1058 hrs, Friday, 6th December 1946, the Kremlin, Moscow, USSR.
Stalin had greeted the news with great joy.
“Finally! How long?”
“The academics are unable to say with certainty, Comrade General Secretary.”
Academician Kurchatov remained silent, reinforcing Minister Malenkov’s words.
Stalin clapped his hands together, the sound almost shot-like, causing more than one person present to jump.
“But, nonetheless, this will greatly assist us in producing a weapon… and producing one sooner than we could have ever expected, yes?”
Both Kurchatov and Malenkov nodded.
“Most certainly, Comrade General Secretary. Whilst I cannot give you a definite date on its availability, we’re most certainly talking months. There’s much more to do… engineering, delivery systems, the minutiae of technological progress, but the new arrivals from Japan have brought with them much research, and it’s all helping reduce the time.”
Beria looked on, his eyes gleaming with triumph, as his NKVD had overseen the project to bring men, equipment, and research papers to the Motherland.
Stalin acknowledges his security boss with a rare smile.
“This pleases me greatly, Comrades. Keep advancing… keep Raduga on track… and keep me informed of all progress. Thank you.”
Kurchatov and Malenkov took their cue and left.
Nazarbayeva stood as soon as the door opened, but quickly realised it had only opened to allow two men to exit the room, not to encourage her forward.
She nodded to Kurchatov and Malenkov, who quickly went on their way.
Eight minutes later, she was admitted to give her own report to the General Secretary.
Her brief was interrupted by a report from Vasilevsky, stating that the Red Army would be installed in its final withdrawal positions by 1800 hrs that day.
1300 hrs, Friday, 6th December 1946, Lieutenant General Kaganovich’s office, the Kremlin, Moscow, USSR.
“And what did they say to that, Comrade Nazarbayeva?”
“Unconcerned. I was surprised at that. Such an increase in Allied activity seems to me to be unprecedented. Specifically the flying hours. Immense rise in reconnaissance flights. But they didn’t seem to worry about it at all, Comrade.”
“Maybe because it’s all sea area concentrated. No increase of note in activities on land in Europe… or in China I can also tell you.”
“I understand, but we’ve picked up a lot of twitches in their intelligence services. Questions being asked… questions about our former allies.”
“Yes, we’ve noticed that too. I suspect Comrade Beria had already informed them of that. Didn’t worry them either, did it?”
“Not at all, Comrade. To be honest. I’ve never seen the General Secretary in such a fine mood. It was almost as if nothing could be said to dampen his day. His reaction to the news of the final withdrawal was non-existent… the idea of giving up hard-won ground has constantly exercised him since we started the process, and yet nothing.”
“Perhaps he got some good news, eh?”
“Comrade Malenkov and Academician Kurchatov saw him just before me. Can’t have been them, as we all know our programme is behind time, hence the abandonment of Raduga.”
Kaganovich stuffed his mouth with beetroot and ham for no other reason than to buy himself a moment’s thinking time.
“Can I share a confidence with you, Comrade Nazarbayeva?”
“But of course, Comrade Kaganovich.”
“The atomic research part of our programme has recently been lifted by some assistance from other sources and is now in advance of schedule.”
“How is that possible? There’s been no such information given to the GRU. The last report, dated early November if I recall… the Ministry of Middle Machinery made it quite clear. We’re behind in all but a few of the development stages.”
“You’re correct, comrade. It did.”
What he was about to do was also in advance of schedule, but he reasoned he would have more to lose if he didn’t use the opportunity the woman had presented.
He went over to his filing cabinet, unlocked it, and removed a box file.
“November 4th if my memory serves me.”
He immediately produced a copy of the document she had already seen.
He then covered it with another document dated 4th November.
One she had not previously seen.
“That is the real report from Middle Machinery, Comrade.”
“Real report? What do you mean, Comrade?”
“GRU is not included in certain matters any more. I’m not clear why, but there seems to be a trust issue, Tatiana.”
He used her name to help soften the blow, not for her, but for his own purposes. He needed to concentrate on what he was saying.
“Your men were withdrawn, remember?”
“Yes, I remember there was a freshening of staff within the projects, men out, men in, an exercise suggested by…”
“Suggested by Comrade Beria.”
“Yes.”
“Your personnel are all loyal to the NKVD. Their reports to you are coordinated to coincide with the official reports of Middle Machinery. Beria engineered the whole thing to remove you from the process… with the compliance… no, agreement of the General Secretary.”
Something lit off in her brain.
“That’s why Malenkov was strange during our last meeting.”
Kaganovich leant forward and lowered his voice.
“Perhaps there is also another reason, Comrade Nazarbayeva.”
It was a statement, but despite her lack of political awareness it was one she understood immediately.
“Beria wants me excluded so I can be blamed if there’s some disaster. He’ll prepare evidence of my ineptness… by the Motherland… my own agents within the projects will supply the evidence that I knew of problems and did nothing.”
“Always possible, Tatiana. As I said before, he has you in his sights for more than one reason. But I suspect Malenkov had another reason for being less than honest with you.”
They held eye contact and Nazarbayeva immediately understood what that ‘other reason; was.
“Raduga. I’m going to be blamed for the failure of Raduga?”
“On the contrary, Comrade Nazarbayeva. Raduga is not a wholly dead project.”
“What?”
“Raduga is still underway and progressing ahead of schedule.”
“My agents left the project when it was abandoned…”
“Your agents left Raduga when it was time for you to be taken out of the circle. The two men you relied on were, in any case, Beria’s men first and foremost.”
Nazarbayeva fell silent, absorbing the totality of what she had just learned, leaving Kaganovich with ample opportunity to enjoy more food.
Leaning across the desk, Nazarbayeva selected some biscuits and settled back in her chair.
“If Raduga is still running, at least in part, then why am I excluded? It’s the single most important project our nation has embarked on. To exclude the GRU is a huge risk.”
Kaganovich chuckled, the sound clearly without humour, resembling the laugh of a teacher faced with a particularly stupid pupil.
Even though he knew his room was free of any recording devices or bugs, he dropped his voice to a barely audible whisper, drawing the woman forward.
“Oh, Tatiana. The GRU isn’t excluded… you’re excluded. Raduga carries risk with it from start to execution. I believe that my boss and Comrade Stalin have set you up… in case Raduga fails… or in case Raduga is successful.”