The French Revolution, 1794. The Marquis de Lafayette asks Charles D'Aubigny to infiltrate the Jacobin Party to overthrow Maximilian Robespierre, who, after gaining supreme power and establishing a reign of terror ruled by death, now intends to become the dictator of France.

Given a pardon from jail, Roy Earle gets back into the swing of things as he robs a swanky resort.

A savings-and-loan bank is robbed; later, a police wiretap identifies meek bank teller Leon Poole as the inside man. In capturing him, detective Sam Wagner accidentally kills Poole's young wife, and at his trial Poole swears vengeance against Wagner. Poole begins his plans to get revenge when he escapes his captors.

After discovering the dead body of her teenage daughter's lover, a housewife takes desperate measures to protect her family from scandal.

A prisoner leads his counterparts in a protest for better living conditions which turns violent and ugly.