Paul Shipherd, a defector from the U.S., has been put in charge of dissecting a SAC bomber fail-safe at the Vatzia Institute. The IMF must steal the fail-safe and recover Shipherd. As the pilot of the bomber, Jim plants the idea Shipherd should talk to the manufacturer in Duluth, and conveniently a wheelchair-bound Rollin and his ""wife"" Cinnamon are from the factory in Duluth. Jim is released and Rollin and Cinnamon are captured and forced to defuse the explosive device on the fail-safe. Rollin fakes a heart attack to get Shipherd away from his guards. Jim sneaks into the building after Barney fouls the disposal system, gets the fail-safe, and gives it to Barney, who has knocked out Shipherd. Rollin substitutes himself for Shipherd, and they wheel the ""dead"" Shipherd-as-Rollin out in the wheelchair in which the fail-safe is hidden. Rollin-as-Shipherd then strolls casually out with Cinnamon.

The IMF has 16 hours to find a nuclear bomb placed by an extortionist, Dr. Cooper, in one of seven Pacific Coast cities and find Cooper's associates in charge of disarming the bomb. The IMF track Cooper to a cafe and fake a radio broadcast announcing his demands will be met - then Jim and Mimi break in as convicts and take Cooper and the others hostage. The IMF eventually ""let"" Cooper call his associate Rogers to disarm the bomb but Cooper's wife Adele kills Rogers when she fears the plan has gone awry. When Rogers' death is announced on the radio, a frustrated Cooper convinces Jim and Mimi to take him to the bomb (beneath City Hall) which he shuts off with seconds to spare - the IMF take him into custody.