Lawyer Ralph Anderson arrives in Tula, an amazingly remote town in the desert, as a reluctant emissary of mob chief Victor Massonetti, who wants the airstrip clear for his unofficial exit from the country. Ralph's arrival has a profound effect on his estranged father, the Sheriff; his brother Tip, an alcoholic Deputy; and his ex-sweetheart Linda, now married to Tip. Tension builds as a small army of gangsters takes over the town. Then the situation abruptly changes.