We left at five in the morning. The weather forecast had promised a hot, sunny day, but the early morning was cold, foggy, and damp. I could barely contain my yawns, and so did the girls. Few of the neighborhood's residents had managed to close their eyes last night, perhaps forever. Night hunters circled above the residential areas, and the sounds of nearby gunshots and explosions could be heard almost every minute. There was no doubt that there were several hunters. We repeatedly heard whistling "pss ...
Since there were no curtains in either the kitchen or Zhenya Oparyov's bedroom, all the schoolgirls had to crowd into my room and the hallway. Fortunately, the girls managed to cook the chicken legs they'd brought and partially fry the defrosted cod before the intense night attack began
