He was thrilled as he left the base gates. He was eager to take action, eager to test his acquired knowledge and skills, dreaming of ultimately getting revenge on the "wolves." But every step he took, every meter he covered, fueled growing anxiety: would he be able to handle it? And the closer they got to their goal, the more intense his anxiety became. He wanted to talk to someone about it, but Andrei hesitated. A commander should never give his soldiers any reason to doubt him—one of Rodionov's commandments, which he forced his cadets to memorize.
Accustomed to frequent marches over rough terrain, the former peasants, now soldiers of a small army, briskly covered the long journey, stopping only for snacks and short rests. By six o'clock in the evening, the squad was already in the opera
