Spring. 1943. Kursk Region. After being wounded, Galina Semenova returns to her hometown as deputy chief of the police department. She was born here, and she left here many years ago, leaving her young son to be raised by her mother. On her very first day on duty, an emergency occurs: an apartment is robbed and a man is killed. And this isn't the first such incident. A gang is operating in the city. All the attacks occur at night, and the robbers, apparently locals, hide behind masks. That same evening, Galina goes to the apartment of her son, whom she last saw when he was fourteen.