Red Moscow

Lunev followed Beria into the office, but the scene he saw made him secretly surprised.

Stalin stood in the middle of the office, looking haggard, not holding the pipe he always carried with him, but holding a folded white towel over his forehead. Seeing this, Lunev belatedly thought, could it be that Comrade Stalin was ill?

Seeing Beria and Lunev come in, Stalin threw the towel in his hand on the conference table not far away, then looked at the two and asked seriously: "What's going on with the attack outside? Do you know how important those military experts who were killed are? How much damage will their loss cause to our military industry?"

Facing Stalin's questioning, Beria blushed and explained: "Comrade Stalin, based on the information we have so far, it should be the work of a German sabotage team that sneaked into the city. After their attack, they immediately fled the scene, and there were no witnesses."

"Huh?! No witnesses?"

"Yes, Comrade Stalin," Beria said. "When our patrol arrived, they found that there was no one alive at the scene. Both the military experts and the internal security officers and soldiers who escorted them were killed in the attack."

After listening to Beria, Stalin walked back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back, thinking about the attack that happened not long ago. Beria and Lunev did not dare to say a word, but just watched Stalin thinking quietly.

After an unknown amount of time, Stalin finally stopped and turned to Beria and asked, "Comrade Beria, have you figured out how this group of enemies sneaked into Moscow?"

"I'm sorry, Comrade Stalin." Beria replied awkwardly, "Moscow is now undergoing a large-scale evacuation. Not only important factories and enterprises need to be relocated, but also ordinary citizens. The whole city is in chaos. If the Germans sneak into the city at this time, we will be unable to defend ourselves..."

"We can put aside the discussion of how the Germans managed to get into Moscow for now." Stalin interrupted Beria. "What I am most concerned about is how they knew we were going to send military experts out of the Kremlin and set up an ambush site in advance. Could it be that they have an insider here?"

Stalin's seemingly casual words frightened Beria so much that he broke out in a cold sweat. He explained in a somewhat pale tone: "Comrade Stalin, I think their target may not be this group of military experts, but you."

"Is their target?" Stalin's face became serious. "What is going on?"

"During the day, Rokossovsky sent someone to deliver an intelligence officer who was said to have just escaped from the Germans." Beria lowered his eyes and said uncomfortably, "He told us that a German sabotage group might infiltrate Moscow in the near future and assassinate you."

"The Germans wanted to assassinate me?" Stalin asked in a stern tone: "Since the man came during the day, why didn't he report to me in time?"

"Because his intelligence was vague, he only said that someone might come to assassinate you. But he had no idea how many enemies there were, when they were going to infiltrate Moscow, or what methods they would use to assassinate you." Beria defended himself, "That's why I questioned his intelligence."

When Stalin was about to say a few more words, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. Then he saw the door was pushed open and Poskrebyshev appeared at the door.

"Poskrebyshev, is there anything I can help you with?" Stalin asked sternly.

"Comrade Stalin," Poskrebyshev replied respectfully, "there's a call from outside for Comrade Beria."

"Put the phone in!"

Poskrebyshev agreed, turned around and walked out, closing the door behind him.

When the phone on the desk rang, Stalin gestured to Beria, indicating that he should answer the phone.

Beria picked up the phone: "I am Beria, what's the matter? ... What, are you telling the truth? Okay, got it!"

Seeing Beria put down the phone, Stalin asked, "Comrade Beria, what's the matter?"

"Report to Comrade Stalin." Beria said with a happy face: "My subordinates reported to me that a survivor was found."

"Oh, found a survivor?"

"Yes, Comrade Stalin." Beria nodded and said in a positive tone: "The lieutenant of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who led the team is still alive."

"Everyone else is dead, why is the lieutenant who led the team still alive?" After hearing what Beria said, Stalin immediately raised his own doubts to him: "Could he be the traitor I just mentioned?"

"It shouldn't be." Beria said in an uncertain tone: "My subordinates reported to me that the lieutenant leading the team was shot five times. He was shot at close range. One of the bullets was only 1 centimeter away from his heart. It doesn't seem like a fake."

"Comrade Beria, do you think that the injury of the lieutenant leading the team is more like the Germans killing him to silence him?"

Just as the two were about to leave, Stalin thought of a key issue and stopped them: "Comrade Beria, if you want to investigate this attack, it is obviously not enough to rely on the Ministry of Internal Affairs alone. You can contact Comrade Romanchenko, the director of the General Police Bureau, and ask him to allocate personnel to assist your investigation."

After Beria and Lunev left the office, Stalin picked up the phone on the table, dialed a number, and said into the receiver: "This is Stalin, connect me to the staff group of the General Staff."

The call was quickly connected, and Vasilevsky's voice came from the inside: "Hello, Comrade Stalin, I am Vasilevsky, may I ask what instructions you have?"

"I want to ask, did Rokossovsky's troops launch a counterattack against the enemy?"

“Not yet.”

"What? They didn't launch a counterattack against the enemy?" Stalin was furious. "How dare they disobey the orders issued by the Supreme Command?"

"Comrade Stalin, the situation is not what you imagined." Hearing Stalin's anger, Vasilevsky quickly explained to him: "The German offensive in the Borodino direction did not make ideal progress. In order to quickly break through our defense line, they launched a sudden attack in the north, that is, Rokossovsky's defense zone, which completely disrupted our counterattack plan. Now the officers and soldiers of the 16th Army are engaged in a fierce battle with the German army."

When Stalin learned that the planned counterattack had failed due to the enemy's sudden attack, he was very unwilling. He said to the microphone: "Comrade Vasilevsky, I wonder what the situation is like there now?"

"After a tenacious battle, the 16th Army's troops blocked the frenzied attack of the German army." Vasilevsky reported to Stalin: "However, from all indications, the German army is not reconciled to their defeat and may launch a new round of attack at any time."

"I understand. Please remember to report to me any new developments in the war."

Beria and Lunev had no idea what had happened in Stalin's office after they left. They were rushing to the hospital in the Kremlin to visit the lieutenant of the Ministry of Internal Affairs who had escaped death.

When they arrived at the hospital in the northeast corner of the Kremlin, a major guarding the door immediately came over and saluted the two of them.

"What's the situation?" Beria asked.

"Still in the process of rescuing him." The major replied briefly: "The operation has been going on for half an hour."

"Is the chance of survival high?"

"It's hard to say." The major said hesitantly, "According to the doctor, there is a bullet embedded 1 centimeter away from the heart. It is very dangerous to remove the bullet. He may die on the operating table at any time."

"Comrade People's Commissar," Lunev asked Beria tentatively after hearing this, "How about we go to other hospitals and ask a few skilled doctors to come and help us, so that we can complete this operation smoothly?"

"There's no need for that." Beria shook his head and said, "The best doctors are in this hospital in the Kremlin. Now is war time, even if there are doctors with excellent medical skills, they are busy operating on the seriously injured soldiers who have just been sent back from the front line, and they have no time to come here."

"If this lieutenant cannot be rescued, many things in this attack will become a mystery," Lunev reminded the other party.

"Didn't Comrade Stalin just tell us that to investigate this attack, it's not enough to rely on the personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs alone. We also need the help of the General Police Bureau." Beria turned to Lunev and said, "Comrade Lunev, you stay here. I'll make a phone call."

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Beria returned to his office and called the General Police Bureau: "I'm Beria, please help me find Director Romanchenko."

A few minutes later, Romanchenko's voice came from the receiver: "Hello, Comrade Beria, I am Romanchenko, how can I help you?"

"Comrade Romanchenko," Beria said, "an attack occurred near the Kremlin tonight, killing dozens of people. Except for some officers and soldiers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the rest were important military experts in our country."

Hearing Beria say this, Romanchenko couldn't help but be shocked: "What, there was a serious attack near the Kremlin. Do you know who did it?"

"Needless to say, it must be a German sabotage group." Beria continued, "I called you because I hope to get your help. You know, investigating cases is what your police department is best at."

"Ah? Comrade Beria, are you planning to have us send someone to assist you in investigating this attack?" Romanchenko already understood what Beria was going to say, but he still wanted to confirm: "Am I right?"

"Yes, that's right." Beria said, "I remember there are several detectives in your bureau who are very good at solving cases. If they take action, I believe they will be able to find out what happened quickly."

"Comrade Beria, we do have many experts in criminal investigation in our bureau." Since Beria needed his help, Romanchenko took the opportunity to put forward his conditions: "There used to be a criminal policeman named Felix Gerchikov in the bureau, but he was arrested for special reasons a few years ago and is still detained in Lubyanka Prison. I wonder if you can order someone to release him?" Perhaps worried that Beria would not agree, he also emphasized, "He is a major and has solved many major cases. If he can be in charge of the investigation this time, I think it won't take long for him to find out the truth of the attack."

Beria was anxious to solve the case at the moment, so he naturally would not object to Romanchenko's request: "Don't worry, he will be out before dawn tomorrow."

After the call ended, Beria made another call and said bluntly: "Check for me whether there is a policeman named Felix Gerchikov in the Lubyanka prison. His previous rank was major. Report to me immediately after the investigation."

The person on the other end of the phone asked tentatively: "Comrade Beria, are you going to put him on the emergency execution list?"

"Nonsense, who said he should be put on the emergency execution list?" Beria said angrily after hearing this: "I have a case in my hands and I need his help to solve it. If you find his whereabouts, report to me immediately."

After the person on the other side understood what Beria meant, he quickly and loudly replied: "I understand, Comrade People's Commissar. I will report to you as soon as I find out his whereabouts."

After Beria hung up the phone, he picked up a document and started reading it.

Because he had something on his mind, he couldn't concentrate on the document in his hand. He put it down after reading for a while.

He walked back and forth in the office with his hands behind his back, wondering if this criminal policeman named Felix Gerchikov was really released, would he really be able to solve the attack outside the Kremlin?

A few minutes later, the phone on the desk rang.

Beria rushed to the desk and picked up the microphone: "I am Beria, have you found the person?"

"Yes, Comrade People's Commissar, the man has been found."

"Is he still alive?"

“Alive!”

"Are you injured?"

The other party hesitated for a while before answering timidly, "His leg was once broken. Although the injury has healed, he walks with a limp."

Upon learning that Felix Gerchikov's leg was broken by his own men, Beria could not help but frown, and then said into the microphone: "Immediately arrange for someone to send him to the General Police Department and hand him over to Director Romanchenko."

"Yes, Comrade People's Commissar."

An hour later, Beria received a call from Romanchenko: "Comrade Beria, your men have sent Felix Gerchikov here. He is with me now. Do you have any instructions for him?"

"Give him the microphone. I want to talk to him."

Soon, a hoarse voice came from the receiver: "Hello, Comrade People's Commissar of Internal Affairs! I am Felix Gerchikov. How can I be of any service to you?"