The Bieszczady Mountains were meant to be a refuge for Wiktor Forst. He has holed up in a small village, where an old woman gives him bed and board; in return, he looks after her smallholding and her crumbling cottage. He has left everything and everyone behind, unable to come to terms with what he has lost for ever. Crushed by grief, he wanted to cease to exist, and the remote wilds of the Bieszczady seemed ideal for that. Until now. Bodies that cannot be identified have begun to turn up in the area, each with an unknown symbol burnt between the eyes. The local police cannot cope with the case, the investigation has stalled, and more victims keep appearing in the mountains. Appeals through official channels go unanswered, and for some reason police headquarters refuses to help. The only one who can offer assistance is a certain inspector in exile…