Hiller, a computer scientist out of a job, on the bottle, and left with a young stepson, falls into the hands of a gang of bank thieves who ""put the frighteners"" on him with fists, knives and shotguns. They need his input to get past the alarm system of the bank with its 1,876,000 pounds while Hiller only wants a safe exit with the boy. All rased to the highest common denominator of economy, efficiency, and tension.