Army colonel Gabriele Moresco and twelve of his soldiers occupy a hospital in Sicily, Italy, taking every patient and doctor as hostages and giving an ultimatum to the government: if they won't admit their role in hiding proof of the use of depleted uranium in the Balkan Wars and the subsequent countless cases of cancer among Italian soldiers in 56 hours, all the hostages will be killed. Negotiator Paolo Manfredi is called to save the hostages, not knowing that his wife and daughter are among them.