Sicily, in the 1990s, opens with the fallout from the killings of deputy prosecutor Rizzo and carabinieri marshal Virzì. Michele De Francesco arrives in Trapani to take up a delicate, dangerous assignment, accompanied by an escort whose dynamics will define the case. His team includes Angelo Mandolesi, a local hardwired to justice and a friend of the slain marshal; Andrea Corsale, the capable head of the Trapani escort; Fabio Muzzi, a Roman who does not easily accept the risky task; and the two drivers, Raffaele Frasca and Nicola Torre. The group moves through a labyrinth of danger, duty, and shifting loyalties as they begin their arduous daily routine of phone checks, perilous car journeys, and threats that come with stepping into a nest of corruption.
As De Francesco begins to dig into the city’s water supply and the construction of a large dam, he uncovers dangerous collusions between the mafia, politics, and law enforcement. The web is woven around key figures such as Nestore Bonura, an influential MP, along with the deputy prefect Scavone and the boss Mazzaria. The decision to close the wells that feed Trapani ignites a public scandal, and De Francesco responds by strengthening the escort’s authority, effectively pulling power away from the Prosecutor’s Office. In this tense pivot, the seemingly loyal staff, including the ambiguous Polizzi, become suspect as the investigation deepens.
Initial frictions between Angelo Mandolesi and Andrea give way to a growing, bond-like friendship among the men, forged through grueling days of relentless checks, dangerous drives, and the ever-present threat of violence. The tension peaks when the judge’s daughter—Lia Corsale in Trapani to celebrate her father’s birthday—survives a bomb attack that targets the car she was meant to travel in, a moment that reverberates through the escort. In the aftermath, Raffaele Frasca is killed, a stark reminder of the stakes at hand.
The pursuit continues as the mafia answer with more violence, leading to the killing of Bonura by Cosa Nostra, while the steadfast judge Luigi Barresi of Caltanissetta stays silent. The escort, now aligned with the magistrate, remains by De Francesco’s side with a fierce loyalty, even as Fabio contemplates giving up his long-anticipated transfer. Yet the arc of the investigation faces a new twist when a judiciary order transfers the judge, accusing him of using the escort beyond his prescribed duties, disrupting public order and straining the prestige of the Prosecutor’s staff.
Forced by the mounting pressure and the weight of the case, De Francesco makes a difficult, final move toward the mainland. He is greeted by the escort, a band that has, through fear and resolve, never betrayed him. The story closes on a note of resolve and caution, underscored by the enduring tension between justice and the forces that threaten it. The endurance and quiet courage of those around De Francesco illuminate a landscape where friendship, duty, and the cost of truth collide in a relentless, high-stakes pursuit.
