Tuesday morning, September 18, 1984 – Office of the Project Manager, Ordzhonikdze Aviation Institute, Moscow
The Project Manager was seated behind his desk and was just about to pick up his steaming hot cup of morning coffee when his secretary lightly knocked on the door and led Major Boshnikoff into the office. The office was nicely appointed. Dark oak desk, bookcases around half the room, a leather executive chair behind the desk and matching leather chairs in front of it. Boshnikoff was impressed at how nicely they treated their people in the space program. The secretary left as quickly as she had entered after introducing Major Boshnikoff as the regional quality control inspector.
Boshnikoff waited until the door was closed and then told the project manager the reason for his visit. While telling him the real purpose of his presence in the Institute, he would add his usual amount of fear he liked to place into his subjects.
“Mikhail Dubikoff, I must caution you that you are not to divulge what I tell you to another living soul, for if you do, you will not be counted amongst the living. I am Major Igor Boshnikoff of the KGB. I am here on special assignment to uncover what may be a leak in our system that could compromise the entire project. You will give me your full cooperation, is that understood?” Boshnikoff had such a fierce mannerism that Dubikoff didn’t reply. Instead, he just nodded his consent, eyes wide with fear. Boshnikoff shouted, “I require an answer, comrade Dubikoff.” He reached across the desk, grabbed Dubikoff by the front of his shirt, yanked him forward and poured the hot coffee into Dubikoff’s lap. Dubikoff let out a scream of pain. Boshnikoff then shoved Dubikoff back into his chair and stood in front of the desk with a glare, waiting for a reply.
Dubikoff pushed backward in his chair and gasped at the pain the hot coffee caused. He stammered out a reply. “Ye…yes, of course comrade Major. I shall be most secret with your mission and will assist you in whatever way you need.”
“Good” Boshnikoff said; pleased at the instant fear he had instilled in this man. He sat down in the chair facing the desk. “I have very little time in which to accomplish my task. Give me the name of the worker who is suspected of passing information to the CIA.”
Squirming in the hot coffee, but afraid to move, he took out a handkerchief and tried to soak up some of the liquid as he gasped out a reply, “Well, comrade Major, we are not certain that he is passing information. It is just that he has been acting a bit jumpy lately and our psychological behavior counselor has brought this to my attention. Naturally, I thought it might be of interest to the Committee for State Security. The worker’s name is Victor Panin. He is an electrical technician translating the electronic symbols and parts descriptions from English into Russian. Our counselor noticed some changes in his weekly progress interviews and reported it to me. Panin, of course, doesn’t know that the interviewer is a psychological behavior counselor. The interviewer plays a dual role. His title is quality control engineer and he interviews each member of the staff on a weekly basis to insure that the work is progressing as planned and without errors. Comrade Vasili really is an engineer, but also has a doctorate in behavioral psychology. This way, we not only get quality control, but can watch our workers as well.”
“Very good, comrade Dubikoff. Who was responsible for this brilliant plan?” “General Balkon.”
“I should have known. The general is a brilliant man. It is easy to see why he is the head of the KGB.” Boshnikoff softened his tone a bit and said, “Tell me, Mikhail, does Panin have any friends?”
“Yes, comrade Major. He has a girlfriend here at project headquarters. She is a typist in the communications department. A very attractive young girl and very loyal to the motherland, I might add. Her psychological background report is outstanding. They see each other on weekends when the technicians are ferried back from the Cosmodrome. Each Monday morning, we have the workers come here for a briefing and then take them on a transport from the Central Air Field to the plant at the Cosmodrome. We bring them back again on Friday so they can spend the weekends with their families. Panin met the young lady during one of the briefings and they became friends since they are near the same age. They visit the local discotheques on their weekends together.”
“Good. Arrange to have me meet this typist this morning. I shall appeal to her national pride to help me find out if her boyfriend is truly a patriot or is a traitor. You can introduce me as the regional quality control inspector who is here for a special review of the project procedures.”
“Yes, comrade Major. I shall go with you to the communications center to introduce you.”
“Go change your trousers first, Mikhail. You look as though you urinated down your leg.”
“Oh, yes comrade Major, thank you. The coffee was a bit warm and I do need to change!” He gave Boshnikoff a stupid grin and dashed out the side door of his office to his quarters, which were in the same building.
Major Boshnikoff sat there in thought while Dubikoff rushed out the door. I could see the pain in your face, Mikhail. That coffee was boiling hot. You’ve got blisters on your private parts by now and that’s only a mild taste of what you will get if you bungle my work. You have no idea how ruthless I can be, but you will find out if you cross me!
Victoria Tishinsky was a petite young lady in her early twenties. She had long black hair, soft brown eyes and a fair complexion. She was entering data into her terminal when the project manager and Major Boshnikoff came into the center where she worked.
“Comrade Tishinsky, I would like to introduce you to Comrade Boshnikoff. He is the regional quality control inspector for the Moscow Bureau. He is here for a special review of the project procedures. He would like to interview you now, if you have the time. I have already called your supervisor and she has said that you may take all the time you need.”
Boshnikoff gave Tishinsky his best smile and offered his hand. She stood up, shook his hand