Cloak and Dagger

Alvah Jesper, a nuclear physicist on the Manhattan Project, is recruited into the OSS with the mission to reach Hungarian physicist Katerin Lodor. Lodor has fled the German project and is hiding in neutral Switzerland. The assignment places him in danger as German agents hunt for her and the war intensifies.

Alvah is flown into Switzerland to locate Katerin. He finds the country crowded with German agents who eagerly pursue any sign of her. His objective is to contact Katerin and secure her safety for the American mission.

After a brief conversation with Katerin, Alvah abducts her to prevent her capture by German agents. The abduction triggers a fragile chase through a country under occupation, with German agents closing in. Katerin's capture marks a turning point in the mission.

To locate Katerin, Alvah befriends Ann Dawson, an American who has become an asset for the Germans. He then uses her to discover the hidden position of Katerin. This dangerous alliance reveals the layers of deception around the mission.

An OSS raid on the building where Katerin is being held fails under heavy German resistance. In the chaos, Katerin is shot dead, delivering a grim setback to the operation. The loss underscores the peril of the mission and the need for a new plan.

In the aftermath, Katerin reveals Germany wants her to work with Italian physicist Polda. Her warning reframes the Allied objective and sets up the next phase of the mission. The mention of Polda introduces a new ally and another potential path to victory.

The OSS drops Alvah into Italy from a British submarine, where he is sheltered by Gina, a resourceful member of the Resistance. Gina helps him stay hidden as he prepares to pursue Polda. The shift from Switzerland to Italy expands the theater of operations.

Alvah manages a brief conversation with the Italian physicist Polda, who agrees to collaborate with the Americans only if the OSS first frees his daughter Maria. This demand creates a high-stakes trade-off and a plan for a targeted raid. The exchange anchors the alliance to a personal incentive for Polda.

The OSS raid on the German-held building succeeds and Maria is delivered to Polda. However, the man is horrified to discover that the woman is not his daughter but a German agent, and German troops surround the house. The raid devolves into a tense standoff as loyalties are tested.

During a gun battle, Alvah and Gina smuggle Polda out through a tunnel from the house to a nearby well and begin the arduous crossing across country. They evade German troops and push toward a safer extraction point. The escape marks a daring pivot in the mission.

Alvah and Polda reach a rendezvous with a British aircraft that will fly them out of danger. The plan relies on a clear flight path through hostile territory and a timely lift from allied support. The airlift represents a high-stakes turning point for the operation.

Polda and Alvah board the aircraft to depart, while Gina remains to continue the fight and free her country from German occupation. She asks Alvah to return after the war if possible. Her sacrifice seals a personal toll of the mission.

Gina commits to stay behind and carry on the resistance, recognizing that liberation will come only after a hard struggle. Her decision highlights the broader cost of war and the individual sacrifices made for a greater cause. She bids Alvah to return after the war if fate allows.