Under Gaddafi, Libya’s international diplomatic relations remain tumultuous. Only the Turkish and Italian ambassadors contact Libyan officials, who claim the government is not involved in the abduction and is searching for the hostages. The Italian ambassador assures Luca that Giovanna will be found unharmed. US and British intelligence agencies are alerted but gather no useful information. Hours pass with no ransom demands, and the story remains unreported in Western media. Samir sits with Mitch at the hospital, reporting that his military police contacts deny government involvement, though he suspects otherwise.

Scully & Pershing decide to evacuate Mitch under the firm’s emergency medical insurance. Jack Ruch arranges the trip to Rome despite Mitch’s protests over leaving Giovanna behind, while Abby also insists that he leave. Early Saturday morning, Mitch is transported to a private airfield where a jet waits. He says goodbye to Samir and is sedated for the flight. After landing in Rome, he is taken to Gemelli Hospital and placed in a private room. Roberto Maggi, a Scully partner, visits Mitch and reports that Luca is shocked and under medical care. Mitch eats and calls Abby to confirm he is safe. So far, the incident has not appeared in US news.

Breaking news report that the four Turkish bodyguards were found near the bridge, decapitated and hanging upside down. In the grueling scene, their heads are displayed in a row on a plank, but there are no signs of Giovanna and the Libyan drivers. Libyan authorities seal the area and release a statement blaming a “tribal gang” from Chad, while promising to find the hostages. 

Mitch and Roberto receive the news and drive to Luca’s villa. Luca does not have any news, and Mitch wonders if Gaddafi is behind the incident. Luca reveals that the five real Libyan checkpoint guards were also found shot and burned. He doubts Gaddafi ordered the attack against his own men, despite the regime owing Lannak $400 million, as Libya has traditionally protected foreign workers.

Luca expresses regret for encouraging Giovanna’s trip, explaining she sought adventure and was tired of London. When Luca takes a phone call, Roberto shows Mitch a viral video of the four dead Turks. Mitch tells him to keep it from Luca. The story becomes a sensation in Britain, and security is increased at Scully’s London office. The US, however, does not show much interest. Luca tells Mitch to return home, noting there is nothing he can do. Roberto shares research showing that female hostages almost always survive captivity, while males face far worse odds. Mitch regrets not being with Giovanna, reminding them that Samir claimed they would be safe. Luca reveals that Samir is unreliable as he works for the Libyan military police. He was supposed to accompany Giovanna but found an excuse to stay behind. Luca warns a confused Mitch to trust no one in Libya.

Mitch flies from Rome to New York, consumed with guilt over the trip and Giovanna’s kidnapping, wondering if she is suffering. He thinks that the bridge visit was unnecessary but was too eager for the adventure. 

Cory Gallant, Scully’s chief of security, meets Mitch at JFK. Mitch asks for any news, and Cory reveals that a second, more graphic video showing the actual chainsaw beheadings has surfaced on the deep web. Cory describes how the guards were forced to watch each other die and strongly advises Mitch not to view it. He reports that US intelligence has no solid information, but early assessments suggest Gaddafi is not directly involved. Cory mentions a 7:00 am security briefing, but Mitch insists he will take his sons to school first.

At home, Mitch has a joyful reunion with Carter and Clark. After the boys go to bed, Abby tells him she learned about the video from a parent at their school. Mitch confirms he knew the murdered guards but will not watch the footage. He assures Abby he will not return to Libya. When she asks if he is worried about their family’s safety, he says the kidnappers are likely a distant tribal gang, and there is no immediate threat. Though the British press has extensively covered the story, Mitch’s name has not yet appeared. He admits feeling responsible since the trip was ultimately his decision, despite Luca’s suggestion.

Days later, Youssef’s body is found hanging from a telephone pole in Benghazi, shot in the head and marked with a note calling him a “traitor.” Samir confirms Youssef’s identity and notifies Lannak and Luca. Only Walid and Giovanna remain. Cory informs Mitch about the news at the office, and they meet with Jack Ruch. Jack instructs Mitch to contact Lannak and the company’s chief lawyer, Denys Tullos. He notes that the Libyans are obstructing efforts to return the guards’ bodies, and Lannak plans to amend the complaint for greater damages. Jack wants Mitch to bring the case into court and says they must ensure Giovanna’s return. 

Cory explains that the firm has hired Crueggal, an elite private intelligence company run by former spies and military officers. Scully also has a secret kidnapping and ransom insurance, and everyone is covered. In a video conference, Darian Kasuch from Crueggal informs them, explaining that while there are many gangs in Libya, they all oppose Gaddafi and often use kidnapping as a way to make money. However, he states that the extreme violence and Youssef’s death near Benghazi suggest something more serious than a criminal gang. He suggests that Gaddafi is not involved because the regime needs foreign investment and has maintained a long history of protecting international workers, despite frequent legal disputes. Kasuch says Crueggal has people investigating in Libya and will provide details in a meeting in Manhattan the next morning. That evening, Mitch returns home and spends time with his sons.

A flashback reveals that Giovanna was 14 when her parents divorced. Luca sent her and her brother, Sergio, to boarding schools abroad to escape his messy divorce with their mother, Anita. The distance turned Giovanna against both her parents. Sergio now lives in Guatemala as a painter. Giovanna’s relationship with her mother is characterized by competition. Giovanna eventually agreed to attend a boarding school to remain at a distance. Over time, Luca reconciled with Giovanna, helped by his financial support of her education and his aid in her law career.

In the present, Luca and Anita sit together with their companions on the veranda. They reminisce about their daughter and their own mistakes, avoiding discussion of her current ordeal. Luca conceals that he encouraged her trip to Libya.

The narrative shifts to Giovanna’s experience. After two nights sleeping on a mat in a desert tent without food, she was moved under cover to a vehicle and driven for hours. She now occupies a small windowless room with a cot, a dim lamp, and a tin pot. A veiled woman brings her food. Giovanna has not been harmed or interrogated. To maintain her sanity, she mentally reviews constitutional law cases from her studies. She recalls being separated from the other hostages after Youssef was shot. Without knowing what has happened, she prays for their safety but fears the worst.

At home, Mitch scours British tabloids, which feature sensationalized stories filled with fabrications about Giovanna’s kidnapping. The papers continue publishing photos of the decapitated Turks and Youssef hanging from the telephone pole. The American media remains focused on Iraq and gives the story minimal coverage. Scully maintains strict silence, threatening employees with severe consequences for unauthorized leaks. Abby only asks for good news, and they make plans for dinner with their children. 

Mitch goes to Crueggal’s heavily secured and monitored, unmarked office in midtown Manhattan for the meeting, and his arrival is filmed by the cameras. Jack and Cory are there for a briefing with Darian Kasuch, who displays maps of southern Libya. Kasuch explains that the region is unstable and filled with anti-Gaddafi revolutionaries. Warlord Adheem Barakat seeks to establish an Islamic state and expel Western interests to control the oil himself. Kasuch shows them a photo of Barakat and describes his recent failed attack on a refinery. The Libyan government captured two of his men, who revealed under torture that Barakat commands thousands of fighters and considers the Gaddafi bridge a target.

Jack Ruch grows impatient with the lack of concrete information. Mitch asks if Kasuch thinks Barakat has Giovanna. Kasuch speculates it is a high possibility and says that Barakat might either demand ransom or commit a violent act—potentially killing Giovanna— as a warning to the world.

Mitch recruits Stephen Stodghill, an ambitious fifth-year associate from Kansas, to replace Giovanna on the Lannak case. The next morning, he finds that Stephen has been working all night in the office and instructs him not to spend more than 16 hours per day on the case. Stephen admits he watched the chainsaw video and now has nightmares. Days pass with no word from the kidnappers.

Nine days after the abduction, Libyan commandos raid a camp near the Chad border, which was believed to be Barakat’s headquarters. The attack is a disaster. Barakat’s forces were prepared with advanced weaponry and shot down two helicopters. After fierce fighting with heavy casualties, the Libyans retreat. To emphasize that Gaddafi is not involved in the kidnappings, Tripoli falsely claims success and leaks a story that the attack was an attempt to rescue Giovanna. However, she was 400 miles away.

Mitch, Jack Ruch, and Benson Wall fly to Washington to meet Senator Elias Lake of New York. Mitch dislikes being on Capitol Hill, feeling it is inefficient. During the meeting, Jack tries to convince the Senator that Giovanna should be treated as an American for diplomatic purposes. Lake confirms the State Department is engaged but has no information, and Barakat remains the prime suspect. He shares classified CIA information, which confirms that the Libyan government’s attack failed. The meeting is abruptly interrupted by staff claiming the senator has other urgent appointments. A subsequent meeting with a former Scully associate, now Legal Adviser to the Secretary of State, proves equally unproductive. Mitch leaves Capitol Hill vowing to avoid future visits.

The United Arbitration Board in Geneva, responsible for many “civil disputes” between governments and corporations across the world,  reschedules a hearing for the Lannak case. Mitch and Stephen fly to Rome to meet Luca, who is visibly deteriorating from illness and stress. They all travel to Geneva and meet the Lannak team: CEO Omar Celik, his son Adem, chief lawyer Denys Tullos, and Swiss lawyer Jens Bitterman. Omar, who has known Luca for 20 years and has met Giovanna, expresses greater concern for her well-being. Tullos reveals that Lannak is funding private security operations in Libya to find her. He also doubts that Gaddafi is behind the incidents but knows he cannot be trusted as the regime loses stability. The team debates modifying the lawsuit to include damages for the murdered Lannak employees but agrees to wait.

At the Palais de Justice, Mitch declines the reporters’ questions. In the courtroom, they encounter the opposing counsel from Reedmore, led by Jerry Robb, the attorney of record for Libya, who asks about Luca and Giovanna.  During the hearing before the judges, Mitch affirms that Lannak is ready for a trial, but Robb requests a delay in light of current events. When asked if  Lannak will ask for additional damages, Mitch deflects, noting the fluid situation in Libya. The judge then requests summaries of the expert testimonies, and Mitch begins what he suspects will be a tedious recitation.

Two London newspapers report little progress on the case at the Geneva hearing. The papers feature photos that identify Mitch as a Scully partner, which he expected but makes him concerned. On May 1st, Walid’s body is found hanging from a tree south of Tripoli, tortured and killed, just like Youssef. A note was also attached to his body, labeling him a traitor.  The video of the murder also surfaces on the deep web. Giovanna is now the only remaining hostage.

After another unproductive conference call with Crueggal, Mitch complains to Jack about the lack of progress, and Jack notes they must wait.  On the morning of May 4, Riley Casey’s secretary in the London office receives a cryptic message directing him to check his spam folder. Riley is Scully’s managing partner in London, who had hired Giovanna in the firm. In his spam emails, Riley finds an anonymous email containing a proof-of-life photo of Giovanna holding that day’s edition of “Ta Nea,” a Greek newspaper. The photo confirms she is alive but includes no message or demands. Cory calls Mitch to share the news.

The following morning, a bomb explodes in the mailroom of Scully’s small Athens office. The incendiary device starts a fire that completely destroys it, but no one is injured. By noon, Greek authorities declare it arson. The Athens managing partner calls New York with the grim update.