The Gauntlet

Ben Shockley, a drink-addled Phoenix detective, is assigned to extradite Gus Mally from Las Vegas. After meeting Mally, he learns she is a belligerent prostitute with mob ties and believes they are being set up. He begins to doubt the case and his own role in it.

Mally hints that she is a 'nothing witness' in a rigged trial, while bookmakers in Las Vegas bet on whether she will live to testify. Shockley initially dismisses her fears but grows wary as the conspiracy surrounding her becomes clearer.

The pickup car Shockley rents to take Mally away is bombed, hinting at a larger plot to silence them. The attack leaves their plan in ruins and deepens the sense that the mob will stop at nothing.

Mally's house is fired upon by police after Shockley is framed for kidnapping and attempted murder. The assault confirms a wider conspiracy tying corrupt officials to the Vegas mob.

Shockley and Mally hijack a county constable at gunpoint and force him to drive them across the Arizona border. The escape is precarious, turning a legal extradition into a flight from authorities.

When the constable tries to alert authorities, mob hitmen gun him down. Shockley and Mally realize the conspiracy extends into law enforcement and decide to keep moving.

Forced to camp for the night, Shockley stumbles upon a biker rally and bluff them into leaving, then obtains a motorcycle to continue the escape. The encounter reinforces how dangerous their path has become.

Blakelock is revealed to be behind the setup; he is secretly in league with the mob and had abused Mally in the past, a detail she memorized. The scope of the corruption becomes crystal clear as the pursuit continues.

While stopping in town for a meal, a police helicopter ambushes them. Shockley lures the chopper into a high-voltage area where it explodes, dramatically altering their escape plan.

With the motorcycle out of service, they board a train where the two bikers from earlier attempt to assault Mally. Shockley barely retrieves his gun and fights them off, keeping them safe for the moment.

After a night together, they decide to marry and embark on a bold plan to prove their innocence by driving into Phoenix. Shockley had secretly mailed a route to Blakelock in advance, adding a personal risk to their mission.

Maynard Josephson, Shockley's former partner, warns them of the gauntlet of armed police Blakelock has arranged and urges them to surrender to Feyderspiel. The sense of inevitability grows as the plan tightens around them.

Josephson is shot dead by snipers from a nearby building as Shockley and Mally step outside. Shockley is hit in the leg, further complicating their attempt to reach safety.

The bus fights its way through a gauntlet of hundreds of armed officers lining both sides of the road, finally reaching the steps of City Hall. The tension peaks as the protagonists near the final confrontation.

Blakelock grabs an officer's gun and murders Feyderspiel, but runs out of ammo before finishing Shockley. Mally seizes the moment and shoots Blakelock dead, while the surrounding officers watch as Shockley and Mally walk away from the gauntlet.