An abused 12-year-old runaway gets caught up in small-town politics when the corrupt mayor schemes to capitalize on her plight in a shady bid to get re-elected. Concerned for her abusive mother yet unwilling to be taken away by social workers, Clancy Miller (Christina Dawn Fougnie) chooses life on the streets over life in a foster home. But the streets can be dangerous -- especially for a little girl -- and after praying for a guardian angel to watch over her, Clancy encounters an ill-tempered homeless veteran named Nick (Jefferson Moore). When the disgraced mayor catches wind of the situation, he offers Nick a sizable payday if he can keep Clancy out of the public eye until the day before the elections. Hours before the voters file in to cast their ballots, the mayor will then "find" Clancy in grand fashion and win by a landslide. But the plan hits a hitch when Nick has a scuffle with a nasty loan shark, and he's forced to take Clancy out of the city to keep her safe. As the young girl and her reluctant protector work their way through the countryside, an unlikely friendship develops and Nick begins to see the world though a child's eyes. Meanwhile, the mayor announces a massive manhunt and military-style rescue mission for Clancy, and the locals gather around their televisions hoping for a happy outcome to the tense situation.