In October 1969, Jerry Savage, an anti-war activist, accepts a ride from a group of hippies on their way to New York City to sell their wares. During the journey, he forms an instant connection with Laurie Fisher, a sweet-natured jewelry maker who embodies a gentler approach to life. The pair’s budding companionship threads through a city on edge as political tensions simmer just beneath the surface.
Meanwhile, in a New York City dance studio, Estelle Ferguson receives a phone call informing her that “the merchandise has arrived,” a message she confirms by collecting the package later that evening from a chemical company. The next day, [Jerry Savage] reconnects with his friend, Tommy Trafler, in a park to lay out a plan that will unfold in the warehouse district. The discussion centers on a daring project that blends criminal activity with a political motive, all aimed at making a statement that could shake public opinion.
Ray Brown accompanies Estelle to Tommy’s office, where he questions Estelle about the dynamite in her car and demands an explanation for Marlena’s absence. Tommy, trying to project confidence, reassures Ray that Marlena can be trusted, even as the atmosphere around them grows more fraught. That reassurance marks a tense pivot point as the group debates how far they’re willing to go. The next day, Jerry agrees to stay with Estelle, cementing a fragile alliance that will pull him deeper into a plan with dangerous consequences. The bomb-making project intensifies as Marlena, represented in the scene by Barbara Lee Govan, constructs the device and instructs Estelle on detonation while warning that any shock could trigger an premature explosion.
Across town, the FBI intensifies its watch. In Washington, D.C., journalist Richard Scott presses FBI official William Decker about domestic spying and the agency’s liaising with the CIA. Decker denies broader misuse but explains that special operations target a loose network of radical cells known as the Weathermen, who have pursued terrorism in some instances. Back in New York, the operation’s team continues to assemble details: copies of government contracts are prepared to be released to the press to accompany the bombing, a move that Tommy argues is essential for public understanding, while Jerry insists it’s necessary to avoid the appearance of random destruction.
On a ferry across New York Harbor, Tommy Trafler and Marlena share a rekindled romance. Marlena—who knows the government is watching—tells Tommy that he might consider aborting the mission, yet her dedication to the cause remains unshaken. The tension between personal loyalties and political brutalism thickens the air. Soon, Jerry returns to the city to find his companions uneasy about his absence. The group’s patience frays as they debate strategy, and the plot to mail the contract copies to major outlets takes shape, all recorded in a covert FBI tape.
Back in the capital, James Henderson and Chuck Bradley watch Marlena’s actions unfold on film as the federal investigation closes in. The time comes for a dangerous play: Estelle is directed to deliver a gift-wrapped package that appears to be a bomb to a prearranged target, while the real danger lurks in the back seat. As Marlena confronts Tommy about his loyalties, the tension crescendos: Marlena confronts the fact that Tommy is an informant, and Estelle soon becomes a pawn in a larger cat-and-mouse game.
That night, Estelle is lured into a trap. She is pinned in the Morris and Ray Metals building as FBI agents close in, and the confrontation ends with her leaping to her death from the roof. Meanwhile, Tommy’s office is stormed by agents, but the surviving cell members scatter into the city’s shadows. Jerry makes a desperate dash to the commune, only to find it eerily empty. As the dawn breaks, Laurie returns to the grounds and discovers the danger hidden in the car’s backseat. She carefully examines the wrapped package and, in a fatal twist, triggers one last consequence when the bomb explodes, killing her in the process.
Thus unfolds a day-by-day cascade of belief, betrayal, and violence, driven by a mix of activist zeal, personal longing, and calculated risk. The film weaves together the personal lives of its characters with a broader anti-war narrative, leaving a lasting impression of how far some will go for a cause—and what price others pay for it.
