IWCF 043 The Sleeper

I was a Communist for the FBI. Starring Dana Andrews and an exciting tale of danger and espionage. I was a Communist for the FBI from the actual records and authentic experiences of Matt Savedic. How many of the. Incidents in this unusual story. Here is our star, Dana Andrews as Matt Savedic two for nine fantastic years as a Communist for the FBI. For nine years, I disowned myself. I tried to forget what I'd been and what I stood for. I wasn't my own man, but two men facing in opposite directions, but joined by arteries and nerves. I was a living contradiction for two masters against two masters. Traitor, patriot, communist, FBI an angel sat on one shoulder and Satan on the other for nine long, fantastic years when I was a Communist for the FBI. In a moment, listen to Dana Andrews as Matt Semitic undercover man. Now here is Dana Andrews as Mat Semitic undercoverman. This story from the Confidential File is marked a sleeper. First, I think it's a conventional trick to put me on edge. And had a disadvantage for whatever's going to happen. Then I realized that Comrade Revson is really worried, deeply puzzled. He stands looking out the window, holding that official looking paper in his hand. He's worried about it, but I see he's also memorizing it. Then he turns to me and discovers me slowly, as though I hadn't been there when the letter was handed to him by a drop. Messenger said comment, red. I have an assignment for you from the highest source, the Kremlin in person Spetti. You know Shepherd Riker. Of course, that loud communist, bad Shepherd Riker is an extremely dangerous man. His work in Washington is strategic, and his personal campaign against the Party is embarrassing. This time we did something about him too. We are about to do something now. Missus Riker lives in this city, a charming woman. Reportedly, what's she got to do with it? She is one of us, Missus Shepherd Riker, a communist. I said, so, she can't be. It just isn't in the books, But it is. She joined the party ten years ago, most attractive, very young, too attractive for the ordinary work of the party. We assigned her to return to her usual life, to forget she was a member of the party until we should call upon her for special duty. These orders are rit We are calling her back to active service. You will make an appointment with missus Raker, serve the greetings Honore, and acquaint her with her assignment. She is to use her influence with her husband to make him cease entirely his attacks on the Communist Party. Suppose you'd rather forget she was a communist entirely remind her. Suppose she says no to propositions Shepherd Raker. We will entertain no alternatives. And that's all I have to do. Get missus Racker to make her husband lay off the party. Correct any suggestions. Only one succeed. I've been a communist for the FBI for quite a while, but this is a new one on me, and I'm always uneasy about these or else assignments of reversence. I phone my FBI contact and we arranged to meet on a park bench near the lagoon. I tell him about my new assignment. For a minute, he doesn't say anything. I feel a chill Codal and the bluish November twilight. Then I see him getting ready to talk. Matt you may be in for a bad time with missus Riker. Well that's how I figure it, but Revsen is blithe about it. As a Shepherd, Riker represents one of the less known devices of the party. He's what the Red tacticians call a sleeper. Sleepers in the party are supposed to make themselves scarce with the party, go into normal life, act as if they never joined. The party, get lost in short. But they're still in the party. Oh indeed they are, and the subject to call when the party has just the right assignment for them. Charmian Riker's number happens to be up. You have a tough assignment, mat tough morrow problem involved. Hell well, look, if you succeed, you'll have brought Charmian Riker back into active party duty and you'll have knocked a strong anti communist out of action for the reds. MM I don't envy you. There might be some unpleasant realities for you both to face when the sleeper wakes. Hello, is this missus Shepherd Riker? Riker, May I speak to mister Ricker? Please, This is mister Matthews. I'm sorry, mister Ricker's in Washington. I can tell you where he may be reached if it's urgent. It's very urgent, But I'd like to discuss it with you first. Why what is it I can't talk over the phone. Well, I don't. What did you say your name was? I said it was Matthews. Does that mean it isn't Matthews? Perhaps perhaps sounds rather mysterious and conspiratorial. And I don't have much taste for conspiracy, mister Matthews, and. Your tastes have changed in the past ten years. Just what do you mean by that? I mean you ought to make a sincere effort to hear what I've got to say. I suggest dinner at any place you suggest. Could you make it earlier than dinner? Better yet, five o'clock at my apartment, just as you say, make it for it daty? Would you? It gets so dark so early. These days, I understand, missus Riker, goodbye, goodbye. Even over the telephone, something unusual comes through the cuter plaintive quality, dignified by an infliction that seems updated. A lady quote unquote straight out of one of the better lavender novels of fifty years ago. The voice of a highly sensitive woman of a puritan, but beneath the Puritanism something that might be warmly demonstrative. I take the self serve elevator to the ninth floor, press the door bell in the plushy corridor, mister Matthews, Am I too early? No? Or rather yes, but that's good? Come in, do sit down, mister Matthews. Thank you. May I get you some refreshment if. You don't mind, missus racker, I came early to leave early. I'd like to come to the point right away. Yes, my business is only indirectly with your husband. What is it? Please? Your husband is a powerful man in Washington and still going up. He's pretty outspoken in his criticism of the Communist Party. He feels very strongly about it. We want him to cut it out. Let let me understand you. We want your husband to stop attacking the party. Who precisely wants him to stop. We do? You and I? Who are you, Comrade Matthew sevidik commande Charmian. Go back to your superiors. Tell them that ten years ago I was an impressionable girl. I joined the party blindly. Tell them I'm ten years older now, without any girlish illusions about the revolution and the dictatorship of the proletariat. Tell them that I am married and that I love my husband. I will not change him from his attacks on the Communists in America. I can't tell them that that's. What I am telling you. Do as you please with it. You love your husband. Just how do you think it will affect his anti communism and his career if it becomes public that you are a communist? I'm not. You joined the party ten years ago, and we can prove it. I left it eight years ago. I may be on the party rolls all right, but all my acts and all my instincts are against them. Now your husband might not make such a fine distinction. He hasn't up to now. You're saying that if I don't betray him, you will force him to expose me. Very much afraid, so coming blackmail? I'm afraid. So now what shall I tell my superiors? Tell them see missus Riker, Please, missus Riker. Tell them to let me think about it, can you. I don't have to ask them think about it. I'll call you. I see Charmian Riker twice in the next few days. No decision, But I don't push. First, you can't push people like her without breaking something. And second, I am a little fascinated by Charmian. The more I like her, the less I like my job, And pretty soon I hate my job. Revsen is getting impatient, afraid that Moscow will start pushing him for a decision from Charmian. I have dinner with her again, in a off the trail place her idea again. I hate it. The job sickens and shames me and tortures a woman I like and respect. I know you are getting pretty tired of me by now. Anybody else wouldn't have Benny's kind. I'm sure kind, you're the tolerant one. I don't have a choice, do I. I suppose not, and I like to remain kind, But my chief is pressing for a decision from you. I can't. I can't. Sooner or later it'll be the same. You can't win. Call it crocodile tears, say you, we'll sacrifice anybody for our ends. I guess we will. But I'm sorry, missus raker, don't. Call me that in public. Somebody should recognize the name and notice us. Together with we dine openly with other men, and to your husband's knowledge. No harm done, I'm sure. Openly yes, this isn't open. It's so clandestine, so secret. I feel I'm dishonoring Sheff already. I can't call you comrade Shamian and public. No, just Charmian, I suppose, Sir Shamia. Nice name. Matt. Look over there carefully. Is that man watching us? Do you know him? No? Oh, I don't know him coming over to us, like, yeah, good evening, good inning. Excuse me, my name is Revsen. Well you are Matthew Zvedik. I am it is important I speak to you privately. How will you excuse me? Charmian? Of course for the remainder of the evening, mister Spetti. Now back to Dana Andrews starring as Matt Simtic and I was a Communist for the FBI and the second act of our story. I put Charmian into a cab, feeling like a nerveless adolescent being whipped home by a stern parent. Worse, I sensed the panic in Charmian being discovered, and Relson walks silently beside me, steering me into the park, swept empty by the row November night. Now, then, Sveetig, tell me about this excessively handsome woman. You know all, I've reported nothing new tonight. No, why not? You don't use bulldozing tactics on people as sensitive as Shamian. Shahman how friendly? Do not force me to speculate which side you are really on. Keep us secure and safe in the knowledge that you are a trustworthy party member. I am prepared to stand on my record. Comrade Revsen Your record is good, but it does not include such majestic beauties as Shahmian. Nevertheless, then give me results. I'm making progress, results Vetik, not reports of progress. I want the woman's decision by Wednesday, way or the other. Either way, if she demurs, we blackmail her. We compel her anti communist husband to explain his communist wife with such cards. It is impossible to lose sthetic. See that you do not. Good night? Hello? Is there yet him? I've been trying all day to reach you. They keep on saying it's a drug store. Well, I use the pay station here for one of my officers. Yes, I got to see you tonight. Make it no apartment. I thought you prefer not seeing me there. Please coming right over. Did anybody see you come in Matt. I waited for the doorman to go off to while up a taxi. It's raining again. Not that it matters any more. Secrecy. Why my husband came home unexpectedly this afternoon. I knew something was wrong the moment he came in. I thought he wasn't due back from Washington for another week. No, but you and I have been seen together. We're being watched, shep shured me. A letter unsigned. Naturally, he repeated telephone calls he's been getting about. Us, also anonymous. Of course, it could be anybody seeing such dreadful. Things, and he believes them. We had a horrible scene. I knew what would happen. I knew it. Did you tell him anything about us? Nothing? That's what's so impossible about it. I can't tell him anything, Shall I tell him? You and I are working to betray him. I'm sorry, Chamien, but there's nothing I can do. Sorry, there's nothing to be done. You can do something, you've got to do something, You've got to talk to it. It's useless. We'll see now, go to that phone. You can force me to the telephone with that gun, Charmian, but you can't make the right words come when there aren't any. Call ship dal can be two two one one. Tell him to meet you here. I'll tell him I'm one of his hated reds and that I've been talking to you to get you to make him stop red baiting. That sound good? Yes, when he hears that a week of persuasion and threats haven't moved me, he'll have to believe in me. And then I explained that you were the party's logical instrument because you're his wife and a communist vulnerable to threats. Shall I call? No? You see want me to take care of that gun? No, don't worry. But I do worry, and not for myself. My suicide wouldn't help Shap either. There's no way out. Does that mean you are ready to co operate? You were to see me tonight. Let me think about it until. Then deadline at eight eight o'clock. I'll give you my answer. At a quarter of eight, I'm walking towards Charmian's apartment. A car pulls to the curb and signals me discreetly the FBI. I get into the car and we bolt away from there, and then settle down to a good conversational speed and I get a jolt that sets my brain whirling. Mad. I've checked through all the available facts about the people concerned in this case. I have fun. I'm not this is something I might shake you. I'm used to it. Shepherd Riker are important Washington figure and vigorous, hard hitting anti communist. Is a Communist? Mm oh no, well I'm driving Shepherd Riker a red A very active and loyal one. Riker's party efforts are reaching an advanced stage where his wife will have to know his true color and helping his communist activities. Now do you get it now? Yeah? The party wants to see how loyal Charmian is to them. You've got it. They figured if she'd betray her husband, who she thinks as an anti communist, she'd be a safe bet for full party responsibility. It's another test, Matt, A big important one. She can't win. If she disobeys her present orders, she'll be tagged unreliable, Riker will drop her cold. Or she will play along with the party and find out her idol is a Communist. She can't win. That's rough well as your target for tonight. Matt an odd name until you get used to it, then you like it. Good luck, Matt. Hello, Oh, if a man answers come in anyhow? Yeah, darling you have a collar. Yeah, I don't believe i've met the gentleman, Darling. My husband. I won't say, how do you do? Since my own appearances and intelligences, you've been doing very well. Stop the chef. You've said enough. Matt will tell you that I haven't been deceiving. Ye, Matt will? Now who is Matt? This is mister sweati, isn't it? A man can lose a lot of good wives that way? Ricker? What way, Swedty? We may be thinking a different way? Look, Ricker, give up. You're making a second class heel out of yourself in front of a wife who's up to her ears in love with you. Heaven knows why? Why don't you let bad enough alone before you cut yourself down to a first class. Watch it, mister, I've got a twenty poundedge on you. What it yourself? Mister you may have twenty pounds on me, but a lot of that poundage is blood pressure. You're getting red in the face, son, and it's bad when it shows on you, especially in Washington, d C. The instant I say it, I know that my anger and my feeling for Charmian and my subconscious has played a nasty trick on me. I'm not supposed to know Raker's are red, but I've said something like it, even as a sort of angry gag. How did you know, Swedti? I'm in an awful spot? How did I know Shepherds are red? The f b I I can't match that fishy stare of his. My eyes glanced over towards Shamian. Maybe I understand Chamian? How did you know? I? I don't know what you mean. Don't lie to me. I shall be careful what you for, you stupid rock. This is between shap and me. You tell me how did you know I was in the party. I'm in the party too, Darling. I've always known that your fool. He wouldn't have married you otherwise. Did you know I've been a communist? Why did you tell him? Answer me? What kind of a party member? Isn't that gives away top party secrets to the casuals like the spedak here? She didn't tell me anything I knew? Okay, you knew. Now tell me my dear wife has been carrying on him my back. With the FBI. He's a communist too, you Sevedic's the name, comrade. I thought. I thought only the top bachelans in Moscow knew I'm a communist. Think again, and in particular, think twice before you slug a woman, Comrade. It gives the party a black eye and give your wife a bleeding mouth. Here take my handkerchiefs. SHA mean. You better. This is between my wife and me. We'll talk further headquarters, Comrade, Okay, now get out. I have to leave that, they both tell me to. But I'm in serious trouble. I had to admit to Ryka that I'm a communist to get Charmian off the hook. But when he checks at headquarters and finds out that even big shot Revsen didn't know he was a comrade, he'll wonder how high knew. And I'm in water but hot. I get into the self serve elevator. I hear a door slam far away. I sink another story before I realize it was a shot. I press the up button for nine, and then the elevator goes crazy with people on all floors trying to commandeer it. I finally have to settle for the sixth floor and run up the steps to nine. I edge through the crowd at the open door of nine oh two. Riker Chef's on the floor and he's dead. Charmian is standing quietly talking to an officer who must have come up the freight elevator. Her mouth is bleeding again, and she has new bruises, and her magnificent hair is tumble in her gown torn. She sees me pushing forward and stops me with those beautiful, eloquent eyes, shakes her head slightly from me to keep out of it. She's right, there's nothing I can do on the street. I slowly realize I'm in the clear. Shepherd Riker will never find out from headquarters that nobody let alone savedic knew Riker was a top communist. Shep pushed his luck and Charmian's love too far. Charmian er call it a break for her, an obvious case of self defense. A couple of years and she ought to be a free woman, free of the party too, out of bondage forever, Charmian Riker communist sleeper. We'll wake up one day, free me. Maybe I'll see her then, maybe we'll all be free. Then. Right now, it's no dice. I'm a communist for the f B. I I walk alone. Dana Andrews will return in just a moment. This is Dana Andrews stepping out of the character of Matsavedic to tell you that the story you've just heard is far from fiction. Names of characters have been changed in certain incidents, disguised to protect innocent people. But what you've just heard is much of the real truth and all of the spirit of what happened. Next week, another adventure of Matt Sivedik, who worked under cover for the FBI. You won't forgive yourself when others tell you what you've missed, so don't miss it. Thanks