KIDNAPPED

At a concert in Rome, masked men abduct the daughter of a German multimillionaire. Young activists are trying to bring an uncomfortable truth to light, and they will only negotiate with Karla Lorenz. It is up to her to prevent an imminent escalation.

Karla Lorenz (played by Natalia Wörner) arrives in Rome just in time to be caught up in a kidnapping: Ines Felting, 18, the daughter of property developer Robert Felting, 61, is performing as a singer in the "Teatro Nove Occupato", when a group of masked and heavily armed men storm the stage. Nikolaus Tanz is in the audience and tries to intervene. But he too is taken by the men along with Ines.

Karla is thrown. A kidnapped German citizen, the daughter of an influential businessman, is a tough situation in itself but, that Nikolaus has also been taken, her colleague of many years who has long since become a good friend, this makes it all the more difficult. And what do the kidnappers want? Is Nikolaus just extra baggage for them, will they try to get rid of him as quickly as possible? Karla does everything she can to save them both – risking diplomatic ill-will from the Italians. She is supported by Luisa Franchetti, 32, an ambitious police officer with the German Federal Criminal Office (BKA), who works at the embassy as a liaison to the Italian police. Karla quickly brings her into the crisis team. Jan Horava is also visiting from Prague and is by Karla's side.

Nikolaus comes to in a derelict building at an old farmstead, being worked by left-wing activists. Nikolaus quickly realizes that something is off: Ines knows the kidnappers! She has planned her own kidnapping and is allied with Enzo, 24, the head of the group. Enzo lost his little sister in a tragic incident: A building in the "Desiderio" residential project collapsed, burying many people under the rubble, including a group of kindergarten children. Ines' father was responsible for the building. She believes, as do Enzo and the other activists, that there was a problem with the building – one that was covered up after the disaster. Now they want to force Ines' father to make the evidence public. And they are demanding millions of euro, to compensate the victims ...

For her part, Karla is trying to uncover the background to the kidnapping. Why is Robert Felting staying silent? Why is he not doing everything he can to save his daughter? He and his wife are scared for Ines – but clearly, they have a lot more to lose as well. Karla sticks to her guns. And makes some powerful enemies in the process: These include the Italian Minister of the Interior, who belongs to a right-wing populist party and is weaponizing the kidnapping to use against his opponents on the left of the political divide. To complicate matters further, Felting, the property developer, is financed by the Vatican bank, whose business practices have frequently been called into question and whose role in this drama is somewhat murky … When police violence against left-wing demonstrators escalates in Rome, the mood also tips at the remote farmstead. The fake kidnapping becomes very real. And Karla decides on a risky plan.