Escaped prisoners (Stephen McNally) take hostages (Alexis Smith and Jan Sterling) and hide out in an abandoned town that will be the site of an atomic bomb test in 24 hours. As the hours tick by, the tensions rise and the differnt personalities come to the fore. Stephen McNally is suitably menacing as the man keepin the hostages between his gun and and an atomic bomb, whilst Jan Sterling's streetwise character rises above Alexis Smith character who is only interested in manipulating people for her own ends.