"Good morning, Mr Briggs." "Edward Hughes, an American intelligence officer, has defected to the enemy and taken refuge in their embassy here." "Hughes took with him a top-secret message before we had a chance to decode it." "We believe the information in that message to be vital." "The sender of the message has died." "Hughes himself does not know the code so Victor Belson, one of the enemy's best cryptographers, is on his way to the embassy now." "Belson is unknown to the personnel there." "The mission, Dan, should you decide to accept it, would be to get the message back before the enemy deciphers it and get Hughes out of the embassy in a way as to discredit any other information he may have given them." "As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions." "This recording will self-destruct in five seconds." "Good luck, Dan." "Why do we have to get Hughes out, too?" "Why not just let him rot in the embassy?" "'Cause more top-secret documents have passed through his hands than almost any other man in government." " You mean, he's only begun to talk." " Exactly." "This is a schematic of the embassy." "I've marked the ventilation system in yellow." "It's like a maze in there, Dan." "Even if we could get in, there's no room to move around." "That's why Tina is here." " I'm convinced." " Thanks." " Got everything she'll need?" " All set." "Mirror pack, bed top, two-way radio and tools." "Rollin?" "The copy of New Feature Magazine will be delivered with today's mail." "What about the ampoule?" "Well, this should make him very tired." "He'll want to take a nap." "Coffee, tea or milk?" "Mr Belson chose tea, and it put him right to sleep." "Good." "How long will he be held up?" "The airline put him in the hospital for the night." "He'll arrive on the 5:15 flight this evening." "That should be just about enough time." "I am Victor Belson." "Mr Belson is here." "You are expected, Mr Belson." "Victor Belson." "I am Koler, Internal Security." " Comrade." " This way, please." "Victor Belson." "This is Edward Hughes." "How do you do?" "If he can be of any help to you, he is, of course, available." "Did the courier give you any verbal message" " when he delivered the envelope?" " Verbal message?" "Occasionally, a courier commits to memory the means, the sequence by which the material he is carrying is to be decoded." " We never used that system." " Never?" "That's what I said." " Surprises me." " Why does it surprise you, Belson?" "It is a commonly used technique." "I'm sure Hughes knows what he's talking about." "Of course." "I didn't say he didn't." "Now I suggest you get started on what you came here to do, Belson." "Very good." "Will someone show me to my room?" "I have my code wheel right here." "I would like to get settled." "Of course." "Koler, will you take Comrade Belson to his room?" " Yes, sir." " Koler, this issue came yesterday." " This is an extra copy." " May I read it?" "I haven't seen a real American journal in years." "Thank you." " Nice." " Yes." "Now, you can put them right there." "It would be a much prettier view if we were higher up." "The view gets better, the price gets worse." "Thank you." " We're almost set." " I hope so." "The worst part is the waiting." "Open the vault." "Photoelectric cells." "Even if a thief could somehow secure the combination, he couldn't get close enough to try it without triggering the alarm system." "No classified material is taken from this room." "I will keep this guard on duty here as long as you wish to work in here." "I prefer to work in my room." "I can take some notes." " It shouldn't take me too long." " As you wish." "Sit down." "Hughes will stay here as long as you need him." "Who is Beaumont in Room 411 at the Hotel Leon?" "Beaumont?" "This magazine is coded." "See the tiny pinholes?" "Beaumont, Room 411." "Hotel Leon." "I don't understand." "Well, it would seem that someone on the outside was trying to communicate with someone on the inside." "That's highly unlikely." "My personnel are free to come and go as they please." "One isn't." " Are you suggesting that..." " I'm not suggesting anything, my friend." " I'm merely curious." " About what?" "About what prompted you to become a traitor to your country." " You've no right to ask such a question." " Perhaps." "Perhaps, but one wonders why one would give up the comfortable life" " of the country of his own birth, unless..." " Unless what?" "Unless he was up for sale to the highest bidder." " What are you trying to pull?" " That's enough!" "Comrade Belson, I have complete faith in Mr Hughes." "Nevertheless, I suggest that we somehow try to find out what is to take place in Room 411 at the Hotel Leon." "Koler, check the hotel." "Beaumont speaking." "Right." "They took the bait." "All Weather Heating Company." "We are having trouble with our furnace." "It's the All Weather Heating Company." " We'll send a man over immediately, sir." " Thank you." "What's the number?" "Plymouth 59642." " All Weather Heating Company." " Yes, miss." "This is the embassy again." "Our regular maintenance man has found what caused the trouble." "You won't have to send anyone over." "We are sorry to have bothered you." "Very well, sir." "I'll cancel the order." "Suddenly it just stopped." "Sounds to me like one of the ducts is clogged." "The air isn't getting through, and it's putting too much of a load on the blower." " I'll take a look." " Very well." "Remember," "Willy will hold the pipe in place until he feels your weight get off." "Don't move until they leave the furnace room." "What will I do when I get back?" "If you get back to the opening before Willy gets there, just wait." "Don't try to call me from the opening." "Someone might hear you." "Let's check out the radio." " How do you read me?" " Loud and clear." "We're all set." "You better get in the pipe." "This section's shot." "I think I've got a piece in the truck that should fit it, though." "I'll get it." "It'll work." "I'll take it back to the shop and put the insulation on it." "We'll have you back in business in a few hours." " Mr Beaumont?" " Yes." " Compliments of the management." " Thank you." "Very pretty." "I must always come to this hotel." " Here you are." " Thank you." "As you were saying, Mr Beaumont." "Yes, I want $10,000 now and another $10,000 when I turn the papers over to you." "$10,000 is a lot of money to put out on faith." "I'll need $10,000 now to purchase the papers from my contact." "Are you sure he'll be able to get his hands on the papers?" "Absolutely." "But if they're giving him sanctuary, what happens when he's ready to leave?" "I'm arranging for his escape to South America." "After he's passed the papers to us, he'll return to the embassy and wait there till his travel contact is made." "Very well." "What time will you deliver?" "I'll receive the papers sometime within the next few hours." "As soon as I get them, I'll call you." " Good." "I'll wait to hear from you." " It should be very soon." "If Beaumont leaves his room, follow him." "Tina?" " Yes, Barney?" " Are you all right?" "All right so far, but it's slow going." "When you hear a radio playing, you'll be right outside of Rollin's room." " Let me know when you get there." " Right." "You think you can work this for a while?" " I think so." " Good." "I've got all the notes I need." "I think I'll work in my room." "The wheel's all set." "Now check these progressions from 475 to 500 against this first series of numbers." "If you get tired, ask the guard to put the papers back in the vault." " Barney." " Yes, Tina." "I'm just outside of one of the room vents." " I hear a radio playing." " Good." "That's Rollin's room." "Now, double back." "Hughes' room is across the hall." "A duct L's to the left, just ahead of me." "That's correct." "I'm on my way." "Better put these away." "I'm going to my room." "I got to get some sleep." "I'm at Hughes' room, Barney." " He's dead to the world." " Good." "Use the tool I showed you and take the grating off." " Where's Hughes?" " He went to his room." "Come with me." "You are to remain here." "See that no one enters or leaves this room." "He's asleep." "Don't disturb him." "But if he tries to leave his room, let me know." "What is it?" "I thought you should see this immediately." "If Comrade Belson leaves his room, let me know." "Yes, sir." " I'm in the vault room." " Take care of the door." "Right." " Okay." " All right." "Start assembling the mirrors." "Here goes." "So far, so good." "Good girl." "What's happening?" "Tina, what's happening?" "I'm okay." "It's open." "I've got it." "When?" "But that's impossible!" "Are you certain?" "Go back to the hotel." "Try to find him." "Call me!" " I'm ready." " Don't forget the wedge." " Has Hughes left his room?" " No, sir." "Let me in." "He's gone!" "You fell asleep on the job." " He walked right past you." " No." "Don't lie!" "Get Belson!" "Hurry, hurry." "You are to come with me." " Why?" "What is it?" " Comrade Brazneck is waiting." " What is the meaning of all this?" " Is this what you studied?" "Let me see." "No." "It's different." "A very clever substitution, but..." " Hughes?" " He's gone from his room." " I thought you put a guard outside!" " I did." "But somehow he got out." "Of course." "Beaumont helped him." "That's obvious." "Perhaps." "But he must have had help from the inside, too." "Possibly from you, Belson." "Just because you allowed Hughes to steal those plans," " you can hardly put the blame on me!" " No?" "This teletype just came." "It says," ""Victor Belson is suspected of being a double agent."" "Consider yourself under arrest." "I'm outside Hughes' room again." " Move as fast as you can, honey." " Right." "This paper says you are only to observe me." "It no way incriminates me with Hughes." " I incriminate you with Hughes." " How?" "Can't you see that Hughes has been playing you for a fool ever since he arrived here?" "And now you are using this weak excuse to try to blame me for your mishandling of Hughes." "Now, Hughes switched the envelopes just as you heard Beaumont say he would." "He couldn't have." "He couldn't get into the vault." "He was in the vault." "He was the last one with the papers." "I know because I left him there." "All right!" "All right, Hughes!" "Stop pretending." "The charade is over." "What's going on?" "The envelope your man saw Beaumont give him in return for the plans." "What's going on?" " And a passport." " What are you talking about?" "So, now we understand how he could leave and return so easily." "How much of that did he offer you not to see him come and go?" "None." "I don't understand it." "Will one of you please tell me what you're talking about?" "Hughes, why do you persist with this ridiculous denial?" " Denial of what?" "What have I done?" " I've looked into the vault." "What are you talking about?" "Do you deny receiving this money from Beaumont?" " Who's Beaumont?" " Stop trying to make a fool of me!" "Brazneck, you're wasting your time." "He'll admit nothing." "I suggest if you have a cell here, lock him up." "We'll dispose of him later." "You're all going crazy." "Perhaps he'll even tell us how he engineered this clever plot" " before he is executed." " Executed?" "I know what you're trying to do to me." "After what I've done!" "After what I've risked!" "No." "You're not gonna do it!" "Stop him!" "Stop him!" "That's him." "Killing Hughes would have been stupid." "Stupid." "Let them take care of their own traitor." "That's all we need is to have to explain the death of a US security officer here in the embassy." "Belson, I'll see that you suffer for this." "Brazneck, I hate to disappoint you, but I am not Victor Belson." "My name is Novich, NVD." "No, no, no!" "I don't believe it!" "One man has already tried to fool me today." "I'm in no mood for repetition..." "And I am in no mood for your slow-wittedness!" "I was sent here to see how good your security measures are." "I can tell you, my friend, they are not very good." "I don't believe you." "Victor Belson was delayed by us because we're uncertain as to his loyalty." "He will be arriving, however, in 30 minutes." "I'm going to send an inquiry to NVD headquarters." "If their reply does not substantiate what you have told me, you will never leave this embassy alive." " Barney." " What is it?" "Dan has to get Belson here ahead of schedule, or Rollin isn't coming out alive." " How much time have we got?" " As long as it takes Brazneck to send and receive a teletype from back home." " Dan's already on his way." " Oh, and Barney?" " Yeah?" " I'm on my way out." "We'll be ready." "This should do it." "Let me just see if the fit's perfect." " Now where are you taking it?" " Got to drill the holes." "Just be another few minutes." "I am Victor Belson." "Prove it." "If you'll excuse me, my work here is finished." "Hold him until you receive further instructions." "I will do what I can for you when I make my report, Brazneck." "But I'm afraid it won't do much good." "Sir, this is the reply from NVD headquarters." "Is something wrong?" "Are you ill?"