Homeless woman Yvonne Caldwell is a woman with good reason to be bitter: she has lost everything except her two beloved dogs, Bebe and Man-Man. With her one friend, Wes, Caldwell lives the daily struggle of being homeless in Los Angeles until a chance encounter caused by her dogs leads to a friendship with LAPD officer Tami Baumann, and hope for a better life begins in earnest for Yvonne.

While they’re on vacation in the Southwest, Rae finds out her man Michael spent their house money on a classic car, so she dumps him, hitching a ride to Vegas for a flight home. A kid promptly steals Michael’s car, leaving him at the Zip & Sip, a convenience store. Three bumbling robbers promptly stage a hold up. Two take off with the cash stranding the third, with a mysterious crate, just as the cops arrive. The robber takes the store hostage. As incompetent cops bring in a SWAT team and try a by-the-book rescue, Michael has to keep the robber calm, find out what’s in the crate, aid the negotiations, and get back to Rae. The Stockholm Syndrome asserts its effect.