“But now, let us get back to your mission; it may be difficult, but the interests of the Soviet Republic must always come ahead of the wishes of our comrades in Hanoi and Bejing. The American technology must be finally placed in our hands.”
“Yes, I agree Colonel, and I will learn all that I can about the technology at the CIA Site before I leave,” Chernakov stated.
Nodding in appreciation, Karpov added, “You will be briefed and given documents detailing what is expected of you and of our comrades in Vietnam. You will go again to Kwangsi Province first, to interview some American prisoners. We are told there are the several technicians that were captured from Phou Pha Thi and have been transferred to Nanning. Whatever information you can gather there will be helpful before you meet with our Vietnamese comrades in Hanoi.”
Karpov paused, rubbing his hands together and reiterated, “This assignment is crucial, it needs special diplomacy.”
Chernakov bent toward Karpov and spoke quietly, “Comrade, as you say, I have visited the Prison camp at Nanning on two occasions prior to the event of last January. And I fully understand the urgency of this assignment, but you and the Party must know that if General Yang is still the Commandant at Nanning it will take more than diplomacy to gain access to the prisoners and to acquire the information we seek.”
Chernakov continued, “You may recall, Colonel Karpov, it was Yang who incarcerated our two technicians. And while I did not openly threaten him, I was forced to insinuate ultimate diplomatic pressure to accomplish their release. I do not expect a congenial welcome from Yang. “In light of our present problems with Bejing perhaps you and the Central Committee should consider someone else for such an important undertaking.”
Karpov leaned across the table and said, “We do not consider Yang to be a significant problem, General. He is Mongolian and is naturally hostile to us. He is in no position to get in the way of our objective in this. We are well aware of Yang’s political aspirations, however he over-stepped his authority and caused Bejing much embarrassment when he arrested our two Technical Advisors.
“We were in delicate discussions with the Chinese government when word came to Moscow of the details of their arrest. I believe Yang will cooperate fully.
“Know this, Chernakov; you are to use whatever Soviet diplomatic strength necessary to accomplish this mission.”
Chernakov nodded, “Very well, Comrade, I understand.”
“It is getting late,” Yuri said, “And I must be going.”
“Yes, I too,” Chernakov agreed. “You have given me much to think about.”
Karpov looked at him. “Good. You will have two weeks to prepare.”
On his way home, Chernakov was lost in his own thoughts. However, as always he observed he was being followed. “Ah,” he remarked quietly to himself, “always the watchful KGB.”
At home as he sat in his favorite chair pondering the evening, Chernakov had mixed feelings. This assignment could further delay what had been his and Valeri’s dream of freedom, but this was a mission to his liking; one that his knowledge and training had prepared him for.
There had been no contact with the Americans since the note of condolences had arrived regarding Valeri’s death, from Ambassador Harding. Chernakov had waited realizing that every precaution would be taken not to endanger him. Yet waiting was unnerving, and now this assignment would take him away from Moscow again and for how long he didn’t know.
The governmental regime that spied on its people and harshly punished dissidents was at odds with everything that Chernakov stood for as a soldier. The country that he loved and served so passionately no longer existed; perhaps it had existed only in his mind.
With sadness he remembered his parents. They had a deep faith though they did not openly speak of it. His father was a writer and University teacher who had periodically been critical of the ruthless inflexibility of the Communist State.
As a student who believed in the infallibility of Communism, Pyotr had often argued with his father about the importance of supporting the goals of the Soviet Union. His father attempted to persuade Pyotr that although he deeply loved his country, he believed that it was morally wrong for any government to control all expression of speech and thought, and that one day his son would come to realize it as well.
Not long after their last disagreement, the KGB arrested his father. Returning home from school, his frightened mother told him what had transpired. He never saw his father again. His mother died a year later.
Young Pyotr Chernakov was determined to prove his loyalty to the State and excel at every level for his country; and so he did, graduating with honors from Soviet Air Force Academy and becoming a military fighter pilot.
Chernakov volunteered and was selected for the Soviet Cosmonaut program. A dream that was short-lived; a year into the program, he was afflicted by a strange illness that affected his ears and equilibrium. By the time he had recovered, Yuri Gagarin had moved into his slot and would eventually become the first man to orbit the earth in 1961.
Chernakov’s Air Force as well as his political career continued to rise as he openly promoted the Soviet Space Program. He viewed the ‘first man in space’ position as a golden opportunity to compete with the West for the hearts and minds of aspiring young people throughout the USSR and Europe.
His marriage to lovely Valeri Reshenko, daughter of aircraft designer Ilyich Reshenko was noted with approval by the Party.
It was no surprise that his entry and excellent performance at Command and Staff, Voroshilov Academy, was also favorably noted by forward thinking government and military leaders who watched Pyotr Chernakov’s rise in the military and the Party with interest; he would go far.
The mid nineteen sixties found the Soviet Union reluctantly escalating its involvement in the war in Indochina, supplying more materiel, and adding aircraft and personnel.
As an Advisor to North Vietnam, Chernakov learned that much of his classic military education had not prepared him for the type of warfare being waged in the jungles of North and South Vietnam. He had learned a great deal in a short time, flying fighter aircraft over North Vietnam, and he now directed Soviet technical advisors and air crews to Laos at Sam Neua and at Phong Savan Airfield near Khang Khay.
The handling of the captured American and South Vietnamese prisoners by the North Vietnamese troubled the Soviet officer. It was evident that many of the prisoners were being handled differently. Some were jointly processed for political ‘reeducating’; others were dealt with more severely by the NVA, often for propaganda purposes. After American bombings, many were marched through villages that had experienced the horrific attacks and later through the streets of Hanoi for the people to abuse or intimidate. Still others were considered valuable for information purposes. These were often tortured, isolated and segregated for dispersion to other locations.
He himself had participated in arranging for some of the American prisoners to be transported to holding camps in China prior to being sent to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. There they would be dispersed to forced labor camps in Siberia along with philosophical dissidents of the Soviet Union. Others were sent to mental hospitals where the mind would be destroyed by chemicals in seeking information.
He knew this was a use of enemy prisoners that disallowed the possibility of exchange at a future time when hostilities would end.
Now promoted to Major General, Chernakov had finally had enough and when he returned to Moscow he and Valeri began to make plans.
Tonight Karpov had thought he was so clever congratulating himself on his knowledge of Chernakov’s life. Pyotr mused, what he had not discovered was a most important secret, that he and Valeri had found a faith in God and that they had planned for some time to defect. He had also found out that defecting is not so easy. One must have a fail-proof plan or they could end up in Siberia or be executed.