06x13 - Incident in the Desert

[bunniefuu]

[indistinct chatter]

[Mendelssohn's Wedding March plats]

[cheering]

[music continues]

[tire squealing]

- Bye. - Bye..

[indistinct chattering]

I'm so glad you could come.

[chattering continues]

I thought she looked beautiful. Don't you?

- Really.. - Just lovely.

My heart was in my throat

all through the ceremony.

But, Cynthia looked stunning, isn't she?

Oh, she did.

You know, suddenly I feel a 100 years old.

I hope they'll be as happy as we are, darling.

Hmm..

Victor.

[accordion music]

[dramatic music]

- To the next hundred years. - Yes.

Darling, would you be a love

and get my dark glasses?

I think I left them in the dance.

Oh, sure, I'll be right back.

Mm-hmm.

[accordion music]

[indistinct chatter]

[dramatic music]

Get him down! Don't make a sound!

[gasping]

- Cut the power lines. - Yeah.

You do just as you're told and everything will be fine.

You understand me?

Yeah.

[instrumental music]

Pardon me, pardon me.

We are gonna go out there. You first. Move!

Come on.

Get up. Right here.

[clamoring]

Now, ladies and gentlemen, please forgive

this intrusion of your friendly gathering.

But, if you kindly remain exactly where you are

one of the men will relieve you of your jewelry and wallets.

[all] 'Oh!'

[indistinct chattering]

Let's all get your jewels and money out and everything..

Oh, that, sir. Right there.

Come on, that's it. Put it in.

Now, just back up there, friend..

Come on, hurry up. Come on.

Please don't make the mistake of underestimating us.

Yes, a fine brooch. That's very good, thank you.

No, no, not so unhappy.

Smile and put everything you got in the doggy bag.

Thank you, ma'am. Give me the necklace.

Give me your wallet.

[instrumental music]

Hold it!

[groans]

[intense music]

[g*nsh*t]

[gasps]

Come on! Let's go!

- Oh! - Let's go.

[indistinct chattering]

[instrumental music]

[car revving]

[theme music]

[Marvin Miller] "The FBI."

[instrumental music]

A Quinn Martin Production

Starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott.

William Reynolds.

With guest stars Steve Ihnat..

...Dabney Coleman..

...Ross Hagen..

...Corinne Camacho.

Tonight's episode

"Incident In The Desert".

[instrumental music]

Nineteen hours after the daring robbery of $270,000

in jewelry and cash during a wedding reception

at the home of nationally prominent

Texas philanthropist Daniel Austin

the car used by the robbers

was found abandoned in a New Mexico state forest.

A second set of tire impressions indicated

that the fast moving g*ng may have switched cars.

Because the investigating officers found evidence

that the stolen property valued at over $5000

had been taken across state lines

the FBI launched a major theft investigation.

Well, goodnight, Lew. I'll see you in the morning.

- Right, 8:30 on the first tee? - Right.

[instrumental music]

'You take your eye off the ball.'

Well, I didn't know I was under surveillance.

[chuckles]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Lewis.

It's the Austin robbery. We're in it now.

State police are conducting an air search of the area.

I've instructed the Albuquerque office

to get agents on the scene.

What do we know about the subjects?

Mr. Austin thinks he could recognize the leader.

The director wants you to fly to Dallas

and interview the Austins.

Take one of our artists with you.

He might be able to come up with a good composite drawing

based on the witness' description.

- Well, goodnight, Mr. Ward. - Tom.

We didn't really wanna play golf tomorrow, didn't we?

[instrumental music]

Goodnight, Tom.

[music continues]

[car revving]

So she says, "It's a king diamond

but it comes with a curse, see."

So, I ask, "What's the curse?"

And she says, "Mr. King." Hah?

[all laugh]

You know, I mean, I don't see why we have to

cut that pilot in.

- Hey. - I mean, why?

Banjo, you can sure louse up a joke

better than anybody else I know.

I mean, um, come on, I mean that's a lot of money

just for, just for sitting around Albuquerque.

I wish I got that kind of money for just sitting around.

Well, you don't worry your head too much about it, Banjo.

You stick with your numbers and your colors.

I'll let you know when you're ready for the heavy stuff.

Hey, Elgin, look.

[dramatic music]

Slow down, nice and easy.

- Good morning. - Morning.

What's the trouble?

Afraid I'm gonna have to turn you fellows around.

We got a roadblock down up ahead.

Oh. Any other route we can take, officer?

We'd sure like to get through.

Afraid not. Where are you fellas headed?

Oh, West.

Well, you might double back through Roswell

and pick up Route 380.

Ah, ah, sounds really good.

Thanks a lot.

'Hold it a minute.'

What's wrong?

Failure to renew your license tab.

Can I see your driver's license

and your car registration, please?

[intense music]

[car revving]

[tire squealing]

You should've finished him, Elgin.

We got enough trouble as it is.

Now what, man?

Give me that detail map.

We can't go back. They'll be crawling all over.

This is crazy. Things like this always happen.

And it's weird, you know..

Deacon Hill.

It's not even on the state map.

Okay, we'll hole up there till I can raise Tolan

to fly us over the road blocks.

[intense music]

[instrumental music]



New Mexico licensed plates.

The first three numbers are 1-42.

Did the deputy see which way they went?

I'm afraid not.

Agents at the Albuquerque office

uh, took photographs and had the plaster impressions

made of the wagon's tires

and they're on their way to the lab, now.

- Do we have any leads? - Yes, sir.

They have a fairly good description of the leader.

Soon as I get Austin's impression on what

he looks like, you'll at least have

a starting place, inspector.

I could use one.

[instrumental music]

Last time I saw my father, he was in the hospital.

I don't think he recognized me.

It's a terrible thing to watch someone you love

dissolved before your eyes.

That's, really sorry to hear about it, Andy.

I've nobody left to bury.

Never coming back here again.

'I worry about you, Ty.'

Someday, you're gonna wake up..

...and your hair will be gray..

...and you'll wonder what's happened.

Where has it all gone?

[chuckles]

Well..

...I guess there's worse things that can happen

than getting gray hair and getting old.

[chuckles]

I don't think I ever would've had the courage to leave here..

...if you hadn't made the break first.

I knew it was all over between us then, but..

...I've never stopped caring.

Andy..

'You're so sad now, though.'

Like you've come home to die.

Well, everybody looks at it differently, I guess.

Hmm.

That summer when your wife and son were k*lled

is that when you began to see it differently?

No, it was before that.

I don't know, it's-it's hard to explain, but..

I've, I've had it with that other thing.

The big city and fast track.

[chuckles]

I remember one day..

...I was driving along the freeway

'and I was trying to think what day it was, you know?'

'A-and I, I couldn't do it.'

[chuckles]

At least out here, every day's your own.

You know, life's..

Life's more than just one big business deal after another.

Are you planning to stay here forever?

'I don't know.'

Oh, Ty..

Andy, you don't even know me.

I'm-I'm not what you think I am.

You keep pushing me away.

[honking]

- Howdy? - Hello!

Uh, is there a place we could stay around here?

Like a hotel or something?

Yeah, the uh, Deacon Hill Inn there.

Hey, uh, is it always this lively around here?

[chuckles]

Not always.

[chuckles]

Uh, anybody else live in this town besides yourself?

Yeah, there's a, there's a few, you know.

- 'How many?' - Eight.

Seven.

Seven..

Excitement getting you down, honey, huh?

Come on, let's go.

[engine starting]

[country music]

Uh, you open?

Yup.

Uh, everything looked closed.

Well, it is, mostly.

When school's out, we get a few tourists

but not many.

Uh, well, we'll only be here for a day or so.

Well then, you can have room 3 and 4.

Top of the stairs.

'Thanks.'

Oh, there's another fellow outside.

He'll be in a minute or so.

Will you, uh, let him know where you are, please?

- 'Sure.' - Oh, that okay for all of us?

- That will be fine. - Thank you.

[music continues]

The dumb thing is..

...I really think we could've made it.

[sighs] Come on here now.

Pick up your things.

[music continues]

I just wanna thank you for everything, Mr. Williams.

You're welcome to stay as long as you like, Annie.

No, I think I better be getting back to San Francisco.

[male radio reporter] 'Stand by please, for a special news report.'

'Early this morning, the Sheriff's deputy'

'was assaulted on State Highway 207'

'near the Wagon Mount Junction.'

'The assailants are believed to be the same men responsible'

'for the daring armed robbery of a wealthy'

'Dallas philanthropist, Daniel Austin.'

'They are driving a tan station wagon'

'with New Mexico license plates.'

'The first three numbers, 1-42.'

'Warning, they are considered to be armed'

'and extremely dangerous.'

'Anyone knowing their whereabouts'

'is urgently requested to contact the FBI'

'or local police.'

[dramatic music]

I'm gonna take Andy on over to Logan, dad.

You need anything over there?

Ty, that car outside..

Those men upstairs, they're fugitives.

What do you mean fugitives?

'It just came over the radio.'

They gave a description of the car. It's the same one.

Did they give the license number?

Sure.

- Get me the FBI, please. - 'Uh-uh.'

[dramatic music]

Just put down the phone, old man.

Hurry up!

Elgin, they know.

They heard on the radio.

Okay. Banjo, lock it up. Taylor, get the girl.

- Alright. - Hey, wait just a minute. Wait!

Now, she don't know anything about this.

Why don't you just let her get her train and ride out of here?

Why don't you get hold it right where you are?

Ty, what's wrong?

Everybody just settle down.

We'll be out of here in a few hours.

Nothing to worry about.

Time to feed the animals.

[chuckles]

[instrumental music]

[instrumental music]

Now, what about the eyebrows?

Fuller, like this?

Yes, more like that.

Even as I was wrestling the man with the g*n, inspector

I thought to myself, "Are you crazy, what are you doing?"

I mean, I'm not a fool hardy man, inspector.

They make me feel so..

...helpless, so ashamed.

Ashamed?

Don't know how to explain it.

But they seemed almost too...polite.

Too professional, smug. Very smug.

I had the feeling they were gonna ask me to tip them

after it was over.

Mr. Austin, do you, uh

recall anything particularly distinctive

about any one of these men? Um..

'A limp, for instance, or an accent?'

Oh, it all happened so fast.

Did they refer to one another by name?

Not that I heard.

Mrs. Austin.

Have you discharged any servants recently?

No.

Well, we did lose one of our staff

but he wasn't discharged.

- Who was that? - Our pilot, Jerry Tolan.

He flies us to, uh, ball games

and hunting expeditions, that sort of thing.

- I see, what happened? - 'Nothing really.'

'He just told us he wanted to go.'

- Well, did he say where? - Umm.

Albuquerque, I think.

See what you can find out..

Mr. Austin?

That's quite good.

'That's very much like the man.'

Ah, Jerry, don't give me a lesson in aero-dynamics.

When will you be able to get us out of here?

I'm going to the airport right now.

If the part is in from Phoenix

I can probably reach Deacon Hill

in maybe and hour.

What if they didn't?

Well, I'll have to wait and fly it in from LA.

- How long will that take? - 'Tomorrow morning.'

Now listen, Tolan.

Get us out of this hole one way or another.

Man, I can't fly without a plane!

Then get another one.

Well, it isn't that easy!

I'll.. Look I'll try.

No, you do better than that.

Be here. You understand?

Because if you don't show, if you fade on me

I'll cut you in two, so help me.

[sighs]

Ty, what's going on?

Who are they?

They're wanted for robbery over in Texas.

What do they want with us?

We just want to be left alone.

I don't know, Mr. Miller, but, I..

I think everything will be alright if nobody panics.

How do you know?

Hey, Ty, Josh and me gotta get back to the station.

[Ty] 'Oh, now, now, wait a minute, Henry.'

Now, just hold tight. We gotta do what they tell us to do.

[Miller] 'My wife's not well.'

She's a consumptive.

Yeah, I know.

[laughs]

Oh..

You lost. I, I'm gonna give you a lesson, alright?

Now look, I'm not gonna hurt you.

I'm just trying to be sociable.

Alright, come on.

Ty, it's alright. He wasn't hurting me.

Why don't you just go over there and sit down?

You know that's not nice. I mean..

You know, that's not polite!

You want some of that, huh?

Watch it, dad. He's got a knife.

You, too, old man.

[Banjo] 'Huh? Alright, what's it gonna be?'

'It's gonna be pay or play, huh?'

Come on, tell me!

It's not gonna be like this.

- Now look, man, I've had it! - 'Shut up!'

Why don't you tell him to keep his hands of the girl?

You alright?

Alright, you people listen and listen real good.

A plane is gonna come in here and take us out in a few hours.

Until then, you just stay put!

'You do as you're told and nothing will happen to you.'

But I'm warning you.

Don't try anything foolish like

making a phone call to the cops.

Because if anything goes wrong..

...you're gonna be the ones to get it first.

Mister.

Please.

My wife's not well.

[instrumental music]

Anything else?

I think we have something here.

Well, thanks, I'll get back to you.

Yeah, that's very close.

"John Elgin.

"Also known as Leonard Tar, has an arrest record

"for armed robberies, currently under investigation

by the Albuquerque office for bank robbery."

- Mm-hmm. - Hmm.

Let's pull his file.

Vernon, get this over to Mr. Austin

and see if he can identify it.

Alright.

[telephone buzzing]

Hello.

Yes, put him on, please.

- Larry, this is Lou Erskine. - 'Yes, inspector.'

Larry, we're in Dallas on a major jewel robbery

and we have some information that may tie in

with a bank robbery you've been working on

with the office here.

Your file number is 91-4073.

Subject's name is John Elgin.

We have a positive identification of his photograph

from the victim of the jewel robbery.

Right, inspector. I'm familiar with the case.

We also believe that a Jerry Tolan

a commercial pilot who lives there in Albuquerque

was a finger man.

He was the victim's pilot until he quit just before it happened.

It all seems to fit, inspector.

We've just turned up Tolan's name

in our bank robbery investigation here.

- We'll be on the next flight. - 'Right.'

[sighs]

You think Tolan hung us out to dry?

Would you if you were in his shoes?

Not if you had my cut.

Well, neither will he.

I found a deserted field outside of town that will do fine.

Oh, I cut those phone lines like you wanted me to.

Okay, Banjo.

I'll take a little look around.

Ty.

Ty.

I know how we can get word out.

Oh, I think it'd be pretty tough right now, Josh.

I already told your dad.

My HAM radio.

If I could just sneak away..

Now, that-that might be pretty risky, don't you think?

I'm not afraid.

Oh, I-I know you're not afraid, Josh.

I just-I just think, uh

maybe we ought to sight tight for a while.

How's it running for you, Scully?

Oh, this is some breathing time.

That's all I know, just breathing.

Well, what do we do, Ty?

Just sit?

Besides, even if one of us did get away

I-I've been wonderin' about what they'd do with the rest of us

when they found out he was gone.

Another five minutes and Andy, at least

would've been out of it.

Yeah, I've been thinkin' about that.

It's none of my business, Ty

but, uh, back there

before they came

I sort of had the feeling that you and Andy

would, maybe, be leaving here together.

No, I guess I'm just not ready to put that harness back on.

Marriage, career and that whole commitment.

It.. I just don't think I'm willing to pay the price.

You know, it's really funny, dad, when you start out..

...you really wanna be the best in everything, you know.

The best student and the best lawyer.

And before you know it, you...look around

you're playing the same old game as everybody else.

I...I just think it takes more guts to walk away from it.

I wonder how we could've started out on such different paths

only to end up in the same trap.

[chuckles]

Ty, what happened to you up there in the big city?

Just couldn't cut it.

I tried, but I...just couldn't cut it.

That day I was on my way home to tell Emily.

Just...trying to figure out a way to tell her, you know.

And I smell the smoke.

Building was still smoldering.

And, uh, someone came up..

Said, "Your wife and kid are trapped inside."

I said, "What did you say?", you know.

Kept saying that over and over again, "What did you say?".

And I don't even, I don't even remember

what happened after that.

Except I woke up in the hospital and..

Next day, I just took off.

- 'The kid!' - 'Huh?'

Where's the kid?

- Come on, find him fast! - Yeah, come on, come on.

[instrumental music]

[Banjo] Boy, come out out.

Come check it out over here.

Hey, boy.

Come on, I'll buy you a soda pop.

'Hey..'

[chuckles]

Come on, kid.

- 'Hey.' - Is that you, boy?

Hey.

Come on out, kid.

CQ emergency, CQ emergency.

This is WC5, PBS.

[intense music]

Hey, kid.

Come on out. We ain't gonna hurt ya.

CQ emergency, CQ emergency.

This is WC5, PBS.

You hear me?

This is WC5, PBS.

William Charlie Five, Peter Baker Sugar.

Some men are holdin' us all prisoner at the hotel.

They've got g*ns, call the FBI.

Repeat, they got us all prisoner.

Call the FBI.

Now what are you afraid of? There ain't nothin' to be..

- When did he get here? - He just went up, inspector.

Alright, Larry, stand by.

[knocking]

- Yeah? - 'Jerry Tolan?'

Yeah.

I'm Inspector Erskine, FBI.

[Erskine] 'This is Mr. Colby.'

[g*nshots]

Hold it right there.

[Larry] 'Turn around.'

'Hands against the wall.'

Step back.

[buzzer rings]

Yes?

Oh, good.

Lewis?

Art, we had to arrest Tolan.

Douglas is driving him back to the office now.

Any word from the roadblocks?

My guess is they never even tried

to get through the road blocks.

You think the g*ng may have made it to Mexico?

Either that or they're waiting in the desert

somewhere for Tolan to fly them out.

Well, if they are, they may decide to move out

once they realize Tolan isn't going to pick them up.

We have an air search underway.

We're keeping as many planes and helicopters

over the desert as we can.

Good. Good luck, Lewis.

- 'Talk to you later.' - Right.

- Dad. - Josh, come here.

[Banjo] Ah, he was sitting on a shortwave radio.

- Did he make contact? - I don't think so.

What do you mean you don't think so? Did he make contact?

Or didn't he?

No.

You know what I'm thinkin', El?

Maybe we should cut out and take our chances with the roadblocks.

Our one chance is the plane, get us far away from here.

Okay. You mean Mexico?

We'll have a better chance of fencing the stuff

on this side of the border.

[coughs]

Listen, mister.

I'm takin' my wife upstairs.

You can't treat us this way.

Why not?

Because we're human beings.

Haven't you heard? It's a bad year for human beings.

This is still my hotel.

And I'm takin' this woman up to her room.

Come with me.

[clapping]

- Get out of the way. - Hey, go get him, Tiger.

Stay.

- Right where you are. - 'Get him, boy.'

[grunting]

[cackling]

[chokes]

- What is it, Ty? - It's his heart.

We got to get him to a hospital.

Now, you can come with me or whatever.

Y'all do anything you want

but we've got to get him to a hospital.

Hey, listen, I didn't mean to hurt your old man.

You keep your hands off of him.

I'm tellin' ya, he's gonna die if we don't get him help.

I'm sorry, friend. People die. I can't change that.

[dramatic music]

[instrumental music]

You know, sooner or later, we're gonna find Elgin.

What's that got to do with me, huh?

An awful lot, if you were involved in the Austin robbery.

Hey, man, I'm clean.

I wasn't even in Dallas when that happened.

Where were you flying today?

I told you, I was catching up on my solo time.

Why were you carrying six hours of fuel?

- That's no crime. - Maybe not.

But assaulting a federal officer is.

Hey, l-look, uh..

Phew. That was a big mistake.

No contest.

But there had been a lot of robberies in the area lately.

I was jumpy, I panicked.

I thought you guys were gonna clean me out.

Man, you don't know what it's like these days.

You got to turn your pad into a prison

just to keep off the germs.

Uh, Lou?

A HAM operator in Denver picked up a transmission

from, uh, a little town, called Deacon Hill.

The message said that, uh, people were being held

prisoner at gunpoint in the hotel there.

And asked that the FBI be notified.

The HAM operator said the sender wasn't receiving

just repeated the message until the transmission went dead.

Where's Deacon Hill?

It's about 50 miles from the town of Ramon

which is the location we have on Elgin.

Your horse come in, inspector?

And yours lost.

They're in Deacon Hill, aren't they?

Yeah.

Call the resident agent in the area. Tell him we're flying out.

We'll radio instruction is en route.

Right, Inspector.

[instrumental music]

How is he?

Well, he's alive, but...look at him.

[g*nshots]

Stay where you are.

What's that, Banjo?

Snakes.

Snakes, the whole place is crawling with snakes.

Hey.

Any sign of Tolan?

If there was, I mean, if there was

do you think I'd still be hangin' around here, huh?

You know somethin', Banjo?

Sometimes I wonder if you're worth keeping around.

Oh, hey, now, let's split, man.

Let's get out of this place.

Tolan had trouble before, didn't he?

Don't worry, he'll show.

- Was that it? - Hmm?

Is that the, is that the plane?

Well, I didn't hear nothin'.

- What are you talkin' about? - Yeah, it's-it's a light plane.

- Where? - Yeah, there, it's right there.

[groans]

[screams]

[g*nshots]

[g*nsh*t]

[g*nsh*t]

[g*nshots]

Come on.

[g*nsh*t]

No, we'll never get him with this.

Banjo, there's a g*n in the glove compartment.

Get it and keep it covered inside.

[tires screeching]

Stick to the high ground. Maybe we can cut him off.

[g*nsh*t]

[g*nsh*t]

Let's finish him.

[dramatic music]

[grunting]

[groans]

Alright, hold it, hold it.

Right there.

[helicopter whirring]

FBI, hold it right there.

Alright, get rid of the g*ns.

Get up against the car.

FBI.

On your feet.

Alright, turn around.

Hands behind your head.

[Douglas] 'This is the FBI.'

Come out with your hands raised.

One subject is still in the hotel, inspector.

He's holding the townspeople as hostage.

You.

Come on, come on.

Hey!

'Hey, I'm comin' out with a friend.'

Hold your fire.

Alright, get over to that wagon.

You stay there!

[g*nshots]

Hey, where's dad?

- He's in the hospital. - Is he alright?

- He's fine, uh, there's-- - Are you alright?

- I'm fine. - Mr. Williams.

I'm Inspector Erskine with the FBI.

We made arrangements to take you to the hospital.

- I'll go . Uh, right now? - Uh--

- Uh, Lou? - In just a moment. Excuse me.

Go ahead.

Listen, uh, when I get back, are you gonna be here or what?

- If you want me to. - Yes, I want you to be.

- All set? - Yeah, good.

- Ms. Phillips? - Thank you.

[Marvin Miller] John Elgin, Frank V Taylor, Harold D Buggs

Collie M Sampson and Gerald F Tolan

were convicted of inter-state transportation

of stolen property and conspiracy.

They were sentenced to terms in a federal penitentiary.

[helicopter whirring]

[theme music]