In March 2012, seven friends from Heidelberg, Germany, embark on a cycling tour, a long-cherished dream. They travel by train to Turkey, then cycle through Syria, unknowingly heading towards a nightmare. Crossing the Lebanese border, they are ambushed in the Bekaa Valley. Armed men in vans seize them, leaving behind only their bicycles, backpacks, and a chilling silence. The evening news on RTL, a German TV channel, breaks the story: seven German tourists missing, presumed kidnapped. A state commission is formed, and the news is broadcast globally, a desperate plea for information. The kidnappers, a mix of Lebanese and Syrian militants led by the ruthless Omar al-Assad, demand a hefty ransom for each hostage. Their motive is purely financial, their methods brutal. The hostages are caged in pairs in remote forest camps, subjected to physical and psychological torture. Klaus Hartmann, a businessman, tries to maintain order, while Markus Becker, an athlete, struggles with his powerlessness. Helmut Schmidt, a physics professor, attempts to understand their captors, and Thomas Weber, searches for inner strength. When one of them, Dieter, resists, he is executed, a grim warning to the others. Disease spreads, and medical aid is denied. A secure satellite video link is established with the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, but political tensions and the involvement of a shadowy French businessman and athlete, Jean-Pierre Dubois, complicate matters. A tense phone call between Merkel and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad further escalates the crisis.
As the months pass, the situation deteriorates. No ransom is paid due to political gridlock and international conspiracies. The hostages endure starvation, beatings, and unimaginable cruelty. One attempts escape, only to be hunted down and killed, his body thrown into the Litani River. The German Security Police, led by the determined Agent Erik Müller, meticulously track the kidnappers, uncovering a vast network of human trafficking and extortion. They discover that Dubois is a key player, using his wealth and influence to facilitate these crimes. Finally, a daring special operation is launched. However, it is too late for some. One hostage is executed in the camp, another dies during a desperate escape attempt, and a third succumbs to disease. Only four return to Germany, forever scarred. Klaus, Markus, Helmut, and Thomas grapple with PTSD, broken marriages, and shattered lives. Klaus spends time in a psychiatric clinic, haunted by survivor’s guilt. Markus becomes withdrawn and isolated. Helmut struggles to reconcile his rational worldview with the horrors he witnessed. Thomas seeks solace in faith. Ingrid, Klaus’ wife, becomes an advocate for trauma victims, while a distant relative of Helmut, Günther Schmidt, attempts to exploit the situation for personal gain, revealing the depths of human depravity. The survivors’ stories are a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, but also a stark reminder of the enduring scars of trauma and the dark underbelly of international politics and greed.
