Seeking to exact revenge on James Bond (007) for killing SPECTRE's agent, Dr. No, the organisation's expert planner, Kronsteen, devises a plan to manipulate him into stealing a Lektor cryptographic device from the Soviets. SPECTRE's leader, NumberÂ 1, puts Rosa Klebb, an ex-SMERSH operative and the organisation's Number 3, in charge of the mission. Klebb recruits Donald "Red" Grant, ordering him to protect Bond until he acquires the Lektor, before killing him for it and bringing the device back to SPECTRE so they can sell it back to the Soviets. To further assist the scheme, Klebb recruits Tatiana Romanova, a cipher clerk at the Soviet consulate in Istanbul, whom she fools into thinking that she is still working for SMERSH. In London, M informs Bond that Romanova has contacted their "Station 'T'" in Turkey, offering to defect with a Lektor, which both MI6 and the CIA have been after for years. However, Romanova's message states that she will only defect if brought back by Bond, whose photo she had supposedly found in a Soviet intelligence file. Prior to his departure, Bond is supplied with an attachÃ© case containing a concealed knife, concealed gold sovereigns, and a special tear gas booby trap connected to the lock mechanism, along with an Armalite AR-7 rifle.
After travelling to Istanbul, Bond heads into the city to meet with station head Ali Kerim Bey, tailed by Bulgarians working for the Russians. They are in turn tailed by Grant, who kills one of them after Bond is taken back to his hotel, stealing their car and dumping it outside the Soviet consulate to implicate Kerim Bey. After Karim Bey luckily escapes a limpet mine attempt on his life, he assists Bond the following day to spy on the Soviet consulate. Upon learning that a rival agent, Krilencu, has recently returned and suspecting he was behind the attack on his life, Kerim Bey declares it unwise to stay in the city and takes Bond with him to a rural gypsy settlement. However, Krilencu learns of this and promptly attacks with his men. While Kerim Bey is wounded in the attack, Bond narrowly avoids being killed by being secretly saved by Grant. The following night, Bond and Kerim Bey track down Krilencu to his hideout and kill him with Bond's rifle.
Upon returning to his hotel suite that night, Bond finds Romanova waiting for him in his bed and sleeps with her; neither are aware of SPECTRE filming them. The next day, Romanova heads off for a pre-arranged rendezvous at Hagia Sophia to drop off the floor plans for the consulate, with Grant ensuring Bond receives the plans by killing the other Bulgarian tail who attempts to intercept the drop. Using the plans, Bond and Kerim Bey successfully steal the Lektor and, together with Romanova, escape with the device onto the Orient Express. On the train, Kerim Bey quickly notices a Soviet security officer named Benz tailing them, prompting him and Bond to subdue him. When Bond leaves Benz and Kerim Bey alone together, Grant kills them, and makes it appear as though they killed each other, preventing Bond from leaving the train with Romanova to rendezvous with one of Kerim's men. At the next station, Bond passes on word of Kerim Bey's death, and requests for an agent from Station Y to meet him at Zagreb. However, when the train arrives at the station, Grant intercepts Nash, sent from Station Y, killing him before posing as him. After drugging Romanova at dinner, Grant overcomes Bond, before taunting him about SPECTRE's involvement in the theft. After disclosing that Romanova was unaware of what was truly going on, believing she was working for Russia, Grant reveals to Bond his plans to leave behind the film SPECTRE took of him and Romanova in the hotel, along with a forged blackmail letter, to make it appear that their deaths were the result of a murder-suicide. Bond quickly convinces him to accept a bribe of gold sovereigns in exchange for a final cigarette, tricking Grant into setting off the booby trap in his attachÃ© case. In the ensuing struggle, Bond narrowly gains the upper hand, stabbing Grant with the case's concealed knife before strangling him with his own garrotte. At dawn, Romanova, having recovered, leaves the train with Bond, whereupon they hijack Grant's getaway truck and drive to a dock, taking a moored boat Grant planned to use.
Upon hearing the news of Grant's death, Number 1 summons Kronsteen and Klebb to remind them that SPECTRE does not tolerate failure, before having Kronsteen executed. Klebb, given one final chance to complete the mission, is instructed to get back the Lektor before Bond returns to Britain. Klebb sends a SPECTRE agent named Morzeny, to intercept Bond with a squadron of SPECTRE's boats. However, Bond escapes by releasing his boat's gasoline drums and detonating them with a signal flare which engulfs his pursuer's boats in flames. Eventually, he and Romanova reach Venice and check into a hotel. While discussing his mission's success, Klebb, disguised as a maid, attempts to steal the Lektor. Struggling with Bond, she tries to kill him with a gun and then a poisoned toe-spike concealed in her shoe, until Romanova shoots her. In the final scene, Bond throws the bedroom film of himself and Romanova into the water as they motorboat down the canal.
Who helps Bond spy on the Soviet consulate?
Karim Bey