The movie opens at Munich's Oktoberfest. Kendig and his team foil a microfilm transfer to a German spy. However, Kendig purposely does not apprehend Yaskov, the head of the KGB in Europe. Upon Kendig's return to Washington, his supervisor, Myerson (Beatty), forces him into a desk job because Kendig didn't arrest the Russian. Instead of going in on Monday as directed, Kendig shreds his personnel file and flies to Salzburg, Austria to visit Isobel Von Schoenenberg (Jackson). Inspired by Yaskov's idea to write his memoirs, Kendig begins a book exposing Myerson's 'dirty tricks'. Isobel is horrified that the CIA will send men to kill him, but nevertheless helps out and mails copies of Kendig's first chapter to spy chiefs in the US, Russia, China, France, Italy and Great Britain. Soon enough Myerson is out to silence Kendig and Yaskov is after him as a source of the CIA's covert operations.Kendig baits his pursuers by periodically informing them of his location. Leaving Europe, he rents Myerson's own Georgia country home, and writes a few more chapters. After leaking his presence there, Kendig induces the FBI to shoot up Myerson's house when they mistake firecrackers for gunshots. This scene is accompanied by the aria "Un bel DÃ¬", the suicide scene from Madama Butterfly (Puccini).Kendig flies to Bermuda by seaplane (piloted by a woman portrayed by Matthau's stepdaughter, Lucy Saroyan), then to London, to meet with his publisher and present the last chapter of his book. Yaskov and CIA agent Cutter (Waterston), a former protÃ©gÃ© of Kendig's and friend who has been tasked to pursue him, exchange information on Kendig during the pursuit. Kendig buys a small plane and hires an engineer to do custom work on it. Kendig's publisher rebuffs Myerson's threats and all the pursuers meet up at Kendig's hotel room. They read the last book chapter, but miss Kendig again.Kendig ambushes Cutter in his hotel room, ties him up and informs Cutter that he will be flying out from a small airfield. Isobel gives her CIA minders the slip and heads to the airfield. Kendig later reports Cutter's situation to Ross and everyone converges on the airfield. On the way, Kendig suffers a flat tire and is picked up by local police. When a policeman recognizes him from a bulletin, Kendig escapes by short-circuiting an electrical socket and stealing a police car.He reaches the airfield, but the Americans and Russian are already there via helicopter. He takes off in his vintage biplane and is pursued by Myerson in the chopper. He evades Myerson's pistol shots for awhile, but the plane eventually appears to be hit and blows up over the sea. Looking at the wreck from the cliff, Myerson concludes that Kendig is dead. However Cutter remarks "He better stay dead", appreciating that it was likely a ruse.It is revealed that the custom device made for the plane was a remote control and Kendig walks away from an old shack at the airfield and drives off with Isobel to France. Months later, the book has become a bestseller and Kendig buys one while wearing a disguise as a Sikh. Isobel admonishes him for his disguises and they walk out together, book in hand.
Output: Question: What did Kendig decide was the only way to leave the agency?, Answer: Burning personnel file and flee the country.