The Catcher Was a Spy Page #3

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Oh!

- Oh!

- Oh!

Mr. Berg!

Yeah?

Someone chasing you?

I don't know.

Well, it's good

that you're here.

Come with me.

Where are we going?

Be careful

what you wish for, Berg.

Because you just might get it?

Because it could get you

killed.

Gentlemen.

Moe Berg. Bob Furman.

Hi, nice to meet you.

This is Professor

Sam Goudsmit.

[speaking in foreign language]

If you would.

Bob, Moe, Sam.

We have something for you.

Since this war began..

...we've been engaged

in a massive research

and development program,

called the Manhattan Project.

The purpose of which

is the creation

of a fission bomb.

Now, if initial calculations

are correct

one bomb would be enough

to wipe out an entire city.

The war could be decided

in a day.

We have reason to believe

the Germans are also working

on such a bomb.

Sam.

The scientist leading

the atomic fission program

is Werner Heisenberg.

So, we must get to him

and find out how close

the Germans are to a bomb.

Now, he has left Berlin.

And we don't know where

he is or what he is doing.

But, uh, he has remained

in contact

with an Italian physicist

with whom I worked,

uh, Eduardo Amaldi.

So we'd start in Italy,

the three of us.

Sam for the physics,

me, military

and you, OSS.

- Where in Italy?

- Rome.

Our fifth army is

moving north.

They should take the city

in a week or two.

We'll go in, find the

physicist and interrogate him.

Uh, interview him, please.

Amaldi is my friend.

Uh, if the Italian physicist

has any value

won't the Germans take him when

they pull out, or kill him?

Well, that's why we'd actually

go in with the Fifth Army

to prevent that from

happening.

It's not desk work.

No, it's not.

Could be fun.

Ah, an athlete's

uncomplicated hubris.

I do not speak of fun,

Mr. Berg.

Figure of speech.

[instrumental music]

If the enemy intercepts

your communication

they can easily discern

what you have written there

simply by holding

the paper over a flame

or treating it

with a reactive chemical

such as sodium carbonate.

[grunting]

The German MP 40.

Very effective weapon

for close combat.

Never hold the gun

by the clip when firing

as that can cause

the gun to jam.

Cameras used by both

civilians and military

depending on the situations..

[panting]

[instrumental music]

Don't wake too soon

Don't look too long

Don't peer

beyond the moonlight

Cling to me sing to me..

How's work?

It's just work.

And when do you go back to DC?

I, uh, I'm not going to DC.

Not for a while.

Well, how long do I have you?

Hm?

Till tomorrow.

- Why am I not surprised?

- I'm sorry, Stell.

I'm..

...going overseas.

You brought me here

to say goodbye?

- I'll be back.

- Who knows?

Y... you know that I love you.

Simple yes or no.

D... do you know

that I love you?

[instrumental music]

[engine revving]

I really wanted us

to be perfect.

That's all.

We are.

Liar.

[instrumental music]

Difficult?

[music continues]

[footsteps approaching]

[knock on door]

- May I?

- Hey. Come in.

[exhales]

Tell me about Heisenberg.

Well, he's a somewhat

complicated man.

Yeah, just before

the war started

uh, we were together

at the conference

at the University of Michigan.

And Furman and I begged him

not to go back to Germany.

- But he went.

- Yeah.

But to save German science

from the Nazis.

And now he's the head

of the atomic bomb program.

Could he build a bomb?

Could he or would he?

Both.

The could of it would require

enormous physical

and financial resources

perhaps more than Germany

has at its disposal.

But with the resources,

he could do it.

Yes.

And the would of it?

I don't know.

I don't know.

So you were friends?

You knew him well?

Yeah.

Do you still

consider him a friend?

You are a Jew, yeah, Mr. Berg?

Jewish.

A... after the Nazis

occupied Holland

my parents were taken

to Auschwitz.

Now, I contacted Heisenberg

and I asked him

I... begged him

to do what he could.

And we haven't spoken since.

I don't know

if they're dead or alive.

Thanks.

[instrumental music]

I'm not comfortable with this.

We'll be alright.

What if there are Germans

waiting for us?

Then we'll probably

get shot and killed.

[sighs] This has all the

variables of a disaster.

Sam, stop your whining.

[grunts]

- Ah-ha.

- Here we are.

Welcome to Italy, sir.

[grunts]

[engine revving]

Be careful!

[kids laughing]

You doing alright?

- You don't look so great.

- Nah..

Quite well, thank you.

Who the hell are you?

[explosions]

- What's up there?

- Goddamn Germans.

Left the rearguard division.

Paying for every inch.

What's the safest way

to Piazza Leone?

Why don't you drive

south 30 miles

find yourself a nice hotel,

wait a week?

We can't wait.

Alright, fine. Your call.

Look, stay on the Via Appia

as long as you can.

Stash your Jeep

when it gets too messy.

But as of this morning

that whole area

was crawling with Krauts.

- And good luck.

- Thanks.

Alright, let them through.

- Yes, sir.

- Yes, sir.

[instrumental music]

Follow me and stay down.

Duck.

[indistinct chatter]

There's still

Krauts everywhere.

Ready? Move out.

Yeah, come on.

[panting]

[music continues]

[metal creaking]

So you're the guys

they told us about.

You guys are crazy.

Yeah.

Alright, let's move out.

Go, go, go.

Look at me. We'll be alright.

Alright?

[panting]

[shouting in foreign language]

[gunshots]

[indistinct shouting]

Get down!

[gunshots]

Get down!

[shouting in foreign language]

[gunshots]

Get ready to run

to that wall.

Wait till I call.

[indistinct chatter]

Okay, go!

[gunshots]

[panting]

[indistinct shouting]

[gunshots]

[indistinct shouting]

[gunshots]

Get down! Get down!

[gun firing]

[indistinct shouting]

[gun firing]

- Grenade!

- Go, go, go!

- Get down!

- Aah!

Go, go, go, go!

[panting]

[gun firing]

[indistinct shouting]

[exhales]

Uh, come on.

[gun firing]

Panzer! Panzer!

[grunting]

- Move out!

- Get up! Move!

- Let's go.

- Whoo!

[indistinct screaming]

Move! Move! Move!

[explosion]

- Aah!

- Move out!

[panting]

[indistinct yelling]

[indistinct chatter]

Roll, roll, roll!

[panting]

No, uh.. Uh, that's Amaldi's.

Upper floor.

Behind me.

[speaking in foreign language]

[gunshots]

[speaking in foreign language]

We got to go.

[gunshots]

- Go, go.

- Yeah?

- Wait, get back.

- Yeah!

[gunshots]

Let's go.

[panting]

[gunshots]

[panting]

[gunshots]

Go! Go!

[gunshots]

[speaking in foreign language]

[panting]

[gun clicks]

[grunts]

Sh*t.

[gunshots]

[panting]

[speaking in foreign language]

Gracias.

Halt!

[grunts]

[breathing heavily]

You okay?

You're good, come on.

Hold position!

It looks like we've got

the city up past the Vatican.

The Germans have pulled back

their rearguard.

[speaking in foreign language]

- Alright, alright.

- Thank you.

You'll be fine, buddy.

[speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language]

[speaking in foreign language]

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