In the film Speed, Howard Payne plants a bomb on an elevator in a Los Angeles skyscraper and demands a ransom in exchange for not detonating it. SWAT officer Jack Traven and his partner Harry Temple intervene and successfully rescue the hostages, but Payne escapes. With the help of a witness, they identify Payne as a former cop who was fired for his involvement in a bombing. Payne then targets a city bus, rigged with a bomb that will explode if the speed drops below 50 mph. Jack boards the bus to keep the passengers alive and works with passenger Annie Porter to keep the speed up and outsmart Payne. As they race through LA traffic, the tension builds as Payne and Jack engage in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Despite several challenges, including a gap in the freeway and a busload of frightened passengers, Jack and Annie manage to outsmart Payne. In the climactic scene, they jump off the bus just before it hits an aircraft that Payne had intended to escape on, causing it to explode and seemingly kill Payne. The film ends with Jack and Annie sharing a kiss and a relieved LA returning to its daily routine.