Robert Ross’s mother had a brief liaison with a handsome, very wealthy man (reportedly a Canadian) that resulted in the birth of her only child on the day of January 24, 1962. Ruth refused to give Robert any information about his father, saying only that he had died shortly after Robert was born. Ruth Zolotkov married in 1980 but divorced in 1982. She did not remarry but had several relationships.
What the CIA file did not disclose was that as he matured, Rob began to question his mother about his father, his natural instincts driving him to want to know about the man. Anything.
But Ruth constantly turned him away, saying that it would be better if he did not know. She told him in his mid-teens there were many dark things his father had done in his lifetime that could bring pain and embarrassment to Rob.
However, she finally told him in a weak moment when she’d had some loosening-of-the-tongue ounces of vodka straight — with an afterbite of lemon. It was after his graduation, when he received his doctorate summa cum laude. The celebratory dinner with friends had concluded. Ruth and her son were alone in their suite reminiscing about his high school days and then his college carryings-on that had given his mother no little anxiety about whether he was doing enough studying.
Without warning Rob said, “Mother, don’t you think it’s time to tell me about my father? The truth. I think I can handle it no matter how bad his story is.”
It was time for Ruth to relent, but only to the extent that her conscience allowed, vodka or no vodka.
“I have always told you your father died shortly after you were born. That is not true. Not true.”
She took a sip of the white wine that took the place of the liquor, saying, “Your father and I never married. He was already married and had a family. I met him at a party in New York. It was an opening night party after my most successful ballet. I was the prima ballerina, very young...”
“Extremely beautiful.”
“Yes, yes ... and he was beautiful also, as you are beautiful, my Rob.” She hesitated, gathering her emotions to go on. “He came to New York from another country, from Canada, often and on business. We began to see each other regularly. We were in love — deeply in love — and so you came to my great joy and his. I wanted him to divorce his wife and marry me. But this could not be done.”
“Why not?”
“He explained to me that the divorce would cost him everything because of a legal commitment made to his wife at the beginning of their marriage. He had built up a substantial fortune and would lose it — I do not know the technicalities.”
“But you believed him?”
“Of course I did. So it was arranged, and lawyers drew up the agreement, that he would set up a trust fund in a Swiss bank account and that you and I would be looked after, well looked after, including your university tuition and all that sort of thing.”
“Yes, but you haven’t told me who he is.”
She shrugged. “And I’m not going to.”
“Please, Mother. Why not?”
“Because I gave my covenant that I would never tell you or anyone else his identity. That was the price I had to pay. My covenant.”
Rob shook his head. “Surely, Mother, after all these years. Frankly, it doesn’t make sense for you to keep on with this. Have you no compassion for me? In my gut I must know. You owe it to me.”
She gave a slight smile. “Certainly I owe it to you. But, my beloved son, it is a debt I’m not ready to pay, not unless your father permits.”
“Ah, so he’s still alive. He keeps in touch?” There was a lift of surprise and hope in his voice.
“Yes, yes. Of course he keeps in touch, but only to be told about you, how you’re getting along. He is very, very proud of you.”
“Be that as it may, Mother. I’m delighted to know for the first time that my father, whoever he is, is alive and doing well. That’s wonderful. I promise you, someday I’ll find him. Believe me, I’ll find him. But right now, Mother, how about a little toast to you and to me, the brand new Dr. Rob Ross!”
Rob’s mother had raised him speaking Russian at home with the result that he was fluent in both the spoken and written form. His resumé also showed that he was proficient in French and German. Remarkable, Borins had thought when he read of Ross’s linguistic talents, especially so in a nation full of bodies who had difficulty handling even their own version of American English.
“I can tell you that Rob Ross is one helluva capable young man. Exceptional,” Borins concluded.
“After the President’s briefing I’ll let you know if I agree,” State replied. She did indeed let Borins know. He was right on about Dr. Rob Ross.
CHAPTER 6
Ross’s in-depth briefing session with the Secretary and Crisp was quickly underway. She had decided to use the conference room, now fully equipped with electronic projection gear and secure recording equipment, state-of-the-art stuff.
At the conference table, the Secretary invited Rob to brief them on his approach to the Russian nuclear waste scenario. “I heard your briefing of the President,” she cautioned, “but there must be much more material to put on the table.”
“There is. Let me start with the nuclear warhead scene and Russia,” Ross opened. “The Russians have tonnes of plutonium-enriched waste — weapons-usable fissile material. As I discussed the situation in the briefing, they don’t know how to immobilize it, get rid of it permanently. They know how technically, but they don’t have the money or the political will to do it.”
“Will they ever have either one?” Crisp asked.
“Someday, but not in the short term, not in the next ten years, the way I see it.”
“So we’re going to have to provide more money and massage their political will, right?” the Secretary said.
“Provide money? We’re already doing that in spades. The amount of money the United States gives to Russia to stop the spread of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons is verging on phenomenal. Try at least $760 million a year with proposals that could reach $30 billion over the next eight to ten years.
“There are dozens of programs, mainly in DOE, the Pentagon, and even here in our State Department. The goals, among other things, are to try to help Russia dismantle its enormous unconventional weapons complexes, safeguard nuclear material, and prevent Russian nuclear scientists from selling their products and skills to rogue states and terrorist groups.”
Crisp interjected. “Unfortunately there was no program to prevent Pakistan’s top nuclear scientist from peddling his nuclear proliferation wares to North Korea, Iran, and other clients. You will remember that at the beginning of 2004, Pakistan’s President Musharaff actually pardoned this man!”
Ross acknowledged this with a nod. “To go on, our Department of Defense’s Cooperative Threat Reduction programs are receiving in the range of a half-billion dollars a year for expenditure in Russia.”
State interjected. “Surely we’re getting something out of this, some good results?”
“The results? By the beginning of 2005 the claim was that more than 5,288 missile warheads had been deactivated, 419 long-range nuclear missiles and 367 silos had been destroyed, 81 bomber aircraft were gone, 292 submarine missile launchers and 174 submarine missiles had been disposed of, and 194 nuclear test holes and sites in Russia had been sealed.”
The Secretary said, “That’s not bad, is it?”