The action takes place in the early 21st century in the Pankisi Gorge. Band formations have emerged between Ichkeria and Georgia. Border guards have discovered that the militants are planning to illegally cross the Russian-Georgian border. Captain Merkuryev takes a defensive position on one of the passes and, at the cost of his team's lives, resists the militants. In the clash, Merkuryev encounters a man who will become his fiercest enemy...