The 49th Man

Following a fatal car crash in Lordsburg, investigators discover a strange machine component. The part is taken to Los Alamos National Laboratory for identification, where scientists identify it as part of an advanced portable nuclear weapon from an unknown hostile power. This marks the start of the investigation into nuclear smuggling.

Paul Reagan, head of the Security Investigation Division, tasks agent John Williams with tracing the source of the nuclear components. The goal is to prevent them from being assembled into a functional weapon and to uncover the hostile organization behind the smuggling activities. The investigation suggests a pattern pointing to Marseille, France.

Uranium is discovered welded onto the hull of a U.S. Navy submarine in New London, Connecticut. This indicates that the smuggling operation has extended to military vessels, elevating the threat level. Agent Williams continues his covert investigation aboard the submarine as it heads to France.

In Marseille, France, Williams uncovers local civilians Margo and Leo Wayne, along with clarinet player Buzz Olin and a mysterious crew member, are involved in smuggling nuclear parts. They use specially built metal cases for covert transportation, indicating an organized, illicit operation.

Williams suspects Lt. Magrew and Commander Jackson are involved in smuggling activities. He orders their arrest after a fight near the docks. However, he is betrayed by his colleague Andy and ends up in custody, revealing internal treachery within the investigation.

Back in Washington, D.C., Williams escapes captivity and learns that the entire mission was a simulated war game conducted by the Defense Department. However, the real smuggling operation involving the Waynes and Olin was not part of the exercise.

The Waynes and Olin have manufactured four portable nuclear bombs and managed to smuggle one into the United States. With less than 48 hours before detonation, the team begins to track their locations, realizing the threat is genuine and imminent.

Williams and his team locate Buzz Olin and the Waynes near San Francisco. In a desperate bid to prevent disaster, they attempt to intercept the bomb, leading to a fight where Leo Wayne is killed. Time is running out to disarm the explosive.

Jackson races against the clock to defuse the nuclear device as Williams flies toward Nevada to oversee the operation. Despite their efforts, the bomb cannot be disarmed in time, highlighting the urgency and danger of the situation.

With less than a minute remaining, the bomb is forcibly dropped from the aircraft and detonates above Frenchman Flat in the Nevada Test Site. The crisis is ultimately resolved, preventing widespread destruction, but the event underscores the thin margin between chaos and order.

The film concludes with a narrator reflecting on how the time for crisis was just another moment in the routine of city life. The dangerous threat has been contained, but the underlying risks of covert nuclear proliferation remain ever-present.