As Blacksad prepares to travel to Niagara Falls, the FBI arrests him and plant fake evidence in Litvak's death. He is interrogated by the demagogue Senator Gallo about Otto's current location. After he is released, Blacksad confronts Gotfield and learns that he betrayed Alma in order to win Senator Gallo's patronage and become part of a selected group of people who will be evacuated to a special government shelter in the event of a nuclear war. Finding proof in Gotfield's safe, Blacksad uses it to blackmail Senator Gallo into dropping his frame-up. The government fakes Otto's death and allows him to leave the country. Blacksad gives the proof to Weekly in a sealed envelope, with instructions to publish the contents if anything happens to him.