The year is 1952. Katarina Madin and her lawyer, Bill Ward, hurriedly walk into the United States Senate building. Entering a chamber through a set of wooden doors at the end of the hallway, the two take seats at the center table. Sitting across from a governmental committee investigating domestic communism, the atmosphere inside the room matches the winter chill of the Washington morning beyond the frosted windows. As the two confer over a few points, the chairman, Senator Patrick McCarran, calls the proceedings to order.
“Please take your seats. This committee will now come to order.”
After some shuffling of papers, calm spreads over the room.
“Would you please state your name for the record,” Senator McCarran requests in a haggard, bureaucratic monotone.
“My name is Katarina Madin.”
“And where were you born, Mrs. Madin?”
“The Soviet Union, Moscow.”
“And when were you born?”
“October thirteenth, nineteen twenty-seven.”
“Were you at any time, or are you still, a member of the communist party?” he matter-of-factly asks.
“I was, but–” she replies, cut short.
“You admit to being a communist?”
“I admit at one time, but–” she replies, again cut short.
“And what is your current occupation?”
“I object,” Bill Ward interrupts. “Senator McCarran, please allow my client to finish her previous answer.”
“In due time Mr. Ward,” he replies, turning attention back to the witness. “Your current occupation, Mrs. Madin?”
“I work at the State Department, as a secretary.”
“And how did you come to be in this employ?”
“My husband. He was able to get the job for me.”
“And who is your husband, Mrs. Madin?”
“Captain James Madin, of the United States Navy.”
“Where is your husband now?”
“I do not know his specific whereabouts, but he is on active duty in the Pacific.”
“How did the two of you meet?”
Bill leans over to Katarina, whispering into her ear. After a few seconds, she replies to the query. “I am afraid that is classified information, Senator.”
“Mrs. Madin, these proceedings are themselves classified,” he informs her, again in a drawn tone. “I assure you, you may speak freely without fear of revealing any sensitive information.”
“Mr. McCarran, is it necessary for my client to detail information you could easily obtain through other means?” Bill asks heatedly.
“This is simply exploratory corroboration, Mr. Ward. The committee would like to hear from the witness herself. Now, Mrs. Madin, would you please indulge us?”
Again, Bill leans into Katarina. After a few moments, she nods her head in agreement.
“Very well, Senator.”
On a moonless spring night, 1949, the S.S. Nassau sails undetected through the South China Sea. Captain James Madin, Annapolis class of ’44, peers through the periscope into the darkness. He is a veteran of these waters, serving during the waning days of the last war. Aware of the importance of his first command, the Nassau is to retrieve a defecting Soviet spy and deliver him safely to Honolulu.
“Approaching rendezvous point, Captain,” states Commander Donovan.
“Very well, slow to four knots. All stations prepare to surface.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
As the Nassau crawls along the coast, Captain Madin continues searching with the periscope for any indications of the commando team, led by Major Roger Donaldson, gone ashore to escort the target. A moment later, he recognizes the group’s surreptitious marker.
“There’s the signal, Commander. Surface the ship.”
“Aye, sir.”
From the Chinese shore, Major Donaldson and his men launch pontoons into the water. With them are Andrei Noltitz and his daughter, Katarina.
Meanwhile, Madin, binoculars in hand, watches nervously from atop the conning tower. With the Chinese civil war raging, there are constant threats from coastal patrols. Any discovery, even by the forces of Chaing Kai-shek, could escalate the conflict to an international level that no one wants – especially Madin and the crew of the Nassau.
As Donaldson’s group reaches the ship, the ten minutes seemingly an eternity, a radio message comes from the bridge.
“Patrol coming from our stern, sir.”
Madin clicks a button on the tower’s radio. “Range?”
“Twenty-one hundred yards, sir.”
“Bring her about all-ahead one-third. Prepare to dive.”
“Aye, sir”
As Madin makes his way below, an approaching patrol boat fires a shot across the Nassau’s port bow as it begins its plunge into the depths. Once inside, he greets the new passengers.
“Commander, I suggest we make our way post haste,” he orders.
“Agreed, Captain. This is Dr. Andrei Noltitz and his daughter.”
“Welcome aboard the Nassau, Professor.”
“Thank you, Captain. It is our pleasure to be here.”
“You speak English quite well. I’m impressed, if not a bit surprised.”
“In my profession, it is necessary to know the language of one’s adversary, no?”
“Of course,” Madin agrees, suspiciously. Speaking in Russian, he continues, “Всегда велемудро для того чтобы знать ваш противника.”
“Ah, I see you have studied my language as well,” Noltitz states, taken aback. “It is I who am impressed Captain. Please, do not be alarmed. The United States is not my enemy. I was simply trying to point out–”
“No need to explain. It’s the world we live in.”
“Agreed. May I introduce my daughter, Katarina.”
“A pleasure, ma’am. I’m sure you wish to rest after your long journey,” he offers.
“Yes, thank you,” she sleepily replies, a slight Russian accent nonetheless apparent.
The Captain turns to Chief Barclay. “Chief, take our guests to their quarters and make them comfortable.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
Madin turns back to the Noltitzs. “Again, I welcome you both aboard. I ask that you remain in your quarters until we reach safer waters.”
“Again, we thank you,” Noltitz offers.
As the chief escorts the two, Madin turns toward the con.
“Helm, make our depth three hundred. All ahead full.”
“Aye, sir”
Looking down the narrow corridor beyond the bridge’s hatchway, there is a slight gleam in the Captain’s gaze. As the new passengers are led away, he cannot help but be enticed by Katarina’s sedate allure. Letting the thought pass, he turns his attention back to the con.
Taking a sip of water, Senator McCarran continues the questioning.
“Mrs. Madin, what did your father do for a living?”
“He was a professor of mechanical engineering.”
“Of course. More to the point he was a Soviet spy, correct?”
There is hesitation in Katarina’s manner. Bill whispers in her ear.
“Yes, that is true,” she responds.
“He worked for Russian intelligence during the war?”
“Yes, Senator.”
“Why then did your father defect to the United States?”
“For the same reason as many others. Freedom, the chance at a better life.”
“Cozy rhetoric, Mrs. Madin. This committee would like to know the real reason for your father’s defection.”
Again, Bill leans into Katarina, who then proceeds with a brief narrative of events.
“Before the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, I had a mother and two brothers,” she starts. “When Berlin ultimately fell to Soviet troops, there was only my father and–”
“Mrs. Madin,” McCarran boorishly interrupts, “is there an answer to the question somewhere in this story?”
“Senator, you asked of her father’s reasons for defecting,” Ward retorts. “Please allow some latitude in her explanation.”
“Very well, I will allow some latitude, but very little. Please continue, Mrs. Madin.”
“As I was saying, Senator, my father and I were the only ones from our family alive after the war . . .”
A few hours later, as the Nassau heads for the Hawaiian Islands, there is a knock at the door of the guest quarters. Katarina opens the door.
“Oh, hello Captain.”
“I thought I would look in and make sure you were comfortable. I apologize for the accommodations, but I’m afraid space is limited on a submarine.”
“We are quite comfortable Captain, thank you,” Noltitz reassures, seated in a desk chair. He gestures a friendly wave. “Please, please come in. How are we progressing?”
“At present speed, we should reach Pearl by dawn.”
“Would you care for some coffee, Captain?” Katarina offers.
“Yes, thank you,” he says appreciatively, taking the cup she has poured.
She points to the small bed. “Please, Captain, this is your ship. Sit, make yourself comfortable.”
He takes a seat on the corner. “Of course, thank you.”
“Your Russian is quite good, Captain,” she comments. “How did you come to learn it? I should think such a thing subversive, especially for someone in the military.”
“Please, call me Jim. I studied at the Academy in anticipation of future relations with the Soviets once the war ended, whatever form it was to take,” he replies, slyly staring at her.
Shyly, she glances away to pour her father a cup of coffee. Clearing his throat, he directs his attention to him as well.
“Now, Dr. Noltitz–”
“Please Captain, call me Andrei.”
“Okay, Andrei. Why has my ship been put in harm’s way to retrieve a defecting Soviet spy?”
“Valid question, Captain,” he tenders, taking the cup his daughter has poured. “Thank you my dear. Before I answer, why did you join the Navy?”
Not anticipating the question, Jim thinks for a second.
“Well, I’ve always had an interest in serving my country, traveling the world and just being a sailor. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in '41 compelled me even more. Unfortunately, I had just entered the Academy at the time, so I had to be patient.”
“You felt a calling to protect your country, your fellow countrymen?”
“Yes, of course.”
“As a spy, I have been exposed to many nationalities all fighting for something. During the war, I found myself working side by side with Allied agents deep within Nazi Germany. With the end of the war, however, the people I had considered allies in war were now enemies in peace. The Soviet government told me that these people were oppressed under capitalistic government, and that the Russian people would be the inheritors of the world. I accepted it as the way of things, continuing to serve my country with all my abilities. Even so, everything that I witnessed told me this was contrary to the reality. I questioned exactly who the enemy was. Had we fought barbarism only to validate the lies? As soon as that thought entered my mind, I knew I was a free agent divorced from the state.”
“So, you decided then to defect?” Jim questions.
“Not at first. After all, I am, I was a loyal citizen. Loyal to the state. I lost two sons and my wife in the fight against Hitler. I was not ready to turn my back on the hopes and dreams that they had paid for with their lives.”
He hesitates for a moment. With a hint of sadness in his eyes, he continues.
“After the war, it did not become the world for which we had fought. We were a country ready for peace, ready for the spoils that come from victory. However, we faced supposed threats anew from former allies, even as the embers of the old conflict still glowed. It appeared to me that all those lives sacrificed in the name of national interest were in vain, and I began to have doubts concerning the course of my country. Still, like I said, I felt compelled to loyalty.”
“I understand.”
“Do you, Captain?”
“Papa,” Katarina interjects, upset by her father’s accusatory tone.
“It’s alright, my dear. Mr. Madin, James, there are things in this world that are beyond our control. History is replete with conflicts over ideology, and we cannot stop it. All we can hope to do is contain it, and survive. How do you survive the unsurvivable though, Captain? In my briefcase is that very scenario.”
“And what is that, Professor?”
“When the United States dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, the world was both awed and fearful. Naturally, the Soviet government began its own atomic bomb research. Of course, when I saw the plans for such I knew the world could never know peace. The nature of our mutual destruction had been revealed, and so I contacted a former O.S.S. associate I had known during the war.”
“It did seem inevitable,” Jim states, indifferent to the revelation.
“I am afraid I may already be too late, however, as it is scheduled for test later this year. But I carry with me the schematics and the location.”
“You have knowledge of the Soviet Union’s atomic weapons program?”
“Yes, Captain. That is why my daughter and I have come to the ‘enemy’. Unfortunately, and sadly somewhat truthfully, the enemy very well may have been within your own government.”
Jim acts skeptical, if not suspicious. “If I understand you, Dr. Noltitz, you believe that Soviet spies within the American government stole our atomic secrets?”
“I know you are not as naïve as you suggest, Mr. Madin. Espionage between adversaries is nothing new. But, yes, there are persons within the United States government, some in key positions, working for the Soviet Union, working against the peace we were all guaranteed.”
“No offense, but you expect the American government to trust the word of a defecting Soviet spy?”
“I only hope it is seen as the truth, James. And I bring proof.”
Not waiting to be recognized by Chairman McCarran, Senator William Jenner interjects.
“What was the proof your father had with him, Mrs. Madin?”
“A list of names, Senator,” Katarina replies. She pauses for a moment before continuing. “The names of United States government employees working for the Soviet Union.”
With a hint of skepticism, Senator Jenner continues his questioning. “And how did he obtain such a ‘smoking-gun’ of a list?”
“He stole it, Senator.”
Jenner acts bemused. “He stole it? And how did he know it was authentic, and not some sort of ‘red-herring’?”
Hesitantly, she answers with a shocking revelation. “Because at some point, my father had recruited several of the people on the list.”
“Mrs. Madin,” McCarran interrupts, “would you repeat that statement?”
“My father,” she stammers, nervously, “recruited several of the people on the list.”
“If I might clarify your statement, Mrs. Madin,” he remarks, distantly heated. “Your father, a Soviet spy, stole a list of Americans whom he supposedly recruited for the Soviet Union, and who in turn stole atomic secrets for that government, and then defected to the United States to expose it? Is that correct?”
“Yes, Senator, it is.”
“Looking at recent history, your father’s information did very little neither in expanding our knowledge of their development programs nor in preventing the Soviets from testing their atomic weapons. Not to mention failing to stop known Soviet spies from operating within this country. Why should this committee believe you, or for that matter your father?”
At that, Bill leans over and whispers into Katarina’s ear. She nods her head in agreement, staring intently at the table.
As the committee members grow impatient, she takes a deep breath.
“Senator, I have the committee’s assurance that this information will never be made public?”
“You do Mrs. Madin,” he assures her.
“Very well. My father’s expertise was in counter-espionage. Since 1923, he had been operating within the Soviet Union, in varied capacities, as a double-agent for the United States.”
A stunned hush falls over the committee members, quickly replaced by the sounds of whispering voices and shuffling papers. Chairman McCarran calls for order, as Senator Jenner recovers himself and proceeds with more questioning.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Madin, could you please repeat what you just told this committee?”
“Certainly, Senator,” she affirms, taking a more confident air. “My father was a double agent for the United States government. His parents, my grandparents, immigrated to the United States from Russia in 1896. He was born Alexander Dimitri Petrov, in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, in 1900. When the United States entered the First World War, my father joined the United States Army as a communiqué dispatcher. Having Russian origins, he was recruited after the war to infiltrate the newly formed Soviet Union. Since 1923, my father has been a Soviet citizen in name only. At all times he acted on behalf of the United States government, turning agents and retrieving information. Before we ‘defected,’ he had been assigned to find leaks in the United States at the Soviet end. Needless to say, he was able to obtain a list of known Soviet spies within the American government. He was only sorry that he could not prevent the Soviets from obtaining the atomic secrets.”
“And this is the list that he presented to his American contact?” McCarran asks.
“Yes, Senator. When he informed them, they deemed it too dangerous for him to remain in the Soviet Union. The unrest in China allowed us the opportunity to ‘defect,’ my father acting as a liaison to Mao Tse-tung on behalf of the Soviet government. From there, the forces of Chiang Kai-shek facilitated our defection to the United States.”
“Very enlightening, Mrs. Madin, thank you.”
“If I may, Mr. Chairman?” Senator Joseph McCarthy interjects.
“You are duly recognized Senator.”
“Thank you,” Senator McCarthy replies. “Mrs. Madin, did you ever see the list your father obtained?”
“Yes, I did,” she replies, apprehensively.
“And when was this?”
After a brief hesitation, she answers. “When I compiled the names for him, Senator.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Madin. I have no more questions Mr. Chairman.”
“If there are no further questions for the witness,” McCarran asks, “I call this committee to rest. Mrs. Madin, Mr. Ward, thank you for your testimony and your time. This committee is ended.”
Thanking the committee, Katarina gracefully steps up from her seat. Escorted by Bill Ward, the two exit the chamber. The Senators, abuzz from her testimony, retire to their offices through the exits at the rear of the chamber.
Six months later, Jim Madin, while on shore leave, returns home to his wife and their modest D.C. bungalow. As Katarina prepares a light lunch in the kitchen, Jim receives a phone call from Bill Ward.
“Hello?”
“Jim my boy,” Bill exclaims, “good to hear your voice my friend. How are you?”
“Hi ya Bill. I’m doing fine, especially with talks of a cease-fire. Perhaps now diplomacy can take hold, and solve the Korean problem.”
“Well, one can only hope. Listen, I was calling to see if you have the radio on. They’re announcing the court’s decision.”
“Thanks for the heads up,” Jim acknowledges, walking over to the box radio sitting atop a corner coffee table. “Katarina and I were just talking, why don’t you and Jane come over for dinner this week?”
“That would be great. I’ll have to check our calendar, but shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll call you later to let you know.”
“Okay, talk to you then.”
Jim hangs up the phone, as Katarina enters the living room.
“Who was that dear?”
“It was Bill, letting us know about the court’s decision.”
She looks solemnly. “Oh.”
As the news announcer breaks in, Jim reassures her. “Your father would be very proud of you. You fulfilled your duty as a patriot, just like he did.”
[Radio announcer:]
“To repeat our top story…the Supreme Court today, in special session, vacated a stay of execution for Ethel and Julius Rosenberg in the United States government’s case against them for espionage. The mitigating evidence for that decision has not been revealed. The two are scheduled for execution later this evening at Sing Sing Correctional…”
Jim turns the radio dial to off, and embraces his wife. The two blissfully walk into the kitchen to enjoy the lunch she has prepared.
©2004 Steve Sagarra
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