Horst Filipiak runs the “Złote runo” agency, which claims to recruit workers for Brazilian plantations. In reality, it’s a front for human trafficking and forced labor. Filipiak’s men abduct Bednarski’s friend, journalist Lenz, who had been investigating the agency’s shady dealings. They also capture Jerzy, the son of a Polish torpedo engineer. Filipiak hands Jerzy over to German intelligence, which offers his father, engineer Stawicki, a deal: hand over plans for a new torpedo in exchange for his son’s release. Captain Mokrowiecki from Polish counterintelligence turns to Bednarski for help.
Set in the late 1930s in the Free City of Gdańsk, the series follows Bednarski, a private detective considered the best in his field—evidenced by his brief collaboration with Polish intelligence. Each episode presents a standalone story, united by the central character and the broader historical backdrop: the fate of Gdańsk, Poland, Europe, and the world as they edge inexorably toward World War II.
