Karen Hobart is a flight attendant looking forward to her first jaunt in Europe. The flight leg leaves her for some exploration time in Frankfurt, Germany. Unknown to them, the driver of the van who picks up the flight crew for the hotel run is a terrorist intent on holding them as hostages. He is a member of "The October Gang". The hostages will be used as bargaining chips in seeking the release of two of their members who are currently facing extradition for the murder of an American officer. Karen is selected as the hostage spokesperson to make a video appeal for the group's demands. Karen's parents learn about her captivity from the media wanting a statement about how they are coping with their daughter's plight. German and US Department of State officials are woefully uninformative. Karen's dad, Paul, does get them to admit that they do not negotiate with terrorists, not wanting to encourage similar incidents in the future. Frustrated with the situation, Paul and his wife Barbara head to Frankfurt to see if they can shake things loose. A reporter, Max Greenwald, befriends them and tries to intercede on their behalf. But little progress is being made. Then Paul is contacted by a former SAS agent named Vickers. He states that for $35,000 he can rescue Karen. Paul agrees on the condition that he can accompany Vickers during his operations. Vickers eventually agrees. Vickers's plan is to take their own hostage, Albert, the brother of the terrorist leader Wolfgang Donner. Using Albert as leverage, step by step they are able to trace gang members to the hostage holding location.
—Garon Smith