A retired major of intelligence service and currently a member of a kidnapping gang falls in love with one of the hostages.
A nice young girl suddenly reminds him of his lifelong sweetheart. He recalls a prima of one of the Moscow City theaters mittening him when he was a young lieutenant.
He has been in love with her for the whole of his life and hoped to be loved, too. However, he never met her again. He saw her victories and defeats, triumph and decline. And now loneliness became the only partner in his life. However, a new or maybe just forgotten feeling arises towards his hostage or just another woman he hoped to be loved by for the whole of his life. Negotiations as to the ransom stalled and it appeared that the girl's father decided to get rid of her. A hostage and a hangman became dependent on each other. A girl is in his grasp and at the same time the only human being ready to act as his confessor. A hangman repents his sins and describes his criminal life. This confession becomes his penance and a decision to save her his satisfaction.
However, satisfaction is much more expensive. Having saved the life of his hostage a hangman was forced to lay down his own.