Falls The Shadow
an excerpt

"There will be no KGB agents in this house." Lev Arkadyevitch Tchebrikov spoke softly. One never knew just when the KGB might be listening, or what exactly they would take offence to.
Yevgeny stared at his brother, refusing to look away. He was always surprised how two people who were often mistaken for twins could be so dissimilar when it came to personality. He understood why Lev was so angry, but he thought the blame was misplaced.
"Babushka is dying." Yevgeny also kept his voice low, though not out of fear of the KGB. The walls in this two-bedroom apartment were thin and he didn't want Babushka to overhear. "Nadezhda deserves to know what's going on."
"No, she doesn't." Lev's gaze flicked to a portrait on the wall.
Yevgeny looked at the photograph of Marina. "Nadia didn't know."
Lev's jaw tightened. "Nadezhda abandoned this family. She gave up her right to know anything when she walked out this door."
Yevgeny had lost track of how many times they had argued over variations of this topic. He turned his attention to his father instead.
"Papa, what do you think?"
Arkady Mikhailovitch shrugged. "Your sister chose her path."
"Don't you think Babushka might want to see her?"
"How do you think you're going to get in touch with Nadia?" Lev asked. "Do you think the KGB will just tell you where they sent her?"
"I could try to send her a message."
"The KGB isn't going to play postman for you." Lev shook his head and there was scorn in his tone. "For all we know, Nadia might not even be alive anymore."