The Night of the Assassin - Recap

In Mexico, a man dressed a priest emerges from the Calle de Artesano and makes his way down the streets past the soldiers. He collects a bundle containing a rifle from a peasant sitting against a wall and enters a building.

Jim and Artie are with Ambassador Griswold at the home of Don Tomas, awaiting the arrival of President Juarez. Meanwhile, the assassin climbs to the top of a bell tower and draws a bead on Juarez as he arrives in town. Jim spots the killer and goes across the roof to get to the bell tower. Before Jim can get there, the assassin fires repeatedly at Juarez but misses him and hits the minister standing next to him. While the killer escapes, the fake peasant intercepts Jim, who grabs the man and knock him off the roof. He falls to his death as Artie arrives, and they discover that the “peasant” is Calico Jack, an American killer.



The agents meet with Griswold, who informs them that the minister was killed. They’re not sure if the fake father was an American, and Griswold admits that his mission to put an end to the border problems has arrived. Now Juarez believes the Americans plotted to kill him because he refused to help with the situation. Jim and Artie figure that they have to find the man who hired the assassin before the police do. Artie agrees to hide the body while Jim tracks down the man’s employer. Griswold refuses to let them carry out their plan, and Don Tomas arrives and informs them that martial law has been declared and no one is allowed to leave town. Don Tomas offers them the hospitality of his home, warning that diplomatic immunity won’t protect them, and Griswold accepts his offer. Once Don Tomas departs, Griswold tells the agents that they can’t leave the house. He departs and the agents plan to ignore his orders. They remember that there was powder’s clay on Calico Jack’s pants and figure that they can use the clue to track down his employer.

That night, Jim sneaks through the streets, dodging patrols. He goes to the Calle de Artesano and watches as the owner, Perrico Mendoza, goes to the door and knocks repeatedly. Finally the assassin, Halvorsen, lets him in. Perrico tells about the curfew and tells Halvorsen to get out before the soldiers find him there and kill them both. Halvorsen agrees but warns that if he gets out alive, he’ll come back to finish off Perrico.



Out on the street, Jim approaches Halvorsen and addresses him as “Padre.” The assassin tries to run but Jim easily subdues him and demands answers. A woman spots them and screams, and both men are forced to run as the soldiers come after them. The soldiers shoot Halvorsen in the leg, bringing him down, while Jim tries to hide in a doorway. The door opens and Jim falls backward. A woman is inside and asks who he is. Before Jim can answer, the soldiers smash the door down. They miss Jim and the woman, Lupita Gonzalez. Jim kisses her to keep her quiet. Once the men leave, Lupita pulls away and Jim thanks her. As he goes, Lupita slaps him but Jim takes it in stride and bids her farewell.

The soldiers take Halvorsen to their superior office, who tells them to take the assassin to the prison. They’re unaware that Artie is disguised as a Mexican officer.

Jim meets Griswold at the Wanderer and explains that the Mexicans captured Halvorsen. Artie arrives to tell them that Halvorsen has been sent to Colonel Arsenio “Arsenic” Barbossa, who runs the local military. Griswold plans to file a protest with President Juarez, and Jim tells him to get a visitor’s pass for Halvorsen’s father... Artie.



At the prison, Halvorsen hears a prisoner screaming from the basement. Barbossa is busy torturing Perrico and tells his soldiers to bring in Halvorsen now that Perrico has confessed. The assassin is brought to the basement and strapped into a chair, and Barbossa prepares to torture him. However, the soldiers interrupt to tell Barbossa that Jim has arrived with an older man. Intrigued, Barbossa has them bring Jim and the disguised Artie to the basement after Halvorsen is removed. Jim and the disguised Artie come in and Artie explains that he’s there to take his son home. The colonel refuses to let him take Halvorsen or even see the killer without a Presidential order. Jim produces Juarez’s orders and Barbossa gives Artie fifteen minutes to visit with his “son.” Once Artie is escorted out, Barbossa reads Halvorsen’s file and points out that his father was presumed dead in a mine collapse. Jim bluffs it out and Barbossa invites Jim to watch Perrico’s execution in the compound below.



Once Artie gets into Halvorsen’s cell, he makes sure that they’re alone and tells Halvorsen that he’s come there to get the name of his employer. Halvorsen will only tell them when he’s in Texas and demands that they get him out. He’s willing to talk to Barbossa if he has to and has a letter proving his claim. As the soldiers escort Artie out, he slips a pill to Halvorsen and tells him that it will knock him out for eight hours so that Barbossa can’t torture him.

As Jim and Artie leave the prison, they figure they need to get the letter and go back to Perrico’s pottery shop. As they search the place, several killers emerge from clay urns scattered throughout the shop.
Lupita comes in and, ignoring Jim’s charms, demands to speak to Artie, who is still in disguise. She wants to know what Halvorsen told him. Artie tries to stall but Lupita wants the letter. Jim attacks her men and Artie joins in, and the Mexicans soon run out of the shop while Lupita slips out the back. The agents spot a crooked photo of Juarez on the wall and realize that it is nailed down. Pulling it off of the wall, they find the envelope on the back.



Back at the Wanderer, Griswold reads the letter, which confirms a conspiracy against Juarez but doesn’t include a signature. The writer mentions that a lock has been changed and a new key is enclosed, but there’s no key in the envelope. Griswold says that they can’t get Halvorsen out of prison, but Jim points out that he has an idea.

That night, Artie disguises himself as a padre and drops Jim off near the prison, and then goes in by wagon to collect Perrico’s remains. Meanwhile, Jim uses a line and grappling hook to scale the walls, and then fires a line across the compound to slide to the other side. However, a soldier quickly captures him only to be distracted when the thermite charge Jim used to open the door goes off. Jim disposes of the man and makes his way inside, donning a uniform. However, Barbossa comes across him and realizes who he is. He captures him at gunpoint and assures him that he will soon confess after a few sessions. Jim tries to jump Barbossa but the colonel easily avoids him. However, Halvorsen is in the cell behind him and chokes him unconscious.



Jim releases the assassin and they go to the wagon where Artie has brought the coffin for Perrico’s body. He realizes that they plan to smuggle him out in the coffin and only agrees to talk if they use another method. Jim knocks him out and they load Halvorsen into the coffin.

Barbossa wakes up and calls for his men.

Artie tells Jim where he’ll leave the coffin and then leave a false trail. The agents load up the coffin and Artie rides out in the wagon. Jim climbs back over the wall, unaware that Barbossa has made it to the courtyard and seen him go.

Jim arrives at the coffin and discovers Artie inside, tied up and gagged. He explains that Lupita and her men found him and took Halvorsen, However, he threatened Halvorsen and confirmed that he doesn’t know who hired him. He was supposed to collect his payment after he finished the job but never made it there, and hid the key at the pottery store.

Lupita goes to the pottery shop and finds Jim there. He’s already located the key but she draws her gun and demands it in return for Artie’s location. Artie steps out of the shadows with a gun and Jim relieves her of her weapon, and they tell her to start talking. Lupita explains that she is a colonel in the Mexican Secret Service and demands the key. Jim offers it in return for the name of the man who hired Halvorsen. All she knows is that the meetings took place in the house of a third party and the headman remained in the shadows. She does know what the key unlocks, and offers to show it to them.



The three agents go to the house and Jim uses the key to enter through the basement while Artie and Lupita wait outside. They give him five minutes before they come in after him. Jim follows a hidden staircase up to Don Tomas’ study and finds him waiting. Jim figures that Don Tomas is the man in charge, but the don says that he only facilitated the meetings. Barbossa steps out from behind a curtain, armed with a gun, but Jim isn’t surprised and realized Barbossa wanted to eliminate Juarez and become President. The colonel demands to know where Halvorsen is, and doesn’t believe Jim’s denial. Jim tells him that the Mexican Secret Service has the building surrounded, but Barbossa doesn’t believe him. He calls in his men, and Artie and Lupita come in. A fight breaks out and Barbossa tries to go out via the balcony. Lupita shoots him and he falls to his death.



Later, Artie and Jim meet Lupita at the Wanderer. Jim offers a toast to their first memory, and Artie points out that he doesn’t have any memories. Lupita obliges by first kissing and then slapping him as well. As they leave for dinner, Lupita explains that her bodyguard is waiting outside, and Lt. Ramirez attends her everywhere she goes. Artie suggests that she make an exception, but Lupita calls in Lt. Ramirez: an attractive woman. The agents are much more willing to take a lonely soldier to dinner with them.



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