I unfolded the map. Were there any rivers nearby to throw the dogs off the scent? The squad was currently moving northwest along the railway embankment. The nearest small river was about a kilometer away.
– Run! Every minute counts!
Dropping with fatigue, we reached a small river, practically just a stream. I unfolded the map again. Should we follow the stream north or south? To the south, there were two dozen villages along the road leading back to the concrete. To the north, for ten kilometers, there was nothing but continuous forest. I chose north. I had no specific plan in mind; my only desire was simply to get as far away from my pursuers as possible. The detachment crossed the railroad and the Dmitrov-Khotkovo highway, then plunged deeper into the forest. Using the compass, I direc
