At a crowded beer garden in Munich, Germany, CIA agent Miles Kendig observes a cigarette package hiding microfilm exchanging hands through a series of seemingly ordinary people and he documents the chain of events with his telephoto camera. Finally, the package ends up in the hands of Mikail Yaskov, the head of Russia’s top spy agency, the KGB. Kendig stops Yaskov as he leaves the beer garden and diplomatically asks him to hand over the package. Their exchange is based on a mutual respect and friendship working as spies for opposing governments for many decades. Yaskov hands over the package to Kendig and they part. Joe Cutter, another CIA agent, tells Kendig at the airport that his superiors are angry that Yaskov got away. Kendig explains that eliminating Yaskov would be detrimental since it would take years to build up the same trust with another agent. CIA bureau chief G.P. Myerson doesn’t believe Kendig’s logic and demotes him to file clerk. Cutter is assigned Kendig’s caseload, and two days later, a staff member informs Myerson that Kendig has not reported to work since his change in status. The only clue they have to his whereabouts is a call that he placed to Salzburg, Austria. At an open-air Austrian café, Kendig reunites with Isobel Von Schmidt, an old friend. Isobel, who retired from the CIA to marry a wealthy businessman, learns that Kendig also has retired without telling the agency and wants to stay with her until he can figure out a plan. At Isobel’s house, he discovers a bottle of vodka left for him by Yaskov, with a note requesting a meeting. Yaskov knows that protecting him has cost Kendig his job. As he and Kendig talk, Yaskov notes that an American agent is photographing them. The Russian encourages Kendig to write his memoirs, prompting Kendig to borrow Isobel’s typewriter and begin the task. When she reads what Kendig has written, she concludes that Kendig has revealed too much and the agency will kill him to protect its interests. Later, Myerson shows Cutter the photo of Kendig and Yaskov’s meeting and orders Cutter to spy on Kendig even though Cutter says his friend’s actions are harmless. As Isobel mails several chapters of Kendig’s book to major cities around the world, Myerson worries that Kendig’s memoirs could greatly damage the agency. Learning that the former agent has crossed the border into Switzerland,
Myerson orders Kendig’s capture. After an antique dealer and counterfeiter provides Kendig with three fake passports, drivers’ licenses and credit cards, Kendig boards a plane to Washington, D.C., while Cutter and another agent, Leonard Ross, track his movements. Kendig phones the CIA and tells Cutter that he will send out one chapter of his memoir at a time, leaving the best parts for the end. A phone trace shows them that Kendig’s call is local. Meanwhile, Isobel is being followed by CIA agent Follett, who tries to pry information out of her. At a real estate office, Kendig buys a home owned by Myerson and sets up his typewriter on the porch right next to a portrait of Myerson. Kendig’s next move is to charter a seaplane to be flown to Martinique. Tracing a call made by Kendig to Isobel, Myerson is furious to learn that Kendig’s call originated from Myerson’s own home. When Kendig sees Myerson and other agents approach the house, he plays opera music and lights a fuse. As several fire crackers go off, the agents open fire. Myerson shouts for a ceasefire but no one listens to him. Kendig captures agent Ross, grabs his gun, and they drive away in dilapidated pickup truck that dumps oil on the road, causing the other agents’ cars to skid out of control. Kendig takes Ross’ passport and orders him out of the truck, then drives to the dock where the seaplane meets him as planned; however, they fly to Bermuda instead of Martinique. Kendig modifies Ross’s passport with his own photo. Speaking with Myerson, Cutter suggests a trip to Salzburg to talk to Isobel, while Kendig is on his way to London. In Salzburg, Cutter tells Isobel that sooner or later Kendig is going to make a costly mistake, and that he should surrender if he wants to stay alive. She says she’ll give him the message but he won’t stop what he’s doing. Cutter then meets with Yaskov, who tells him that Kendig is in London, using Leonard Ross as his alias. After buying a WW II training airplane,
Kendig visits an aeronautic shop and asks Alfie Booker to make some alterations to his aircraft. Myerson meets with Sir Giles, a British Intelligence officer, asking him to collaborate in Kendig’s capture. Sir Giles agrees to station spies at ports of exit and question Britain’s big publishers. Isobel tells her shadow, agent Follett, that Kendig is tired of running and will phone the house in fifteen minutes to speak to him. She offers Follett a drink and walks out to refill the ice bucket. Next, Follett sees Isobel’s car leave the driveway but cannot follow as Isobel’s Doberman Pinscher blocks his way. Kendig gives Westlake, a British publisher, the last chapter of his memoir, and explains that he will keep a low profile once the book is published. Myerson and Cutter show up at Westlake’s office, issuing threats to make him hand over the manuscript. However, the publisher says that if he is killed, copies of the book exist in safe places, only Kendig can stop the book’s publication. Westlake tells them the name and location of the hotel where Kendig is staying, and there, the agents meet Yaskov in the lobby. Finding Kendig’s hotel room unlocked. Cutter locates a tape machine and they listen to Kendig’s message, in which he says he will not leave the country by the usual ports of exit. Kendig has also left copies of the last chapter of his book for everyone to read. That night, as Cutter prepares for bed, Kendig appears pointing a gun at the agent. He gags and binds Cutter to the chair, then rings Isobel and tells her to meet him at a nearby church. When Kendig discovers that his rental car has a flat and no spare tire, he is stranded. The local police drive Kendig to the station, where he asks to hire a taxi to get to his destination. The police chief notices Kendig’s resemblance to a photo of an American fugitive wanted for questioning. Causing a fuse to blow so the station loses power, Kendig manages to escape in a police car. Isobel’s car arrives at the designated location. Meanwhile, a helicopter carrying Myerson, Cutter, Ross and Yaskov circles overhead, as Kendig runs toward a decoy plane then switches course and appears to take off in the WW II fighter. The helicopter follows Kendig, while, on the ground, Kendig uses remote controls to blow up the fighter. After convincing the agents that he’s dead, Kendig makes his way back to Isobel’s car, and they drive to the south of France. With Kendig’s book in stores, he shows up disguised as an Arab and asks the clerk about the book’s success. Isobel warns Kendig that his flamboyant behavior will only make it easier for the CIA to find him, saying that if he doesn’t stop, she will ruin his cover for him. She suggests that they go and play gin. He agrees as long as he can place bets and the two walk out of the store arm in arm.