Everyone had memorized the order of noises — key, two turns, screech and the door opens.
If they’re carrying hot water or gruel, there’s two guards. If they’re taking someone away, then there are three — the commander and two soldiers. If they were bringing out several, you could hear by the voices that there was a whole division of soldiers greeting you.
This time, two appeared in the doorway with the bucket. Everyone breathed out, but then everyone’s restarted heart stopped again — after them appeared three more, and the senior of them held a paper in his hands.
“Attention! Up on your feet. Who’s Gorshkov?”
Gorshkov stood closest of all to the exit, holding a mug.
“Who, I’m asking?” repeated the senior officer, looking past Gorshkov, who had frozen on the spot before him.
“What abo
