1 00:00:01,360 --> 00:00:03,920 Speaker 1: All eight episodes of To Die For are available now 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: to bench absolutely free, but for ad free listening and 3 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 1: exclusive bonuses, subscribe to tendorfoot Plus at tenderfootplus dot com 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: or on Apple Podcasts. 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 2: Warning, the following episode contains explicit language and sexual themes. 6 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 3: Listener discretion is advised. 7 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:33,600 Speaker 4: This is a scary case. 8 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 3: Actually tell me what you mean by that. 9 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 5: This is scary because the implications are pretty profound, I think. 10 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 4: So let's assume everything. 11 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,880 Speaker 6: This is Robin Drake, who spent twenty two years working 12 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 6: Russian counterintelligence for the FBI. You heard from him in 13 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 6: the first episode of this podcast. I've circled back to 14 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 6: get his thoughts from an intelligence perspective on what he's 15 00:01:02,440 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 6: heard so far. 16 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 5: Let's assume everything Aliah has said is true. That would 17 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 5: mean that this country is won by warlords. That each 18 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 5: one of these generals is a fieftom under themselves, and 19 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 5: they're all serving the greater warlord Putin, and they each 20 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 5: have their cadre of enforcers that are in uniform, that 21 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 5: are under state kind of control. I'm only analyzing the 22 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 5: information she provided, but they're not as a nation state 23 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 5: trying to counter drugs. They as warlords are going after 24 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 5: their adversaries, and if it's a general that's at the 25 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 5: top of yours, that means a general on the top 26 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 5: of another. So in other words, this to me looks 27 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:54,920 Speaker 5: like a feudal system of a bunch of fiefdoms trying 28 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,280 Speaker 5: to take out each other's supply chain and monetary structure. 29 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 4: That's kind of scary if you're thinking about it. 30 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 5: This is actually the truth of how this nation state, 31 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 5: a world power is supposedly being run. 32 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 4: So it's either one or the other. 33 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 5: Either she's making all us up, or this country is 34 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 5: a country of warlords. 35 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 7: To jolly, I'm really sorry. 36 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:47,160 Speaker 4: How to do jut to? This is. 37 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:11,359 Speaker 6: Episode sixteen, chapter thirty three, down word spiral. 38 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 7: He put me into the car. I drove away, and 39 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 7: I felt like something died inside of me. I felt 40 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 7: like I just lost him forever. But I was trying 41 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 7: to tell myself, no, no, no, I will see him again, 42 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 7: But they didn't feel like I will really see him again. 43 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 6: Aliyah had just left the home of Vladimir, her former 44 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 6: target and now her ally. He was sending her to 45 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 6: Moscow for the time being to hide out until it 46 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 6: was safe. She had no idea how long that would 47 00:03:58,760 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 6: be and whether or when she'd hear from the general. 48 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 3: She met with. 49 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 7: The driver. He drove me to Moscow and he opened 50 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 7: their apartment for me, quite like small but very clean 51 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 7: and nice apartment. The driver brought me some food and 52 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:27,039 Speaker 7: then he left, and I remember, I just I just 53 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,719 Speaker 7: wanted to sleep. I think I slept like a few 54 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 7: days straight. 55 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 5: Up. 56 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 7: I drank some water and I just went back to bed, 57 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 7: and I was just sleeping, sleeping, sleeping, recovering. You know, 58 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:54,960 Speaker 7: sleep was the best recovering medicine. I just wanted to 59 00:04:55,440 --> 00:05:00,679 Speaker 7: forget everything. I was thinking about the bladder or a lot, 60 00:05:00,920 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 7: about what he's done for me, about Cornell, and about 61 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 7: you know, my former commander. Then I didn't go out 62 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 7: for like a few days. And then at some point 63 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 7: life was starting to come back to me, and I 64 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 7: was wondering what's happening outside, And I decided to go 65 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 7: out just to buy some food, buy some newspapers. It 66 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 7: was a dark time. I knew that I couldn't contact anyone, 67 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:44,799 Speaker 7: but I thought, if I will contact one person, wouldn't 68 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 7: be bad. 69 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 6: Leah decided to contact an old high school classmate of 70 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 6: hers who had moved to Moscow. 71 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 7: I was just alone, lonely and board. 72 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 6: Her friend invited her to a party, and against her 73 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 6: better judgment, A Liah decided to go. 74 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:05,480 Speaker 7: I knew I couldn't do it, but yet I did it. 75 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:11,040 Speaker 7: And I remember, like first time, for like so long, 76 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 7: I saw so many people in one place and it 77 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 7: was so weird. There were like access to drugs everywhere. 78 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 6: Despite everything she'd seen, Leah quickly found herself swept into 79 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,359 Speaker 6: this culture of drugs. It wasn't because she didn't know 80 00:06:29,400 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 6: how they ruined lives, it was because she did. 81 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 7: And then at some point I just couldn't understand why 82 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:44,760 Speaker 7: the vict just was gone in one day. It was 83 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:53,680 Speaker 7: just like only one scene club, dog dancing, drugs, alcohol, 84 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 7: and it just was like NonStop, and then you come 85 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 7: back to the reality and you cannot accept it again 86 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:08,600 Speaker 7: and you just go back. I think that time I 87 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 7: felt so much guilt. I felt guilt for Vladimir, I 88 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 7: felt guilt for Sasha. I felt guilt for my father 89 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 7: that I didn't succeed in my career. I failed. The 90 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 7: feeling of guilt which was so deep inside of me 91 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 7: that I just couldn't handle it. And I just thought 92 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 7: that moment that maybe this will help me to stop 93 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 7: this pain when I try that. I don't understand people 94 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 7: when they become drug added because they have so much 95 00:07:58,640 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 7: pain inside of them, so much so they just cannot 96 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 7: handle it in a normal life. It's like too much. Everything. 97 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 7: What Vladimir told me about the big life and the 98 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 7: big world, I didn't see it. And I was still 99 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 7: waiting maybe he will come and he will know what 100 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 7: to do, because I was completely lost completely. 101 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:33,800 Speaker 3: Unfortunately, Leah never saw Vladimir again. 102 00:08:36,800 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 7: So his driver, his friend, he called me. He said, 103 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,280 Speaker 7: do you know what happened? He said, like, no, I 104 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 7: didn't know what was happening. I stopped even reading newspapers 105 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 7: and I was just in another world. And I asked him, 106 00:08:54,400 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 7: what's happening. Do you know anything about Vladimir? He said, well, 107 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 7: he said he is his dad. And for a quite 108 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 7: a long time, I was silenced. He's like, are you okay? 109 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:22,319 Speaker 7: Are you okay? And I asked what happened how? And 110 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 7: he said, I don't know a lot of details, but 111 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:29,200 Speaker 7: he was murdered and I don't know how and where. 112 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:35,680 Speaker 7: I just wanted to tell you, so you know, And 113 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 7: I said, when it's the funeral and He's like, well 114 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 7: it will be soon, like in a couple of days, 115 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:46,440 Speaker 7: but you can't come here. Don't even think about doing that. 116 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:55,439 Speaker 7: And he switched over the phone. And I couldn't even cry. 117 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 6: You know. 118 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 7: It was almost like the last my hope of the future, 119 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 7: the last my connection with the past. It was just 120 00:10:08,120 --> 00:10:18,200 Speaker 7: gone with him. I found some newspapers, but they wrote 121 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 7: like in the very like facts kind of thing, so 122 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 7: and so was killed at this place. That's it. And 123 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 7: I just took some drugs just to escape because I 124 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:43,000 Speaker 7: felt even more guilty. I felt like, now it's time 125 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 7: for me to leave the world. I felt so disgusting 126 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 7: that I'm not allowed to leave. 127 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 6: Leah soon fell sick, a combination of the psychological toll 128 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 6: of Vladimir's murder and the physical toll of her lifestyle. 129 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 7: I have a very high fever. I couldn't walk. It 130 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 7: was something really bad. I thought like, this is the 131 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 7: time when I may finally die, like I felt, that's 132 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 7: so close to me. And I was thinking about my parents, 133 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 7: and you know what, I decided to call them. My 134 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:40,559 Speaker 7: mom remembers that call still now. She sounded really sad, 135 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:47,760 Speaker 7: and I said, Mom, that's me. I just wanted to 136 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 7: tell you that I really really love you, and I 137 00:11:53,360 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 7: want to apologize for everything, like everything I've done, and 138 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 7: I'll just try to do my best. And he said, 139 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 7: oh my god, he sounds so sick, like where are 140 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:14,520 Speaker 7: you what's going on? I said, like, tell my dad 141 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 7: that I'm really sorry for everything, and I think this 142 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 7: would be my last call. So I just wanted to 143 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:27,400 Speaker 7: tell you that I love you and thank you for 144 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 7: giving me this life. That's it, and I switched over 145 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:41,559 Speaker 7: the phone. I thought like, oh, this is just absolutely 146 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:50,840 Speaker 7: pointless life. You know, I live a pointless life. So 147 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:56,080 Speaker 7: I took the raise of blade. I didn't even like 148 00:12:56,200 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 7: write a letter whatever they say lo because sometimes they 149 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 7: write a letter, you know. I didn't do anything like that. 150 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:08,000 Speaker 7: I just took the lizard and just cut my wrist. 151 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 7: I thought, okay, so now I can be free. This 152 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:24,439 Speaker 7: is my freedom. Now, this is the end of my suffer, 153 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 7: of my guild, of my negative experience. And at some 154 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:42,319 Speaker 7: point I just fainted. I woke up. I looked at 155 00:13:42,360 --> 00:13:47,079 Speaker 7: my wrist and either I didn't do the deep cut either. 156 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 7: My blood it dried so fast, so it's so blood 157 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:56,800 Speaker 7: on the floor on my hand, but in my hand, 158 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 7: the blood stopped bleeding. 159 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,079 Speaker 6: Somewhere in the state being half awake and half asleep, 160 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 6: half alive and half dead, Elia saw a vision that 161 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 6: to her seemed very real. 162 00:14:11,960 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 7: It was Vladimir, and I saw him sitting next to 163 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 7: my bed and he looked at me and he said, 164 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 7: come on, wake up, you have to go. You have 165 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:32,320 Speaker 7: to leave. You have to go and live your life. 166 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,200 Speaker 7: And he told me, do you remember I gave you 167 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 7: all these numbers. Call them. They will organize for you everything. 168 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 7: Call them. And he was saying it like, come on, 169 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:57,760 Speaker 7: stand up, you have to go. You have bigger goals, 170 00:14:57,960 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 7: bigger mission. And he just disappeared. The next morning, when 171 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 7: I woke up, I found a note with all these numbers, 172 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 7: all these addresses, names everything, Switzerland, Italy, Fronts, Turkey, Greece, 173 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 7: his friends people, He relied on them, He trust them. 174 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 7: And I called one number and I said that I'm 175 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 7: from Vladimir, and I asked for the help, and then 176 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 7: they arranged everything. So I fly away. First country was Turkey, 177 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,600 Speaker 7: and I had the time. Russian prospered, so it was 178 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:02,880 Speaker 7: very convenient and easier to fly to Turkey. First. I 179 00:16:02,920 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 7: wanted to find the light in this dark tunnel, and 180 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 7: Vladimir showed me that light and I stopped doing drugs 181 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 7: and alcohol just like that in one day. Where I 182 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 7: am right now, it thanks to him, you know. He 183 00:16:27,360 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 7: pushed me and he didn't let me die. Seriously, I 184 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 7: feel this way. 185 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 6: While Leah was in Turkey, she discovered the fate of 186 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 6: her former superiors, the colonel and the commander who assaulted 187 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:51,360 Speaker 6: her and abused her and sent her to die. 188 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 7: So both of them, the coronel and my previous commander, 189 00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:00,200 Speaker 7: they got retired and it was quite quick of the 190 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 7: whole operation was finished. Usually, if you do something bad 191 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:13,439 Speaker 7: while your career, but not too bad, then they just 192 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:17,800 Speaker 7: read of you like okay, so here's your pension, here's 193 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 7: your retirement. Good luck. And it gives me understanding that 194 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 7: they obviously lost the income of the bribery and the 195 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 7: power which they had while they had high rank. 196 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:59,119 Speaker 6: Chapter thirty four fairy tale endings. 197 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 7: So ninth of July in two thousand and four, according 198 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 7: to Regno media, with the few shots to the neck 199 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 7: and had the criminal leader, which is in Russian calls 200 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 7: of started forty four years old. Vladimir Costin were shot 201 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 7: about eleven PM near to the preschool. 202 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,679 Speaker 6: Alia Rosa is reading an article on the death of Vladimir. 203 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:41,280 Speaker 6: It's still a mystery what happened, but she believes that 204 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:44,040 Speaker 6: his former partner and friend had something to do with it. 205 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 6: There are a lot of unanswered questions left at the 206 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 6: end of Lea's story, so I asked her about a 207 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 6: few of them. In the last episode, we discussed your 208 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:01,359 Speaker 6: meeting with the general and himself saying take a rest, 209 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 6: I have some other missions and things for you, and 210 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,159 Speaker 6: the story got a little squarely there. But now that 211 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 6: we're talking together, I wanted to get your answer to 212 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:13,880 Speaker 6: what happened there. 213 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 7: I okay, So I still, you know, like it's still scared. 214 00:19:23,119 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 7: I mean I was scared a lot of times when 215 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 7: I was there, but this was the most scariest meeting 216 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 7: in my life, because you I that time, and even 217 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 7: now I kind of like, you know, like the power 218 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:41,560 Speaker 7: of the person. 219 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 3: Eliah seems to be struggling here. 220 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,119 Speaker 6: I try to ask again what really happened at that 221 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:49,760 Speaker 6: meeting with the general, why she was allowed to leave 222 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 6: the country, whether we had new assignments for her, and 223 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:57,000 Speaker 6: whether she escaped the system and how. For the next 224 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,439 Speaker 6: half hour, I struggled to get a clear and direct 225 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:03,320 Speaker 6: answer that makes sense. I'm not sure something is lost 226 00:20:03,320 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 6: in the translation, or if there's something she's hiding and 227 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 6: it turns out there is. 228 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 7: Am I free now? Am I free? Now? 229 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:15,560 Speaker 5: Like? 230 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,320 Speaker 7: I don't know? Where is the guarantee they will not 231 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 7: do anything to me? Oh? My son and I have 232 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:28,160 Speaker 7: this the thought every moment I leave, Is it a freedom? Now? 233 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,159 Speaker 6: I ask Aleiah why she doesn't feel free and if 234 00:20:33,160 --> 00:20:34,920 Speaker 6: there's anything she's had to do since. 235 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 7: My general in my new commander, the unofficial commander, gave 236 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 7: me a new task to become whom I never wanted 237 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:53,040 Speaker 7: to be. And it was low to my pride and 238 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:59,080 Speaker 7: betray to my body and my soul. But I don't 239 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:01,440 Speaker 7: want to end up on this note because it's such 240 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 7: a it's like breaking every hope for every person who 241 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,040 Speaker 7: listen to that. The life is not like. 242 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:12,119 Speaker 4: You know. 243 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 6: Aliyah trails off here. It's clear that she's conflicted. She 244 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 6: wants to be the hero of her own story and 245 00:21:20,920 --> 00:21:25,120 Speaker 6: she is just for starters. She's here and she survived it, 246 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:28,360 Speaker 6: but it's a different kind of hero than perhaps her 247 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:32,199 Speaker 6: father raised her to be. This desire to give her 248 00:21:32,240 --> 00:21:35,120 Speaker 6: story a happy ending for the audience helps explain who 249 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 6: she's become today. Throughout this podcast, some listeners have written 250 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 6: in struggling to reconcile the story she's telling with her 251 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:46,920 Speaker 6: social media presence, which portrays a lot of red carpets, 252 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 6: expensive sports cars, paparazzi, fame and glamour. She wants She 253 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:58,440 Speaker 6: likes everybody to see the success, the success. 254 00:21:58,080 --> 00:22:02,720 Speaker 7: The final story. Yeah, retail which I create in my 255 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 7: in my illusory world which actually fucking doesn't exist. I 256 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:15,679 Speaker 7: pretend the Instagram is just all for me. It's like 257 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:18,880 Speaker 7: I look at it and I feel better. I want 258 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 7: to believe that this is the result which I created 259 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:23,639 Speaker 7: for myself. 260 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:27,719 Speaker 6: Do you think part of that illusion also is not 261 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 6: just for you? But like showing your dad, even though 262 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 6: I didn't choose his path, look at me and look 263 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 6: at my life to. 264 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 7: My dad, of course, to show him that without military 265 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 7: and without following your order, I still pretend that I'm 266 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 7: successful because I feel I feel like it's my armor, 267 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 7: and I protect myself in certain ways where I cannot. 268 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 7: I don't have power enough to be open and live 269 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 7: in real world because it's it scares me a lot. 270 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 6: Let me pause, I said, Okay, if I call Emily. 271 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 6: He'd been working with therapeutically. So if I kind of 272 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:27,880 Speaker 6: looper around this discussion, yes, okay, heym Lee you're there. 273 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:29,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, I am so. 274 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,359 Speaker 6: As I'm sitting here sort of unpacking stuff with Alah, 275 00:23:31,400 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 6: I just thought i'd sort of bring you in and 276 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:37,120 Speaker 6: getgains some thoughts. Okay, what I'm learning is I talked 277 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 6: to a Liah Moore. Is the happy ending isn't exactly 278 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:46,640 Speaker 6: how would you put Aliyah? The happy ending isn't? 279 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 7: There is no happy ending? 280 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:53,480 Speaker 6: To be honest, at this point, I've spent a year 281 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:56,359 Speaker 6: and a half with Aliyah an unpacked her story, not 282 00:23:56,480 --> 00:23:59,400 Speaker 6: just with Emily Maccus, the trauma counselor we're speaking with now, 283 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 6: but with Russian intelligence sources and experts. And I could 284 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 6: go over at point by point and share what the 285 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 6: FBI says was believable, with the CIA says was credible, 286 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,119 Speaker 6: and so on. But I think we could do that 287 00:24:12,520 --> 00:24:16,679 Speaker 6: with any story. Every true crime podcast is a collection 288 00:24:16,720 --> 00:24:19,400 Speaker 6: of narratives that we're trying to pick the best path through. 289 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 6: And I think the path that is best to take 290 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:26,640 Speaker 6: with Aleah given everything we've heard, is a trauma informed one. 291 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 6: People see Lea's Instagram, and they think of it from 292 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:31,359 Speaker 6: an influencer point of view, but I'm curious what does 293 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 6: it look like from a trauma point of view. 294 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 2: Part is the association. It's part of her coping mechanism 295 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 2: and what she. 296 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 3: It was. 297 00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:48,959 Speaker 2: It's involuntary and detachment from reality at times, and it's 298 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 2: a way that she protected herself and most of the 299 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:55,920 Speaker 2: time is unconscious. 300 00:24:55,920 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 3: With that dissociation. 301 00:24:58,280 --> 00:25:02,920 Speaker 6: When we experienced trauma, some of us want to feel 302 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,159 Speaker 6: like it doesn't define us, that we're not victims, that 303 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 6: we winners, winners. 304 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 2: Trauma does affect the way we perceive ourselves, the way 305 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:16,000 Speaker 2: we act and react, because it affected our brain. It 306 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:20,960 Speaker 2: affected our nervous system. When you look at the association, 307 00:25:21,800 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 2: it's part of the fight flight response. It's even your 308 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:27,119 Speaker 2: memory that can be affected. 309 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 6: I start to understand, as Emily speaks, that after surviving 310 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:36,199 Speaker 6: such a disempowering experience, there's a need to find a 311 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 6: way to empower ourselves through our narrative. As the author 312 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:44,680 Speaker 6: Esactinas and once said, all sorrows can be born if 313 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 6: you put them into a story or tell a story 314 00:25:46,840 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 6: about them. 315 00:25:49,320 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 2: And look at even the way Eliir was raised by 316 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:59,720 Speaker 2: her father in the military. She was raised not to feel, 317 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:06,439 Speaker 2: not to be connected, but she was also raised to 318 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,919 Speaker 2: be the superhero in the story. I just want to 319 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:16,239 Speaker 2: remind you, Aliyah that you can't change your past. You can, 320 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 2: but you can't change the narrative of the story. But 321 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 2: you are the superhero in your life story. 322 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 3: What are your thoughts on that? 323 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 7: I was thinking that I think this podcast actually gave 324 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:41,679 Speaker 7: me freedom because first time in life I started to 325 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 7: feel I felt a strong guilt, I felt anger, I 326 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 7: felt hate, I felt pain, and then I started to 327 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:04,000 Speaker 7: feel love. I started to not to be ashamed of 328 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 7: my vulnerability. And first time in life, I noticed that 329 00:27:12,800 --> 00:27:18,159 Speaker 7: I started to be open to people in general and 330 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 7: man especially. And it's very scary, like it's so many 331 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:29,400 Speaker 7: fears that I don't know if I can handle it. 332 00:27:30,680 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 7: But I take a deep breath and try to move 333 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 7: on and not to close my heart and continue feeling, 334 00:27:45,359 --> 00:27:49,359 Speaker 7: which which is so hard. 335 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,119 Speaker 3: Epilogue a Russian story. 336 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:23,840 Speaker 6: So I just called to ask, what are your thoughts 337 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:25,280 Speaker 6: now that you've heard the rest of e Leia's story. 338 00:28:27,119 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 4: It took me on a journey, really, and. 339 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 5: The journey that it brought me on was such a 340 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 5: conclusion that she is a product of. 341 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:37,919 Speaker 4: A father who's part of the state. 342 00:28:38,680 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 5: She was recruited and or volunteered into the state system. 343 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 5: Her context is then shattered tragically with abuse and rape 344 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:55,440 Speaker 5: and then put into this odd school of sparrow training. 345 00:28:55,600 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 4: Because that is just as we've said before. 346 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:00,240 Speaker 5: Was that a real school, Was it a state spons 347 00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 5: to school, or was a bunch of dirty old men 348 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,520 Speaker 5: that were justifying their actions on behalf of the state 349 00:29:04,560 --> 00:29:08,920 Speaker 5: as an excuse could be all there lies the Russian 350 00:29:08,960 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 5: state at its bedrock. 351 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 6: This is Robin Driek again, former chief of the FBI's 352 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 6: Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis program. 353 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:21,960 Speaker 5: To keep you in a state of chaos personally, emotionally, psychologically, 354 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:26,600 Speaker 5: and physically. They traumatize you, They trauma bond you to them. 355 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 4: This is the case where they give you. 356 00:29:28,520 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 5: A little bit of love bombing, we love you, you're great, 357 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:33,080 Speaker 5: you're awesome, and then they beat on your, beat on 358 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 5: your beat on your beat on you, and then the 359 00:29:34,560 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 5: beating has become more and the love becomes less, and 360 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 5: then you get addicted to that. One time out of 361 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 5: a million, you might get a kind word or a 362 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:46,720 Speaker 5: promotion or a good posting from someone, or maybe even 363 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:51,000 Speaker 5: not being traumatized tonight by someone. This is what they do, 364 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 5: and that's what she u is a product of the state. 365 00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,240 Speaker 5: It is pretty profound that she was able to do 366 00:29:57,280 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 5: what she did to rescue herself, the amount of bravery 367 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 5: she had to start recognizing. Basically, it's the matrix. You 368 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 5: know that they have to get myself out of this matrix. 369 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:10,440 Speaker 5: And that's where therapy comes in, and that's where rescuing 370 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 5: ourselves from the trauma with the great healthy relationships we 371 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 5: tend forge around us and getting that narrative and that 372 00:30:16,760 --> 00:30:18,240 Speaker 5: story out there for people to see. 373 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 6: What is a hero? Is it Black Widow? Is it 374 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 6: Red Sparrow? Is it James Bond? When I first sat 375 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 6: down with Aliyah, that's the type of story I imagined hearing, 376 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 6: and I think that's the type of story Aliyah imagine telling. 377 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:44,760 Speaker 6: But real life is not so clear cut. And I 378 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:47,680 Speaker 6: learned through this process at least three things I will 379 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 6: never forget. The first is that life in a totalitarian system, 380 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 6: whether it's a country or one's own family, is a 381 00:30:55,600 --> 00:30:59,040 Speaker 6: prison with bars made of fear and duty, and even 382 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 6: if we manage to gape physically, it's much harder to 383 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:09,480 Speaker 6: escape psychologically. The second is that sexpionage is anything but sexy. 384 00:31:10,200 --> 00:31:13,200 Speaker 6: The third is that most stories of abuse don't have 385 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 6: happy endings. The perpetrators often get away with it, the 386 00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 6: victims rarely get justice or resolution, and even if they do, 387 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,719 Speaker 6: the healing process is often messy and incomplete. 388 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 5: All these things in here do happen, and these are 389 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:30,680 Speaker 5: the tragic results of them. 390 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:34,320 Speaker 6: So what is a hero in this case and so 391 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:38,840 Speaker 6: many others? Does a person who survived to tell their story? 392 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 6: Not necessarily the story, their story? And what is healing? 393 00:31:45,040 --> 00:32:13,000 Speaker 6: It's being heard, So thank you for listening. To Die 394 00:32:13,080 --> 00:32:16,080 Speaker 6: For is a production of Tenderfoot TV in association with 395 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:19,240 Speaker 6: iHeart Podcasts. The show is hosted and written by me 396 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 6: Neil Strauss, with additional writing assistants by Tristan Bankston. Executive 397 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 6: producers are myself, Donald Albright, and Payne Lindsay. For iHeart Podcasts, 398 00:32:29,480 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 6: executive producers are Matt Frederick and Alex Williams. Lead producer 399 00:32:33,800 --> 00:32:37,600 Speaker 6: and editor is Tristan Bankston. Additional editing by Miles Clark 400 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:43,760 Speaker 6: and Christian Brown. Supervising producer Tracy Kaplan. Consultants include Nushin, 401 00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:46,680 Speaker 6: Valiza Day, Chelsea Gooden, and Jamie Albright. 402 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:49,120 Speaker 3: Artwork by Byron McCoy. 403 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:53,680 Speaker 6: Original music by Makeup and Vanity Set, mixed and mastered 404 00:32:53,840 --> 00:32:57,560 Speaker 6: by Dayton Cole. Our theme song is Killer Shangui Law 405 00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:02,600 Speaker 6: by Psychotic Beats featuring Pattiamore. Special thanks to Aorin Rosenbab 406 00:33:02,720 --> 00:33:06,360 Speaker 6: and the team at Uta Beck Media and Marketing, Aorn Siegel, 407 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 6: Becky Jensen, the Nord Group, Meredith Stedman, Rose Baruch, and 408 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:16,480 Speaker 6: Alex Vespustad. Thanks also to additional guests. Robin Dreek, author 409 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:20,280 Speaker 6: of the upcoming book and Breakable Alliances, A spy recruiter's 410 00:33:20,320 --> 00:33:25,200 Speaker 6: authoritative guide to cultivating powerful and lasting connections. Alex Finley, 411 00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:29,280 Speaker 6: author of the Victor Caro series. Doctor David Lewis, author 412 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:31,920 Speaker 6: of Triumph of the Will, How two men hypnotized Hitler 413 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:36,320 Speaker 6: and changed the world. Doctor Joel Dimmesdale, author of Dark Persuasion, 414 00:33:36,560 --> 00:33:40,600 Speaker 6: A History of brainwashing from Pavlov to social Media. Professor 415 00:33:40,680 --> 00:33:45,040 Speaker 6: Mark Gailliatti, author of Downfall, Precosion, Putin and The New 416 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 6: Fight for the Future of Russia. Mark Hollingsworth, author of 417 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 6: Agents of Influence, How the k g B subverted Western democracies. 418 00:33:53,200 --> 00:33:56,720 Speaker 6: Doctor Ian Garner, author of Z Generation into the heart 419 00:33:56,840 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 6: of Russia's fascist youth. 420 00:33:58,880 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 3: Robert J. 421 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:03,640 Speaker 6: Lifton, author of Surviving ar Catastrophes, Resilience and Renewal From 422 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 6: Hiroshima to the COVID nineteen pandemic. Amy Knight, author of 423 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:11,960 Speaker 6: The Kremlin's News, Putin's bitter feud with the oligarch who 424 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:16,120 Speaker 6: made him Ruler of Russia. Yuri Felshtinsky, author of From 425 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:19,920 Speaker 6: Red Terror to Terrorist State, Russia's secret service and its 426 00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:24,640 Speaker 6: fight for world domination. Doctor Joe Sirio, author of Being 427 00:34:24,680 --> 00:34:29,560 Speaker 6: Resilient Fifty lessons on Leaving chronic Stress behind. Holly McKay, 428 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:33,840 Speaker 6: author of The Dictator's Wife. Emily Machis, author of The 429 00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:36,640 Speaker 6: Naked Truth of a Healer, The Path to My Authentic Self. 430 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:41,000 Speaker 6: Luke Harding, author of Invasion, The inside story of Russia's 431 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:45,319 Speaker 6: Bloody War in Ukraine's fight for survival and Setlana Stephenson, 432 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 6: author of Crossing the Line, Vagrancy, homelessness and social displacement 433 00:34:50,160 --> 00:34:55,640 Speaker 6: in Russia. Federico Varez, author of Mafia Life, Love, Death, 434 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:58,440 Speaker 6: and the Money at the Heart of Organized Crime. And 435 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:02,120 Speaker 6: Matt Tipton Army r Your veteran and internal medicine doctor 436 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,000 Speaker 6: trained in chemical and radiological weapons response. 437 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:09,240 Speaker 4: Wow, that was a very Russian story.