Joe Turner is a bookish
CIA analyst, codenamed "Condor", who works at the American Literary Historical Society in
New York City, in reality a clandestine CIA office. The staff analyzes print media from around the world. Turner files a report to
CIA headquarters on a thriller novel with strange plot elements that has been translated into several languages despite poor sales. When Turner leaves to get lunch, armed men invade the office. Returning to find his co-workers dead, he leaves and contacts the CIA's New York headquarters in the
World Trade Center. He's instructed to meet Wicks, his head of department, who will take him to safety. Turner insists Wicks bring somebody familiar, since he's never met his departmental head. Wicks brings Sam Barber, a friend from their undergraduate years at
City College and now a CIA administrator. The rendezvous is a trap and Wicks attempts to kill Turner, who wounds him before escaping. Wicks kills Barber, eliminating him as a witness, and blames Turner for both shootings. Wicks is later killed by an intruder in his hospital room. Turner encounters Kathy Hale, forces her to take him to her apartment and holds her hostage as he works out what is happening. She comes to trust Turner, and they become lovers. Turner visits Barber's apartment where he encounters Joubert, a European who led the massacre of Turner's co-workers and had disconnected Wicks from life support at the hospital. Turner escapes when Joubert tries to shoot him, but Joubert tracks the license plate on Kathy's car. A hitman disguised as a mailman arrives at Hale's apartment, and Turner kills him. With Hale's help, Turner abducts Higgins, the deputy director of the CIA's New York division, who identifies Joubert as a freelance assassin working for the CIA. Higgins later discovers that the hitman who attacked Turner worked with Joubert on a previous operation and both reported to Wicks. Turner discovers Joubert's location using a hotel key found on the hitman. Turner, disguised as a phone company worker, uses the hotel switchboard to trace a phone call from Joubert and learn the name and address of Leonard Atwood,
CIA Deputy Director of Operations for the Middle East. Confronting Atwood at gunpoint in his mansion near
Washington, D.C., Turner suggests his own original report to CIA headquarters had exposed a rogue CIA operation to seize Middle Eastern oil fields. Fearful of its disclosure, Atwood had privately ordered Turner's section eliminated. Atwood confirms the accusation as Joubert enters and unexpectedly kills him, staging it as a suicide. Atwood's superiors had hired Joubert to eliminate someone who was about to become an embarrassment, overriding Atwood's original contract for Joubert to kill Turner. Joubert suggests that the resourceful Turner leave the country and even become an assassin himself. Turner rejects the suggestion, but heeds Joubert's warning that the CIA will try to eliminate him as another embarrassment, possibly entrapping him through a trusted acquaintance. Back in New York, Turner has a rendezvous with Higgins near
Times Square. Higgins describes the oilfield plan as a
contingency "game" that was planned within the CIA without approval. He defends the project, suggesting when
oil shortages cause a major economic crisis, the American people will accept harsh measures to keep their comfortable lives. Turner then reveals that he has given full details to
The New York Times. Higgins retorts that Turner is about to become a very lonely man and questions whether the
whistleblowing will really be published. "They'll print it," Turner defiantly replies. As "Condor" walks away, Higgins shouts after him, "How do you know?" == Cast ==