Flight to Nowhere

An operative in Honolulu is gunned down while carrying a map that reveals secret uranium deposits in the South Pacific. The murder sets the central mystery in motion and signals that whoever killed him will be after the map. The fate of the map remains unknown as the plot shifts to the passengers' upcoming flight.

Countess Maria de Fresca tries to hire Hobie Carrington as the pilot for a Death Valley flight, using a dinner date to seal the deal. Carrington is wary but the offer lures him into the assignment. This sets the plan in motion for a dangerous journey that will entangle him with the map and its secrets.

Before departure, Carrington is approached by his former FBI superior, Bob Donovan, who warns him to watch the missing map. Donovan explains that the map could attract international racketeers and put their lives at risk. The warning heightens the stakes for the journey ahead.

During the flight, the passengers are warned they may need oxygen masks mid-flight due to a looming storm over the route. Catherine's oxygen mask is unexpectedly disconnected, forcing Carrington to dive and save her life. The peril confirms that someone may be targeting the group and the map.

Mid-flight, the Countess admits she fears someone intends to kill her. Donovan later explains that the group could be international racketeers seeking the map. Tension mounts as suspicion shifts among the passengers, leaving no one fully trustworthy.

Arriving in Death Valley, the group meets Tom Walker, another mining engineer. Walker tries to buy the map from Claude Forrest and secretly bribes the Countess for a secret letter about Claude. The questions about ownership and loyalty grow more tangled as the night unfolds.

Carrington's ex-wife Irene Allison, who is in Death Valley, reveals that the Countess is actually Dolly Lorraine, a former actress. Irene explains they previously worked together in a magic show, adding a layer of irony to the Countess's cover. The revelation ties Irene more closely to the plot's web of deception.

Carrington rescues Catherine from Van Bush by tossing him into the pool. He then discovers Catherine's unusual Japanese ring given to her by Claude Forrest. Throughout the evening the secret letter is stolen five times, with the fifth theft occurring as Tom Walker is murdered.

After the murder, the group travels to Las Vegas. Claude tries to sell the map to Ruehl, a rival engineer, while Donovan reveals that Claude's treason concerns Japan and uranium, and that the so-called map is actually Catherine's ring. The revelation reframes the entire quest and shifts the motive from treasure to a personal artifact.

Irene borrows Carrington's aircraft in Las Vegas, but the plane has been sabotaged and she crashes, dying in the wreck. Her death heightens the urgency to resolve the ring mystery. The loss further narrows the circle of suspects around Catherine's ring.

Porter has been waiting for an opportunity to steal the ring and confronts Claude at Ruehl's horse ranch; after a struggle, Porter kills Claude. Donovan arrives in time to shoot Porter before he can harm Carrington or Catherine. The threat appears contained, but the ring's fate still hangs in the balance.

Carrington and Catherine locate Ruehl's ranch, where Porter threatens them for Catherine's ring. Donovan arrives and shoots Porter, ending the immediate danger. In the aftermath, Catherine and Carrington plan to fly to Las Vegas to be married, with Donovan serving as best man.