Bart Eriksen, a young law school graduate unemployed and down on his luck, hitchhikes to Texas where he fights off a thief trying to snatch a woman's purse. She and her husband Jack Orren "adopt" him and help him find a job in Dallas. After Bart establishes himself as a lawyer, Orren tells Bart of his decision to start-up an airline and talks Bart into working with him to do it. With Jack Orren as the Founder/CEO, they get GulfCoast Airlines going.
Jack Orren dies in what appears to be an accident. In a succession struggle to replace him at the airline, the COO, Roger Choate, prevails over Bart. Bart learns that Choate had killed Orren but there is no actual evidence. Eriksen tries going to the police, but Choate denies he was responsible. Eriksen tries to convince others, including Katherine, Orren's widow. Over time she comes to believe Eriksen and is faced with what to do about it. Eriksen too is faced with deciding how to act -- does he take action himself to seek revenge/justice for Orren and how would he do it? He is also conflicted by knowing that in any action against Choate he may benefit in his fight to lead the airline -- he thus questions his motive for revenge.
His decision making is complicated further by his relationship with two women who are very different, but almost equally attractive to him. He must decide between them and whatever he determines to do about Choate will affect whichever woman he chooses.
Concurrently, a drug cartel has started smuggling drugs on the airline. Eriksen has to figure out what to do about Orren's death and how to fight off the drug cartel. Decisions, decisions, decisions. What would you do?