Bormann was feeling agitated. He had been sitting in Hitler’s study for over an hour waiting for the Führer to join him for their scheduled weekly afternoon meeting. In recent months, Hitler had drifted into a routine that included an afternoon nap in his bedroom, and sometimes he didn’t surface again for the rest of the day. Even his daily drug intake seemed to be having little effect, and his behaviour was becoming increasingly erratic.
Just as Bormann was concluding this would be another one of those days, the study door opened and Hitler appeared. He was clean-shaven and smartly dressed in a grey double-breasted suit, a white cotton shirt and a grey tie. Bormann was delighted to see he was ready for business and hoped his mind was as sharp as his appearance. He stood to greet the Führer, who nodded to him as he slowly shuffled across the room to his desk. These days he relied on a brass-handled chestnut walking stick for support and it took him some time to reach the chair, which was situated at the far end of the room. Once he was seated, he cleared his throat and fixed his gaze on Bormann as a signal he was ready for the briefing to begin.
“Führer, it’s wonderful to see you looking so sprightly today. We have much to discuss, and, as ever, I am in need of your wisdom and guidance.”
Although Bormann had been pulling all the strings since they’d arrived in Patagonia, he still displayed an instinctive deference to the Führer who, on days like this, somehow managed to conjure up an aura of power and authority.
Hitler leaned forward and rested his arms on the desk. “What matters do you wish to discuss, Martin?”
“Führer, for some months now, our contacts in Buenos Aires have been reporting concerns that Mossad and that despicable Austrian Jew, Wiesenthal, have been combining their resources to step up their search for some of our most important friends. I’m particularly worried about Eichmann and Mengele, and I wondered if we should think about relocating them and their families from Buenos Aires to join us in El Calafate.”
Hitler instantly shook his head. “Martin, I won’t sanction any action that endangers my security and our plans for the future. Go and see them both and offer whatever financial resources they require in order to move to a more remote location. It concerns me they both know where we are based, and, if they are subjected to interrogation from the Israelis, we may become compromised.”
Unbeknown to Hitler, Bormann had already booked himself on the morning flight to Buenos Aires and had arranged meetings with both of the notorious Nazi exiles.
“I share your concern, Führer, and will meet with them as soon as possible.”
“Very good. Give them both my regards.”
Bormann stood to leave just as Hitler fired off a parting shot. “Martin, can you imagine what fun Josef would have had with Wiesenthal if he had been an inmate at Auschwitz?”
Three of the most wanted war criminals in the world sat huddled together at a small table in the corner of a deserted bar in Buenos Aires. It was located a few hundred yards away from Eichmann’s house on Garibaldi Street, on the outskirts of the city. Bormann had called an emergency meeting with the two Mossad targets and Mengele had arrived exactly on time, whereas Eichmann kept them both waiting for the better part of an hour.
Bormann was aware the two Nazis held very different mindsets. Mengele was an extremely cautious man who lived in constant fear of exposure and capture and looked to Bormann for help and guidance. Eichmann was the complete opposite. He had total contempt for Bormann, whom he viewed as a talentless, over-promoted party official who had somehow managed to win the ear of the Führer during the last few months of the war. His instinctive self-importance and inbuilt arrogance meant he didn’t bother to hide his total disregard for Bormann and he clearly resented being summoned to a last-minute meeting by the man he considered to be his inferior.
On the table stood a cheap bottle of whisky and a jug of water. Bormann poured out three scotches and called for a toast to the Führer. The three of them clinked glasses and drained them in one shot.
“Josef, Adolf, I bring the regards of the Führer who is aware of today’s meeting.”
Unlike Eichmann, Mengele still had huge respect for Hitler and was the first to reply. “How is the Führer’s health these days?”
“His mind is as brilliant as ever. It’s just his body that is beginning to let him down.”
Eichmann was much more matter of fact. “So why the sudden panic for a meeting? It was very inconvenient for me to have to change my work schedule at such short notice.”
Bormann refused to rise to the bait and ignored the obvious taunt from Eichmann. “Gentlemen, I am seriously concerned for your welfare. I understand that, right now, Mossad have agents sniffing around the city, trying to locate your whereabouts. You need to relocate as soon as possible and find a safe haven. I will transfer suitable funds into your accounts to enable you to make the move. Time is of the essence and this is not a request. It’s an instruction from your Führer.”
Eichmann snapped back immediately. “Bormann, fuck you and fuck the Führer. I am not a pawn of yours to be moved around on one of your fucking chessboards. I have built a good life here and my family is settled. Besides, everyone knows the government would never agree to extradite us back to Germany or Israel, so Mossad are fucked.”
Mengele ignored Eichmann’s rant and turned to Bormann. “Martin, I will speak to Martha tonight. If you and the Führer believe we are truly under threat from the Israelis, then we will look to move out of the city and disappear into the countryside.”
Bormann reached into his pocket and retrieved two small ring-sized boxes.
“Eichmann, as always, you will make your own decision, but my intelligence is good, and my advice is sound. The city is not a safe place for you at the present time and you need to disappear, even if it’s only for a few months.”
Bormann leaned forward, placed the boxes on the table and opened the lids to reveal two tiny glass capsules.
“Above all, it is your sworn duty to serve the Führer at all times. Both of you know the whereabouts of his sanctuary and, should either of you fall into the hands of the Jews, I expect you to take the appropriate action.”
Eichmann stood up and picked up one of the boxes containing a cyanide ampoule.
“Don’t worry, Bormann. You and the Führer are perfectly safe in your beautiful country estate. Millions of people believe the bullshit story that Hitler and Braun committed suicide in the bunker – not even the Israelis are looking for them, so I won’t be needing this.”
He threw the box back onto the table and left the bar.
The following day, Bormann was back in Hitler’s study, giving a full debrief of the meeting.
“Führer, to be frank, Eichmann’s total lack of respect towards you leaves us with a big problem. If he were to be taken by the Israelis, there’s no guarantee that, under interrogation, he won’t divulge our location.”
“Martin, what are you suggesting?”
Bormann knew that Hitler still held huge respect for one of the architects of the final solution, and the Führer continued to defend him.
“Yes, Eichmann was always an arrogant bastard, but I never doubted his loyalty and I don’t believe he would ever betray me.”
Bormann protested, trying again to convince Hitler that Eichmann was indeed a live threat. “Führer, he is not the same man you remember. I believe he is a danger to us and we need to take care of him. We have people in Buenos Aires—”
Hitler raised his left arm, forcing Bormann to stop mid-sentence. His voice quivered with undisguised anger. “Eichmann will not be touched.”
Eight days later, on 11 May 1960, Adolf Eichmann was seized by three Mossad agents, less than a mile from his home, as he made his way back from work. They took him to a safe house in Buenos Aires, where he was held for nine days while the Israeli agents double-checked his identity and began an initial interrogation. Bormann leaned heavily on his government contacts to sanction a massive manhunt of the city and use the full force of the military regime to try to locate him..
On 20 May, Mossad pulled off a sensational escape plan that involved smuggling Eichmann onto a scheduled El Al passenger plane heading for Dakar in Senegal. From there, he was transferred onto a direct flight to Tel Aviv. Eichmann was one of the world’s most wanted war criminals, and his kidnapping in Argentina and arrival in Israel created one of the biggest and most sensational news events of the year.
Three days later Hitler and Bormann sat in front of the small television set in the living room at El Blondi watching the grainy black-and-white footage of the live news conference where Eichmann was put on show to the media. They watched in horror as Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion addressed the worldwide audience.
“Eichmann is a Nazi war criminal who was in charge of the final solution, who will now stand trial in Israel for war crimes.”
Ben-Gurion went on to make a solemn promise that he wouldn’t rest until Mossad had located all the high-ranking Nazis who had escaped justice and were believed to be hiding in South America.
Hitler slumped in his chair and closed his eyes, leaving Bormann still glued to the live transmission.
“Martin, I suddenly feel old. My judgement is betraying me and I regret not listening to your advice. I hope my mistake doesn’t prove to be fatal.”