Marco and Eliza had been dreaming of a vacation on the Atlantic coast for a whole year. They arrived on the island of Tenerife, looking forward to silence, sun, and a complete reboot.

The first few days were calm: sea, cocktails, sunsets. On the fifth day, they decided to go to a secluded beach, hidden from tourists. There was almost no one there – just a wild coastline and a couple of fishermen in the distance.

Marco spread out a towel, Eliza lay down under an umbrella, and soon dozed off. She woke up from a scream. Marco was standing in waist-deep water, calling her, waving his arms. She ran up – he pulled out a strange object from the water, wrapped in tarpaulin and ropes.

At first they thought it was trash, but the fabric was too thick. They unwrapped the package and recoiled in horror. There was a body inside. A woman. A blonde girl, about their age. Her face was squeezed in flour, her hands were tied. Eliza screamed. Marco tried to cover the body, but the wave knocked the tarpaulin down again. They called the police. Half an hour later, the beach was filled with investigators and locals. The couple was questioned, their passports were taken. An investigation began. They were placed in another hotel under surveillance. The first report appeared on the news: the body of a tourist who had gone missing two weeks ago had been found. The name matched one of the wanted German citizens. The police reported that she was connected to the case of the disappearance of three young people who had been on holiday in the area a year ago. No one was found then. Cameras at the airport recorded the girl in the company of a man whose face has not yet been identified. A day after the discovery, a note was thrown into Marco and Elisa’s room: “You found the wrong thing.” The threats began. Their Instagram accounts were hacked. In the evening, someone tried to enter their room. Elisa was crying, Marco did not sleep all night with a knife in his hand. In the morning, they were provided with security. Two days later, the police found a second bundle — another body. All the evidence pointed to an underground network preying on tourists. Journalists from around the world stormed the beach. Marco and Elisa’s photos made the covers. They were recognized as witnesses in the case of an international criminal group. They were offered protection and a change of name. A week later, they left the island under guard. Neither relatives nor friends knew where they were. Rumor had it that the couple had gone to Canada. Others claimed that they were being hidden in Spain. But the photos from the beach and the faces of Marco and Elisa’s terror spread around the world. People wrote in the comments: “They have seen hell.” It became one of the most discussed topics of the year. The Netflix documentary became a hit. But no one ever found out who was behind the disappearance network. And Marco and Elisa… disappeared.