The Steppe Wolves, a criminal gang headed by the Volkov family, controls the town of Stepnye Kurgany. Young cop Andrey Demov comes here to investigate the disappearance of his friend and colleague Alexander Nefyodov. At the same time, Ivan Volkov nicknamed "the Cat", the main suspect in the case, is released from detention. He is also trying to find out who is behind Nefyodov's disappearance. To get ahead in his investigation Dymov is forced to play by the gang's rules and compromise. To make matters worse, his fiancee Katya falls for Ivan Volkov, heir to the crime family.