During a combat mission, Dedov's unit is ambushed, and the soldiers miraculously survive. A fellow soldier of Dedov's recognizes one of the fallen enemy soldiers as his former neighbor: he has a tattoo of an underground fascist organization on his wrist. Looking at him, Dedov recalls how, in his youth, he himself nearly went to prison due to a fight he got into with a friend from his past, Vasily Tkachenko. He had been sentenced for murder, and the two friends had gone their separate ways.
The colonel returns home and gets a job as an instructor at the Rodina military-patriotic club. Vova Gruzdev, a member of the club, tells him that his friend Vadim Linkov has gotten involved in criminal activity. Vadim's mother is an alcoholic, his father died in prison, and the young man earns his living by stealing cars. Dedov wants to rehabilitate the young man and suggests that Gruzdev invite Linkov to the club. Meanwhile, Vadim gets into a fight with his mother's drinking buddies, runs away from home, and steals another car. The next day, a police officer comes to the Rodina club with a wanted poster for Linkov. Dedov sees that the guy, according to the description, has a tattoo on his wrist identical to the one on the deceased enemy soldier...
