Traded

The film opens with a narrator stating that women have little value in the West and are treated as property. This bleak premise frames the hardship faced by Lily and her family. It sets the tone for the violence and exploitation that follow.

In a rural Kansas cabin, Lily asks her father Clay for permission to go to the tie dance. Clay refuses despite his wife’s support, revealing the mounting control over Lily. The moment plants the seeds of Lily’s later flight from home.

While gathering honey, Clay's son Jake is fatally bitten by a rattlesnake. The funeral ushers in a wave of grief that destabilizes the already tense family. The loss deepens the mother's depression and loosens the family bonds.

Following the tragedy, Lily runs off to pursue a Harvey Girl opportunity. Clay pursues with his guns drawn, determined to rescue his daughter. The pursuit marks the start of a long, violent search across frontier towns.

Clay shows Lily's picture to anyone who will look, trying to locate her. He confronts a stagecoach ticket man for lying, breaking his nose in the process. The confrontation underscores Clay's willingness to use force to get answers.

Lily befriends the scheming Rig Marlowe, who profits by exploiting vulnerable girls. Through Rig, Lily is sold into prostitution, a brutal turn in her life. Clay's resolve hardens as he learns of Lily's fate.

Clay travels to Wichita to find Harvey Girl tryouts and possibly catch a lead on Lily. No one has seen her, and a bartender offers hard won wisdom about the battle within men between evil and love. The search grows more desperate and personal.

Clay tracks Rig Marlowe to the Rusty Spur where Rig is caught cheating. Silas shoots Rig dead, cutting off one potential lead for Lily. The violent turn raises the stakes of Clay's mission and intensifies his danger.

Clay moves on to Ty Stover's Spinning Wheel Saloon in hopes of a Lily sighting. Ty denies seeing her, and a fight with a bouncer erupts. Billy the bartender ends the scuffle with a gunshot, allowing Clay to press on.

Clay learns that Ty has sold Lily to a man named Lavoie in exchange for a new fire bell. He hangs Ty by a noose as punishment and heads for Dodge City to locate Lavoie. Before leaving, Clay settles a score with a man from his past in a pistol duel.

Getting off the train in Dodge City, Clay meets a woman nicknamed Girl who is enslaved by her cruel step-dad Cavendish. Cavendish captures Clay, chaining him to a chair, where he endures a brutal morning until he finds a way to break free.

An old girlfriend Nell informs Clay of Lavoie and reveals that Lavoie has just taken over the French Chateau whorehouse. This tip redirects Clay’s search toward a powerful new villain and a dangerous lair. The revelation widens the scope of his quest.

Lavoie tortures Clay for killing his brother in Wichita, testing his endurance and resolve. Clay outsmarts his captor and escapes, keeping his focus on Lily. The escape marks a turning point as he heads toward the French Chateau to find Lily.

Clay locates Lily at the French Chateau and attempts to escape with her, but Leavoie's men overwhelm him. Girl dies from a gunshot at Lily's safety, and Billy the Bartender arrives to rescue Clay from the ensuing chaos. The moment culminates in a fierce confrontation with Leavoie.

Clay defeats Leavoie in a final shootout and rescues Lily. They escape the brutal world of the Chateau and head home, where a note from their mother foreshadows a reunion. Lily arrives at the barn and the family is reunited, ending the film on a fragile note of hope.