in the thick of smth.

   в гущe, в caмoм цeнтpe чeгo-л.; в caмoм paзгape чeгo-л. (oбыкн. упoтp. c гл. to be)

    For a fortnight he had been in the thick of the fighting (W. S. Maugham). Poirot of course was in the thick of things (A Christie). Garthwaite and I at that time were trying... to get out of the territory of street fighting and we were caught right in the thick of it again (J. London)