Joshua Tree

Wellman Anthony Santee, a former race car driver, has turned to crime after his mother's death. He and Eddie Turner bend the law for profit by hauling exotic stolen cars. The pair take increasingly dangerous jobs to survive.

Their latest assignment sends them across the desert hauling stolen cars. A highway patrol stop turns violent when Turner tries to hide a gun. In the firefight, Eddie and the officer are killed and Santee is wounded.

Santee senses that his guards intend to murder him during the transfer to San Gorgonio Penitentiary and makes a desperate escape. On the run, he abducts Rita Marrick from a nearby gas station. Rita is unaware that she is a police officer, adding another layer of danger to their alliance.

Rita's partner Michael Agnos leads the search for Santee and Rita. Santee eludes capture with help from Eddie's widow and child, while Severance and Rudisill continue their own investigation to close the net.

Rita makes an escape attempt, forcing Santee to violently disable nearby officers rather than kill them. The tense moment begins to fracture Rita's certainty about Santee's guilt. Her doubt grows as the chase continues.

Santee releases Rita and invades Severance's home, forcing Esther to reveal the phone number of former associate Jimmy Shoeshine. Santee demands payments owed to him and Eddie, escalating the confrontation and stakes.

Rita rejoins Santee and discovers evidence in the house that supports his claims. They escape together, narrowly dodging gunfire from Esther and a highway patrolman.

At Shoeshine's warehouse, Santee handcuffs Rita out of harm's way and engages Shoeshine's lethal mechanics in a firefight. Santee coercively retrieves the money, but Shoeshine escapes due to the timely arrival of Severance and Rudisill.

A series of flashbacks reveals that Severance and Rudisill are the actual leaders of Shoeshine's car-smuggling ring and that they killed the patrolman and Eddie to safeguard their involvement. The true corruption behind the case comes to light.

Severance and Rudisill murder Jimmy, who has tried to intervene, and Michael, who knows too much. Rita is devastated by Michael's death and chooses to stand with Santee in their desperate flight.

A crime scene officer discovers a surveillance tape showing Severance killing Michael. The evidence begins to close in on the pair and tightens the noose around them.

Severance and Rudisill pursue Santee and Rita and corner them on a cliff face after a prolonged chase. Santee kills Rudisill and engages Severance in a brutal hand-to-hand fight, but the arriving police interrupt before Santee can execute Severance.

The police arrest Severance, clearing Santee of guilt. A wounded Santee is vindicated thanks to Rita, and they share a kiss as law enforcement prepares to release him, allowing him to return to his life.