During a snow storm in upstate New England, novelist Fred Blake, his wife Elizabeth and young son David are trapped inside their remote cabin in the hills. Their only contact with the outside world is their phone and a hired hand, Hank, who occasionally brings them the mail and supplies. The Blakes are surprised by the unexpected arrival of Fred's brother Charlie, gunman Benjie and blonde floozy Edna Rogers. Charlie suffers from gunshot wounds and needs immediate care. The trio had robbed a bank and are on the run from the police. The radio news reveal that bank robbers killed a bank guard and took some eighty thousand dollars. Fred is irritated about Charlie's arrival since Charlie always had problems with the law and also because he used to be Elizabeth's lover before he left her, allowing Fred to marry her. The wounded Charlie is lodged in the upstairs bedroom to recuperate. Young David, takes a strong liking to his wounded uncle, despite his parents' warning that Charlie is a no-good hoodlum. While Charlie recovers his strength, gunman Benjie pushes the Blakes around, barking orders and physically molesting the hosts. Charlie has to intervene several times to protect the Blakes but he's too weak to take on Benjie. The radio announces that roads are being cleared of snow by heavy snow-removal equipment and that plans are drawn by law enforcement to deploy in large numbers to check all areas for the whereabouts of the bank robbers. Hearing this, the trio of robbers make hasty plans to leave the Blake home and cross over the snowy mountain pass the next day. However, there is one problem. The robbers plan to take young David with them to show them the way. Panicked, Fred plans to sneak out of the cabin during the night and alert the police. In the morning, noticing Fred's absence, the robbers tie Elizabeth to a chair, grab David and leave the cabin wearing warm clothing and snow shoes. But the constant fighting between Charlie and Benjie threatens to lead to a shoot-out.