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Ed Killifer was a fictional DEA agent and colleague of Felix Leiter, who turned traitor when he accepted a $2 million bribe to free drug baron Franz Sanchez from U.S. custody. The character appeared in the 1989 James Bond film Licence to Kill, portrayed by American actor, Everett McGill, and was also featured in John Gardner's accompanying novelization.[1]

Biography[]

Evading Sanchez[]

"Sorry, ol' buddy, but two mil's a helluva chunk o' dough."
― Ed Killifer to Felix Leiter[src]

Killifer is first introduced to British agent James Bond at the wedding of Felix and Della Leiter. Earlier that day, Bond and Leiter captured Franz Sanchez in American airspace, to which Killifer congratulates the pair. He was previously seen in a detention center, intimidating Sanchez. Killifer mockingly remarks to Sanchez he made the mistake of setting foot in the United States, and this is not South America where Sanchez could offer a one million dollar bribe and be on his merry way. Sanchez then calmly up his ante, offering two million dollars to the person who liberates him. Apparently infuriated, the DEA agent has to be restrained by his colleague Hawkins, and angrily states that the drug lord has a prison cell awaiting him in Quantico.

Sanchez is next seen as a prisoner in an armored car transporting him from Florida to Virginia, with Killifer accompanying Sanchez in the passenger seat of the cab. Without warning, Killifer takes his shotgun and buttstrokes the driver. This causes the driver to recoil in pain and lose control of the armored car, which plunges off Seven Mile Bridge into the deep waters of Key West. Sanchez and Killifer then escape in a Shark Hunter II submersible, courtesy of Sanchez's associate, Milton Krest.

Confrontation with James Bond[]

"There's two million dollars in that suitcase. I'll split it with you."
"You earned it. You keep it, old buddy.
"
― Ed Killifer and James Bond[src]

Upon arriving at Krest's Ocean Exotica warehouse, Sanchez honors his bargain and pays the DEA agent with a suitcase full of cash. Krest, concerned that Killifer has seen too much, suggests that he be killed; but is rebuked by Sanchez who notes that loyalty is more important to him than money. Entering into the murky world of drug lord justice, Killifer is present at the maiming of his colleague Felix Leiter and watches as he is slowly lowered into a Shark Tank. Leiter, having recently been widowered due to Sanchez's men failing to kill him in an earlier hit, but managing to kill Della, is aghast that Killifer conspired with Sanchez. Killifer selfishly remarks that two million is too good a deal to ignore. Waiting to be picked up at Krest's warehouse, Killifer hears gunshots outside the office and finds that James Bond has disposed of two guards. Holding 007 at gunpoint with a revolver, he opens the same trap door which was used in the dunking of Leiter. Before he can shoot Bond or usher him into the pond, he is knocked off balance by Leiter's fisherman friend Sharkey, who emerges from another trap door directly below him. Bond seizes the opportunity and punches him into the shark pond. As he dangles from a rope over the water, Killifer offers to split the bribe money with Bond if he saves him. The spy refuses, telling him "You earned it. You keep it, old buddy." and coldly slings the case of money at him. This causes Ed Killifer to lose his balance, knocking him into the shark pondwhere he is killed by the same shark who mauled the man he sold out for a fast buck.

Behind the scenes[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Killifer is partly inspired by The Robber from the Live and Let Die novel. In the novel, Robber is responsible for Felix Leiter's mauling by Sharks. When Bond has Robber above a opened trap door to a shark tank, the latter taunts Bond about Leiter, which causes Bond to shove Robber into the shark tank.

References[]

  1. Gardner, John [1989]. in Orion: Licence to Kill (in English). Kent: Coronet. ISBN 1409135764. 

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