Jay Killian (Charles Bronson) had been a Secret Service agent guarding the President, but for the inauguration of the recently elected president, he is assigned to the first lady, Lara Royce (Jill Ireland). Lara, a perpetually indignant, arrogantly feministic lady, initially hates the methodical and rules-following Killian, and so she does all she can to avoid him and disregard his safety procedures. The story complicates when repeated attempts are made on Lara's life. Eventually, the shaken Lara decides to trust Killian's instincts and precautionary methods, and the pair embark on a difficult and often perilous cross-country journey, with the assassins close on their heels.