Thirtysomething lawyer Megan McGee is facing a quiet Christmas with her bulldog when Bonnie Thomas, a battered wife, comes looking for legal protection from her violent ex-cop husband, Carl. In a recent bout of rage, Carl vowed to kill their seven-year-old son, Tommy, rather than be separated from the boy. It's no idle threat, either--as Bonnie assures Megan: "He's tried before." And when Tommy's school unwittingly allows him to leave with his father, Carl gets his chance to try again.