Tess Thorne, a successful crime-mystery writer, is invited to a library in upstate Massachusetts for a meet-and-greet with fans, but is scared of flying so drives to engagements even long distances away. After the event, Ramona, the organizer, suggests a quicker route home for Tess. However, it takes her via a remote rural location where her car runs over nail-studded planks lying across the road, puncturing her tire. It happens by an abandoned gas station and, having no signal for her cell phone, Tess hopes that someone will stop to help.