In summer 1943 during the Nazi occupation of Luxembourg, the young 'deserter' Emil Schwirtz kills two German gendarmes.At the time of this shooting his friend Felix Lux is killed by the Nazis. More than 500 German police officers and soldiers scour the villages of Eschdorf and Heiderscheid to find the 'deserter' Emil and his colleagues. Twenty hostages are designated to be killed by the Nazis if the culprits are not taken.
