An outspoken television personality, John Tanner (Rutger Hauer) has an annual tradition of going away with three college buddies. However, when Tanner is informed that these friends - Bernard Osterman (Craig T. Nelson), Richard Tremayne (Dennis Hopper) and Joseph Cardone (Chris Sarandon) - are part of a Soviet spy network, it adds considerable conflict to their getaway, a tension heightened by an enigmatic spy named Lawrence Fassett (John Hurt), who has unclear motives.