Cloak & Dagger

Eleven-year-old Davey Osborne lives in San Antonio with his father Hal, a military air traffic controller who struggles to relate after Davey’s mother’s death. Davey clings to Jack Flack, the hero from his favorite espionage game, imagining him as a cooler version of his dad. He carries a water pistol as his pretend gun and a softball as his grenade, always ready for action.

Davey befriends Kim Gardener, a girl who lives nearby, and the two form a strong bond. He introduces her to Cloak & Dagger in his imagination, treating Jack Flack as a guide on their adventures. The duo spends time together while Davey searches for excitement and safety in a difficult home life.

One day, while Morris—Davey’s game shop friend—lends them an errand, Davey witnesses a murder. Before dying, the victim hands Davey a Cloak & Dagger cartridge containing important military secrets. Davey seeks help from authorities, but they refuse to believe his story.

Spies murder Morris and begin hunting Davey through the city. Jack Flack appears as Davey’s aid, helping him evade pursuit and stay alive. The chase tests Davey’s loyalty as he keeps Kim’s safety at the front of his mind.

Cornered along the River Walk, Davey confronts the spies with Jack’s influence guiding his choices. Jack pushes Davey to play the Crossfire Gambit, manipulating him to act decisively under pressure. The moment underscores the conflict between Jack’s ruthless tactics and Davey’s growing sense of morality.

During the standoff, Davey’s actions culminate in him shooting Dr. Rice after Jack’s scheme backfires. The moment exposes the dangerous consequences of following Jack’s orders. Jack’s presence fades as the reality of Davey’s choice hits him.

Realizing what happened, Jack admits Davey was always his favorite playmate and warns him to choose carefully. He asks for a smoke, then fades away, leaving Davey to rely on his own resolve. He urges Davey to find a way to save Kim.

Earlier in the story, an elderly couple who seem friendly to Davey turn out to be enforcers for the spies. Davey escapes their clutches but loses the vital cartridge in the process. He chases them to the airport, hoping to stop their plan.

At the airport, the couple kidnap Davey and commandeer a plane, intent on fleeing the country. They believe they can outrun everyone with the cartridge and their plan. Davey realizes his only chance is to expose them by talking to security.

Hal arrives at the airport with Kim’s mother and volunteers to pilot the plane to stop the escape. He moves toward the cockpit, while Davey calls for Jack for help. Davey is drawn into the cockpit with his father, seeking safety as alarms sound around them.

While the plane is rolling toward the runway, a female enforcer discovers the bomb and panics, crying out for her husband. Hal rushes to escort Davey out of the danger, pulling him toward the cockpit window for escape. The moment is tense and chaotic as the plane’s fate hangs in the balance.

Moments later, the plane explodes in the runway aftermath, with the cartridge destroyed and the enforcers killed. A silhouette of Jack Flack appears and approaches, but it is revealed to be Hal, Davey’s father. They embrace, and Hal tells Davey that Jack Flack always escapes.

Reassured that his father is alive, Davey declares he doesn’t need Jack Flack anymore, because he has his dad. The experience marks Davey’s coming of age as he moves on from the imaginary hero and embraces a real hero in Hal.