When Naomi Shaffer gets kidnapped in South Africa on business, Dominic King, a kidnap and ransom negotiator, is responsible for bringing her home. With the help of his colleagues, Dominic quickly establishes that the kidnappers are amateur street kids and out of their depth. Haunted by memories of his previous negotiation failing, he is keen to secure Naomi's swift release. Despite having to leave his family again so soon, he flies to Cape Town to appease the kidnappers' demand by promising $100,000 in cash. Everything seems to be going smoothly but at the handover things go horribly wrong.

With Naomi still being held hostage, a local South African policeman, Inspector Lanning, is keen to join forces with Dominic to solve this case, but Dominic is wary. The amateur kidnappers have been superseded by a group that is much more professional, with a mysterious British man, Willard, in charge. After tough negotiations with Dominic, Willard agrees to release Naomi and Dominic brings Naomi home. Meanwhile, Dominic's demanding job is straining his relationship with his wife, Sophie and daughter, Tess. Dominic keeps an eye on Naomi after her return, suspecting she's holding something back and late one night the kidnappers strike again.

Dominic's fears for Naomi are proved correct when he finds out that her daughter Sally has been kidnapped. It quickly becomes clear that Willard is after something far more lucrative than money. Dominic allows the police to become involved but they underestimate the intelligence of the kidnappers, with shocking results. Dominic also has his own family crisis when Tess leaves home but he has little time to put things right. Willard will only deal with Dominic so he decides to go it alone to get Sally back. But can he get hold of what they're demanding? Who exactly is Willard working with? And at the handover, can Dominic really let him go?

New three-part drama. International hostage negotiator Dominic King is in Srinagar, Kashmir, negotiating the release of the Mehtas, a British Asian family kidnapped while on holiday visiting their son Mahavir. As the handover is completed, the police make an unwanted appearance and a shoot-out ensues. The kidnappers, Anwar and Leela, get away with Mahavir and in their panic they board a tourist bus, taking all of the passengers hostage. Dominic has to negotiate with the kidnappers while trying to convince the police not to attack. Meanwhile in Manchester, Beth Cooper sees the coach on the news. Realising her husband and parents are hostages, she decides to travel to Srinagar immediately. When police arrest members of Anwar's family, he threatens to kill a hostage an hour until they are released. Dominic persuades Anwar to give him until dawn to get his family released but the situation escalates when he and Carrie realise who else is on the bus.

Just as Anwar is about to kill the first hostage, Dominic shows him proof that his family have been temporarily released. Dominic must now negotiate the release of the hostages, before anyone discovers that the British Foreign Secretary's daughter, Flo, is on board. As Flo is starting to leave the bus a police sniper takes a shot at Anwar, who panics and drives the bus away. When the police track down the coach they find that the kidnappers, Flo and Shaun are missing. Mahavir, having been released, seems keen to find out what is happening with Flo so he goes to see Carrie at her hotel. Dominic is surprised when Leela calls him, willing to release Flo if she can return to Britain. Dominic knows Anwar will be advertising Flo for sale and he has little time. He arrives to collect Flo and Leela but they are gone, and there is a further shock waiting for him when he returns to his hotel.

Last in series. After all attempts to negotiate the release of the Foreign Secretary's daughter Flo and British tourist Shaun Cooper have come to nothing, Dominic makes a shocking discovery. Angela decides that he needs back-up and arrives in Srinagar without delay. Dominic makes contact with one of the kidnappers, Anwar, who reveals that his co-conspirator Leela has disappeared, leaving him with Shaun. Realising that someone else must be involved, Dominic searches Carrie's belongings and works out that Leela must be working with Mahavir, who was the very first kidnap 'victim'. Determined to get both hostages released together, Dominic betrays the Foreign Secretary's trust and takes a big risk by playing Mahavir and Anwar off against each other. He plans to arrange a meeting in a forest and persuade the kidnappers to release Shaun and Flo in exchange for the ransom money. However, if Dominic's idea fails, yet more lives will be put in jeopardy.