The enormity of that took a few moments to sink in.
He spoke again, keeping his voice low.
“If Raduga fails at home because of whatever circumstances, I fear that evidence will come to hand of your complicity in some events that led to failure. If Raduga is executed and conditions become unfavourable, then I also believe that you will be sacrificed as the sufficiently senior element that acted independently.”
Nazarbayeva said the first thing that popped into her head.
“Is that why he promoted me yet again?”
Kaganovich shrugged.
“That I cannot say… but the head of a lieutenant general sits nicer on the pole than that of a lower rank, Comrade.”
With unexpected humour, Nazarbayeva laughed and replied.
“Then perhaps I should expect my Marshal’s stars by the New Year.”
‘Do you not understand your predicament, woman?’
“Nothing will happen yet.”
“What do you advise, Comrade?”
“I have your back for now, Comrade Nazarbayeva. I can give you warning in good time. There are some people, good friends close to me… I will discuss the matter in general terms… no names mentioned… ‘no names needed, they already know you well, Tatiana’… see what they think.”
He leant back and stretched his arms and legs.
“To be honest, I believe this’ll be more about the fallout from any successful prosecution of Operation Raduga. The new advances have made failure unlikely. That makes it easier for us to monitor.”
“Us, Comrade Kaganovich. Why us? Who is us?”
“Well, you and I for a start, plus friends who have the Motherland’s best interests at heart.”
She looked him in the eye with greater understanding than ever before.
“Friends… friends whose greater loyalty is to Mother Russia than any of her overseers, you mean?”
His position suddenly became extremely uncomfortable and he dithered over his response, which was not wasted on the suddenly razor-sharp GRU officer.
He took the plunge, trusting to his judgement, or at least the partial plunge that he felt would convince Nazarbayeva of his commitment to Mother Russia.
“Friends who, with me, work to find those who would threaten Mother Russia from within, those whose efforts do nothing but harm her, and those who seek only personal advancement and glory over the needs of the Rodina.”
She nodded firmly.
“As do we all, Comrade Kaganovich.”
“Indeed, Comrade Nazarbayeva.”
‘Depending on your definition of threatening, harm, and glory, of course, Tatiana.’
“That’s why I took this uniform, Tatiana, and I mean to do my duty without fear or favour.”
‘Depending on your definition of duty, Tatiana.’
“I agree. In any case, that’s my duty and purpose as a soldier, Comrade Kaganovich.”
“I’ll watch over you, Tatiana. But you must also watch yourself. Observe without being seen to observe. Understand without being seen to fully comprehend. To acquire knowledge without being seen to acquire it… they’re the skills of a Chekist!”
She laughed with him.
“So, may I expect information from you… to keep me informed of Raduga and such things from which I’m excluded?”
“Yes, but only face to face in this office. There’ll be no paperwork trail for any nosey bastard to follow, and you’ll also make no written record of anything we have or will discuss. I must insist on that, Tatiana.”
“Of course, Comrade Kaganovich.”
“Good… now we have run over our time. We shall say we were discussing the new aerial activity by the damned capitalists if asked. Until next time, Comrade Leytenant General.”
His formality marked the end of the meeting.
As usual, they shook hands and spared each other the military courtesies.
“Until the 20th, Comrade Leytenant General Kaganovich.”
2120 hrs, Friday, 6th December 1946, Lieutenant General Kaganovich’s Dacha, Moscow, USSR.
Khrushchev stamped the snow from his feet before entering.
They hugged like old friends, which they certainly were.
“Sorry I’m late, Ilya. An accident on the way here. Some damn fool crashed into tree. Are we all here?”
Taking Khrushchev’s coat, he nodded by way of reply and gestured the civilian towards the roaring fire, around which three other men sat.
They rose as one to embrace the new arrival.
“Vladimir, you’ve lost weight. I can get my arms round you, you old rogue.”
“Can’t say the same for you, Nikita! The Party life clearly puts meat on a man’s bones!”
They play sparred as friends do, before Vladimir Konstantinovich Gorbachev, commander of the Moscow Military District, resumed his seat, leaving the way clear for Khrushchev to hug the next in line.
“Vassily!”
They kissed each other’s cheeks and slapped shoulders and backs so hard that it made the onlookers wince, but neither man seemed fazed.
“Vassily Karlovich. By the great whore, you look well comrade. Very well!”
“The climate in the south is good for these old bones. What more can I say… Sochi agrees with me.”
Attention turned to the other man in the room, for whom Khrushchev had a warm but less frantic greeting.
“Comrade Marshal, welcome, welcome.”
“Comrade Khrushchev, to you too.”
He grinned and turned to Kaganovich.
“Right, where’s the fucking vodka, Ilya. I’m frozen to the core.”
The three drinkers raised their vodka glasses alongside the tea cup of the non-drinker and toasted themselves and the Rodina.
“Na Zdorovie!”
Searing liquid hit throats and the glasses were emptied in record time.
Khrushchev took the lead, as he always seemed to do.
“So, why exactly have we all been summoned here ahead of our normal time, Ilya?”
“Nazarbayeva.”
“What has our darling GRU officer been up to now?”
He told them, holding back only a couple of small details.
“You’re fucking joking of course… you seriously didn’t say that, did you, Ilya?”
“Yes, I did. I felt it was right… to have told a lie then might have undermined me in the future… the future when I need… we need her to believe me… follow my lead… my direction… according to our plan.”
Gorbachev spoke quickly, keen to get in before Khrushchev went off on one of his tirades.
“I can see the sense in that, Ilya… but did you have to go so far?”
Kaganovich held out his hands in a supplicatory manner.
“It seemed right, Vladimir. The moment was then… and I can say that she gave off all the right signals as we spoke… and when we parted. I have her followed of course… she’s in her normal Moscow routine.”
Khrushchev was beaten to the draw by a second man.
“I wasn’t there. I’m prepared to trust your judgement… but at the slightest sign of any problems, she’s to be killed immediately.”
The normally mild-mannered Gurundov drew shocked looks from most of those present.
“Calm yourself, Vassily Karlovich! That will not be necessary!”
“I hope it won’t be, Ilya. But there can be no risk to this group whatsoever.”
That drew unanimous nods.
Khrushchev got in before anyone else could speak.
“Personally, I think it’s regrettable that these matters were brought in ahead of schedule… but I understand why it happened.”
Which, by Khrushchev standards, was extremely tame language.