Agent provocateur Verloc is employed by a foreign embassy to stir up political activity amongst political dissidents who have sought asylum in the relatively free atmosphere of Britain. Tolerated because they pose no real threat, the group is ready to condemn the government, but too lazy to commit to any acts of violence. Keen to provoke the British rule, the embassy enlists Verloc to organize an act of terrorism which will be blamed on the anarchists. Verloc masquerades as a pornographic bookshop owner in the muddy heart of London, living with his unsuspecting wife Winnie and her brother Stevie. Wishing for a happier life for her beloved yet troubled brother, Winnie settled on Verloc. However, when Verloc's mission goes horribly wrong, the repercussions for all are tragically different from those the agent provocateur ever intended.