Two hours from the airport, Lucy falls asleep. Simone receives a text from Damien confirming that he will meet them there. She reflects on how her normal life as a chef and mother has been shattered. Soon after, Damien texts again, asking her to call him.

Simone pulls into a gas station to make the call, but Damien doesn’t answer. He then sends a message on WhatsApp using the disappearing messages feature, telling her to check the news.

Simone googles Texas news and sees the breaking news story about a “double shooting” in Shafter. It includes dashcam photos of her holding a gun and of both her and Lucy standing over the dead man. The footage does not show the trunk of the car or the kidnapping context, and she realizes that without footage of Lucy escaping the trunk, the event looks like a drug deal. The article also reports that they injured a police officer who was in an unmarked Buick.

Simone realizes Lucy shot at a police officer, not an accomplice of the kidnapper. Their car’s license plate is visible in the photos, and the report names Simone and Lucy Seaborn as suspects wanted for murder and attempted murder. Understanding that the police likely have Damien in custody, Simone knows they cannot go to the airport. She wakes Lucy and shows her the news.

The kidnapper is aware that a man has been shot and that two people have escaped. Seeking revenge, they decide they must find “her.” They conclude with the chilling declaration that kidnapping is easy if one obsesses over it.

Lucy is horrified to learn she shot a police officer, but she speculates he might have been corrupt and working with the kidnapper. They realize their passports will be flagged, making air travel impossible. Fearing they will not be believed and Simone could face the death penalty in Texas, they decide against turning themselves in. Lucy suggests they lie low, gather evidence to prove the kidnapping occurred, and then report to police in a different town.

Lucy proposes they head to Terlingua, a town she heard of at voice camp; she thinks it is large enough to hide in. They agree to ditch their phones and the rental car. As they drive, Simone reflects on her past with her parents, who had addictions, and her relationship with Damien. She leaves a final, loving voicemail for Damien before planning their next steps: buy a new, untraceable phone, and get a different car from the gas station’s scrapyard.

At the gas station, Simone buys a new Motorola phone with cash. To mislead the police, she and Lucy leave their old phones switched on inside a garbage can, which will make it appear that their movements stopped there. They discover that the scrapyard is closed. As an alternative, Simone uses black tape to alter the rental car’s license plate. They then begin driving toward Terlingua, doubling back on their route to evade detection.

While driving to Terlingua, Simone reflects on Lucy’s reluctance to move out for university. Their drive is interrupted by the sound of approaching police sirens. Simone quickly swerves into an abandoned garage with a roller door. Lucy jumps out to pull the door up, allowing Simone to drive inside before they close it again, hiding just as the police cars speed past.

Realizing that the police are actively searching for their car, Simone and Lucy decide they must abandon it and continue on foot. Lucy suggests that they can walk the remaining distance to Terlingua, a journey of a few days across the desert, using their camping equipment. They pack their gear, food, and water into rucksacks, leave the car hidden in the garage, and set off into the desert night.

After walking for two hours in the cold desert, Simone reflects on a past family vacation, contrasting the luxury of time they once had with their current reality, where they are forced to live only in the present moment. Their water supply is limited, and they have miles to go. They walk through the dark landscape under a vast, starry sky, feeling utterly isolated.

Exhausted, Simone and Lucy decide to pitch their tent, though the hard ground makes it difficult. Simone considers their few options, concluding that finding the kidnapper is their only path to freedom. Simone asks Lucy to recount the kidnapping again, hoping that a new detail might emerge. Lucy recalls that the kidnapper was smaller than the man who Simone shot. As Lucy falls asleep, Simone holds her hand, vowing to protect her.

Early the next morning, Simone wakes up feeling the crushing guilt of having killed a man. Sitting outside the tent, she thinks about her restaurant, Dishes, and her dream of earning a Michelin star. When Lucy joins her, they discuss their only real option: to find the kidnapper as a first step toward exoneration. Simone cooks them a breakfast of tinned mackerel.

Simone’s phone gets a signal. She stops to check the news, without alerting Lucy, and finds an article detailing a press conference where Damien publicly condemned her actions, accusing her of taking the law into her own hands. Heartbroken but suspicious, Simone checks the Instagram account for their restaurant and sees a new post of a fish they don’t serve, which she eventually decodes as a “red herring,” a coded message from Damien.

That evening, they find a stream and replenish their water. Simone extracts salt crystals from the boiling water and uses them to cook potatoes. As they eat, Lucy becomes defensive when questioned about her life before the trip. To lift their spirits, they go for a swim.

The swim prompts Simone to recall a strange detail: an overly familiar British man in his fifties with gray hair who was on her coach to and from Mexico. Lucy is stunned, remembering a man with the same description and a northern English accent who visited her voice camp. They theorize that he is the kidnapper and that he must’ve distorted his voice to hide his distinctive accent. They speculate that he may have been at the camp to assess potential targets. Lucy googles Terlingua and finds a lawyer named James Moody who specializes in wrongful convictions and also rents out a house. Seeing it as a sign, she books the rental under a fake name.

That night, once Lucy is asleep, Simone sends a coded reply to Damien’s post on Instagram. He responds, explaining that he is publicly acting angry to throw off police surveillance so he can join them; however, Simone is dismayed that he does not deny that his anger is also real.

Damien reveals that the police believe they faked the kidnapping to cover a drug deal for their financially troubled restaurant, a story supported by a witness who claims to have seen them together at the border. He adds that both the officer who stopped at the lodge and the officer Lucy shot have been discounted as accomplices, undermining Lucy’s corruption theory. Simone tells him about the British man, and Damien agrees to investigate before they log off.

At dawn, flashing lights wake Simone and Lucy. They realize that a drone is scanning the desert and quickly pack their camp to avoid being spotted. As they continue walking, Simone’s phone gets a signal, and she sees a news report that states that the police are searching for them in Houston. She also notices that the phone’s search history has been cleared, wondering if Lucy has been using the phone while she slept. Soon after, Lucy spots Terlingua on the horizon.

Upon arriving, Simone and Lucy discover Terlingua is a tiny “ghost town” with a population of 180, making it a terrible place to hide. Simone confronts Lucy, who apologizes for misremembering the town’s size. As they walk through the main street, they feel dangerously exposed. They find the rental house, a pink bungalow owned by James Moody, and Simone tells Lucy to wait outside while she goes in.

The kidnapper is in Terlingua, methodically searching for the woman. They watch several houses from a distance, trying to determine who lives there. After ruling out a few properties with male occupants, they feel certain they will find her soon.

Inside the rental house, Simone is startled by a record player turning on. She finds a tall, slim man in the living room who introduces himself as James Moody, the owner. He begins to ask for paperwork and ID. Overwhelmed, Simone starts to cry, explaining she has had a terrible day.

Moody’s expression changes, and Simone is certain he recognizes her from the news. He abruptly waives the formalities and tells her that he is their neighbor before leaving. After he is gone, Simone checks the phone and finds Lucy’s search history, which, unlike the last time she checked, has not been deleted. It includes the phrase “Torture kidnapper.”

Simone tells Lucy that Moody likely knows who they are. Simone then confronts Lucy about her strange Google search, “Torture kidnapper.” Lucy defensively claims she was looking for stories from other victims. After showering, they watch a news report that identifies the man Simone shot as Jon-Paul Delves, a delivery driver with no criminal record. Overcome with emotion, Lucy cries about missing her father. They comfort each other with hot chocolate before falling asleep in the same bed.

At 4 am, Simone wakes and messages Damien, who replies that he must come and join them. At her request for proof of his identity, he messages that he met her by a Christmas tree. Trusting him, Simone tells him that they are in Terlingua. A few hours later, she sees a news alert that her restaurant, Dishes, has been awarded a Michelin star.

The next day, Simone and Lucy go to James Moody’s law office. He immediately confirms that he knows who they are, stating that “even fugitives” need lawyers. He listens to their story and says he believes them, as their situation does not fit the profile of a typical drug crime. Moody has them write down every detail about the kidnapping and the British man. He agrees to investigate their case pro bono for a few days, advising them to lie low in the small town.

Simone and Lucy go to the small, local grocery store to buy food. While Lucy waits outside, Simone shops, thinking about the Michelin star awarded to a life she can no longer lead. She hurries through the store, paying with cash and avoiding interaction, burdened by the constant fear of being recognized.

The kidnapper continues to search Terlingua, watching the few shops and bars. They spot a woman in a baseball cap who they think could be a target and follow her. However, he loses her when she disappears down an alley.

Simone comes out of the shop and meets Lucy, and they take a back alley to avoid tourists. Feeling a sense of progress now that they have a lawyer, their guard is momentarily down. They return to their rental house, but as they enter, they see the shadow of a person in the backyard. They freeze, holding hands, as the figure steps into the light.

The man is Damien. He explains that he was walking the streets when he saw them leave, so he waited in the backyard to meet them privately upon their return. He tells them that he escaped police surveillance during a brief window of opportunity, taking multiple cabs to cover his tracks.

The family is reunited in an emotional embrace. Damien holds Lucy, overwhelmed with relief. However, he avoids Simone’s gaze, and she realizes the conflict over how to handle the kidnapping has damaged their relationship. Despite this, she feels a surge of optimism.