The Man Who Cried Wolf

Originally Aired: February 9, 1953 Suspense #499, "The Man Who Cried Wolf," presents a harrowing tale of Cold War desperation starring William Powell. Meros Leko, a Russian cipher clerk working at the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City, has spent three years observing the freedoms enjoyed by ordinary Mexican citizens—freedoms he can only dream of under communist rule. When his superior, Comrade Zapotin, informs him that he's being recalled to Moscow as a poor security risk, Leko understands what awaits him: prison, a work camp in Siberia, or death. In a desperate bid for survival, he steals classified documents from the cipher room, hoping to use them to bargain for his life and the lives of his wife Lilia and infant son Ivan. With time running out before his forced departure, Leko sends Lilia and their baby to wait at the Plaza Zocado while he attempts to execute his dangerous plan. He turns to his neighbor and friend, Senor Cortosa, but whether this Mexican acquaintance can help him escape the long reach of Soviet retribution remains uncertain as Leko races against the clock to secure his family's freedom.