Hole is given his task by Waaler: to kill Sven in custody using a poison capsule, as Waaler's influence is such that he can guarantee that Hole will get away with the murder. Waaler's argument for Sven's murder is that he would get a lenient punishment from the Norwegian judicial system, and that death would be a worthy sentence for his crimes. Hole realizes however that Waaler's desire to kill Sven is born out of a desire to eliminate a potentially dangerous witness to his role in the smuggling ring, and to this end he convinces Sven that he should trust him and not Waaler. He then breaks Sven out of custody with the intention of bringing Waaler to justice. Hole is now a hunted man, his future in the police - and quite possibly his life - depend on his being able to prove Waaler's crimes.