-baked stunt like that again.
While the three stop for the night off the road, Konitz's two partners, Oaks and Hawk, whom he had betrayed to get all the loot for himself, shoot at Konitz who flees and take control of the money and the car. They decide to keep the Mancinis alive until reaching the Mexican border. The next morning, while driving, they are attacked by someone in a truck. The attacker turns out to be Konitz who kills his former associates and again takes the Mancinis hostage. After they reach a secluded place for the night, Konitz rapes Eve and forces Walter to watch the act. As Konitz gets ready to kill Walter, Eve shoots and kills him with Walter's hunting rifle.
With Konitz dead, Walter and Eve drive on. The next morning, despite Eve's opposition, Walter decides to keep the $2 million for themselves instead of going to the police. After four young motorcyclists the couple meet at a gas station pass them and pour oil on the road, the Mancinis' car goes off the road and crashes. One of the youngsters steals Walter's wallet and Eve's purse taking $200 in cash from it and leaves the couple in their wrecked car for death. But the thugs leave the suitcase on the back seat untouched (they do not know about the stolen cash in it). After the road thieves ride away, Walter wakes up and sees that Eve is badly hurt and she requests help from Walter. Walter brings Konitz's body from their trailer and plants it on the accident scene. He then tells the dying Eve that the thieves had only helped him. He had planned to stop after 15 to 20 miles, kill her and make it look like an accident. The sadistic Walter lights up a cigarette and sets the car and the trailer on fire. Eve is burned to death. Walter starts walking and, hearing a car come by, thumbs a ride.
