"Hey, Bonnie, how does Chinese food sound for lunch?" "I thought I'd surprise my boyfriend and take him out to lunch." "Last night he kind of let it slip that he was working on Connecticut Avenue" "This is the third time this week you've taken him out to lunch." "What're you trying to do?" "Bribe him with Quiche Lorraine?" " That isn't funny, Joan." " It wasn't meant to be." "I'll see you later." "They don't take their lunch break till 12:30." "We're gonna have to wait a few minutes." "You think you'll be able to crack that safe without using a plastic explosive?" "With this little baby along, it'll be a lead-pipe cinch." "Just in case you can't... that should create a nice little diversionary effort while you blow it open." "I really wish we didn't have to have all these explosives around." "The odds are a million to one against this going off by itself." "Will you relax?" "We got a couple of minutes before we sneak in." "Let's go get a cup of coffee." "Mayfield's risking an awful lot of equipment on this job." " I wonder what he thinks he's gonna get" " Mark!" "Who's that?" "Some broad I've been dating for a month and trying to dump... but she's hanging on like poison ivy." "Hi!" "How are you?" "What are your bosses going to say when they find out I blew up your van?" "What're you talking about?" "You didn't cause the van to explode!" "Maybe not directly, but I seem to have this talent for disasters." "I'm always right in the middle when something terrible happens." "Remember what happened when we went boating on Chesapeake Bay?" "I lost my balance!" "It could happen to anybody." "What about that time on my couch?" "Look, my back went out!" "I said I was sorry!" "The time we went skiing." "The mountain just sort of fell on us." "I don't want to hear this." "I don't care about this." "You guys can flap your jaws all day long..." "I'm getting out of here before they find out what's inside that van!" "See?" "You see this?" "I'm a jinx!" "These pieces of French-fried machinery were found in a gutted van... that exploded outside J.R. Electronics today." "Have the lab boys ID'd these?" "Yeah, this little item here is a super-sensitive listening device... that in the right hands could be used... to crack open even the most sophisticated combination-lock vault." " Like the one in J.R. Electronics." " Right." "But the important thing, Diana... is that that listening device is one of several stolen... from a government research lab about a month ago." "Take a look at this." "Now that's rumored to be the work of William Mayfield." "One of the best white-collar thieves in the business." "He specializes in rare items, one-of-a-kind." "Like touring Inca treasures or prototype weaponry." "Things of that nature." "I take it that no one's ever caught him with the goods." "No one's ever caught him, period." "One of the reasons is because he's an expert statistician." "He's obsessed with the law of probability." "I even heard that he has... a full-time research psychologist that he retains year-round." "You've got more gambling equipment here, Doctor, than Atlantic City." "The other way, please." "One of my special fields of interest, Mr. Reuben." "I did graduate work in probability theory at Duke University." "But I've never seen anything like this." "I appreciate you seeing us on such short notice." "My association with Mr. Mayfield has been a very fruitful one for both of us." "I'm glad to be of... service." "Sorry." "Well, that's quite all right, Ms. Murphy." "Why don't we try something a little safer, like flipping a coin?" "Ideally, the coin should come up heads half the time... and tails the other." "Though in practice the ratio is closer to 60-40." "But under no circumstances is it supposed to be doing this." "I've heard about a coin doing that, I've just never actually seen it before." "Take a good look, then." "Because the odds are 1,000-to-1 against your seeing that again soon." "Mr. Reuben, it's absolutely amazing." "I've never seen anyone exert such influence over the odds as your friend." "How does she do it?" "One school of thought might ascribe Bonnie's "gift"... to the same unnatural forces that produce poltergeists." "And still another to electrochemical brain impulses." "Whichever it is... she brings out the more remote possibilities of a given situation." "In Ms. Murphy's presence all the lines of probability tend to... converge." "What does that mean?" "Well, it means... she's a jinx." "Right." " Did you get in touch with Mayfield?" " Well, sort of." " What do you mean, "sort of"?" " It's more like he got in touch with us." "Hi." "J.R. Electronics are developing something big enough to warrant Mayfield's interest." "Affirmative." "The microwave scrambler... capable of transmitting jamming signals across a Wide bandwidth." "It is conceivable that a prototype model could cut off all telephone... television, and radio communication..." "Within an area of 50 square miles." "Why would a commercial electronics firm be developing a weapon like that?" "The project has been subcontracted by the Pentagon... for possible military use." "I better take a look at it myself, then." "If Mayfield is that hot to get it, he may make a second try." "From what you've said, it sounds like his kind of robbery." "Tell me, Ira... how do you make those computers you tap into tell you what you want?" "Let's just say, Diana Prince, that my telemetry is exceptional." "Of course." "Well, I know it's hard to accept, Mr. Mayfield... but such things have been well-documented through the centuries." "Bonnie Murphy can bend probability curves." "I don't know how... or why." "I just know that she does." "Thank you, Doctor, thank you very much." "It seems your girlfriend's a jinx after all." "Well, not professionally." "She just dabbles." "Don't be smug, Mr. Reuben." "If I did not have utter faith in Dr. Koren's judgment, I can assure you... you'd be fertilizing the continental shelf." "So... what does this have to do with recovering $50,000 worth of stolen property?" "It doesn't." "It replaces $50,000 worth of stolen property." "You see, Bonnie is the perfect diversionary weapon." "Whenever she becomes nervous or upset... everything around her goes haywire." "You can imagine how easy it would be to rob a building... if there was a 10-car collision outside, or a fire or a flood." "What if her amazing abilities were to backfire on us?" "We keep her far enough away to be safe, but near enough to create a diversion." "All right, gentlemen." "Mark..." "I don't understand any of this." "You drag me out of work, you make me drive all the way back here..." "Mark, you listening to me?" "You're making me very nervous." "Whatever you do, don't be nervous." "Do you understand me?" "Don't be nervous." "You in trouble with the plumbing company 'cause I blew up your van?" "Bonnie, I don't work for that company." "I work for the IADC." " The IADC?" " Yes." "I couldn't tell you before." "National security, you know." "That van was part of our operation." " And you destroyed it." " Oh, no!" "That's all right now." "I'm doing everything I can to clear you." "In a few minutes, we're going to meet a few of our agents to discuss it." "So, just relax." "Mark, what're you waiting for?" "You look like you're expecting the sky to fall in any minute." " Yeah, that'd do it." " What?" "I think I spotted some enemy agents over there." " Where?" " Don't look, smile." "I'm going to go over and check it out." "If anything should happen..." " just don't be nervous." " Mark!" "Mark, don't leave me here." "What am I supposed to do if..." "Come on, come on." "There it is." "They said the building might explode." "Move along, don't panic." "They told us to evacuate the building." "Keep going." "Get as far away as possible." "Mark, where are you?" " Where's your girlfriend?" " Who cares?" "Let's go." "Mark, where are you?" "Apparently, Mayfield's men created the accident on the street as a diversion." "It emptied the building long enough for them to steal the microwave scrambler." "The question is now..." "Will you hand me my coffee?" "The question is now... does Mayfield sell the device to the black market... or does he use it to go after bigger game?" "And if so, what?" "Ira's been working on that and he's come up with about... a dozen possible targets that fit Mayfield's pattern." "The most likely of which..." " is the Declaration of Independence." " What?" "The National Archives is having its annual housecleaning." "Each year, certain documents like the Declaration of Independence... the Constitution, Treaty of Paris, and so on... are taken from public exhibition and transferred to a depository... where they're checked for deterioration and other damage." "So you think that's what Mayfield's after?" "If he is, he's slipped a cog somewhere, because the depository... is protected by more Marines than were at Guadalcanal." "May I help you?" "Yeah." "I'm looking for my boyfriend." "He works here." "His name is Reuben, Mark Reuben." "I'm afraid that name doesn't sound familiar at all." "He's tall, dark, very good-looking." "Honey, that description fits half the agents in this building." "I think they breed them for that." "But Mark is special." "I'm sure if you look in your files you'll find his name." "I'm sorry, miss, we just don't have anybody by that name." "But if you could give me a little something more to go on..." "Okay, all right, he wears contact lenses." "No, that wouldn't help." "He's got a mole on his left knee." "But you wouldn't know about that, would you?" "I hope." "Something wrong, Karen?" "No, Ms. Prince." "This young woman is just looking for a friend." "Mark, where are you?" "His name is Mark, right?" "Yes, you know him?" "Mark Reuben." "Well, no." "But I think you and I ought to have a little talk." "Why don't you come into my office?" "Give her a badge, and..." "You'll have to sign for it." " This way." " Thank you." "You were outside J.R. Electronics a few hours ago, weren't you?" "Yeah." "That's where Mark and I were supposed to meet the other IADC agents." "The other agents?" "Because of what I did to the van." "I didn't mean anything." "And Mark was going to try and help me explain." "Ms. Murphy, let's get one thing clear." "I was the only IADC agent at that building today." "You and Mark." "Ms. Murphy, to the best of my knowledge, there is no agent... named Mark Reuben working here." "Look, I know you people have to keep your cover stories and all that... but I'm really getting worried about him." " He disappeared so suddenly" " Ms. Murphy." "I'm afraid that your boyfriend was lying when he told you he worked for the IADC." "It wouldn't be the first time someone... tried to impress his girlfriend by telling her something like that." "You've got your nerve." "Mark would never lie to me." " I know you're upset" " Upset?" "No, I'm not upset." "Why should I be upset?" "Just because the only guy who's ever looked sideways at me... just suddenly disappears, and nobody will tell me where he is?" "And then you come along and tell me he's lying to me!" "Is that it?" "I know you're worried..." "Don't patronize me, Ms. Prince." "I'm not stupid." "I know Mark probably isn't in love with me." "Maybe it isn't as important to him as it is to me." "But people like me, we take what we can get, you know?" "And if that means it's someone to make dinner for... somebody to watch TV with... somebody to hold, then I'll take it." "And I won't give it up without a fight!" "Thank you for all your help, Ms. Prince." "Ms. Murphy." "Karen, that little girl I took into my office, which way did she go?" "She went that way like a bat out of..." "Bonnie!" "Wait a minute." "You're acting like I just returned from the dead." "You may as well have." "Mark, I was so worried about you." "You disappeared so suddenly." "Bonnie, you have to understand." "A government agent can't always be polite." "Mark, I just had the most horrible experience." "I went looking for you at the IADC." "What?" "They wouldn't tell me anything." "They wouldn't even admit that they knew you." "Ms. Prince treated me like I just fell off a turnip truck or something." " Prince..." " Diana Prince." "Diana, yes, of course, good woman." "She..." "You have to understand, Bonnie." "She couldn't be really sure that you knew me." "I figured it was something like that." "Anyway, did you fix it with your bosses about the van?" "Oh yeah, everything's copasetic." "Good." "I'm glad that's over." " I have an idea." " What?" "What would you say to a nice, quiet little drive in the country tomorrow?" "I know a little place down in Virginia." "We can have a nice, quiet picnic by ourselves." "What do you say?" "Mark, that would be terrific." " Okay." "I'll pick you up at around 11:00." " Okay." "I told her we were going to take a picnic in Virginia." "She'll be there if we need her." "Excellent." "You know, I had my doubts about your Ms. Murphy's abilities in the beginning." "But after her help in obtaining the microwave scrambler..." "I must say..." "I'm impressed." "If she can prove useful in tomorrow's operation... then she will have more than paid her way, so to speak." "But alas, thereafter, for safety's sake... we will have to surrender her to Neil's tender mercies." "You have no objections, of course." "No." "Where should we meet you?" "Route 50, Arlington Boulevard." "Just before it intersects with the Capital Beltway." "The Army truck from Sheppard Lab will be there at about 12:25." "And we shall be there at the same time to relieve them of their cargo." "Which is?" "Don't be impatient, Mr. Reuben." "There'll be a general meeting tonight at 8:00." "The full scope and detail of my plan will be revealed to you then." "By the way, Bonnie told me she talked to an IADC agent." "Told her my name." "I don't know how much they know." "What was the agent's name?" "Prince, Diana Prince." " You know her?" " Yes." "One of their top agents." "And very formidable." "We can't have her nosing around after us, can we?" "You don't want me to take care of her, do you?" "We will let Neil take care of it." "He's been a little restless lately." "And he's more expendable." "Don't press your luck." "I said I was impressed, not overwhelmed." "Looking for someone?" "Hold it." "Why do you people always want to leave... just when the conversation is getting started?" "Who do you work for?" "Mayfield?" "And where does he keep his stolen goodies?" "He keeps the heavy stuff under lock and key somewhere." "All I've ever seen is his private collection, in his office." "It's all legal." "So much for the frontal assault." "What's Mayfield's current plan?" "We don't know yet." "We get it in bits and pieces." "He's gonna steal something being shipped from Virginia to Washington tomorrow." "That's all I know." "Some kind of weapon." "Where does Bonnie Murphy fit into this?" "She's a jinx." "She's a what?" "A jinx!" "Come on." "Wonder Woman must have been kidding." "I know it sounds crazy, Steve, but there are theories to prove it." "Apparently this Murphy girl attracts accidents like a magnet." "Like the way that car rammed into the propane truck... in front of J.R. Electronics... and the way that picture sort of popped off the wall when Bonnie got upset." "I suppose Mayfield's too intrigued with the theory of probability... for us to discount the idea." "What did Wonder Woman do with the guy she got all this information from?" "Before she let him go, she used her lasso to make him forget their conversation... and also to make him believe that he had indeed killed me, as he planned." "It looks like the only way to get anything on Mayfield is to catch him red-handed." "Which means letting him proceed with this robbery tomorrow." "Gentlemen, this is the depository where, each year... certain documents are kept while being examined for damages." "The Constitution, the Declaration of Independence... the Bill of Rights." "All irreplaceable items." "The place is a virtual fortress, guarded by dozens of Marines... veritably impregnable." "Under normal circumstances." "This is the device that we'll be after tomorrow." "It's a prototype model of an electrical disruptor... that can project an electromagnetic field, capable of short-circuiting any machine... whether it's an automobile engine... or all the way to an electrical power plant." "Tomorrow night, once we have obtained this device... we shall incapacitate the main generator of the Potomac Generating Station... thereby plunging the entire city of Washington... into darkness, gentlemen." "After that, we will use the microwave scrambler to cut off all communication... telephones, televisions, radios... even the armed forces' walkie-talkies." "The city will be paralyzed." "And the Army, the National Guard, the local enforcements... they will have their hands full, gentlemen." "The blackout will effectively cut off this depository from the rest of the world." "Once we've neutralized the Marine guards... there will be no place where they can draw reinforcements." "And, my friends... the depository, and its entire contents... of American historical documents, will be mine." "Mine for the taking." "Gentlemen, tomorrow night will become famous... or should we say infamous... as the night the lights went out all over Washington." "I made tuna-fish sandwiches." "I hope that's okay." "Fine, Bonnie, fine." "They're leaving now, Steve." "I'm following." "We got you, Di." "We'll pick up their trail right after they leave the city." "Where's the truck?" "Leave it to the government to be late." "Just relax." "We're not supposed to do anything... till Mark shows up with Calamity Jane, anyway." "This looks nice, Mark." "Why don't we stop here?" "Well, I know a better spot just a little way down the road." "Okay." "Is something wrong?" "That car has been pacing us for the last 10 minutes." "Don't look around." "You don't think... that it's the other side, do you?" "Could be, Bonnie, could be." "I'm turning off now, Steve." "He's all yours." "Thanks, Diana." "We've got another car coming." "As soon as they make their move, we're going to close in." "Let's go." "Gone now." "I guess we're both a little jumpy." "Maybe." "Caldwell, this is Trevor." "We're following Reuben's car heading west on Route 50... about a mile from the Capital Beltway." "Here comes our little bad-luck charm now." "Let's go." "This is Trevor." "They've just picked up another tail, must be one of their accomplices." "We're going to lay back a little... give them a chance to pull off their hijack before we move in." "Mark, I think there has been some kind of accident." "Don't you touch that." "All right." "Now you fellows do exactly what I say and nobody will get hurt." "Now, you hit the ground." "Head to toes." "Hit the ground." "Turn around!" "100 push-ups." "Let's go." " Hut one, hut two, hut three" " What are you doing?" "They looked stupid standing there with their hands up" "Are you out of your mind?" "When I was in the Army, these kind of guys made me do push-ups... so I thought I could get back and have them do some push-ups." "Yeah, well, we're here for something else." "And one..." "Get your push-ups going, let's go!" "Will you wait till I..." "Hut one, hut two..." "We heard tires screeching, we thought we'd come down" "Hold it right there." "Stand behind me, Bonnie." "No wonder things haven't been going well for you lately." "That's your friend Bob." "Now knock off the conversation." "If you keep your mouths shut, you might just live to see another sunset." "You won't get away with this." "The IADC doesn't forget traitors." "Drop your weapons." "Bonnie, I'm sorry I got you into this." "Because now, we're both going to die... and I'll never have a chance to tell you how much you mean to me." "All right, drop the gun slowly." "All right, freeze!" "All right, Wonder Woman." "One more move, and she buys the farm." " You wouldn't shoot your own girlfriend." " Try me." " Mark, I thought we were on the right side." " Shut up." "We are going to the truck." "Neil, Bob!" "I'm well-aware you could catch up to us without working up a sweat... but you do, and she dies." "Not even you are fast enough to stop that, are you?" "Man, it was great the way you stood up to Wonder Woman like that..." "I would've lost my lunch." "Nothing to it, if you've got the nerve." "If this doesn't get us back on Mayfield's good side, I don't know what will." "You wouldn't think something this small could black out an entire city." "Would you?" "Size doesn't mean anything in electronics." "What are you looking at?" "You never cared about me at all, did you?" "All you wanted to do was to use me." "I trusted you." "I've been dumped on so many times..." "I thought I'd never trust anybody again." "But I trusted you." "Stop whining, will you, please?" "Rotten, no-good, lying..." "Bonnie!" "Will you forget about her!" "Let's just fix the tire and get out of here." "Let her go." "Found the Army truck, about a mile from where it was stolen." "But no sign of Mark or the disruptor." "You can't think of anything that might give us a clue as to where they went?" "No." "I've been trying to remember for hours... but all I can think of is what Mark said before I escaped." "How he did his big job tonight." "He didn't say anything else." "I'm sorry, Col. Trevor." "Call me Steve." "Steve." "Tell me, how long have you had this "talent" of yours?" "All my life." "When I was five my parents wanted me to enter nursery school." "I cried and cried, they finally had to force me into the car." "Then on the way to school we rear-ended a truck." "Happened every day for the next week." "They finally gave up." "I didn't enter school till kindergarten." " Bonnie, that doesn't mean that you" " Wait." "The first time I went to a dentist... the poor guy slammed a door on his finger and broke it in two places." "My first date took me roller skating on Long Island." "I don't even want to think about what happened to him." "I guess I'm used to it now, you know." "I just expect it." "There, you see?" "That's the trouble." "You expect bad luck so that's all you get." "No." "It's the odds." "It's nothing I control." "I do something weird with the odds." "The odds can work both ways, good or bad." " Maybe if you felt better about your life" " No." "It's no use." "I'm a jinx." "Come on, Bonnie, cut it out." "You're much too pretty to go through life playing cat's-cradle with your fingers." " You mean that?" " Yes, I do." "I just talked to the police." "There is still no sign of..." "I can come back later." "It's getting late." "I'll hold down the fort." "Why don't you go home before it's too dark." "I think that's a good idea." "Dark!" "That's it!" " What's it?" " What?" "In the truck." "They were moving that disruptor thing, and Mark's friend said something about..." ""it's awfully small to black out an entire city. "" " Black out a city?" "Washington?" " He could do it." "He could use the disruptor to short-circuit the main generator on the Potomac River." "That's crazy!" "A blackout could cause riots and looting, hospitals shutting down." "People could die." "All just so Mayfield can steal those documents?" "I'll get a security team to the depository right away." "Diana, maybe we ought to..." "Diana?" "Listen to me very carefully." "Short circuiting an electrical generator is not exactly like blowing out a candle." "There are backup systems, fail-safe devices... and I'm sure your associates are putting them out, one by one." "I will be waiting three blocks away." "Now since this is going to cut off all radio communication... there will be no contact until you return with the documents." "Gentlemen, good luck." "End of step one." "At least our emergency generators are operating." "Too bad the whole city of Washington doesn't have one." "Hello, Lou." "I need a contingent at the K Street depository..." "Hello?" "Darn." "The phone's dead." "I wonder." "The television is out, too." "Mayfield must be jamming all the television and telephone transmissions... with the microwave scrambler." "Guess I have to round up as many agents as I can in the building." "Steve, let me come with you." "Bonnie, I can't let you do that." "Why not?" "Are you afraid I'll jinx you?" "You win." "Come on." "Okay, let's hit it." "If you two aren't good friends by now... you will be by the time they get you out of this." "The lights are on." "Are you responsible for that?" "I don't think so." "Stick around, you may be our good-luck charm." "Mark, the lights." " What about them?" " They're back on." "Right." "Terrific." "By the time I get this open, everybody and their brother'll be here." " Come on, let's get out of here." " What about the documents?" "Mayfield?" "Mayfield can stick the documents up his nose." "I'm not about to get caught in here by a bunch of trigger-happy Marines." "Freeze, IADC!" " Wonder Woman, wait." " Bonnie!" "I knew you wouldn't let anything happen to me!" "No, of course not." "Bonnie!" "I wanted to do it myself." "Any sign of Mayfield?" "No such luck." "Soon as the lights went on... he probably caught the first plane to Brazil." "Well, he might." "But Mayfield isn't an ordinary thief, he's a collector." "One of his hoods told me he has a private collection in his office." "Right there." "You know, you are a very unique sort of a thief, Mr. Mayfield." "I think people ought to get a chance to see... what kind of a man would black out an entire city... to satisfy his own personal obsession." "How about if we run a tour through here once or twice a week." "Would you like that?" "That ought to keep you." "You'll be safe here." "Steve tells me when Mark pulled his gun on you at the depository, it didn't fire." "Does this mean you are beginning to deliver good luck?" "Who knows." "Maybe now that I'm feeling a little bit better about myself... maybe the odds will turn up a little more even." "Some good, some bad." "That's all anyone can ask out of life, right?" "I don't know about you two, but I'm starving." "Anybody interested in finding an all-night steak house?" "Well, thanks but no thanks." "I'm going home and sleep until noon." "How about you, Bonnie?" "Want to have a late dinner with me?" " I would love to." " Great!" "Good night, Diana." "We'll see you tomorrow." "Right, Steve." "Take care, Bonnie." "And I've got a feeling your luck is definitely taking a turn for the better." "Keep working on it."