"There he is." " Richter Seven?" " Affirmative." "You've completed your assignment, Richter Seven?" "Yes, unfortunately, the other party had to be killed." " What about the material?" " I left it at Drop B." "Drop B." "I'll catch the usual flight to Los Angeles." "I'll pick them up 5 p.m. your time." " Have you further instructions for me?" " No, you remain where you are." "I'll call you when the pickup is complete." "Five p.m. tomorrow." "Let's go." "Channing has done brilliantly for our cause, but he'll have to be killed immediately." " You." " And you." "Excuse me." "There's a call for you in the booth, sir." "Did they say who was calling?" "It's about an appointment you have for tomorrow." "Wait for me." "Of course." "Good evening, Mr. Phelps." "Because of recent earthquakes, our Distant Early Warning radar system has been severely crippled." "The United States is now in danger of an undetectable preemptive nuclear attack." "A few hours ago, this man," "Defence Department adviser Whitmore Channing, murdered an Air Force official and stole top-secret data specifying the exact areas where our warning system is no longer operative." "He has placed this data in an unknown location for pickup at 5 p.m. tomorrow by an enemy agent." "The identity of this other agent is unknown." "Your mission, Jim, if you decide to accept it, is to prevent this information from falling into the hands of the enemy." "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds." "Good luck, Jim." "Yes, unfortunately, the other party had to be killed." " What about the material?" " I left it at Drop B." "I'll pick them up 5 p.m. your" "Our plane leaves in 45 minutes." "Jim, if the government had Channing under surveillance, how was he able to make the drop without being caught?" "Because they didn't suspect him until after they found the body of the man that he killed to get the plans." "Channing made it look like suicide." "Now, let me show you what's at stake here." "Our only defence against a surprise preemptive missile attack is this line of electronic eyes, our Distant Early Warning radar system." "Now, recent earthquakes have severed these lines here and here, creating blind spots." "It'll take at least a month to repair the damage." "Jim, why don't they just arrest Channing?" "And interrogate him?" "It would be a waste of time, Casey." "His dossier." "His security evaluation tells us he's tough, self-disciplined, supremely egocentric." "Psychiatric evaluation establishes beyond question that he won't crack easily under pressure." "It'd take a long time to break him." "We don't have that time." "They'll be ready for us in L.A., Jim." " The entire block will be evacuated." " Good, Barney, fine." "Now, you and Willy can study Channing's apartment layout on the plane." "Now, the sole purpose of our plan is to get Channing to reveal his control's code name and flight number." "If we don't succeed, by 5 p.m. tomorrow evening, the United States will be wide open to preemptive nuclear attack." " Mr. Shewitt?" " Speaking." "I was referred to you by a friend who had a rodent problem in his home." " Yes?" " I have a similar problem." "My fee is $25,000." "I've already wired that money to your New York account." "You're perfectly free to confirm it." " All right, go ahead." " The name is Whitmore Channing." "If you're gonna smoke, smoke one of these." "Thank you, sir." "Here." "He's got the kettle on." "Ready." "Casey." " Hello?" " Mr. Channing?" "This is Captain Paulsen." "I'm General Powers' aide at Vandenberg." "Go, Barney." "I'm afraid I have some very unhappy news for you, Mr. Channing." "General Powers died early this morning." "He committed suicide." "Oh, no." "I'm sorry." "No, captain," "General Powers seemed perfectly normal when I left him." "He expressed no anxieties to me." "Mr. Channing?" "Captain, would you excuse me for just a moment?" "I'm sorry, captain." "I thought I heard someone at the door." "That's perfectly all right, sir." "I suggest you check with his personal physician." "As far as I know, nothing was troubling the general." "Ready." "Yes, of course, I quite understand." "And I'm sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Channing." "Sorry I couldn't have been of help." "Goodbye, captain." "There's a 12-hour tape on this." "Spin it out." "Run the weight down and stop the pendulum." "How long will he be out?" "We can't wait for the effects of the pellet to wear off." "Okay, Jim." "You're clear to proceed." "We're on schedule here, Barney." "Twenty-fifth?" "Because of the national emergency, telephone service has been temporarily suspended." "Because of the national emergency, telephone service has been temporarily suspended." "Because of the national emergency, telephone service has been" "Citizens of Los Angeles who have remained in the city are warned to stay in their homes." "Only those on emergency public duty will be permitted" "Here is a bulletin just handed to me." "A roundup of those known to be security risks to the European People's Republic has just been launched in the Southern California area." "By order of the commanding general of the local occupation forces, a state of martial law now exists." "Resistors to occupying forces will be shot." "This frequency will be off the air until further notice." "Word has just been received from the White House that the president has acceded to the ultimatum by the European People's Republic." "A cease-fire is now in effect." "Here's the situation up to this moment." "At 0200 hours this morning, European People's Republic launched a massive preemptive nuclear attack on the United States, sending missiles undetected through the ruptured DEW line." "Stand by, please." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hello, anybody there?" "Hello?" "Anybody here?" "Shortly after zero hour, a huge drop of paratroopers successfully sealed off a vital Armed Forces communications centre in the Omaha region." "Here's a late bulletin just in." "The president has ordered all American forces throughout the world to lay down their arms." "By dawn this morning, defeat seemed inevitable." "Stand by, please." "The president of the United States will address a joint session of Congress in exactly 20 minutes from now." "Formal capitulation of the United States to the European People's Republic is expected at that time." " Whitmore Channing?" " I'm Channing." " I'm taking you into custody." " I understand." "Captain, I'm still a little groggy from a severe electrical shock." " Can you tell me what day it is?" " Thursday." "Thursday." "A Thursday, captain, which you and I will never forget." "I assume that you're taking me to your intelligence." "All I know is you are on the list of the people I have orders to round up." "Now, get inside." "Move, move." "By order of the commanding general of the occupying forces, all major arteries and freeways in the Los Angeles area are restricted to military traffic only." "Repeat:" "Major arteries and freeways are restricted." " Where are we?" " Temporary EPR Headquarters." "This is the old Courts Building." "We would be in the new one, except it was destroyed in a firefight last night." "Take this man to the detention room." "You can clear the area now and take your men to the courtyard." "Hey, what the devil's going on here?" "Restricted area." "They're making a war training film." "Oh, I see, yeah." "Sorry, sir, no one's allowed beyond this point." "Yes, but I have an appointment here with the City Planning Commission." "I'm sorry, sir, I'm under strict orders." " Is this Channing?" " Indeed I am, sir." "And you are Colonel...?" " Lock him in with the rest." " Lock?" "Colonel, I don't think you understand who I am or what part I had in today's" "Never mind about him." "One way or the other, he's gonna die." "They have no right." "I have children." "They're still small." "They need me." "I'm sorry." "You're sure he said City Planning Commission?" "Yes, sir, I'm sure." "That's funny, this building's been condemned for months." "If there's anybody around here who doesn't belong, I wanna know." " Alert the others." " Yes, sir." "The People's Military Court now summons Major Thomas Howard." "Repeat:" "Major Thomas Howard." "They're killing everybody." "They're gonna kill us all." "Lady, I'm sorry." "Howard?" "No." "No, don't go." "Soldier, would you tell the colonel that you're holding Whitmore Channing?" "I'm sure that if my name were brought to the proper authorities of your G2" "Major Howard, you are a squadron leader," "Strategic Air Command, March Field." "Thomas Howard, major, United States Air Force." "Serial number 708975." "You are an enemy of the people." "When they call you, you just tell them I'm an ordinary secretary." "I support my children." "I haven't done anything." "I haven't done anything." "Address." "Prepare." "Fire." "The People's Military Court now summons Helen Marie Davis." "Repeat:" "Helen Marie Davis." "No." "No, please." "Please don't let them take me." "I have children." "What'll they do if I'm gone?" "Let go of me." "I want no part of you people or your problems." "No." "No, please." "I haven't done anything." "Please." "Please, I haven't done anything." "Please." "Oh, no." "Please." "I've got babies." "Madam, you are a secretary to the assistant director of Civilian Defence, Los Angeles area." "But I don't know anything." "I'm just a secretary, a nobody." "You are an enemy of the people." "No, you can't." "Please." "I've got babies." "They need me." "Please." "No, don't you care--?" "Address." "Prepare." "Fire." "Bring on Whitmore Channing." "Repeat:" "Whitmore Channing." "Whitmore Channing, you have played a major role in formulating your country's war policies." "You are therefore automatically an enemy" "I wish to speak with your chief of intelligence." "An enemy of the European People's Republic." "Colonel, I must caution you, you are about to commit an unpardonable error." "Why don't you find out who Whitmore Channing is?" "You'll be doing yourself and our new society a vital service." " Our new society?" " I include myself." "The name Whitmore Channing has no significance to this tribunal." "I am trying to tell you, colonel, that you're interfering in matters far beyond the range of your command." "If I die, no man in this room will be alive tonight." "You fool." "I'm the reason you're here, I and no one else." "I am the person that gave you the information that made this invasion possible." "I am on detached duty from Intelligence Service, Mr. Channing." "How is it I do not know of you?" "Well, of course you don't know of me." "I'm operating under a code name," "Richter Seven." "Bring him back." "Now speak." "The day before yesterday afternoon at 4:00," "I killed General Walton Powers in order to photograph the secret data pertaining to the United States' crippled radar system." "I deposited this information for pickup by my control." "This enabled the forces of the EPR to launch the attack." "If this is true, why did you not report to your prearranged reception point?" "Unfortunately, I suffered a severe electrical shock in my quarters, and I was unconscious for I don't know how long." " Your code name again?" " Richter Seven." "How many drops in the area backup?" " Six." " And where is Drop A?" "I'm sorry, colonel." "It isn't that I mistrust you, but details of that sort, the exact location of a drop, must remain, for the moment, between my control and me." " What drop did you use?" " I used Drop B." "Phone." "The subject says Drop B. Is that satisfactory?" "Very well." " Put him in the detention room." " Wait." "Is there anything else you wanna know, colonel?" "You have told us what we wish to know." "You mean you have sufficient information about Drop B?" "You have told us what we want to know." "I deposited this information for pickup by my control." "This enabled the forces of the EPR to launch the attack." "If this is true, why did you not report to your prearranged reception point?" "Unfortunately, I suffered a severe electrical shock in my quarters, and I was unconscious for I don't know how long." " Your code name again?" " Richter Seven." "How many drops in the area backup?" " Six." " And where is Drop A?" "I'm sorry, colonel." "It isn't that I mistrust you, but details of that sort, the exact location of a drop, must remain, for the moment, between my control and me." " What drop did you use?" " I used Drop B." "Good afternoon, Polar Air Services." "May I help you?" "Your schedule lists a Flight 121 arriving today, Wednesday, at 5 p.m.?" "That's right, sir." "I'd like to page one of your passengers." " Very well." "What's the name, sir?" " Page Theo Six." "Whoever your control is, he had a trigger on you, Channing." "Like everything else, colonel, just another element in a very clever charade." " It won't work." " No, he wasn't part of the plan." "He's dead, Jim." "Given us everything we need." "Willy." " Yes, Jim?" " Polar Air Services Flight 121." "Theo Six." "We're keeping surveillance to a minimum." "You'll be on your own most of the way." "Right, Jim." "Passenger Theo Six, please report to Polar Air Services ticket counter for a message." "Passenger Theo Six, Flight 121, Polar Air Services, please report to the ticket counter." "That'll be Gate 15 in 20 minutes, ma'am." "You have a message for a passenger on Flight 121." "Yes, sir." "What was the name?" " Theo Six." " Just a moment, sir." "I'm sorry, sir, there seems to be a misunderstanding here." "What do you mean?" "Maybe the girl mispronounced the name." "It happens." "The message I have here is for Mr. Leo Bixon." "Well, you see, I took the message myself." "Mrs. Bixon was supposed to meet him at the plane, and she telephoned to say that she wasn't..." " Jim?" " Yes?" "I have two of them on International Boulevard, travelling west from the airport." "The last cross street was Lincoln." "They're headed somewhere in the dock area." "Jim?" "Yes, Willy?" "Pier Avenue and 96th Street, there's a sail loft, Adamson and Sons." "Right." "Hold it." "Drop the gun." "Drop it."