- [first lines]
- Person on Tape: [voice on tape] Good afternoon, Mr. Phelps. The man you are looking at is the eccentric art collector, Victor Laszlo, who recently arranged the theft of the only copy of a new fuel formula vital to America's missile defense. The theft was executed by Laszlo's partner, Ray Dunson, who also killed the one American scientist capable of duplicating the formula. Enemy scientists have recently solved the same problem, so they do not need our copy of the formula, but they will pay Laszlo handsomely for the privilege of destroying it, and thereby putting us years behind them in military capability. Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to recover the formula. As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim.
- [last lines]
- [having just opened the safe without activating the bomb]
- Barney Collier: I've got it, Jim.
- James Phelps: Good. Fine. You know, Miller really thought he was on the 12th floor, Paris
- Paris: People see what they expect to see.
- Ray Dunson: What are we going to do with her?
- Victor Laszlo: Yes, you are a bit of a problem.
- Ray Dunson: People accidentally fall out of windows every day.
- Paris: Jim, Miller and Dunson have been with Laszlo for several years. They've been in that apartment many times.
- James Phelps: Yes, but they'll see only what they expect to see.