The young parents Anna and Louis Bürger want to finally get their lives back on track – steady work for both of them, no more parties, no more drugs and a nice home for their twelve-year-old son Tim. But when a neighbor, police officer Jan Landrock, is found beaten to death in front of their house and Dresden detectives Gorniak and Winkler investigate, Louis, who has a criminal record, is soon suspected of the crime. Louis can persuade Anna to release him from custody. Together with Tim, who is in the care of the youth welfare office, they want to get away abroad and start a new life there. But when they want to pick up Tim at the children’s home, the detectives are faster than them. The flight attempt turns into an unplanned kidnapping. Louis and Anna barricade themselves with Tim, the director Lehmann and 17-year-old Nico in the kitchen of the orphanage. Winkler, Gorniak and Commissariat Manager Schnabel work feverishly on a strategy to de-escalate the situation and make Louis give up. But as long as the real murderer of Landrock is not caught, Louis remains willing to do whatever it takes. Commissioner Winkler breaks into the orphanage and risks her life.