The Running Dog

Hunter, Callan and Meres watch a film of a mob of young thugs attacking a small group of Chinese men outside the Chinese embassy. The mob is organised by the Hon. Ronald Holder, ex-Rugby, Cambridge and Sandhurst, a fascist agitator who is planning some sort of major strike against the Chinese in London.

Holder, and his associate Felice Neff (Renny Lister) discuss their need for more members, so Felice is pleased to say there is a new applicant waiting to see them. It is Callan, who invites Felice to a café where she can explain her organisation to him. They leave, and soon after, Holder also leaves the office, with Henry Thackery (Jonathan Newth), who is a rather dim-witted heavy. When they have gone, Lonely, acting under Callan’s instructions, breaks in and proceeds to tackle the safe, the contents of which, he photographs.

At the Chinese embassy, a British official, David Forbes (Nicholas Courtney), presents the Chinese ambassador Tao Tsung (Burt Kwouk) with a restricting order, limiting his movements to within five miles of the embassy. To Tao, this seems like imprisonment. Meanwhile, Callan convinces Felice that he too wishes to hit back at the Chinese Legation.

Callan shows Hunter the photographs of what Lonely took. They show dossiers on each member of the Chinese Legation, all marked ‘Action Nil’, except Tao Tsung’s, which is marked ‘Action Kill’. After making a public address at Speaker’s Corner urging the people of Britain to stand against the Chinese, Holder meets Callan and tells him that he will be given something to do in their cause. However, he remains suspicious of Callan’s eagerness.

Later, while chatting to Henry in the café, Callan secretly tells him that he can get hold of a gun, but Henry reveals he already has one. Back at the Section, Callan suggests to Hunter that the fascists should all be taken into custody until the situation calms down, which Hunter explains is out of the question. Instead, he sends Meres to warn Tao Tsung of the dangers facing him, but Tao refuses permission to leave British security men inside the embassy.

When this is reported back to Hunter, Callan makes another suggestion, to kidnap Tao Tsung and tell the Chinese that he has defected. Unable to sanction this, Hunter offers Callan three days leave, telling him that anything he does during that time would not be the responsibility of the Section. With Lonely’s help, Callan breaks into the embassy, but is ambushed.

Tao Tsung realises Callan is a Security man trying to prevent an incident, but tells him he will have to remain a guest at the embassy until after the event he is trying to stop. Tao goes on to say that for propaganda purposes, his government require such an incident, but as they speak, the assassination squad, comprising of Holder, Henry and Felice, break in.

Holder informs Tao that he is to be executed for the crime of treating the British with contempt, but just then the lights go out, and in the darkness, Tao’s own men shoot Holder and Henry dead. Tao then orders one of his guards to fire Callan’s gun into the bodies of Holder and Henry. This will embarrass British security, as the Chinese will claim that Callan has defected. However, they find Callan’s gun to be empty: Hunter had ordered no ammunition.

Callan warns Tao that he has had photos taken of himself being abducted by two Chinese men, and that they will go to the press if he isn’t released. Tao has no choice but to let Callan leave, escorting Felice out of the building.