The gunshots weren't from the Germans—they came from their own side.
Dmitri realized this instantly from the direction of the fire. His heart sank. German gunfire was expected; the shots from their own soldiers meant trouble.
Sure enough, news arrived from the other end:
"Someone ran away—they surrendered to the Germans!"
"Third battalion. Eight soldiers in total, three were killed."
"Cowards!"
While the other Soviet soldiers cursed the deserters, Dmitri paled at the news. Matvey immediately understood the implications and turned to him.
"Comrade squad leader, what should we do?"
Dmitri knew exactly what he meant. A few deserters wouldn't seem like a big deal, but they knew the breakout was scheduled for seven o'clock that evening. The direction—north toward the forest—was no secret. To curry favor with the Germans, these deserters would inevitably reveal their plans.
"Report to Comrade Major!" Dmitri ordered.
"Yes, Comrade!" Matvey ran off, returning moments later as Major Gavrilov himself arrived.
The soldiers quickly relayed the situation.
"Major, some soldiers surrendered to the Germans!"
"They might give away our plans!"
"The Germans could set a trap for us!"
Even among the chaos, sense prevailed.
"From now on!" Major Gavrilov barked. "All commanders are to monitor your soldiers closely. No one is to escape under any circumstances!"
"Yes, Major!" the soldiers responded.
It was necessary—but it wasn't a complete solution.
"The battalion commanders will meet at headquarters." Gavrilov added, his tone sharper now. "We'll discuss a solution."
As they walked, Najor Gavrilov called over his shoulder.
"Dmitri"
"Yes, Comrade Major!" Dmitri replied reflexively.
"You will attend this meeting as well."
Dmitri froze. Though a squad leader, he was still a private—the lowest rank in attendance. Okunev nudged him forward.
"Why are you still standing there? Not everyone can go!"
Encouraged by the faith of the soldiers along the road, Dmitri moved toward the headquarters. Their shouts followed him.
"Dmitri, we believe in you!"
"Don't let the officers betray us!"
"Remember, you're one of us!"
Dmitri realized Major Gavrilov's true purpose in bringing him, to stabilize morale. At this moment, the Soviet army needed it desperately.
Inside the command post, the air was thick with tobacco smoke, and the mood was heavy. Major Gavrilov spoke quietly to the instructor, then addressed the gathered officers:
"Comrades, the situation has changed. Several soldiers have fled to the enemy. We have reason to believe they've disclosed our breakout plans, which increases the risk exponentially. Thoughts?"
"We should break out earlier, Comrade Major!" suggested Lieutenant Venyakov, commander of the first battalion—and Dmitri's own battalion. Cold-spoken and serious, Venyakov's words carried weight.
Dmitri understood his logic. If the deserters had already relayed the plans, the Germans knew the breakout was scheduled two hours later. Acting sooner would render that information useless.
"The problem is, we are not acting alone," Major Gavrilov cautioned. "The central fortress will break out at seven o'clock as agreed."
"Seven o'clock is too late!" Venyakov replied. "If we wait, we'll die…"
"No, Comrade Venyakov!" the instructor interrupted sharply. "This is disobedience—and a crime against the orders of Comrade Political Commissar!"
"Orders?" Venyakov shot back. "Do you want us to follow orders that will get us killed?"
"Of course!" the instructor said without hesitation. "We are soldiers. And there are women and children in the central fortress—are you going to abandon them?"
A silence fell over the room. Abandoning women and children was unthinkable—far worse than cowardice. Yet, realistically, bringing them along made a breakout nearly impossible. Historically, during the Siege of Brest, the Soviet army allowed families to surrender while continuing the defense—a pragmatic but painful decision.
After a tense pause, an officer suggested a compromise.
"Advance the attack to six o'clock and send a correspondent to inform the central fortress."
"No!" Major Gavrilov shook his head. "One hour is enough for the Germans to prepare. Better to act at seven as planned."
He was right. Even ten or twenty minutes mattered; any delay could ruin the entire breakout. A compromise could create chaos instead of solving the problem.
Voices rose in argument.
"We have no choice! Comrade Major, order the breakout!"
"I agree with Venyakov, attack immediately!"
"No, it's murder!"
"Think of the women and children!"
Major Gavrilov turned to Dmitri. "Dmitri. What do you think?"
"Me?" Dmitri hesitated.
"Yes—what do you think?" Najor Gavrilov pressed.
Dmitri swallowed, then spoke.
"Comrade Major," he said, "I was wondering… in this situation, is there any possibility of breaking out to the south?"