Nursery school teacher Rachel Thyssen is walking home after work and notices a bearded man walking down the street. She runs after him but the man darts around a corner. Rachel bumps into a policeman and asks if he saw the man, but he didn't catch a glimpse. He asks what's going on and Rachel explains that the man was her father... and he died six years ago.
Later that day, McGill is walking down the street when he notices a newspaper edition running the story about a walking dead man. He picks up a paper and notices Rachel's name and the photo of her father. He then goes to an American office building and tells the receptionist that he wants to see Coughlin. She refuses to let him in without an appointment even though it's clear McGill has been there before. A man, Williams, comes out to greet McGill, who realizes that Williams is his replacement, the number three man in American Intel.
Williams tries to distract McGill but the ex-agent barges into Coughlin's office and shows him the newspaper article on Harry Thyssen, McGill's old superior. Coughlin tells him that Harry is dead just like he was six years ago, even though the body was in less than pristine condition when they found him after six days in the Mediterranean. McGill insists that Harry could kill him of being a double agent, but Coughlin points out that with Harry dead and LeFabre working for the other side, there's no one who can clear him even if he was innocent. McGill insists as he always has that Harry ordered him to let LeFabre defect, but Coughlin isn't interested. He tells McGill that they know all about what he's been doing since he left the agency, including working as a PI without a license. They've let him alone up until now, but Coughlin threatens to start making waves if McGill doesn't drop the matter.
When McGill persists, Coughlin has Williams bring Rachel in. She admits that she didn't want to talk to McGill unless absolutely necessary, and says that she mistook someone else for her father. McGill doesn't believe her but Rachel says that she imagines the whole thing out of a desperate need to have her father back. She asks Coughlin to keep McGill away from her and leaves. Coughlin advises McGill to drop the matter and leave Rachel alone, or the agency will take steps. McGill tosses the newspaper down on Coughlin's desk and storms out.
Continuing his own investigation, McGill rents a flat across from Rachel's and hires a private investigate, Pfeiffer, to track her movements. McGill claims that Rachel is his fiancée and wants Pfeiffer to confirm if she's having an affair. Pfeiffer visits McGill at his flat and gives a report of Rachel's activities, but reports nothing suspicious on her part. However, he has spotted a man across the street, also watching Rachel, and points him out to McGill. Pfeiffer knows all about Rachel claiming to see her father and also knows who McGill really is. McGill assures the PI that he's in no danger and goes to the window to watch the other man watching Rachel. When the man is relieved, McGill follows him to the Baltic nations Trade & Research Organisation.
Pfeiffer continues following Rachel and sees her go into a phone booth. He gets close enough to take down part of the number that she's calling, and then reports back to McGill. He figures the call was important since Rachel left her flat to make it, suggesting that she knows her phone is tapped. McGill tells the PI to check all of the possible numbers and get their addresses while he follows Rachel.
That night, Rachel leaves her flat and another watcher follows her, while McGill follows him. Rachel switches trains to evade pursuit and then goes to a pier where a party is going on. While she waits, nervously checking her watch, McGill knocks out her watcher. However, the man has backup and runs off before McGill can catch him.
Once the party ends, Rachel goes up onto the pier and waits. McGill comes up behind her and tells her that Harry isn't coming because Russian agents were following her, and they scared her father off. Rachel tries to lie about why she's there without success and finally tells McGill to stay away with her. The ex-agent warns that he won't stop until he finds Harry and Rachel snaps at him for trying to discredit her father by laying the blame on him for LeFabre's defection. She tells McGill to drop it but McGill points out that he knocked out one man to protect her and her father. Rachel starts to leave but then reluctantly invites McGill to accompany her.
As they drive back to her flat, Rachel asks if McGill will believe her if she swears that her father dead. McGill says that he won't and drops her off at her door. He tells her to call him if she needs anything and goes back to his flat, while another Russian agent takes up position watching Rachel.
McGill sits in his chair and tries to get some sleep, and Williams and his man slip in and try to capture McGill. He's ready for them and knocks out the other man, but Williams gets the drop on him and takes him to Coughlin's office. Coughlin is furious with McGill and warns him that they'll swear out a warrant on charges of treason if he doesn't stop following Rachel. McGill says that he'll drop it and walks out, but neither Williams nor Coughlin are fooled. Coughlin tells his assistant to kill McGill if he makes a wrong move.
Later, McGill goes to see Rachel and asks to talk to her. She reluctantly lets him in and McGill accuses her of calling Coughlin and telling him what happened. Rachel denies calling the intelligence operative and McGill asks for her help. He wants her to confess to Coughlin that she did see Harry, but she refuses, still insisting her father is dead. Realizing that she can't or won't help him, McGill leaves.
The Russians start following McGill and follow him to a diner where he meets with Pfeiffer. The PI confirms that all of the possible phone numbers belong to a block of pay phones in Regal City Stadium. McGill asks Pfeiffer to put on his jacket and pull up the collar, then get into a taxi and leave London. He assures the PI that the Russians won't attack him as long as he's heading away from Rachel. Pfeiffer agrees and starts to go, and then admits that given what he's now seen, he's sure that McGill isn't a traitor. The plan goes as expected and the Russians follow Pfeiffer.
The next day, McGill drives to Regal City Stadium and discovers that the gates are closed. He climbs a drainpipe to get over the gate and dials one of the phones from a second one. When no one answers the call, McGill dials another a payphone. A man emerges from a nearby storage closet to answer the call, and McGill impersonates a Russian claims that they have Rachel at their embassy. Harry demands to speak to his daughter and McGill tells him it will take a minute to bring her to the phone. He then sets down the phone and runs to the other phone. Harry sees him coming and fires a warning shot, and McGill calls out that he's only there to take him to Coughlin. McGill's former boss refuses, pointing out that McGill can't shoot him without killing the only man who can clear his name.
Once he's sure McGill won't do anything rash, Harry walks over and says that he needs help getting to Rachel past the Russians. He's dying and wants ten minutes alone with his daughter. If McGill agrees to bring Rachel there, then Harry will go to Coughlin and clear his name. McGill agrees and Harry tells him to bring him in through the gates once he unlocks them.
McGill goes to Rachel's nursery school and tells her that he's taking her to see her father. She follows him out to his car and McGill knocks out the Russian agent watching her. They drive to the stadium and Rachel meets with her father. Harry gives her the number to his secret Swiss bank account so that she'll be taken care of. When she wonders why he came to see her only to go away again, Harry doesn't have an answer for her.
Growing impatient, McGill tells Harry that it's time to clear his name. Harry explains that Coughlin has known all along that McGill is innocent. The entire thing was a plan to convince the Russians that LeFabre was defecting when actually he's a double-agent. Harry is the scientist's contact to Western intelligence, and has been working as a Soviet sailor to bring LeFabre's information out of Russia. To make the plan convincing, they had to let McGill take the fall. McGill is furious but Harry warns him that if he cares anything about LeFabre, much less the agency's work, then he'll have to keep taking the blame. Harry arrives in Southampton and tried to secretly visit Rachel, but she saw him. His ship leaves that night and if he can get aboard it without the Russians spotting him, then they can maintain the operation.
The Russians enter the stadium and McGill confirms that they're approaching. Harry has Rachel hide in the storage closet for her own safety and McGill gives his former superior his car keys. McGill tells Harry to drive off while he holds off the Russians. Harry agrees and drives off, and McGill runs out into the stadium field and across to the other side. The Russians follow him to the top row where McGill sees Harry driving away. McGill then doubles back down to the field but the Russians soon capture him.
The lead agent beats McGill for information but he refuses to talk. Police sirens sound outside and the Russians run off. Coughlin and Williams arrive and a beaten McGill assures them that the Russians ever saw Harry, and that his cover is intact. Rachel runs out to check on McGill, who says that her father is fine. He then tells her that he has to go to Southampton to get his car and his suitcase... because it's all that he has.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 25, 2015