They were thirteen on their escape, now there are only five left. A group of illegal migrants was abandoned by ruthless traffickers in the steppe east of the Carpathians. They won't know for a long time whether they have truly crossed the borders of their country. In the fictional city of Michailopol somewhere in Eastern Europe, lawlessness and corruption prevail. Pontus Beg is the police commissioner there. He has a secure job, an apartment, and regular sex, but something essential is missing. The policeman and the refugees - what are they searching for, and what would be worth finding? "Gripping, intelligent, and convincing," Tommy Wieringa tells a story of times of upheaval in Europe.