The thrilling adventure of four people who survive an airplane crash in the desolate reaches of western China. Fritz and Betta, German clothing designers, and Tegh, a Mongolian Uighur student, are expelled from China under suspicion of anti-government activities. Steve, an American forced to leave his NGO work by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is on the flight by happenstance. Thrown together by fate, the four strangers find themselves traveling the hazardous route of the ancient Silk Road as they head west, hoping to elude the Chinese officials who have declared them fugitives and find safety in Kazakhstan, more than 2,300 miles away. Amid the backdrop of international tensions, the four survivors lay clever false trails by hitchhiking, boarding trains, and riding rickety busses. They rely on the kindness of common folks who offer them a helping hand as they wend their way to the safety of Kazakhstan where they are faced with the daunting task of sneaking unnoticed across an international border, making a final gamble that will either deliver them to freedom--or the depths of a Chinese prison from which they might never emerge.