Ivan Petrov

Chapter 4

1966, Leningrad, USSR

It was winter and Christmas was about to arrive any point soon, a young woman in the apartment was seen tendering to her young infant daughter, who just finish crying for milk.

The husband walks out happily and well-dressed, seemingly prepared for work despite that it is late in the afternoon.

"I'll be heading out soon, Lyudmila." said the man, it was Lyudmila's husband.

Lyudmila, the mother that was tending to the baby, looks at him and said. "Don't you at least wanna hug lil' Anastasia before you go?"

"Sure, why not?" he approaches and carries the infant Anastasia, the future victim of the Fomayev bratva. "Look at my little girl, all smiling huh?"

The infant smiles at him, and he puts her back at the cot and at the hands of Lyudmila. 

Then, the door knocks.

"[In Blatnoy slang] Comrade Mikhail." the door knocks while calling his name. "We would like to have a word with you."

"[In Blatnoy] I'm coming, dude," Mikhail approaches to the door and opens it, revealing to be the young Ivan along with 2 other men awaiting for him. 

"I believe you know what activities you have done towards the State, come with us, comrade." said Ivan, while holding out his GRU badge.

Mikhail has no idea what was going on, and looks at his wife.

"Please, comrade... Petrov. I have no idea what you are saying." pleaded Mikhail. "I have been serving all my life as a true proletariat, comrade."

"If you have served the State as a true proletariat, why did you answer me in a criminal speak?" challenged Ivan. "Have you been conspiring and undermining the integrity of the Soviet nation?"

"No... no, comrade. I... I was in jail when comrade Stalin had imprison me for years..." said Mikhail. "But I have served the Soviet nation eventually... I fought during the Great Patriotic War, comrade Petrov."

Ivan looks to his right and said. "Comrade Popov, bring him in." 

Comrade Popov brings in an injured man who seems to have been working at the docks, before throwing him on the ground of Mikhail's apartment. This shook Lyudmila and the baby.

Mikhail turns to look at Lyudmila and orders her to bring her and the baby to someplace safe. They leave the apartment without any GRU resistance, leaving them, the injured dock worker, and Mikhail.

The dock worker looks at him desperately, groaning in pain and says. "I'm so sorry, comrade Mikhail... [In Blatnoy] they raided our shipment..."

Mikhail nervously looks at the GRU officers. "I... I don't understand what he's saying... I swear to God..."

"Oh..." said Ivan. "So you're telling me you have been worshipping a deity... which is, come again comrade Popov, 5 years of extra labour?"

"No... n-NO!" shouted Mikhail. "I don't know about church... I-I was just saying because it is true that I don't understand him."

The dock worker realises he might be in danger, and shouts. "It's him, It's HIM!"

"Alright, enough of this." said Ivan. "Comrade Mikhail, you work at the Leningrad docks since graduating from state university. However, we found that you're smuggling drugs, most notably weed from Mexico."

"I don't know what you're talking about..." cried Mikhail.

"We're GRU, and we did investigations in Mexico." said Ivan. "You're a wanted criminal over there for working with local weed cartels. Additionally, this man that you claim you don't know, has corresponded me info that you have been smuggling shipments of weed from the Leningrad docks."

Mikhail, now knowing that the GRU has identified his secret drug smuggling business. He looks in confusion and attempts to jump out of the window.

But before he could even leap, the other GRU agents managed to overpower him and prevent him from doing so.

Mikhail is pulled back and he kneels in front of Ivan, crying as a form of pleading guilty that he smuggled drugs. 

Fast forward to a few months later, with Ivan drafting his resignation letter to his GRU superior and a classified article next to him reporting the suicide of Mikhail in the GULAG. Ivan finishes the letter and a soldier enters his room.

"Comrade Petrov? Comrade Volkov would like to see you."

Volkov, his superior officer, enters and sits in front of him, while the soldier quickly brings in a tea tray before being stopped by Ivan.

"It's fine, it will be a short one." said Ivan.

Volkov sighs and looks at Ivan. "I know what you're thinking, comrade Petrov. That maybe catching Mikhail and putting him in the GULAG again was a terrible mistake. But listen... you did the right thing, comrade."

Ivan silently pushes his resignation letter, now in an envelope, towards Volkov.

"I met Lyudmila the other day, she has already moved on..." recounted Ivan. "But her child... the fact that she will never grow up with a father... it disturbs me."

Volkov calms him down and says things in a more personal tone. "Ivan, whatever happened to your family, happened many years ago... you have to eventually let go, Ivan."

Ivan looks at him, and a family portrait of him along with his wife and only son. They lost their lives in a car accident many years ago, with Ivan being the only sole survivor.

"Ivan." Volkov attempts to snap him out of his intrusive thoughts. "Ivan... I don't know, maybe you could be her godfather."

"What makes you think they will accept me?" asks Ivan.

"I'll explain to them... everything." Volkov replied. "I'll do my best to clear your name for them. I don't know how it will go, but I hope that is enough to keep you in the agency."

"With all due respect, comrade Volkov." Ivan looks at him. "I'm done with the military stuff. I don't think I will be a good godfather."

Volkov, saddened to hear this, has no choice but to take his resignation letter and leaves. But just as he was about to leave, Ivan clears his throat and grabs Volkov's attention.

"Commander Volkov, sir." requested Ivan. "That being said, I still intend to serve our nation's intelligence."

Volkov looks at him for a while and returns to his desk, this time approaching closer to him and replying much softly.

"I know this might sound heretical, considering that our line of work may seem unique in the whole of the Soviet State." whispered Volkov. "But I have heard that the KGB has started a similar department on foreign intelligence that does similar work to us, except that there is no military bullshit but political ones."

Ivan asked his superior by whispering. "How the hell did you know the KGB? Our agencies are sworn rivals!"

"Shhhh!" ordered Volkov. "I know connections in that department that can pull you in, that is if you still intend to do this very same line of work: serving the State's intelligence... if you want to do it, just let me know."

***

1993, Moscow, Russia

Fast forward to the present, it was day with wet, not rainy, weather.

The present Ivan continues driving his car and he enters to the city limits of Moscow, it had been a long journey for him.

As he approaches to the downtown area, and stopping at a traffic junction near the Red Square, he pulls out his map and checks on the first destination to reach: Volkov.

He makes a detour on the left and drives to a residential district of Moscow before stopping at a block of flats, it looked old and many old residents live there, he stops his car and gets out. 

He enters the apartment complex and took the flight of stairs, before knocking on a door on the fifth floor of the apartment complex.

Behind the door lives an old man, and slowly approaches to the door due to hindered mobility. He opens it to see Ivan behind it, and he was surprised.

"Comrade Petrov?" said the familiar voice; it was Volkov. "What brings you to Moscow?"