The Streets of San Francisco (1972–1977): Season 3, Episode 8 - Flags of Terror - full transcript
Domestic terrorists take several people hostage, including Keller. Stone has to deal with not only the terrorists but a right-wing journalist and a vengeful father whose daughter was killed.
The, uh, explosives are in here?
Right.
How much damage can this do?
Show her the film.
Everything you see has
a similar cassette inside.
A limitless number of
targets can be detonated
with one click of the shutter.
Whoa.
I told you, these boys
don't mess around.
Whoa.
Is this what they used
in Quebec last year?
So sorry. No speak English.
Then you can get
them past customs.
That's what makes
it a big-ticket item.
Pay the man.
It's really heavy... Us
working together like this.
Why not?
We have our targets,
you have yours.
Come on, come on, let's hustle.
It's not going to
be here all day.
Hmm?
No, nothing.
Want to bet?
That's it.
You're the one's got the hunch.
Yeah.
Oh, oh, the cunning of
the criminal mind, huh?
D-Don't feel bad.
No, you may have
blown your case,
but these are gonna look
nice in your bathroom, really.
Oh, you wise guy, you.
Go ahead, laugh.
Come on, let's get out of here.
What did he say?
- Who?
- Buddha.
A lot.
You vacationing?
I'm with the dance company.
We're going on tour.
Dance company.
What kind of dancing?
Ballet.
Swans and stuff like that?
Yep.
Well, I bet you make
a darn good swan.
Mm, I make a great swan,
especially at rehearsals.
They call me Miss Stage Fright.
How about you?
I'm stationed in Yokohama.
Uh, I've been home on leave.
Um, you know, we're going
to be a while before we board.
How would you like
to take a walk on, um,
some of this solid ground
and stretch those
legs a little bit?
'Cause we're going to be on
the ocean for a long, long time.
I have to look inside.
Any film in there?
Go ahead.
Okay, that's all right.
Okay.
That's fine.
And the duty is $23.73.
Make it out to "U.S. Customs."
That's one honey of a camera.
I got one of the old ones.
Oh, that's funny.
Meter reads f/16.
This light in here, it ought to
be clear over the other side.
Well, we'll have
to have it checked.
Hmm.
You have exactly the
same problem, young man.
Maybe it needs
some batteries, huh?
Oh, no, no, no, no.
If it was the battery,
it'd barely move.
Oh, well, I don't
know much about it.
You see, I'm just starting.
Hmm.
Yeah, well, funny,
both the same.
You buy them at the same place?
Yeah.
Is that it?
Uh, well, maybe I can,
uh, see what's wrong, huh?
You want to step over here?
Hey, look, don't worry about it.
Uh, it's still under warranty.
Look, we're really in
a hurry, thanks, okay?
Yes, well, let's
have a look anyway.
Just take a minute.
Get out of the way!
This way.
Over here!
Come on, man.
Come on!
We'll get a car!
That's okay, Dad, I
can handle my own stuff.
And I want to tell
you something.
Yeah, what's that?
You're not going to have
to spend the whole week
in Hawaii on a
surfboard by yourself.
I'm going to learn fast.
When didn't you?
Inspectors eight-one
to headquarters.
There's been a
shooting at Pier 35!
Donna, the truck!
Get in.
Murray, drive!
Suspects are heading
south along the Embarcadero
in a red delivery van.
Alert all units, code 3000.
I want a roadblock at Broadway,
at Mission and Bryant Street.
They got hostages!
Suspects have hostages,
automatic weapons,
and are dangerous.
Honey, are you all right?
Baby!
Go!
Donna.
Bobby, cover her.
Hold it!
Drop it!
I said drop it!
Move!
- Come on.
- Yeah.
- Come on, come on.
- Oh, Bobby!
Hold it!
You cop.
Not now, Sonny.
Come on.
Move it! Go on! Go on!
Go on! Go on!
What are you...? Get in here.
Sit down! Sit down!
He's a cop.
We need him.
No shooting.
They've got hostages.
Listen, I want, uh... I
want this area sealed off.
Get me a command post
car here in five minutes;
I want the Coast Guard offshore.
Dallum, I'm sorry.
Hey, he caught on to the camera.
Shut up and get forward!
How's it look?
- Nobody's coming.
- Okay, stay there.
What do we do now?
We just sit tight.
Nobody's going
to sneak up on us.
I'll get some rope
and get them tied up.
This is Lieutenant Stone, San
Francisco Police Department.
Give me the Marine operator.
That's pretty tight.
You can take it.
You're a big girl.
Okay, get them on.
Nuh-uh. Behind the back.
I don't know what's
happening here,
but you're not going
anywhere, you know?
Hm.
We are going,
you are going,
we are all going.
Going, going... gone.
Room service.
Make it four cheeseburgers
and a side of fries.
Hold the mustard.
This is Lieutenant Stone, San
Francisco Police Department.
Oh, thanks, but
we already got one.
Now, you listen to me...
No, you listen!
When we want to talk
to you, we will call you.
Later, baby.
Murray, keep an eye on them.
Hold the back.
You're a cop, huh?
Yeah.
Who are they?
I don't know.
They started shooting
up Pier 35; I don't know.
Are they robbers?
I don't think so, no.
They must be crazy; sick.
Yeah.
Ah...
Well, they are getting
their act together.
What are we going to do?
We are doing it.
Look out there, we are the
hottest story in the country.
In an hour, they will know
about us all over the world.
How many of them
are there, Lieutenant?
As far as we know,
they are four of them.
What were they
bringing in... junk?
We don't know yet.
- Is it political?
- I don't know.
- Are they terrorists?
- We don't know.
Listen, fellas, wait a minute.
The minute I find
out, I'll let you know.
Now give me a break.
Come on, Lieutenant,
we just want to know...
Got a box score, Mike.
Four hostages,
including a mechanic
that was in there,
and one girl dead.
One girl dead? How old?
Eighteen.
Who was with her?
Her dad, a fella named Warren.
He'd like to see you.
Anything on that
kid with the gun?
I think Ben Sanford's
got something.
He's on his way in.
You get through to them?
Yeah, I got through to them.
I, uh, heard they got Steve.
Yeah.
Well, how do we play it?
Well, I don't want
any panic in there.
We keep them bottled
up until they calm down,
and then maybe, just maybe,
we can talk them out later.
How's Mehlman doing
with those cameras?
I don't know.
What does it look like, Bob?
Remote control bomb.
You think or you know?
Think.
When will you know?
When I get through thinking.
They've got one of those cameras
with them down there right now.
Lieutenant...
This area is
off-limits to the press.
Lieutenant, this is Mr. Warren.
The father of the young
girl who was killed.
I'm terribly sorry Mr. Warren.
What are you going to do,
you gonna gas them out?
Maybe.
But we have to find
out a few things first.
Like what?
Like, uh, if they're
rational or not.
Rational?!
They murdered my daughter!
Rational?!
Now, what I mean is,
can we talk to them.
They're animals!
They've got hostages, and
we're trying to save their lives.
What happened to us?
Where did we lose?
We fought Hitler, didn't we?
And we beat him to hell.
And now we let... we let
animals like that push us around.
You can't live your
own life anymore.
You can't even dream
your own dreams.
You wind up being a part of
somebody else's nightmare.
We just wanted to spend
some time in the sun.
My baby.
We know how you
feel, Mr. Warren.
Mike, Agent Roth is here,
and a man from
the mayor's office.
- Lieutenant...?
- What about the kid?
Robert Giles, alias
Robert Gilliam.
Forgery, interstate
auto theft, dealing;
two years at Lompoc, eight
months at Terminal Island.
Brother Elwood, called Sonny.
Receiving stolen
property, grand theft,
assault with a deadly weapon.
Both of them in and out of
extremist groups of every kind.
Okay, thanks.
Thanks a lot.
Roth.
Mike Stone, John Barrow
from the mayor's office.
Hello, Mr. Barrow.
Lieutenant, can you fill us in?
Yes.
Come with me.
Uh, Lieutenant Stone.
Lieutenant Stone.
Uh, Lieutenant Stone,
my name is Leist.
I'm with station KBEX.
I know who you are.
I know what you do.
And I don't like it.
They're terrorists, aren't they?
What group is it?
What's their cause?
Now let me ask you a question:
How come, with all the
good reporters around,
you're always the
one that's underfoot?
Now you've given these
guys a big play, haven't you?
You've ballyhooed
them into Robin Hoods.
Well, I don't think
they're Robin Hoods.
I think they're hoods.
And if it wasn't
for guys like you,
maybe everybody else
would treat them like that.
Just like hoods.
Now if you want
anything else from me
on that subject, for
that tape recorder,
which you've got
under your jacket there,
just let me know and I'll bleep
you from here to Baltimore.
Come on.
Steven J. Keller.
Inspector of Pigs.
On the make and on the take, eh?
Hey, we got a celebrity.
Kerry Martin.
Occupation: ballerina.
Oh, a ballerina!
Tell me, how do you
twitch your tail in a tutu
when half the world is starving?
Somebody's got to entertain
the leisure class, baby,
or they'd yawn
themselves to death.
Don't you know that you're
just feeding their fantasies?
I mean, that's just the role
that men dig to have us play.
Floating around,
all airy and unreal.
I don't dance
because it's a role,
I dance because it's my life.
Because I believe
we're supposed to add
a little beauty to the world,
instead of taking it away.
Oh, I see.
You dance while people die.
And that's beautiful, huh?
Tell me, what do you
know about the world?
I mean, have you
ever been anyplace
where they don't have ballets?
And operas?
And concerts and art museums,
and amusement
parks and snow cones
and candied apples?
I mean, where they've got
death and dirt and disease?
Easy now, babe. Easy.
Well...
looks like we got
one brother here
does an honest
day's work, anyway.
Nick, uh... Solana.
Solana?
Yeah.
How they treat you, Nick?
Okay.
Could be a little
better though, huh?
A little bigger paycheck?
Little less heat
from the boss, huh?
Hmph. You're Commies.
That figures.
Oh, you are
well-programmed, little robot.
Aren't you, sailor?
You say all the right things.
Well, I got a new
quote for you, okay?
Karl Marx was as big a
jerk as Thomas Jefferson.
Can you handle that one?
Where you from?
Batasi.
Batasi?
Well, what's going on in
Batasi that concerns this city?
Plenty, as soon as
the embassy blows.
Cool it!
I'm sorry, Dallum. I'm sorry.
It's all right. It's all right.
Looks like it's not going to
happen this week, anyway.
But maybe this is better.
What do you want, headlines?
No, we're after help.
From those people
that are too hung up
on the good life to care
about what isn't beautiful.
What happened at the
pier... The shooting...
What was that all about?
Yeah, yeah.
I guess you ought to know
what you're sitting
on here, Inspector.
Customs got a little
curious about our cameras.
That's all.
They wanted to do a little
inspecting of their own.
Must be pretty high-powered.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right on.
Okay, this is the transmitter,
here's the receiver.
It's all self-contained.
What are those numbers?
Numbers are the codes, Mike.
They're different
signal frequencies.
This camera's set to number one,
so the range is between
145 and 175 megahertz.
And there's a "one"
on the cassette.
The safety switch
on the cassette
activates this single
cassette when it's tripped.
This guy is set to three.
And there's a three,
so the range is between
200, 225 megahertz.
Come on, I want to
show you something.
It's a five-position
switch on the camera,
so odds are the
camera our friends have
is set at two, four or five.
But you have to have a
number between one and five.
Right.
If we knew which,
we could jam it.
Well, how? How could you jam it?
I've got a transmitter
that can overload
that particular frequency.
But you have to have a number?
Uh-huh.
Well, how does it work?
Uses a thing
called a logic chip.
The receiver picks up a signal,
decides if it's the right code.
If it is, it sends a
spark to the charge.
Just aim and shoot.
I wonder how
they're gonna play it.
Before things get any worse,
you ought to think about
what's going down here.
Hey.
There's no way you're gonna
walk out of here with that bomb.
You know?
One way.
Holding hands with you.
Look, uh, people aren't going
for this kind of number
anymore, you know?
I mean, they've had it
with hostages being taken,
threats and demands made.
This kind of stuff
doesn't work anymore.
Mm-hmm, get me Lieutenant Stone.
A meeting has been
arranged for 1:30.
If it comes off, the police
will learn their demands.
The key one, of course,
will be a negotiated freedom
in return for the
lives of the hostages.
Can the police live with this?
Well, it's anybody's guess.
One thing is sure, though.
With four lives in the balance,
they're gonna
keep talking to them,
and talking and talking,
even if the conversation
is punctuated,
as it will be,
with sarcasm, ridicule,
and taunts.
♪♪
Hold it there!
Well, I guess you know what
I've got around my back by now.
Yeah.
You okay?
Yeah, yeah, I'm okay.
This is Dick Roth,
federal agent.
- You remember Mehlman.
- Yeah.
Who are they, Steve?
I don't know.
There's four of them.
Just a couple of gun freaks,
but I don't know who they are.
What do they want?
Looks like publicity,
something to do with
the revolution is Batasi.
- Oh, man.
- Batasi?
That's in Africa, isn't it?
I thought they were through
with trouble down there.
That's the word we had.
Well, they meant to
start something here
by blowing up an embassy.
Anyway, all they
want now is out.
How?
Plane, pilot and crew,
safe passage to the airport,
either a helicopter...
if we can get a
seaplane in here.
Oh, yeah, they, uh, they want
an interview with Jack Leist.
Figures.
Where do they want to go?
They say North Africa.
We'll try.
We can't guarantee a thing.
Steve,
I feel helpless, I...
What about the bomb?
You working on it?
Bob figured it out.
They've just got the one, right?
That's right, yeah.
What else do they have?
Uh, they got, uh, they
got two automatics,
.45.32, and my special.
Bob, tell him.
Steve, do anything you can
to get a look at that roll of film.
There's a number
stenciled on it,
probably a two, four or five.
If you can flash it to us on
your fingers when you come out,
we've got a chance
of disarming it.
You're gonna jam it, you mean?
Exactly.
With the bomb out, we
can use sharpshooters.
Otherwise, we can't risk it.
Okay.
I'll give it a try.
And if that doesn't work, what?
Show a fist.
We'll hold fire then.
Okay.
Okay, that's enough.
Well, I hear North Africa's
nice this time of year.
♪♪
I understand the position
you're in, Mr. Carter.
The company is not
paying you to turn over
a $9 million airplane
to some convicts who
have high explosives.
But we better do something,
and we better do it quick.
If we turn that plane over
now, we have two chances,
one here and one at the airport.
If we don't, nothing.
You can cut that in half.
You'll never get to
use your marksmen.
Not in a million years.
I couldn't agree more.
I respect your
reputation, Lieutenant,
but this idea of jamming
their radio signal,
it sounds like something
from Buck Rogers.
Now, it seems to me you've
got respectable options.
Options, oh, we've
got all kinds of options.
We can toss tear gas.
We've got a half a dozen
options, but then what?
The operation was a
success, but the patient died.
Our concern, of
course, is the next time.
If they get away with
it, if they fly out of here...
Well, there will always
be some alphabet soup
pack of fanatics around.
Amen.
At any rate, I'm
going to recommend
that we roll the plane.
As Lieutenant Stone says,
we don't know where we stand
until we flush
them out of there.
Well, I'll report on
what's been said.
It's not my decision,
and, gentlemen, for that
I am profoundly grateful.
Y'all think you're a bunch of
real hotdoggers, don't you?
Well, you know, I don't
care where you're from,
I've seen every one of you
before back in Central High.
Dallum here, he's Leon
Holt, the local bully boy,
and Sonny's his yes-man.
Donna, she's Mary Beth Hall,
matching hairdos
with the girls one day
and switchblades
with the boys the next.
And Murray, you're Ed Hunsacker.
We let him join
the baseball team
because he bought us the gloves.
Is that right, Murray?
You financed this whole gig?
No, our-our money
belongs to each other.
Oh, yeah? When's the last time
Dallum put in some money, huh?
Using psychology
on us, Inspector?
What do they call that,
Divide and Conquer 101
at the police academy?
No, no, I'm just wondering
how long ol' Murr
would have lasted
if he didn't have rich parents.
Murray's cool;
he's paid his dues,
haven't you, Murray?
You a little guilty, Murray,
about being better
off than average?
Listen, cop,
you don't know what it's like
to be kicked in the stomach
'cause you're always the
one that does the kicking.
You know how many
people in this world
are in constant,
nonstop pain, huh?
I know one person.
The father of
that girl you shot.
Well, there's gonna be
a lot more people shot
until the world
gets the message.
We are going all the way.
Oh, now listen to
Donna there, huh?
Tripping on your own
fantasy, aren't you?
Hero of the people.
Man, if you stuck
around long enough
to know what the people
thought, they'd tell you.
Isn't that right, Nick?
You, uh, you just don't know
who your friends are, Nick.
Murray, the radio.
You're real, real
bright, Keller.
Real bright,
but not necessarily right.
I say we get that plane.
Well, that could be,
but you're gonna have to
land it sometime, aren't you?
This is Jack Leist,
Where the Action Is,
and it's no secret
where it is today.
We just wanted to spend
some time in the sun.
My baby.
A small barge in the China Basin
where a tight coven
of killers with a cause
is holding at bay
the combined forces
of police, local and
federal governments.
The toll so far:
two people killed,
and four held hostage.
Who are they?
Are they, as homicide lieutenant
Mike Stone said this morning...
- Just hoods.
- Or are they something...
Okay, Kerry, you
ready to help the cause?
Growing like a
science fiction monster.
What do you mean?
There's a film roll in that
camera case with a number on it.
If we get it, we got a
chance at getting out of here.
Now, Sonny, Sonny's so bent,
if I get him going, he'll pop.
When he does,
you try to get over there
and get the number, okay?
Hey, you can't do that.
He's been laying for
you right from the start.
He'll kill you.
Let me do it.
No, I got a better chance
of getting him going.
Besides, Dallum
shouldn't let it go too far.
You hope.
Yeah, yeah, I hope.
There's a chink in our armor
as wide as the
Missouri, and they see it.
Where he's most vulnerable,
stabbing at his wounds
with a maddening...
You got stage fright?
We'll just pretend
it's a little rehearsal.
That's all.
Okay.
Who told you to get up?
Look, I got tired
of sitting down.
Well, how would you like
to lay down permanently?
Oh, man, you talk like some kind
of gangster picture
or something.
Who do you think you
are, Humphrey Bogart?
Get back there.
Hey, Sonny.
Sonny, you gonna
go through with this?
You don't want to be as
dumb as your brother, do you?
Get up! Get up!
- Sonny!
- Let go! Let go!
Get them up. Get
them in here! Come on!
Move! Move! Move!
Get me Stone.
Mike, take a look.
Where?
Right through
there. You see him?
Yeah. It's Warren.
Hello.
Hey, Mike, they want you.
Stone.
If you want these guys
back piece by piece,
just try that again.
He is not a policeman.
He is the father of the
girl that you've just killed.
Now we are coming in to get him.
Dallum, Dallum.
Sonny's dead.
Do you hear me?
I said we are
coming in to get him.
You move anything...
you move anything but what
we need to get out of here,
and some heads are coming off.
Mr. Warren, this is the police.
Mike Stone.
We want you to come out now.
You're doing no good in there.
You're endangering
four lives, Mr. Warren.
Please come out.
Let us handle the situation.
Mr. Warren, come out, please.
Mr. Warren, please.
Please come out now.
He can't be out there.
This is a trick.
It's a lousy trick.
I don't think so.
Oh, yes, it is.
How could he get through?
- Hi, Jim.
- Mike.
- Did you take a look around?
- Yeah.
How does it look?
It's possible.
What about the girl's father?
No sign of him.
He's a wild one.
He's no help at all.
Here it goes.
This is the barge.
We're going to place
men here, here and here.
That way, we'll have
coverage along here
and along the waterfront.
Yeah, that's just
about how I figured it.
Now, where's your
seaplane going to stop?
It'll come through here
and stop right there.
Now you know the
problem, don't you?
There will be no shooting
until we find out
about the bomb.
You hear that? No shooting.
Otherwise, we'll be
throwing away all their lives.
These are the best men you have?
They don't miss, Mike.
I want you with them.
I want you right up
there on top of the barge.
I'll be below with
a walkie-talkie.
Wouldn't want to lose Steve.
He's the only guy I
can beat at pinochle.
Mike, they okayed the plane.
All right.
Give me headquarters, will you?
I feel like I'm going to faint.
I have to sit down.
Come on, Dancer.
Murray!
Murray, watch the back!
Stay there.
And don't any of you...
don't any of you move.
Did you see the number?
Just for a sec. I
think it was a two,
but it might have been
an upside down five.
If you close your eyes,
sometimes you can see.
It seems like a two.
I'm just not sure. I'm sorry.
Don't worry about
it. You did fine.
Not really.
Okay, all right, now, we've
got to make a decision.
If I flash them a number,
they're going to try to
jam that radio signal.
Now, if it's the wrong one,
if it doesn't work,
that's going to be it.
If I flash them a closed fist,
then they're going
to hold their fire,
and we'll, uh... we'll
probably go on a plane.
Think we ought to vote on it.
Well, in the country I was born,
there are many people like this.
Always the bombs
and the tortures and...
No, I am not going with them.
I'd rather die.
I agree.
We know what they're like.
They're not going to let us go.
Flash them a deuce, Stevie.
Let's go have a beer.
Pretty special bunch of
people. You know that?
I bet you tell that
to all the hostages.
Hey, come on, now.
Quit talking.
We'll be beaming on
frequency number three...
The middle of the dial.
If Steve throws a number,
I'll be on it in less
than two seconds.
Did you ever figure
out how long it takes
to punch a camera shutter?
♪♪
Bob, can you hear me?
Bob Mehlman.
10-4, Mike. Loud and clear.
Jim Carlson, can you hear me?
10-4, Mike.
Is everything okay?
All set.
♪♪
Okay, rope them together.
Get me Lieutenant Stone.
Nice going, pal. Nice going.
We will be out at exactly 2:45.
And remember, if
anything goes wrong,
everybody goes bang, okay?
Okay, let's go.
It's okay.
Come on! Wake up, Murray!
Come on!
Come on!
♪♪
There's only three of them.
Warren must have killed one.
Two.
Two, Bob. Two.
All right, the party's over.
Press it.
Press it!
Press it!
All right, throw
those guns down!
It's all over!
♪♪
Inspector Keller.
Uh, my name is Leist, Inspector.
Uh, Jack Leist, radio, KB...
No, I know who you are. Yeah.
I'd like to ask you
a few questions.
Not right now.
Uh, well, it must have
been quite an ordeal,
but we only saw
it from this side.
Uh, what really
happened in there?
What were they like?
Did they tell you
why they brought
the bombs to San Francisco?
Who or what their targets are?
Well, come on.
They must have talked about it.
Mr. Leist, whatever
they talked about,
whatever you're talking about,
there's only one thing
that happened today.
Three people got killed.
So whoever ends
up saving the world,
nothing changes that fact.
Right.
How much damage can this do?
Show her the film.
Everything you see has
a similar cassette inside.
A limitless number of
targets can be detonated
with one click of the shutter.
Whoa.
I told you, these boys
don't mess around.
Whoa.
Is this what they used
in Quebec last year?
So sorry. No speak English.
Then you can get
them past customs.
That's what makes
it a big-ticket item.
Pay the man.
It's really heavy... Us
working together like this.
Why not?
We have our targets,
you have yours.
Come on, come on, let's hustle.
It's not going to
be here all day.
Hmm?
No, nothing.
Want to bet?
That's it.
You're the one's got the hunch.
Yeah.
Oh, oh, the cunning of
the criminal mind, huh?
D-Don't feel bad.
No, you may have
blown your case,
but these are gonna look
nice in your bathroom, really.
Oh, you wise guy, you.
Go ahead, laugh.
Come on, let's get out of here.
What did he say?
- Who?
- Buddha.
A lot.
You vacationing?
I'm with the dance company.
We're going on tour.
Dance company.
What kind of dancing?
Ballet.
Swans and stuff like that?
Yep.
Well, I bet you make
a darn good swan.
Mm, I make a great swan,
especially at rehearsals.
They call me Miss Stage Fright.
How about you?
I'm stationed in Yokohama.
Uh, I've been home on leave.
Um, you know, we're going
to be a while before we board.
How would you like
to take a walk on, um,
some of this solid ground
and stretch those
legs a little bit?
'Cause we're going to be on
the ocean for a long, long time.
I have to look inside.
Any film in there?
Go ahead.
Okay, that's all right.
Okay.
That's fine.
And the duty is $23.73.
Make it out to "U.S. Customs."
That's one honey of a camera.
I got one of the old ones.
Oh, that's funny.
Meter reads f/16.
This light in here, it ought to
be clear over the other side.
Well, we'll have
to have it checked.
Hmm.
You have exactly the
same problem, young man.
Maybe it needs
some batteries, huh?
Oh, no, no, no, no.
If it was the battery,
it'd barely move.
Oh, well, I don't
know much about it.
You see, I'm just starting.
Hmm.
Yeah, well, funny,
both the same.
You buy them at the same place?
Yeah.
Is that it?
Uh, well, maybe I can,
uh, see what's wrong, huh?
You want to step over here?
Hey, look, don't worry about it.
Uh, it's still under warranty.
Look, we're really in
a hurry, thanks, okay?
Yes, well, let's
have a look anyway.
Just take a minute.
Get out of the way!
This way.
Over here!
Come on, man.
Come on!
We'll get a car!
That's okay, Dad, I
can handle my own stuff.
And I want to tell
you something.
Yeah, what's that?
You're not going to have
to spend the whole week
in Hawaii on a
surfboard by yourself.
I'm going to learn fast.
When didn't you?
Inspectors eight-one
to headquarters.
There's been a
shooting at Pier 35!
Donna, the truck!
Get in.
Murray, drive!
Suspects are heading
south along the Embarcadero
in a red delivery van.
Alert all units, code 3000.
I want a roadblock at Broadway,
at Mission and Bryant Street.
They got hostages!
Suspects have hostages,
automatic weapons,
and are dangerous.
Honey, are you all right?
Baby!
Go!
Donna.
Bobby, cover her.
Hold it!
Drop it!
I said drop it!
Move!
- Come on.
- Yeah.
- Come on, come on.
- Oh, Bobby!
Hold it!
You cop.
Not now, Sonny.
Come on.
Move it! Go on! Go on!
Go on! Go on!
What are you...? Get in here.
Sit down! Sit down!
He's a cop.
We need him.
No shooting.
They've got hostages.
Listen, I want, uh... I
want this area sealed off.
Get me a command post
car here in five minutes;
I want the Coast Guard offshore.
Dallum, I'm sorry.
Hey, he caught on to the camera.
Shut up and get forward!
How's it look?
- Nobody's coming.
- Okay, stay there.
What do we do now?
We just sit tight.
Nobody's going
to sneak up on us.
I'll get some rope
and get them tied up.
This is Lieutenant Stone, San
Francisco Police Department.
Give me the Marine operator.
That's pretty tight.
You can take it.
You're a big girl.
Okay, get them on.
Nuh-uh. Behind the back.
I don't know what's
happening here,
but you're not going
anywhere, you know?
Hm.
We are going,
you are going,
we are all going.
Going, going... gone.
Room service.
Make it four cheeseburgers
and a side of fries.
Hold the mustard.
This is Lieutenant Stone, San
Francisco Police Department.
Oh, thanks, but
we already got one.
Now, you listen to me...
No, you listen!
When we want to talk
to you, we will call you.
Later, baby.
Murray, keep an eye on them.
Hold the back.
You're a cop, huh?
Yeah.
Who are they?
I don't know.
They started shooting
up Pier 35; I don't know.
Are they robbers?
I don't think so, no.
They must be crazy; sick.
Yeah.
Ah...
Well, they are getting
their act together.
What are we going to do?
We are doing it.
Look out there, we are the
hottest story in the country.
In an hour, they will know
about us all over the world.
How many of them
are there, Lieutenant?
As far as we know,
they are four of them.
What were they
bringing in... junk?
We don't know yet.
- Is it political?
- I don't know.
- Are they terrorists?
- We don't know.
Listen, fellas, wait a minute.
The minute I find
out, I'll let you know.
Now give me a break.
Come on, Lieutenant,
we just want to know...
Got a box score, Mike.
Four hostages,
including a mechanic
that was in there,
and one girl dead.
One girl dead? How old?
Eighteen.
Who was with her?
Her dad, a fella named Warren.
He'd like to see you.
Anything on that
kid with the gun?
I think Ben Sanford's
got something.
He's on his way in.
You get through to them?
Yeah, I got through to them.
I, uh, heard they got Steve.
Yeah.
Well, how do we play it?
Well, I don't want
any panic in there.
We keep them bottled
up until they calm down,
and then maybe, just maybe,
we can talk them out later.
How's Mehlman doing
with those cameras?
I don't know.
What does it look like, Bob?
Remote control bomb.
You think or you know?
Think.
When will you know?
When I get through thinking.
They've got one of those cameras
with them down there right now.
Lieutenant...
This area is
off-limits to the press.
Lieutenant, this is Mr. Warren.
The father of the young
girl who was killed.
I'm terribly sorry Mr. Warren.
What are you going to do,
you gonna gas them out?
Maybe.
But we have to find
out a few things first.
Like what?
Like, uh, if they're
rational or not.
Rational?!
They murdered my daughter!
Rational?!
Now, what I mean is,
can we talk to them.
They're animals!
They've got hostages, and
we're trying to save their lives.
What happened to us?
Where did we lose?
We fought Hitler, didn't we?
And we beat him to hell.
And now we let... we let
animals like that push us around.
You can't live your
own life anymore.
You can't even dream
your own dreams.
You wind up being a part of
somebody else's nightmare.
We just wanted to spend
some time in the sun.
My baby.
We know how you
feel, Mr. Warren.
Mike, Agent Roth is here,
and a man from
the mayor's office.
- Lieutenant...?
- What about the kid?
Robert Giles, alias
Robert Gilliam.
Forgery, interstate
auto theft, dealing;
two years at Lompoc, eight
months at Terminal Island.
Brother Elwood, called Sonny.
Receiving stolen
property, grand theft,
assault with a deadly weapon.
Both of them in and out of
extremist groups of every kind.
Okay, thanks.
Thanks a lot.
Roth.
Mike Stone, John Barrow
from the mayor's office.
Hello, Mr. Barrow.
Lieutenant, can you fill us in?
Yes.
Come with me.
Uh, Lieutenant Stone.
Lieutenant Stone.
Uh, Lieutenant Stone,
my name is Leist.
I'm with station KBEX.
I know who you are.
I know what you do.
And I don't like it.
They're terrorists, aren't they?
What group is it?
What's their cause?
Now let me ask you a question:
How come, with all the
good reporters around,
you're always the
one that's underfoot?
Now you've given these
guys a big play, haven't you?
You've ballyhooed
them into Robin Hoods.
Well, I don't think
they're Robin Hoods.
I think they're hoods.
And if it wasn't
for guys like you,
maybe everybody else
would treat them like that.
Just like hoods.
Now if you want
anything else from me
on that subject, for
that tape recorder,
which you've got
under your jacket there,
just let me know and I'll bleep
you from here to Baltimore.
Come on.
Steven J. Keller.
Inspector of Pigs.
On the make and on the take, eh?
Hey, we got a celebrity.
Kerry Martin.
Occupation: ballerina.
Oh, a ballerina!
Tell me, how do you
twitch your tail in a tutu
when half the world is starving?
Somebody's got to entertain
the leisure class, baby,
or they'd yawn
themselves to death.
Don't you know that you're
just feeding their fantasies?
I mean, that's just the role
that men dig to have us play.
Floating around,
all airy and unreal.
I don't dance
because it's a role,
I dance because it's my life.
Because I believe
we're supposed to add
a little beauty to the world,
instead of taking it away.
Oh, I see.
You dance while people die.
And that's beautiful, huh?
Tell me, what do you
know about the world?
I mean, have you
ever been anyplace
where they don't have ballets?
And operas?
And concerts and art museums,
and amusement
parks and snow cones
and candied apples?
I mean, where they've got
death and dirt and disease?
Easy now, babe. Easy.
Well...
looks like we got
one brother here
does an honest
day's work, anyway.
Nick, uh... Solana.
Solana?
Yeah.
How they treat you, Nick?
Okay.
Could be a little
better though, huh?
A little bigger paycheck?
Little less heat
from the boss, huh?
Hmph. You're Commies.
That figures.
Oh, you are
well-programmed, little robot.
Aren't you, sailor?
You say all the right things.
Well, I got a new
quote for you, okay?
Karl Marx was as big a
jerk as Thomas Jefferson.
Can you handle that one?
Where you from?
Batasi.
Batasi?
Well, what's going on in
Batasi that concerns this city?
Plenty, as soon as
the embassy blows.
Cool it!
I'm sorry, Dallum. I'm sorry.
It's all right. It's all right.
Looks like it's not going to
happen this week, anyway.
But maybe this is better.
What do you want, headlines?
No, we're after help.
From those people
that are too hung up
on the good life to care
about what isn't beautiful.
What happened at the
pier... The shooting...
What was that all about?
Yeah, yeah.
I guess you ought to know
what you're sitting
on here, Inspector.
Customs got a little
curious about our cameras.
That's all.
They wanted to do a little
inspecting of their own.
Must be pretty high-powered.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Right on.
Okay, this is the transmitter,
here's the receiver.
It's all self-contained.
What are those numbers?
Numbers are the codes, Mike.
They're different
signal frequencies.
This camera's set to number one,
so the range is between
145 and 175 megahertz.
And there's a "one"
on the cassette.
The safety switch
on the cassette
activates this single
cassette when it's tripped.
This guy is set to three.
And there's a three,
so the range is between
200, 225 megahertz.
Come on, I want to
show you something.
It's a five-position
switch on the camera,
so odds are the
camera our friends have
is set at two, four or five.
But you have to have a
number between one and five.
Right.
If we knew which,
we could jam it.
Well, how? How could you jam it?
I've got a transmitter
that can overload
that particular frequency.
But you have to have a number?
Uh-huh.
Well, how does it work?
Uses a thing
called a logic chip.
The receiver picks up a signal,
decides if it's the right code.
If it is, it sends a
spark to the charge.
Just aim and shoot.
I wonder how
they're gonna play it.
Before things get any worse,
you ought to think about
what's going down here.
Hey.
There's no way you're gonna
walk out of here with that bomb.
You know?
One way.
Holding hands with you.
Look, uh, people aren't going
for this kind of number
anymore, you know?
I mean, they've had it
with hostages being taken,
threats and demands made.
This kind of stuff
doesn't work anymore.
Mm-hmm, get me Lieutenant Stone.
A meeting has been
arranged for 1:30.
If it comes off, the police
will learn their demands.
The key one, of course,
will be a negotiated freedom
in return for the
lives of the hostages.
Can the police live with this?
Well, it's anybody's guess.
One thing is sure, though.
With four lives in the balance,
they're gonna
keep talking to them,
and talking and talking,
even if the conversation
is punctuated,
as it will be,
with sarcasm, ridicule,
and taunts.
♪♪
Hold it there!
Well, I guess you know what
I've got around my back by now.
Yeah.
You okay?
Yeah, yeah, I'm okay.
This is Dick Roth,
federal agent.
- You remember Mehlman.
- Yeah.
Who are they, Steve?
I don't know.
There's four of them.
Just a couple of gun freaks,
but I don't know who they are.
What do they want?
Looks like publicity,
something to do with
the revolution is Batasi.
- Oh, man.
- Batasi?
That's in Africa, isn't it?
I thought they were through
with trouble down there.
That's the word we had.
Well, they meant to
start something here
by blowing up an embassy.
Anyway, all they
want now is out.
How?
Plane, pilot and crew,
safe passage to the airport,
either a helicopter...
if we can get a
seaplane in here.
Oh, yeah, they, uh, they want
an interview with Jack Leist.
Figures.
Where do they want to go?
They say North Africa.
We'll try.
We can't guarantee a thing.
Steve,
I feel helpless, I...
What about the bomb?
You working on it?
Bob figured it out.
They've just got the one, right?
That's right, yeah.
What else do they have?
Uh, they got, uh, they
got two automatics,
.45.32, and my special.
Bob, tell him.
Steve, do anything you can
to get a look at that roll of film.
There's a number
stenciled on it,
probably a two, four or five.
If you can flash it to us on
your fingers when you come out,
we've got a chance
of disarming it.
You're gonna jam it, you mean?
Exactly.
With the bomb out, we
can use sharpshooters.
Otherwise, we can't risk it.
Okay.
I'll give it a try.
And if that doesn't work, what?
Show a fist.
We'll hold fire then.
Okay.
Okay, that's enough.
Well, I hear North Africa's
nice this time of year.
♪♪
I understand the position
you're in, Mr. Carter.
The company is not
paying you to turn over
a $9 million airplane
to some convicts who
have high explosives.
But we better do something,
and we better do it quick.
If we turn that plane over
now, we have two chances,
one here and one at the airport.
If we don't, nothing.
You can cut that in half.
You'll never get to
use your marksmen.
Not in a million years.
I couldn't agree more.
I respect your
reputation, Lieutenant,
but this idea of jamming
their radio signal,
it sounds like something
from Buck Rogers.
Now, it seems to me you've
got respectable options.
Options, oh, we've
got all kinds of options.
We can toss tear gas.
We've got a half a dozen
options, but then what?
The operation was a
success, but the patient died.
Our concern, of
course, is the next time.
If they get away with
it, if they fly out of here...
Well, there will always
be some alphabet soup
pack of fanatics around.
Amen.
At any rate, I'm
going to recommend
that we roll the plane.
As Lieutenant Stone says,
we don't know where we stand
until we flush
them out of there.
Well, I'll report on
what's been said.
It's not my decision,
and, gentlemen, for that
I am profoundly grateful.
Y'all think you're a bunch of
real hotdoggers, don't you?
Well, you know, I don't
care where you're from,
I've seen every one of you
before back in Central High.
Dallum here, he's Leon
Holt, the local bully boy,
and Sonny's his yes-man.
Donna, she's Mary Beth Hall,
matching hairdos
with the girls one day
and switchblades
with the boys the next.
And Murray, you're Ed Hunsacker.
We let him join
the baseball team
because he bought us the gloves.
Is that right, Murray?
You financed this whole gig?
No, our-our money
belongs to each other.
Oh, yeah? When's the last time
Dallum put in some money, huh?
Using psychology
on us, Inspector?
What do they call that,
Divide and Conquer 101
at the police academy?
No, no, I'm just wondering
how long ol' Murr
would have lasted
if he didn't have rich parents.
Murray's cool;
he's paid his dues,
haven't you, Murray?
You a little guilty, Murray,
about being better
off than average?
Listen, cop,
you don't know what it's like
to be kicked in the stomach
'cause you're always the
one that does the kicking.
You know how many
people in this world
are in constant,
nonstop pain, huh?
I know one person.
The father of
that girl you shot.
Well, there's gonna be
a lot more people shot
until the world
gets the message.
We are going all the way.
Oh, now listen to
Donna there, huh?
Tripping on your own
fantasy, aren't you?
Hero of the people.
Man, if you stuck
around long enough
to know what the people
thought, they'd tell you.
Isn't that right, Nick?
You, uh, you just don't know
who your friends are, Nick.
Murray, the radio.
You're real, real
bright, Keller.
Real bright,
but not necessarily right.
I say we get that plane.
Well, that could be,
but you're gonna have to
land it sometime, aren't you?
This is Jack Leist,
Where the Action Is,
and it's no secret
where it is today.
We just wanted to spend
some time in the sun.
My baby.
A small barge in the China Basin
where a tight coven
of killers with a cause
is holding at bay
the combined forces
of police, local and
federal governments.
The toll so far:
two people killed,
and four held hostage.
Who are they?
Are they, as homicide lieutenant
Mike Stone said this morning...
- Just hoods.
- Or are they something...
Okay, Kerry, you
ready to help the cause?
Growing like a
science fiction monster.
What do you mean?
There's a film roll in that
camera case with a number on it.
If we get it, we got a
chance at getting out of here.
Now, Sonny, Sonny's so bent,
if I get him going, he'll pop.
When he does,
you try to get over there
and get the number, okay?
Hey, you can't do that.
He's been laying for
you right from the start.
He'll kill you.
Let me do it.
No, I got a better chance
of getting him going.
Besides, Dallum
shouldn't let it go too far.
You hope.
Yeah, yeah, I hope.
There's a chink in our armor
as wide as the
Missouri, and they see it.
Where he's most vulnerable,
stabbing at his wounds
with a maddening...
You got stage fright?
We'll just pretend
it's a little rehearsal.
That's all.
Okay.
Who told you to get up?
Look, I got tired
of sitting down.
Well, how would you like
to lay down permanently?
Oh, man, you talk like some kind
of gangster picture
or something.
Who do you think you
are, Humphrey Bogart?
Get back there.
Hey, Sonny.
Sonny, you gonna
go through with this?
You don't want to be as
dumb as your brother, do you?
Get up! Get up!
- Sonny!
- Let go! Let go!
Get them up. Get
them in here! Come on!
Move! Move! Move!
Get me Stone.
Mike, take a look.
Where?
Right through
there. You see him?
Yeah. It's Warren.
Hello.
Hey, Mike, they want you.
Stone.
If you want these guys
back piece by piece,
just try that again.
He is not a policeman.
He is the father of the
girl that you've just killed.
Now we are coming in to get him.
Dallum, Dallum.
Sonny's dead.
Do you hear me?
I said we are
coming in to get him.
You move anything...
you move anything but what
we need to get out of here,
and some heads are coming off.
Mr. Warren, this is the police.
Mike Stone.
We want you to come out now.
You're doing no good in there.
You're endangering
four lives, Mr. Warren.
Please come out.
Let us handle the situation.
Mr. Warren, come out, please.
Mr. Warren, please.
Please come out now.
He can't be out there.
This is a trick.
It's a lousy trick.
I don't think so.
Oh, yes, it is.
How could he get through?
- Hi, Jim.
- Mike.
- Did you take a look around?
- Yeah.
How does it look?
It's possible.
What about the girl's father?
No sign of him.
He's a wild one.
He's no help at all.
Here it goes.
This is the barge.
We're going to place
men here, here and here.
That way, we'll have
coverage along here
and along the waterfront.
Yeah, that's just
about how I figured it.
Now, where's your
seaplane going to stop?
It'll come through here
and stop right there.
Now you know the
problem, don't you?
There will be no shooting
until we find out
about the bomb.
You hear that? No shooting.
Otherwise, we'll be
throwing away all their lives.
These are the best men you have?
They don't miss, Mike.
I want you with them.
I want you right up
there on top of the barge.
I'll be below with
a walkie-talkie.
Wouldn't want to lose Steve.
He's the only guy I
can beat at pinochle.
Mike, they okayed the plane.
All right.
Give me headquarters, will you?
I feel like I'm going to faint.
I have to sit down.
Come on, Dancer.
Murray!
Murray, watch the back!
Stay there.
And don't any of you...
don't any of you move.
Did you see the number?
Just for a sec. I
think it was a two,
but it might have been
an upside down five.
If you close your eyes,
sometimes you can see.
It seems like a two.
I'm just not sure. I'm sorry.
Don't worry about
it. You did fine.
Not really.
Okay, all right, now, we've
got to make a decision.
If I flash them a number,
they're going to try to
jam that radio signal.
Now, if it's the wrong one,
if it doesn't work,
that's going to be it.
If I flash them a closed fist,
then they're going
to hold their fire,
and we'll, uh... we'll
probably go on a plane.
Think we ought to vote on it.
Well, in the country I was born,
there are many people like this.
Always the bombs
and the tortures and...
No, I am not going with them.
I'd rather die.
I agree.
We know what they're like.
They're not going to let us go.
Flash them a deuce, Stevie.
Let's go have a beer.
Pretty special bunch of
people. You know that?
I bet you tell that
to all the hostages.
Hey, come on, now.
Quit talking.
We'll be beaming on
frequency number three...
The middle of the dial.
If Steve throws a number,
I'll be on it in less
than two seconds.
Did you ever figure
out how long it takes
to punch a camera shutter?
♪♪
Bob, can you hear me?
Bob Mehlman.
10-4, Mike. Loud and clear.
Jim Carlson, can you hear me?
10-4, Mike.
Is everything okay?
All set.
♪♪
Okay, rope them together.
Get me Lieutenant Stone.
Nice going, pal. Nice going.
We will be out at exactly 2:45.
And remember, if
anything goes wrong,
everybody goes bang, okay?
Okay, let's go.
It's okay.
Come on! Wake up, Murray!
Come on!
Come on!
♪♪
There's only three of them.
Warren must have killed one.
Two.
Two, Bob. Two.
All right, the party's over.
Press it.
Press it!
Press it!
All right, throw
those guns down!
It's all over!
♪♪
Inspector Keller.
Uh, my name is Leist, Inspector.
Uh, Jack Leist, radio, KB...
No, I know who you are. Yeah.
I'd like to ask you
a few questions.
Not right now.
Uh, well, it must have
been quite an ordeal,
but we only saw
it from this side.
Uh, what really
happened in there?
What were they like?
Did they tell you
why they brought
the bombs to San Francisco?
Who or what their targets are?
Well, come on.
They must have talked about it.
Mr. Leist, whatever
they talked about,
whatever you're talking about,
there's only one thing
that happened today.
Three people got killed.
So whoever ends
up saving the world,
nothing changes that fact.