"Good morning, Mr. Phelps." "This is a man known only as Constantine." "He's the leader of the People's Republican Army, the guerrilla force which is fighting the brutal, dictatorial military junta that overthrew the Republic of Logosia five years ago." "This junta is headed by general of the army, Juri Kozani." "Second in command is Colonel Alex Strabo, chief of the elite National Security Force." "Several days ago, the struggle against the military junta was dealt a heavy blow with the capture of Constantine." "He is to be brought into the capital of Logosia within 24 hours for execution." "Your mission, Jim, if you choose to accept it, is to prevent the execution of Constantine, and pave the way for his guerrilla forces to smash the military junta and restore Logosia's democratic government." "As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions." "This tape will self-destruct in five seconds." "Good luck, Jim." "Very good, Barney." "This, of course, is harmless smoke, Paris." "The projectile you'll be firing contains a gas that incapacitates almost immediately." " For how long?" " Five to ten minutes." "Constantine will have to be out longer than that, of course, that's where this comes in." "Now, the armoured car bringing Constantine into the capital will enter the city in the early morning and turn left on Lantern Street." "Now, this is the commercial and industrial section of the city." "There are warehouses all along Lantern Street." "The road crew will be working here." "Clay, you'll wait for Paris and Barney here in this side street." " Right, Jim." " How are you going to keep" "Strabo and Kozani from contacting one another by radiophone?" "Barney and I have got that worked out." "Now, Strabo's security system is as fast and efficient and mobile as any police force in the world." "They'll have this whole area sealed off within minutes." "There's not a chance of us getting Constantine through their blockade," " so we're gonna have to hide him." " Where, Jim?" "Where they'd least expect to find him:" "In the most conspicuous place." "I want Constantine executed immediately upon his arrival at Nova Prison." "You're convinced, general?" "We should not go through the formality of a trial?" "Alex, when a man is out to kill you, there's only one way to protect yourself:" "Kill him first." " Good morning, major." " Sir." "Colonel Zante, Fourth Army Intelligence." "I have a dispatch for General Kozani." " I'll take it." " I'm sorry." "It's classified." " My orders are to deliver it personally." " You'll have to wait." "The general is..." "It's also marked "urgent. " I must see him immediately." "One moment." "I'd better leave, general." " I'll telephone you as..." " General Kozani?" "Colonel Zante, Fourth Army Intelligence," " urgent dispatch..." " If you'll wait outside, colonel," "I'll see you in a moment." "No, you'll see me right now, general." "Don't let the uniform fool you." "I'm not one of your butchers." "I wore it to get past the guards." "Now, get over there." "Next to him." "Go on." " Who are you?" " I am a friend of Constantine's, or I was until you made a deal with him." "Deal?" "What deal?" "Constantine is going to be executed." "Oh, yes, that's what you'd like the country to believe, but I know it's a lie." "You're not bringing Constantine into the capital to execute him." "You've made a bargain with him and he's joining the junta." "Now, buying off Constantine won't work." "You may have corrupted him but you can't corrupt all of us." " What are you going to do?" " I'm gonna kill you." "Oh, don't tell me I won't get out of here alive." "I know that." "But the death of you two will be very well worth it." " Good work, sergeant." " Major, get him out of here" " and have him shot." " Yes, sir." " Sergeant, give me a hand." " Now, wait a minute." "Take him to the detention room." "We may want to talk to him later." "Yes, sir." "9 Charlie 2 at 605." "9 Charlie 2 at 605." "Ready." "Stop." "Ambush." "Back up." "261 to all stations." "261 to all stations." "Ambush at Palace and Lantern Street." "Repeat." "Ambush at Pal..." "Taking Constantine." "Now." "What could've given the man the idea that you and I made a deal with Constantine?" "Oh, I've heard rumours of dissension among the insurgents." "Maybe it's become serious enough for Constantine to consider making an alliance with us." "Yes?" "For you." "Colonel Strabo." "When?" "Order a full alert." "And seal off the area." "I'm on my way there now." "The armoured truck has been ambushed." "They've taken Constantine." " Major?" " Yes, general?" "That man, Zante, or whatever he called himself, I wanna talk to him." "Okay, Barney." "They can't have gotten far." "Search these buildings." "Report to the lieutenant." " Every street in this area blockaded?" " Yes, sir." "Well, have the men start searching." "Buildings, houses, everything." " Malka, what happened?" " They must have taken the other fork." "Back this way." "Answer me." "What gave you the idea that Colonel Strabo and I had come to some sort of agreement with Constantine?" "Where do you get such information?" "Answer me." "Well, I have some information for you." "Constantine has escaped." "His men ambushed the armoured truck taking him to Nova Prison and rescued him." "Why would he want to escape, if he'd come to a deal with Colonel Strabo and me?" "He wouldn't." "Then you admit that there couldn't be..." "I admit nothing." "I'm afraid you're wasting your time, general." "I have nothing more to say." "Take him back to the detention room." "Did it occur to you that Zante was relieved but not surprised to hear that Constantine had escaped?" "Consider for a moment that it was Zante's men, not Constantine's, who ambushed the truck and rescued him." "You mean they captured Constantine to prevent him from joining the junta?" "But you and Strabo had made no deal with him, sir." "Zante obviously thinks we had." "If he didn't, why would he jeopardise his own life to try to assassinate Colonel Strabo and myself?" " Get Strabo for me." " Yes, sir." "Mobile operator." "Mobile Unit 4." "General Kozani calling Colonel Strabo." "One moment, sir." "I'll try to find him." "My orders are to check all persons leaving the area, sir." "And to inspect all vehicles." "Yes, yes, I understand." "But be quick about it." "I'm sorry, sir, Colonel Strabo is out inspecting the roadblocks." "He should be back at any moment." "Colonel Strabo isn't available, sir." "Would you like to speak to the lieutenant?" "I wanna talk to Strabo." "Wait." "Let's get a report on the situation from the lieutenant." "Yes, sir." "We'll speak to Lieutenant Likurous." "One moment, sir." "I'll get him for you." "You may proceed, sir." "What the devil is going on there?" "Kozani's calling Strabo." "I've been stalling him." "Major, Colonel Strabo just returned." "Here he is." "The colonel just returned, sir." " Alex?" " Yes, general." " What's the situation?" " I'm not sure, general." "I have a five-block area sealed off." "Every building is being searched." "I think I can guarantee that Constantine will be recaptured." "You think you can guarantee it." "Well, I was sure I could, until..." "Until I received a call from Constantine himself a moment ago." "He called you?" "He wants to discuss surrender terms." "He said he would meet us, just the two of us, in the basement of a house at Number 7 Parthenon Street." "What do you advise we do, Alex?" "I think we should agree to the meeting, general." "But if you have the area sealed off..." "General, this is an industrial district." "It is honeycombed with sewers, utility tunnels, passageways between buildings." "I can't be sure that Constantine won't find a way through my blockade." "Well, apparently," "Constantine isn't as optimistic about his chances as you are, Alex." "Otherwise, he wouldn't want to discuss surrender terms." "Nevertheless, I don't think we have a choice." "All right." "I'll be there." "Number 7 Parthenon Street in 15 minutes." "General, I don't like this." "It's too dangerous." "And if I may say so, sir," "I'm surprised that Colonel Strabo would recommend such a meeting." "So am I." "Isn't like him." "Alex and Constantine?" "I can't believe it." "It was only luck that I saw the tripwire." "That blast was intended to kill you, general." "I want to have another talk with Zante." "This leaves us only three streets in the southwest corner of this area to search." "Well, have them get on with it." " Colonel." " Yes?" "It's Constantine." "He's on the phone." " Hello." " This is Constantine, Strabo." "Listen carefully." "I'm not going to give you time to have this call traced." " I'm listening." " You have the area sealed off." "I can't get out." "I know that." "I'll consider giving myself up" " on one condition." " What is it?" "That you guarantee me that I can leave the country." "Go into exile." "Listen, colonel, my execution will not stop this civil war." "If anything, it will prolong it." "Men fight for martyrs, not for cowards." " Cowards?" " I'm tired, colonel." "Tired of fighting, tired of being hunted, afraid of dying." "All I want now is to be at peace." "How am I supposed to believe that?" "You'll have to take my word for it just as I'll have to trust yours." "I am going to hang up in ten seconds, colonel." "Answer, yes or no." "All right, Constantine." "It can be arranged." "Where shall I meet you?" "In Zeno Square in 20 minutes." " Very well." " And, colonel..." " Yes?" " Have the square cleared and come alone." " Did you hear me?" " Yes." "Yes, I heard you." " Lieutenant?" " Yes, sir?" "I want a dozen plainclothes men in Zeno Square." "In ten minutes." "Take the handcuffs off." "Leave us." "Yes, sir." "Sit down." "Where is Constantine?" "Where is he?" "It was your men who ambushed the armoured truck." "Zante, you were right about one thing:" "Constantine has made a deal." "But you were wrong about another." "The agreement wasn't with me." "Are you asking me to believe that Strabo's trying to double-cross you?" "Come on, general, anybody can print a leaflet." "We can see every move." "First, you show me a leaflet to make me believe that your old friend, Colonel Strabo, has made a deal with Constantine to overthrow you." "Next, you'll tell me what a terrible mistake it'd be for Constantine to work with a man so treacherous as Strabo." "The only way to prevent that is to make a deal with you." " That's true." " Yes, and then you get me to tell you where Constantine is so that you can talk to him." "Only instead of talking to him, you and Colonel Strabo take him from my men, make your alliance with him, and I'm left with paper to show me what a fool I was." " Sorry, general, that won't work." " Zante, I swear to you, this is no trick." "Now, listen to me." "Believe me, I'm tired of this war." "I have been for a long time." "It's stupid, it's..." "It's mindless." "It's bleeding the country white." "Compliments, general, you're an excellent actor." "I'm not acting." "Will you let me take you to see Constantine?" "Alone?" "No, I didn't think you would." "Why don't we get the guard" " to take me back to my cell?" " Wait." "I'll go with you." " Alone?" " Alone." "There's one more condition." "What is it?" "The terms of your proposed agreement with Constantine have to be in writing." "They include the elimination of Strabo, the formation of a coalition government and amnesty for all guerrillas." "Very well." "I'm from Constantine, colonel." "You were told to come alone." "I am alone." "My eyesight is as good as yours, colonel." "You have men surrounding the square." "Have your driver tell them to stay where they are." " And then?" " Just do as you're told." "For your information," "I have a man on the balcony behind you." "He has a rifle." "One gesture from me and he will shoot you where you stand." "If you make that gesture, colonel, you're a dead man too." "And don't make the mistake of thinking that this is a bluff." "Stop behind that car." "Down there." "Those are Strabo's men." "Just have them clear the area." "At ease." " You in command here?" " Yes, sir." " I want this area cleared." " Yes, sir." "Clear the area." "What?" " What have you done to me?" " Stay right where you are, Strabo." "You'll find out soon enough." "You were kind enough to warn me about your man with the rifle in Zeno Square." "I return the favour." "Look behind you." " What are you trying...?" " Turn around." "This is a two-way mirror, Strabo." "My man will be able to see and hear everything that happens in this room." "And he'll have his shotgun pointed at your head the whole time." " What is going to happen?" " In a moment, General Kozani" " is coming through that door." " Kozani." "And you are going to stay where you are without moving or making a sound until Kozani has finished what he has to say." "Remember this very clearly, Strabo." "If you move or you try to speak, my man will kill you." "I don't understand." "Didn't Strabo's men search this building?" " Thoroughly." " And they couldn't find Constantine, even though he was right under their noses?" "General, we've been hiding right under your noses for years." " Who are you?" " A friend." "I'll explain everything to you." "Statement?" "I know you made a deal with Colonel Strabo but that was a mistake." "Your man, Zante, agrees." "You don't know Strabo as I do." "He's a treacherous man." "He'll betray you just as he's tried to betray me." "Well, I'll leave you two to work out the details." "Well, my friend, what's your answer?" "Believe me, our country will never be united until Strabo is eliminated." "Well, what is it?" "What's wrong?" "If there's something more you want, let's discuss it." "Constantine, what is it?" "What is going on here?" "Are you gonna reply to my offer or not?" "Yes, general." "I'm going to reply to it." "Alex?" "That's correct, general." "We've been very cleverly tricked." "Alex." "But now we know where we stand, don't we?" "You and I." "What was that you said this morning, general?" ""When a man tries to kill you, there's just one way to protect yourself:" "Kill him first. "" "I believe I'm quoting you correctly, general." "Alex, no." "No, please." "Please listen." "Alex, you don't..." "Kozani's dead." "My men and I can handle Strabo." "Yes, I'm sure you can."