"Don't shoot!" Dmitri yelled. "It's our own people!"
He wasn't even certain it was a comrade, but there was only one black shadow moving through the fog. No enemy would be so foolish as to charge the trench alone.
Dmitri's quick reaction likely saved the man's life. The Soviet soldiers were all inexperienced, fingers tight on triggers under high tension. One shot could have triggered a deadly cascade of random fire.
Thanks to Dmitri's warning, the soldiers restrained themselves.
"Who goes there?" Pukarev shouted at the shadow.
There was no response. The figure stumbled forward a few steps and collapsed, tumbling to the ground.
Pukarev gestured, and two soldiers rushed forward. Gunfire erupted from somewhere in the fog, but the bullets posed no real threat. The two men managed to drag the shadow safely back to the trench.
It was a boy, barely holding himself upright, dressed in a Soviet uniform.
"Who are you?" Pukarev asked.
"Military music platoon of the 333rd Infantry Regiment!" the boy gasped. "My name is Peter, and I bring orders from Commissar Fumin at the central fortress!"
Dmitri's eyes widened. Orders from Fumin? Surely this would make them stick to their positions…
But he was wrong.
Peter Jr. delivered the message to Major Gavrilov.
"At seven o'clock tonight, three red signal flares. Break out to the north at the same time!"
The order lit a spark of relief in Major Gavrilov. He immediately relayed it.
"Prepare to break out tonight!"
The troops repeated the command, voices full of anticipation.
"Prepare to break out at night!"
Dmitri felt a surge of satisfaction. This was exactly the timing he had wanted. But the night breakout came with unintended consequences.
"Wait—night?" a soldier muttered. "Didn't you say reinforcements would come by morning?"
"At least by evening!" another argued. "It's not even certain if anyone will arrive tonight!"
Uncertainty is the enemy of morale. Soldiers left in limbo feel cheated and betrayed. Major Gavrilov's promise yesterday—meant to inspire hope—now risked backfiring spectacularly. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
Rumors spread quickly.
"Are you still listening to lies? There will be no reinforcements. The Germans already hit Minsk. The major is just lying to make us fight!"
"It's useless. There are Germans everywhere. Breaking out means death!"
If only one or two soldiers voiced such doubts, it could be handled. The instructor's usual methods—detaining dissenters—would suffice.
But when groups of soldiers shared the same disillusionment, arresting them all would be suicidal. The instructor's methods were powerless.
Major Gavrilov rushed to the front lines to stabilize the troops.
"Comrades!" he shouted. "We've adjusted our plans. Tonight, we will break out—"
"We want the truth, Comrade Major!" someone interrupted. "Are we surrounded by Germans?"
"Are there no reinforcements?" another demanded.
"Has our army been defeated?"
The officer was blindsided. Soldiers openly questioning orders—interrupting a superior—was unprecedented.
But under extreme circumstances, it was only natural.
In war, the stakes are life and death. Soldiers fight for survival, not regulations. When hope falters, they unite only to protect themselves. Authority matters less when everyone knows death is a possibility.
The instructor accompanying Major Gavrilov could not contain himself. Hand on his pistol, he barked, "Who allowed you to say such words? These are German lies! It's traitors among us, trying to divide us—"
But the soldiers' angry stares silenced him. Normally arrogant and domineering, he could not speak another word.
Such mutinies were not uncommon in the Soviet army. Entire units sometimes turned on political officers and surrendered to the Germans.
Dmitri, observing the scene, groaned inwardly. Conflicts among their own soldiers could be deadly. If these men failed, they could die—or become prisoners under the Germans, starving, sick, and exhausted.
Without hesitation, Dmitri stood.
"Comrades! I know the situation!"
All eyes turned to him.
Dmitri had a unique status. He was technically just a soldier—one of them. But he was a tank-busting hero. Soldiers respected courage, and he had just uncovered vital supplies to feed and heal them. That earned him their attention.
"You know the situation? Tell us!"
Dmitri glanced at Major Gavrilov, who nodded in silent approval. There was no other choice.
"You are right." Dmitri said firmly. "We are surrounded. The Germans have penetrated deep into Soviet territory. Reinforcements will not come!"
His words struck like a bomb. The soldiers erupted into murmurs, disbelief, and tension. Even Major Gavrilov was taken aback—he had not expected Dmitri to admit the truth so directly.