- The crew disembarks. They decide to head to the "caves" (9.1) to set up camp, as it's still early enough in the year that they should be empty.
- But first they have to eat. The kids find a farm and pull up a bunch of young potatoes, chowing down until being chased off by a farmer.
- There are a bunch of kids already in the caves when they arrive, and Peter introduces himself to their leader, a mean looking boy. This dude gives off seriously nasty vibes, but Alex notices Boris and Grigory chatting with him as they settle in…
- As it happens, both dudes are missing when Alex wakes up in the morning. When they do show up, however, they look distinctly like they're up to no good. Ivan tells Alex that the other boys in this cave sell drugs, among other things.
- The posse heads into town. Instead of stealing, they decide to put on a show: Ivan performs tricks while Alex shouts at the crowd to attract their attention. They only manage a few bucks, however.
- Peter, on the other hand, is getting into some serious business. As Alex and Ivan are entertaining, he steals bread "from the government store" (9.67), which is just about the riskiest thing you can do.
- When they get back to the caves, Peter decides to head higher up on the mountain to get away from the shady kids. Boris is ticked off about this.
- The next few days follow in a similar fashion. The boys head down to get what little food and cash they can, while Boris and Grigory just get grumpier and grumpier.
- One night, the tension boils over. After Boris and Grigory talk about the value of selling drugs (just say no, kids), Peter straight up kicks the two boys out of the band.
- The boys go through their typical "morning ritual" (9.88) the next day. This time, however, their morning is interrupted by the sudden appearance of two policemen, who tell the boys that they're under arrest for stealing bread from the government store and smuggling illicit goods.
- Wonder who ratted them out?