Young English couple Polly and Nigel join a cheap bus for LA in Denver.

Their
relationship frays from deceit and jealousy. Also aboard is Joe, fugitive from Mob
creditors, who only cam to town to find his father’s gun; Joe, who came to his
father’s house from LA with a message for Verne from their mother; Grey Seal, a
mysterious Chinook-nation businessman, and the driver Mary, who loathes
leaving her small sons each week in this job. Verne fears meeting Anthea, his
estranged wife, along the way. Joe will find terrifying news from his life before
his adoption.

Comic book fans at the sale at the house of the late George find the gun, an
Antique colt 45. Joe explains he is the son of the house and claims it. Verne also
fresh from the funeral, refuses Joes plea to join their mother in LA, though she is
ailing, still angry with her for siding with Anthea in his divorce five years before.
He storms off but turns up later at the long distance bus station, fearing to use
the airport which may be watched, and is joined by Joe, who cannot fly with the
Colt. Grey Seal, a Chinook businessman is a veteran of air combat and prefers bus
travel. Polly and Nigel, backpackers, are travelling this way to see the mountains
and the desert and to save money.

The bus suddenly breaks and in the confusion of a near collision, Nigel examining
Joes gun, drops it and it slides forward to Verne, who stashes it; Mary the driver
decides to confiscate it and pockets it when Verne is not looking.

Joe intrigues Mary and at a halt because of a breakdown, they share stories.
Grey Seal's new casino software is found by Nigel, a genius, to be expensively
faulty, marking Nigel down for the businessman’s gratitude.

Nigel’s emotional immaturity, Polly’s lusts and the discovery of her deception
(she is underage and travelling on her sister’s passport) drives them apart, until
their confrontation in the finale.

Joe and Verne reconcile temporarily as they fight off hostile locals in the bar of
the hotel the travellers stay at overnight.

Early next morning Verne leaves the group suddenly, feeling he is not good
enough for Polly, and dreading a meeting with Anthea, of whom he has dreamed
in the night. Anthea meets the bus soon after to find Verne has fled, but she
decides to come on to LA on the chance Verne comes to Gwen’s after all. Gwen
she says is going to receive a special Oscar in two days.

The chance to stop at a town and Joe’s lost memories of his childhood there begin
to return. The find Joe’s grandmother, who recounts the tale of Joes natural
father’s shooting spree which led to his death and Joe’s becoming an adopted
child of Gwen and George, Joe’s parents. Crushed by the news, Joe climbs to the
roof of a mission church and will not come down. Polly, knowing the number for
Verne, calls him back to the group, Verne and Mary talk Joe down, Verne stays on
the roof and comes down resolved to try again with Anthea.
In front Gwen’s Mansion Nigel, arrives, unexpectedly and tells his tale of
becoming involved in a rodeo, a quarrel over women and losing a fight. The
comic book nerds, have been camping over night, having heard at their comic
convention that Gwen is about to receive a Lifetime Achievement award. Nigel
collapses into a deep sleep on the lawn.

The others arrive. A gangster arrives to kidnap Verne,