The events take place in a small provincial town called Steppe Mounds. The local residents live in fear of a criminal group calling themselves the "Steppe Wolves." The gang is led by the Volkov family. A young and ambitious investigator named Andrey Dymov is sent to this town on a business trip. He is occupied with the search for his mysteriously disappeared friend and partner, Alexander Nefedov. At the same time, a person suspected of being involved in Nefedov's disappearance is released from detention.