Chapter 721: Stalin's Son (4)

Moscow.

In the office in the underground air-raid shelter, Stalin, with a slightly sad face, was pacing back and forth. He also received news that the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Regiment of the 14th Tank Division of the 16th Army was defeated in the battle of the town of Bolshaya Luki in Smolensk, and his son Yakov has not been heard from since. Because the town of Bolshaya Luki has been occupied by the German army, it is impossible to conduct any investigation to find out whether Yakov died in the battle or was captured.

Although the relationship between them was not very close, Stalin firmly believed that his son was a brave and qualified communist fighter and would never be a shameful prisoner.

However, no matter how hard-hearted and ruthless he was, Yakov was his own flesh and blood after all, and now he was sending his son away, he couldn't help feeling sad.

Just as he was silently preparing a eulogy and reviewing his son's life, the door of the office was slammed open and the secretary ran in in a panic. "Comrade Stalin, Comrade Stalin..."

Stalin was frightened by him, and the emotions that had just been brewing disappeared in an instant. Stalin shouted angrily. "What happened?!"

"Broadcast, German broadcast..." The secretary was a little incoherent, and regardless of Stalin's scolding, he ran to the radio beside him, turned on the button, adjusted the channel, and accompanied by a slight electric current sound, the radio came out of the Russian broadcast intermittently.

Stalin's face changed wildly, that was a voice he was very familiar with!

"...I was captured in the battle of the town of Bolshaya Luki in Smolensk a few days ago. The Germans did not make it difficult for me...provided a lot of delicious food, comfortable housing, and comfortable beds...The German Crown Prince promised me that he would send me back after the war was over..."

"Damn it!" After hearing a few words, Stalin suddenly became furious and yelled. "He should have died in battle! Why didn't he?! Coward! He is a shame to the Soviet Union!! He is a traitor!! Shameful traitor!!" Stalin rushed forward, picked up the radio and smashed it to pieces.

The secretary beside him listened to Stalin's hysterical curses, sweating uncontrollably, and really wanted to remind him not to say "traitor" anymore. You said it yourself, "There are no prisoners of war in the Soviet Union, only traitors to the motherland and enemies of the people!" According to the "Order 270" issued by Stalin himself, the family members of traitors will also be implicated. Now that Yakov is a prisoner, do you still want to order yourself to be arrested?

After cursing for a long time, Stalin seemed to be tired of cursing, and he held the desk and panted heavily.

The secretary hurried forward to pour him a cup of tea, and Stalin ordered in a hoarse voice. "Go get Beria!"

"Yes." The secretary hurried out of the office as if he had been pardoned, and happened to see Beria walking towards him.

The secretary walked over quickly and whispered in a low voice. "Comrade Beria, you're just in time. Comrade Stalin was just about to ask you to come."

Seeing the secretary's face full of sweat, Beria also noticed something unusual and asked in a low voice. "What happened?!"

"What should I say?" After thinking for a while, the secretary told the truth. "Comrade Yakov was captured. Just now, he made a radio broadcast saying that the Germans treated him very well and preferentially... Comrade Stalin was very angry."

"What? Comrade Yakov was captured?!" Beria was shocked. "Then, what should I do?!" The first thing he thought of was the fatal "Order No. 270". Now that Comrade Yakov was captured, how should Comrade Stalin deal with this matter? !

The secretary spread his hands, indicating that he didn't know what to do. "So that's why Comrade Stalin came to discuss it with you."

This is a terrible thing. Beria took a deep breath, carefully knocked on the door of Stalin's office, and walked in. "Comrade Stalin, what do you want?"

Stalin's face was extremely gloomy, looking particularly ferocious, and exuding terrible hostility. "Do you know Alyosha Svanidze and Maria Svanidze?"

Beria thought for a moment and nodded. "Yes, do we need to arrest them?" These two are Yakov's uncle and aunt. It seems that Comrade Stalin wants to transfer the execution of "Order No. 270" to them.

Stalin gritted his teeth and said coldly. "After catching them, they will be shot on the spot as traitors!"

"Yes!" Beria naturally didn't dare to say anything more, and immediately took a few people to the residence of the Svanidze family in the suburbs. Because the German bombers only bombed the urban area, life in the suburbs did not seem to be affected too much. When they arrived at the door of Svanidze's villa, they happened to meet the nanny who had just returned from buying groceries.

Beria took out his ID and shook it in front of her. "Is Svanidze at home?"

"!!" Seeing the Ministry of Internal Affairs ID in Beria's hand, the nanny's face showed shock and disbelief. She knew what it meant to be visited by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and what puzzled her even more was that Comrade Svanidze was Comrade Stalin's brother-in-law. Although he was a deceased wife, there was still their child, Comrade Yakov. How dare these people come to trouble Comrade Svanidze?

But she was just a nanny and couldn't care about these things, so she shook her head hurriedly. "Comrade Svanidze is not at home, and his family is not at home."

"No one in the family is at home?" Beria frowned slightly. "Where did you go?! Will you come back at noon?!"

"I didn't see their family when I came in the morning. It seems that they went out very early."

"Got out very early?!" Beria asked hurriedly. "Is this their daily routine?!"

As they talked, they entered the villa and followed the nanny to the kitchen. "Of course not. This is the first time. Even if Comrade Svanidze and his family were going on a long trip, they would have told me. Look, no one has touched the food I prepared this morning."

Looking at the covered food on the table, Beria's heart skipped a beat. The last time he was ordered to arrest Timoshenko's family, the house was empty. How come there is no one now? ! "Search for me! Dig three feet underground and find it for me!"

Unfortunately, let alone digging three feet underground, it would be impossible to find it even if you dig ten or a hundred feet underground.

Several people turned the whole villa upside down and found nothing. It was just obvious that the family left in a hurry. The wedding rings, watches and other personal items of the host and hostess were still on the bedside table in the bedroom. They didn't take any of them away.

After asking the neighbors around, they learned that someone heard the sound of a car engine passing by late last night. As for what kind of vehicle it was, they were not sure whether it was a vehicle or thunder in the sky.

"Damn it, how could this happen?!" Beria's underwear was soaked with cold sweat. Timoshenko's wife and daughter have not been found yet. If even the Svanidze family is not caught this time, the consequences will be disastrous.