Had she been asked that same question by Menzies or Gubbins, she would have replied that she was Hanna Richards of MI-6 and committed to King and Country.
When she had been asked it by Gehlen, she was Annadell Reichart of the Abwehr and a committed member of the National Socialist Party of Germany.
Rikardova was a lot more than she seemed.
She also possessed orders to terminate Nazarbayeva if her loyalty to the new cause seemed about to wane.
But for now, she was in Nazarbayeva’s office with instructions from Khrushchev, and she relayed them quietly, making sure that her commander understood each perfectly.
At 1000 hrs the next day, the aircraft carrying Nazarbayeva and Rikardova took off for Vnukovo airfield.
Some two hours later, an RAF Skymaster landed at Vnukovo, having departed from Sweden some hours earlier, and followed an agreed safe air route, shepherded all the way by impressive numbers of Soviet fighter aircraft.
The C-54 landed on Russian soil without incident and the Allied delegation was whisked off to Moscow, ready for meetings with the Soviet hierarchy.
1754 hrs, Saturday, 5th April 1947, the Kremlin, Moscow. USSR.
Nazarbayeva accepted the report from one of the Moscow GRU officers and read it with increasing concern.
Almost oblivious to the process, she walked through security.
The metal detector screamed out its warning, as it always did whenever Nazarbayeva entered the protected area of the Kremlin.
“I regret, Comrade Leytenant General. If you will.”
The NKVD officer frisked the GRU general thoroughly, a little too thoroughly for Nazarbayeva’s liking as he dwelt on her chest pockets and thighs.
He even checked her holster, although he had been watching as she had removed her pistol and placed it in the bag set aside for her personal but restricted items.
“It’s my foot brace… it’s always my foot brace.”
“I regret, Comrade Leytenant General, but I have my orders. If you please?”
With practised ease she slipped off her left boot and flicked it up into the hands of the inspecting officer.
He slipped his hand in and felt the warm metal.
“I regret, Comrade Leytenant General.”
He placed the boot down and stepped back to allow her to slide it back on, which she did with her normal skill.
An Air Force colonel set the machine off and he received a far less courteous examination.
“Your meeting with the General Secretary is scheduled for seven, is it not?”
“Yes, Comrade General.”
“Excellent, then we have time now. May I offer you a drink?”
Kaganovich motioned towards a small table replete with various spirits.
“Thank you, but no. Just water please.”
He had heard of the change in the woman’s habits but had to check for himself.
The reports on her licentious behaviour had also dried up.
“Clearly there’s something on your mind. That folder by any chance?”
“Yes, Comrade Polkovnik General. I just received it. GRU South sent it on to me, but I think the significance has not yet been understood.”
He poured her a water, and himself a Chivas Regal.
“Go on.”
“They’ve received many reports from their agents on the ground regarding increased Allied air presence.”
Kaganovich was in a playful mood.
“I’m never sure if the camel lovers can tell a Spitfire from a Seagull.”
She passed across the cover sheet with its summary of the increase in air power in the region.
“They report more heavy bombers and more fighters, and you’ll see they seem to be able to at least count engines. As I said, Comrade General, I’ve only just got this but at first sight, it seems like they’re reporting American B-29s and British Lancasters… the fighters could be anything of course… except the twin hulls… most likely the Mustang upgrade… long range escort… very long range.”
“Your thoughts, Tatiana?”
“Clearly they intend to expand their air operations out of Persia. I think I’d be looking at our facilities within range of their bases… with the intention of improving our defences, Comrade Polkovnik General.”
Inside, Kaganovich was debating whether or not to reveal the report that had arrived with Beria the previous day, but he elected to keep it secret for the moment, solely for his own purposes.
Nazarbayeva continued, oblivious to Kaganovich’s internal debate.
“The atomic research facility is clearly in range, but there’s no indication that its location and purpose have been detected.”
Kaganovich knew better and reversed his decision, immediately seeing the advantage.
“The Allies have performed an overflight of the facility on the Volga.”
“The atomic research facility?”
“Yes, Comrade General. But it would appear that they tried to hide it within a bombing mission.”
“How do we know this?”
“Red Air Force reports from an engaging interceptor pilot. He recognised the aircraft as a photoreconnaissance craft… apparently by the artwork on it… a naked woman by all accounts. Anyway, he had previously engaged it without success on three occasions.”
Nazarbayeva nodded her understanding and yet…
“But how could he know it was photographing Camp 1001?”
Kaganovich read the section again to remind himself of the facts.
“The attacking force was heading for Stalingrad, but they split into five distinct groups, each covered by fighter regiments. He engaged the group that flew directly over Camp 1001, despite the fact that it was protected by the largest number of fighters… the group contained the naked woman aircraft, which turned back after it had just passed Akhtubinsk, streaming smoke and accompanied by six fighters… all of its own accord.”
She frowned.
He read more.
“The pilot could not engage the aircraft… and has stated that, in fact, no one engaged it… and yet it turned back, seemingly damaged.”
“So you think they know what’s there, Comrade Polkovnik General?”
“Decidedly likely. They’ve overflown the area before. NKVD’s Southern Office was very thorough and included the previous definite and possible overflights…there are six in all. Two by photographic aircraft for certain, and four that could have been bombing missions against Akhtubinsk and Stalingrad, possibly contrived to overfly to conceal the purpose… and five of them have been flown since the beginning of March.”
“What? And you learn of this now?”
“Yes. Bear in mind that as far as most in NKVD South are concerned, Camp 1001 is simply Camp 1001, and any mission to photograph it wouldn’t normally draw a special report. Secrecy comes with complications sometimes, as we both know. It’s only come to my attention now because of a request for information issued by Air Commander South, based on the intelligence he received on curious air operations being conducted in Persia.”
That there were NKVD agents entrenched in all areas of Southern Command did not need saying.
She sipped at her drink and considered the problem.
“So, I assume you’ve decided on a course of action, Comrade Polkovnik General?”
“Yes. I intend to report what I suspect to Comrade Beria and give my recommendations.”
“May I ask what they might be, Comrade General?”
“Yes, Tatiana. I consider it wise to relocate the hardware and processes at Camp 100. I intend to recommend that to the GKO shortly.”
“Hardware?”
“Most of our weapons are there.”
“Weapons?”
“Our atomic weapons… most of them are there.”