The past is the worst prison. In 1954, World War II is long over - yet the old enemies refuse to give up. Bernie Gunther has found himself in Cuba. However, with his unmistakable Berlin stubbornness, he has managed to get caught in the crossfire once again. During an escape attempt, he is captured by the CIA and taken to Guantánamo: he is to help the Americans apprehend Stasi official Erich Mielke, or he faces execution. At the same time, the French are demanding his extradition. They want him to identify a war criminal he supposedly met as a prisoner of war in Russia. Deeply entangled in a web of national interests, Gunther is in danger of being caught up by his past...