He has escaped the horrors of the battlefields, but in the dark alleys of Vienna, evil catches up with him. Vienna, shortly after the end of World War I: The glory of the former world metropolis is a thing of the past, and the city is sinking into hunger and misery. Police agent August Emmerich, who has been made an invalid by a shrapnel wound, discovers the body of an alleged suicide. As an experienced investigator, he does not trust the circumstances. Since he cannot present any evidence and his superior does not believe in a murder, he and his young assistant conduct their own inquiries. A gripping chase through a dark, post-war Vienna plagued by turmoil begins, and soon Emmerich himself is in deadly danger.