Original subtitles

He's circling.

There.

Well, at least we know they're searching this area.

Why were you heading west?

You know, they're not knowing that we're out here alone doesn't leave you in

very good shape, does it?

Look at your clothes.

Soaked through and through.

You know, it's sundown here. You know what the temperature drops to?

Ten degrees below zero.

Want to know something?

Inspector, you're going to freeze to death.

Anything I can do for you, fellas?

I'm Inspector Erskine, FBI.

My name's Avery.

Hank Avery.

That helicopter under the trees, does that belong to you?

I've got a rifle aimed square at my back.

It's all right. Just keep talking.

How many?

Three.

Two men.

Get out of those trees fast.

The FBI.

A Quinn Martin production.

Starring Ephraim Zimbalist Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott, William Reynolds, with guest stars

Vic Morrow, Bird DeBenning,

Sandra Smith,

Val DeVargas.

Tonight's episode, Desperate Journey.

Oh, thank you, Miss Marcos.

Much better, I think, Miss Peterson.

No, not really.

I've been touring Latin America six weeks and I still can't get it right.

You got a cigarette?

May I do anything for you, gentlemen?

What did you have in mind?

You want anything stoned?

Yeah, why don't we start with a match?

You know what's wrong with half of this world?

Authority figures.

They're losing their sense of romance.

I'll have a cup of black coffee. Mr. Marcos, then would you add a touch of

warm smile of yours?

Nothing for me, thanks.

Intonationals are getting hard to breathe in here.

We're turning around.

It's Marcus.

Do you suppose I could speak to the captain? Of course, Inspector. This way.

Gavilan Flight 94 calling Oakland Control.

Power failure, Inspector.

I'm preparing to land at an alternate airport if we cannot be corrected.

Is the radio working?

No reception, but it is possible that we are being received by Oakland Center.

If you reestablish communication, Captain, and decide not to land in San

Francisco, I'd like to radio ahead if that's all right. Of course.

Thank you.

Gavilan flight 94.

Position 40 miles northeast of airway red 1 -8.

Repeat.

Northeast red 1 -8.

Bearing due south of central if you repeat.

Get down!

Gable in flight 9 -4, this is Carrington Airfield.

Garble transmission.

Switch to 1 -21 .5.

Possible plane down. Put me through to local FAA.

You. You, get this cuffs off.

Get them off!

On October 6th, the crash of a Gavilan airliner resulted in the escape of John

Omar Stahl, who was on the FBI's list of ten most wanted fugitives.

Stahl was being extradited from Latin America and was to be arraigned in San

Francisco Federal Court, there to be tried for the murder of a federal

and bank robbery.

Although the approximate position of the airliner was known, The thickly wooded

San Felipe mountainous country was to make search difficult.

He has a gun, Inspector.

Your prisoner, he just left.

the first aid kit.

That hurts.

A little mobilizing.

Stall.

He's gone.

Oh, yes, sir. Mr. Ward arrived in the city earlier on a speaking engagement.

In fact, he's on his way over here right now.

We'll stand by here until it's narrowed further.

Right.

Hello, Alan. Mr. Ward. Do you know if the plane is definitely down?

It's overdue by 30 minutes.

Contact was lost at 0845.

The FAA puts the plane is down somewhere in the San Felipe Mountains.

The Civil Air Patrol and Fortistry have set up search control at the San Felipe

Ranger headquarters.

The position of the plane is given to the pilot with Scarborough, but they do

have a tape they're processing, and FAA will call it shortly.

What's the weather like up there? It's not good.

They're expecting snow at the 5 ,000 -foot level.

I have agents standing by and ready to go the minute they give us the location

of the crash site.

If they're still alive up there.

Inspector, this will keep you warm.

Oh, thank you, Captain.

Tom's feeling up to it. I think he can help you with that beacon locator.

With luck, we will have it sending out a signal in a few hours.

Then they will find us easily.

I think we all have a lot to be grateful for.

Starting with Captain Bernardo's skill in crash landing the plane.

There's probably an air and ground search underway already, so... Hang on

good luck to you all.

That's just like uptown.

Yeah, very professional, thanks.

You know, Stahl isn't a man to handle alone, Lou.

I'll be all right.

How's that side of yours feeling?

It's fine.

Take care of yourself, Tom.

This man,

Inspector Erskine, now hunts.

He is dangerous.

Yeah, Captain.

He's a man who has nothing to lose.

Line southeast from Felipe Peaks.

Any change in the weather forecast?

Oh, I see.

All right, well, thank you very much.

The prediction is now 100 % probability of snow before nightfall.

They've roughly narrowed it down to this area.

Almost 400 square miles.

And all thickly wooded.

Well, we'll be depending upon ground search teams as well as aircraft.

What's the airport in this area?

Bailey Field.

CAP and Forestry Service would be using it for refueling. And who's in charge of

our search efforts there?

Martin Bold, resident agent in San Felipe. Good.

I'll have Marty meet me at the airport and advise the Bureau I'm joining the

search. Yes, Mr. Ward.

He's circling.

There.

Well, at least we know they're searching this area.

Some low clouds and pockets of mist off to the west.

Search flames won't have good visibility too long.

Yeah? Yeah, I heard about that on the radio.

Heads of the FBI's most wanted list.

Yeah, keep an eye out. Call you back around noon.

Morning. My car broke down the road down below.

Wonder if you have a phone I could use.

Road below?

Yeah. Any trouble calling into town, or is your phone just a hookup between

range stations?

Call direct.

What kind of a road did you find below here?

Well, it's not exactly a road. I made a wrong turn into a... I guess it'd be a

firebreak, you'd call it.

You wait here. I'll call headquarters about your car.

Sure.

Hey, Dan, telephone over here.

Hello?

Johnny? Listen to me, Dan. I wasted five minutes trying your place in Marges.

You're going to have to do a big thing for me, kid. I hate to ask you, but I'm

hanging by a string.

Johnny, we heard about your plane crashing in the Santa Felipe Mountains.

Yeah, well, I walked away from the crash.

Right now, I'm at a ranger station called Mount Lang.

Now, the nearest road to here is about 10 miles to the north, according to the

map that I'm holding right here.

Now, wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

This road winds all over the place.

And you're saying you're free?

Now, look, until I get to the plane, there's a good chance nobody knows I'm

the loose.

Now, Dan, forget about the north road. About the same distance to the west is a

place called, it's called Lodge Meadows.

You get a hold of Benner.

He should be able to put his helicopter right down in there.

Large Meadows, about 10 miles west of Mount Lang Ranger Station.

Right besides Meadows Lake. You got it?

Got it.

All right, now look, I should be able to be there in about three or four hours.

We'll be waiting, Johnny.

What about Marge? Is she around?

Marge?

Yeah, she'd be around someplace.

Well, bring her along.

This time I won't leave without her. We'll head straight to the border.

Right.

He escaped from that crash.

He wants us to meet him at a place called Lodge Meadows.

I'm to call Earl Benner and get a helicopter ready.

Johnny's escaped.

And we're supposed to meet him?

He's heading straight for the border.

Dave, I use your phone.

Didn't you tell Johnny about us?

Something we can tell him later.

Earl Benner, please.

There's no time to go into anything like that now.

Is he there?

It's important.

I'd appreciate it if you'd try to find him and get him to the phone. It's

very important.

Dan, think about it.

They'll be hunting him. Maybe even now they've found him. I don't have to think

about it.

He's my brother.

He needs my help.

Fine, I'll hold on.

Nothing is going to change between you and me.

Wyatt talked with Johnny and he's going to understand.

Dan, I'm not... I'm talking about you.

Getting involved with him.

You've been clean for five years.

Marge, he's asking for my help.

He needs my help. I owe him. Listen.

We both owe him.

But if you don't want to come along... Earl?

It's Dan Stahl.

You drop whatever you're doing and get a helicopter ready.

Glad you're here, Mr. Ward.

Anything new?

No, sir. Except they've taken a more accurate fix.

A ham operator at Grovesville took a bearing on a distress call. And they now

have a triangulation centering east and south of Mount Lang.

Any access roads into there?

Not too bad.

Ground search reports between trails and fire breaks, they should get pretty

good coverage.

If the weather holds.

We've got a field unit stationed at San Felipe Ranger Headquarters. Good.

We'll head there.

Sure you're going to be all right?

I'll be fine, Inspector. You take right off after him.

That phone ripped out means they'll be sending a mobile unit over this way in a

few hours or so.

You never heard him on the phone?

No, from the time he hit me until the time I woke up, it was blank.

Sure he ripped that phone out to keep me from calling in.

Well, it just had to go on the assumption he made contact with someone.

You mean, uh, maybe...

Call somebody to meet him, maybe on some road.

You got any ideas?

Half a dozen places he could have picked.

All right, I'll just have to follow him.

Mind if I take this? No, you go right ahead.

Inspector?

Why don't you take these boots of mine, if they're a reasonable fit at all?

My hunch, that man of yours is going to find himself slowed down in those shoes

he's wearing.

These will give you an edge in catching up.

Thanks very much.

Got it licked, Captain.

Well, we shall have our fingers crossed.

Thank you.

Yeah, I'm worried.

Afraid is a bitter word.

You don't show it.

Now, that's nice.

Service with a smile.

This was my first flight, you know, as a stewardess.

I never would have guessed.

You know, I'm going to have to send along a letter to Gavilan Airways,

complimenting them on the efficiency and the pretty smile of their new

stewardess.

I keep thinking about my mother and father in Mapini.

They are farmers.

They will be hearing about the plane being lost.

And they will go to the church and pray.

Until there is word, they will keep praying.

I get the feeling you have as much faith.

You, uh, remind your brother this is just front money.

If he doesn't give me five grand later, I'll be looking at you for it.

That's twice you've told me.

You sure you can set us down at this lodge, Meadows?

Well, there's a good chance that the field isn't too overgrown.

I know a couple of guys who've made emergency landings there.

Well, give me a minute to check out, okay?

You don't have to come.

Dan, please.

There's no turning back if you do this.

I want to do it.

Nobody's twisting my arm.

But think of what you're doing.

You could be giving your whole life away.

Giving our lives away.

Just think a minute.

I am thinking.

This is the first time that Johnny's ever asked anything from me.

I don't care what he did.

He's my brother.

And I can't say no to him.

Better stay here.

Drop the gun, Saul.

You're right where you are.

You make a fairly good trapper, Inspector.

You nursing something from that crash?

How do the others make out?

I know the stewardess was alive.

Give me your left hand.

Seems like we're back where we started.

That's about it.

Where are we?

We have those mountains.

It's going to be harder going back over them.

There isn't much daylight left.

Why were you heading west?

We came along on foot alone.

And they're still looking for that plane, huh?

Large meadows with a road leading in.

Is that where you were going?

You know, they're not knowing that we're out here alone doesn't leave you in

very good shape, does it?

Look at your clothes.

Soak through and through.

You know, it's sundown here. You know what the temperature drops to?

Ten degrees below zero.

You want to know something?

Inspector, you're going to freeze to death.

Having a little trouble, are you?

This place looks deserted.

Is it shut down?

Till next spring.

Just took it over. Be trying to make a go of it.

And you're here alone?

Some workmen coming in tomorrow.

Got no place to put you up if that's what you got in mind.

Darn it.

Was there anybody around here this morning asking questions?

Who'd that be?

I don't know. I'm asking you.

Oh, now, see here.

I don't mind you sitting down here. You got engine trouble, but...

How

can you be sure it's sending a signal?

Well, we know it's working, and, uh...

It's really very efficient.

How many did that make?

A fourth?

but this time he dipped his wings.

They know we're here.

Yeah.

Inspector, it's my guess you haven't got a mile or two left in you.

Keep going.

Maybe you ought to use your gun on me before you freeze to death.

Get up.

You know, I'm curious.

Where does the badge stop when a man begins?

At what point would you use your gun?

Anyone ever tell you you talk too much?

Let's say you felt yourself going under.

Felt the cold getting to you.

You know, if you fell asleep, you'd never wake up.

I'd have no choice.

On your feet.

That's a fair question.

You're freezing right now.

You're carrying a prisoner that's got to win it or lose it all.

To me, there's no in -between.

But you lay everything on the line for the sake of a paycheck.

Doesn't that make any sense?

No, it wouldn't to you.

Let's go.

Not much with it?

No. It's loaded.

It'd go off the way you're playing with it.

Johnny's over Juneau.

What are we going to do about him later?

Don't worry about it.

Just ask him.

I don't care for the way you asked.

Here's later word on that Gavilan Airways plane which crashed early this

in the San Felipe Mountains.

A rescue team at the scene reports no fatalities among crew and passengers.

But word from the San Felipe Sheriff's Department has indicated another kind of

drama unfolding in that wilderness area.

One of the FBI's most wanted fugitives, being returned to this country by

agents, was on the plane and has made his escape.

and to the San Felipe Forest.

Information is skimpy at the present time, but roadblocks throughout the area

are being set up.

We have a standby for further reports.

They will be given to you as soon as received.

How long we waiting?

Till he gets here.

He'll be rolling out of here in no time. How are you feeling, Tom?

I'm all right.

What have you found out?

According to the ranger at Mount Lang, Stahl is headed in a westerly direction.

Lewis is about a half an hour behind.

We're joining a roadblock in the southwest perimeter of that area.

Excuse me.

Captain, have a good trip home.

Another time, perhaps, we can have a drink together, Mr. Colby. I'm looking

forward to it.

Must be off -season.

Somebody's coming.

Where? Just to the left of that big pine.

It's Johnny.

Must be one of the agents with him on the plane.

Can't get a clear shot.

Don't gamble.

We've got a case in there, Inspector.

Let's try to get inside and get warm.

Maybe we can find something to eat.

You're going to walk out there and tell those men that you're here alone.

A rifle will be on you every minute of the way.

What am I going to say?

Just treat them the way you met us.

Nothing fancy.

Tell them that you're here to give them any help if they need it.

Just who'd you expect to find up here, Inspector?

Sure.

Afternoon.

with you in that lodge?

No, just me, new owner.

Got to put the place in shape.

Anything I can do for you fellas?

I'm Inspector Erskine, FBI.

My name's Avery.

Hank Avery.

That helicopter under the trees, does that belong to you?

Helicopter? Oh, that'd be... I got a rifle aimed square at my back.

It's all right, just keep talking.

How many?

Three.

Two men.

Get in those trees fast.

That's great.

Well, he moved too fast.

There's only one fed.

Any more and they'd come right in.

That's a guess.

If Johnny and me go down the drain, you're going to go down with us.

Now we're going after him.

You stay here.

You're out of it.

San Felipe Field Unit calling Unit 1.

I won't go ahead.

We got a call from San Francisco, Mr. Wood.

Agents report they were not able to locate Stahl's brother. But they did

information that the brother flew out of Pinecrest Airfield about noon today in

a helicopter.

A woman with him answers the description of Marge Nevins.

The helicopter was piloted by Earl Benner.

Did the pilot file a flight plan?

Negative. But the copter was observed flying to the east, to the San Felipe

range.

10 -4.

The stall's on foot.

What kind of a landing area could he get to in these parts?

The only flatlands is a place called the Meadows. The lodge there is closed.

It's right on the lake just a few miles to the east of us All right, we'll

notify the other units to meet us there

He's coming your way!

You circle around to Johnny and see what you can do for him, and I'll draw the

fed my way, okay?

Come in with Al, Dan!

Don't try to take him alone!

Let's talk about it, Mr. Agent!

Okay?

Yank the cuffs tight.

Go on.

Tighter.

There's not enough room. It won't work.

Let's call it a standoff, Mr. Agent.

Sorry, Johnny.

Jim!

How bad is it?

We tried.

Yeah, I know, kid.

Looks like she tried real hard, too.

Finally got my missus on the phone, let her know I was all right.

Thanks again, sir. You bet, Mr. Avery.

Well, you think you're up to driving out, Lewis? Sure, no problem.

Medic told us you may have a few cracked ribs.

It feels much better.

Nice country.

I wouldn't mind a week or two of backpacking through it.

Would you, Lewis?

Oh, sounds just great, Arthur.

Sounds great.

John Omar Stahl was convicted in federal court of murdering a federal officer

and bank robbery.

Daniel Mark Stahl, Earl Carl Benner, and Marge Agnes Nevins were tried in

federal court for conspiracy to violate the escape and rescue statute.

Stahl and Benner were also convicted of assaulting a federal officer.