The Shadow of Eva Braun

By Lars G. Larsson

Lars G. Larsson
5742 Kathleen Dr.
Chilliwack, B.C
V2R 3Y8
Canada
604-845-5018

Synopsis

The Shadow of Eva Braun

A pregnant Eva Braun escapes from the Fuhrer bunker at the end of WW2. In Bavaria, she marries a wounded Wehrmacht soldier and gives birth to a son – Adolf Hitler’s son. Eva and her husband are still fanatic Nazis and raise their son to be the leader of a resurrected National Socialist party. Despite their efforts, it is still too early. There are not enough real converts. When Eva finally has a grandson, she knows that the Fourth Reich will be a reality. Preparations will now start in earnest to resurrect the Nazi party.

In Hamburg, Germany, Bill Nelson and his wife Marlene get possession of a document detailing how the new movement is infiltrating all levels of German society. Bill and Marlene realize that the Nazis will do anything to retrieve this document. Thus, the two try to leave Hamburg. After many close calls, the two Canadians get help from Israeli agents. Now, their friend Max Altman and his wife are on their way to Germany to help the Nelsons.

The two couples make their way to Wewelsburg castle, where they hope to get answers. Instead, they told about the son of a Wehrmacht soldier who may have some information. In Kiel, they confront this man who tries to kill them. After this close call, they return to Bremen when the enemy attacks. Catching two of the Nazi assassins, they find out that Bill has a tracker and has had it since Hamburg. A call to their associates there uncovers a Nazi who has infiltrated the Israelis.

Accompanied by two Mossad agents, the four Canadians set out for Stuttgart, where a massive neo-Nazi rally is taking place. In the confusion of the riot, Nazis kidnap Marlene and Sylvia. The Israelis have information that the two women are in the Berchtesgaden area. While checking out Hitler's Eagles Nest, a Nazi sympathizer tries to kill Bill.

The group now focuses their attention on a mine owned by a high ranking Nazi. A set of tunnels leads Bill and Max into the main mine shaft. Here they discover that the Nazis are giving a suitcase nuke to a Middle Eastern terrorist. They also rescue their wives and escape the mine.

Fortunately, the authorities capture the terrorists. This incident also causes the arrest of the principal governance of the new Nazi party. With the danger over, Bill and Marlene return to Canada, while Max and Sylvia travel to Israel.

Bill finds out that Max has been kidnapped and taken to Jordan. In the coastal town of Aqaba, Bill is again the target of an assassination attack. Back in Amman, Bill teams up with two Mossad agents, Randolph and Marigold. Their first stop is the ancient city of Petra, where they narrowly avoid another attempt on their lives. They also discover that the leader of the terrorists, Achmed Sinfani, also known as Son of Jackal, has stolen three drums of Yellowcake. These are found in a small village and confiscated by the Jordanians. One of Achmed's men confesses that Max is being held captive in Amman.

Bill and his companions team up with a Jordanian agent, and together they track down the safe house where Achmed is holding Max captive. A Jordanian SWAT team assists them in capturing the terrorists and freeing Max. The Son of Jackal receives a death sentence, and the two Canadian friends return to Canada. A few days later, Bill gets a call telling him that Achmed has escaped.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lars G. Larsson
• Release date: Oct 20, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463576663

Lars G. Larsson

About the AuthorLars G. LarssonLars Larsson was born and raised in Sweden. There he obtained his degree in Civil Engineering. He immigrated to Canada in 1967 and worked as a Civil Engineer until he was hired by the British Columbia Institute of Technology to develop and teach a new program in Occupational Health and Safety. He worked there until he retired in 2002. He was recognized by the Board of Canadian Registered Safety Professionals for his significant role in the pioneering of post-secondary OHS programs in CanadaAs a young boy growing up in Sweden, there was no television until 1955 thus he became an avid reader at a very young age. He loved all types of books but mostly mystery thrillers. After retirement, he continued his interest in reading and started to write books. He now lives in Chilliwack, British Columbia with his wife Lynne and Miniature Schnauzer Lily.

Book preview

Prologue

Berlin, Germany 1945

As the shiny Mercedes sedan swung into the area in front of the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, soldiers and their commanders stood to strict attention. Their arms raised in the Nazi salute as the short man exited the vehicle. Dressed in his customary uniform, Adolf Hitler had arrived at the Fuehrer bunker for good. He intended to stay here until the war came to a satisfactory solution. A solution that most of the world hoped would end with the demise of the Third Reich. With daily bombing raids, despite Goring's promise years ago that no bombs would ever fall on Berlin, and with the sounds of Russian canons in the East, the leader still felt that he could bring about a miracle.

The date was January 20th, 1945. Hitler would only leave the bunker once before his death. On his 56th birthday on April 20th, he awarded Iron Crosses to boy soldiers in the Reich Chancellery garden. His mistress Eva Braun had arrived at the bunker in time for the birthday party and then vowed to stay here until the end. Her friends had urged her to stay in Bavaria, but she wanted to be with her lover. Posterity may wonder at her thoughts as she descended the long concrete staircase to the lower bunker, fifteen meters below the Chancellery. She did, however, have good news for the Fuehrer. After a week in the underground chamber, she told her lover she was pregnant. Adolf Hitler would be a father. In his study, an elated Hitler embraced her and vowed that one day their baby would lead the country.

Eva Braun was an assistant to Hitler's official photographer. They first met when she was seventeen years old. Their affair started two years later when she was nineteen and Hitler forty-two. That Hitler was 23 years older than his mistress didn't seem to bother her. Hitler had also insisted that they keep the affair secret from all but the immediate entourage. Again, Eva agreed since she knew that when Hitler first started his meteoric rise to power, he declared that he was married to the German people and could never take a wife. This proclamation didn't prevent him from having several other affairs before meeting Eva Braun. One of these relationships ended in the suicide of his lover. Angela Maria (Geli) Raubal was Hitler's half-niece. The daughter of Hitler's half-sister Angela Raubal. In 1931 she used Hitler's pistol to shoot herself in the lungs. If they had a sexual relationship is uncertain, but Hitler's opponents made the most of the story and published juicy accounts of their alleged affair. Lovers or not, her death devastated Hitler, and he went into a deep depression.

Later in the relationship, Eva Braun also tried to commit suicide when she felt neglected. Since Hitler could not afford another scandal, he had to give Eva more of his time. It also gave her a lot of power, which she used to lord over the wives of the men in Hitler's inner circle. Still, they had to keep their liaison secret. Many a tryst occurred when Eva came along to act as the photographer. Even this didn't give them enough time together, and Magda Goebbels, the wife of Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, came up with a solution. She had seen a young woman that was the spitting image of Eva Braun. They drafted this unfortunate girl to act as Eva's double when Hitler and his mistress needed time together. With nobody being the wiser, the two lovers had some time alone. Now, with Eva Braun pregnant, Hitler had to ensure that the child survived.

By now, even Hitler realized that Germany had lost the war. No matter how he railed against his generals, there were no more resources to fight on. In a deep depression, the Fuerher felt that suicide was the only solution. After hearing how his ally, Benito Mussolini, and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were hanged and strung up by their heels, Hitler ordered that he be cremated. Thus, making sure that the Russians would not have his body to parade. Eva Braun stated that she wanted to die with him. An enraged Hitler vetoed this. Eva and her unborn baby would move to a safe location. Again it was Magda Goebbels who saved the day. The stand-in for Eva would have to perform her last act. She and Hitler would be the ones who would die.

Hitler sent two SS guards to transport the hapless woman to the bunker in absolute secrecy. Even the staff in the underground shelter were to remain entirely in the dark. In the meantime, Hitler wed Eva in a secret ceremony. Immediately after their wedding, the new Mrs. Hitler left the bunker. Magda Goebbels knew of a Wehrmacht Colonel in Bavaria who would be a perfect husband for the widow. He sustained injuries on the Eastern front and convalesced on his farm near Munich. With the war all but lost, there was no risk that the groom would return to duty before the collapse of the Third Reich. Another point in his favor was that the old soldier was a fanatical Nazi, but he always kept his political views hidden from all but his closest associates. That the Colonel was much older than Eva was not uncommon. With the shortage of young men during the war, eligible bachelors were scarce.

With Eva gone, Hitler continued to make plans for his suicide and the murder of the young woman. From his physician, he obtained several cyanide capsules. The Fuhrer had his adjutant test one on his beloved dog, Blondi, to ensure they worked as advertised. The German Shepard died quickly, and Hitler knew the cyanide worked. He now continued with his plans. First, there had to be a wedding to the fake Eva Braun. To ensure her cooperation, he and Magda Goebbels medicated the ill-fated bride to the point of subservience. Survivors later told investigators that Eva seemed unusually subdued, but put it down to the fact that she intended to commit suicide immediately after the wedding.

On April 30th, 1945, they withdrew to Hitler's study. Here, the two sat on the sofa under the portrait of Frederick the Great. This picture was the only personal item that Hitler had brought to the bunker. Magda Goebbels had entered the room to assist her Fuehrer in case the young victim would struggle. Fortunately, she was too intoxicated to put up any resistance and bit into the capsule without a fight. Dressed in Eva Braun's favorite dress, she sank back on the sofa and died. At that point, Magda gave her leader a short bow and left the room without being noticed. Hitler took a cyanide pill, then raised his pistol to his temple and pulled the trigger.

He had left his instructions with his adjutant. These stated that the young man should wait ten minutes after the shot and then come in. Nobody suspected that the young woman beside the leader was anybody but Eva Braun. Thus, they carried the two bodies up to the garden outside the Chancellery, where they soaked the corpses in gasoline and set them on fire. During this ceremony, the attendees repeatedly took shelter inside the building as Russian cannon fire forced them away from the grave.

To the world, Eva Braun was dead, but the neighbors in Bavaria now knew her as Frau Mueller. Eight months later, she gave birth to a healthy boy named Anton. The parents were ecstatic and knew that Anton Mueller would one day lead a resurrected National Socialist party to victory and bring about the world envisioned by his father.

Chapter 1

Hamburg, Germany–Present day

There was a note waiting for us as we returned to the hotel after a short walk. It said. Mr. Nelson, please call Mr. Max Altman in Canada. It was early afternoon in Hamburg, Germany, which meant it would be night in Vancouver. Still, the timestamp on the note indicated that Max had left the message less than half an hour ago. We had to assume he was still up. Max is my best friend; we were partners when we worked for the Vancouver Police Department. When I left to start a career as a private investigator, I had hoped he would join me. Max had, however, returned to his great love, information gathering.

I called him from the hotel room, curious to find out why he had called us. Marlene, my wife and partner in our private investigation firm, and I were on a European vacation. It must be something important for Max to track us down in Germany.

Thank heavens you called, Max said when he heard my voice.

What's the matter? I asked, worried that something was wrong.

Nothing's wrong, but I have a favor to ask you. It won't interfere too much with your vacation, but I would like you to see a couple of my friends for a few minutes. They have something I want you to read, and then give me your take on it. It's a copy of a document that their organization put together. I also have a version of the same text. Unfortunately, neither my friends nor I know what to make of it, so that we would appreciate your input.

Sure, I'll read it, but why the cloak and dagger? And what do you think I can add to it?

Common sense, but I don't want to tell you what it is about ahead of you seeing it. You have to judge it yourself, and I don't want to bias your views. I want your honest opinion, that's all. You have good judgment for something like this, and besides, you are at arm's length from it, which will provide a nonbiased outlook. You'll understand what I mean when you read it. One more thing, keep it to yourself. Well, between yourself and Marlene since I also want her input. He paused, then added. Two of my friends will meet with you and hand over the envelope.

Are those friends affiliated with a certain organization? I didn't want to say the word Mossad on an open line. Max has close ties with the Israeli intelligence agency, and I suspected the people he wanted me to meet were Israeli agents.

Yes, they are. It was their group that dug up this information. They are, however, as unsure about it as I am. That's why they have made nothing public yet.

Vacation or not, this sounded intriguing, so I added. When and where do I meet these guys?

You decide. Make it a public area close to where you are staying.

The only thing that comes to mind is the railway station here in Hamburg; it's only a couple of blocks from this hotel. I took Marlene there yesterday to see a large European railway station. I can meet them at 15:00 hours local time, but how will I recognize them?

You don't have to. I have sent a picture of the two of you. My friends will approach you.

Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you? I laughed.

Old buddy, I know you'll always come through, so I wanted to speed things up. I am familiar with that place, so I'll let them know where you will be. Stay around the small shopping mall in the station, and they'll find you. Got to go, it's late here, but I wanted to get hold of you tonight. Thanks a million. I owe you one.

What was that about? Marlene asked as I replaced the receiver. I thought this was a vacation, but...

Don't worry, dear. Max wants me to pick up something for him.

Sorry if I came across as too harsh. It's just that we have waited so long for this vacation, and I don't want us to get into anything time-consuming.

Besides being married, Marlene and I are partners in Nelson Investigation, and she was right. We both had worked without a break for a long time, and this was our time to relax. No detective work now, but I was excited about the report Max wanted us to read. I gave Marlene the gist of my conversation with Max, and she agreed this was OK. Besides, she was as curious as I was.

Max Altman might be my oldest and best friend, but Marlene loved him as much as I did. Thus, she didn't mind us taking a few minutes out of our vacation to give Max a hand. She knew, as well as I did, that he was an information junkie and had contacts in intelligence establishments worldwide. It was especially true for Mossad since he had extensive contacts in Israel and several relatives working for that organization. Max was also a good source of information for them, so it was a two-way flow of information.

What time will we leave? Marlene asked.

It should only take about ten minutes to walk over there, so let's leave in half an hour.

We had left Vancouver eight days ago. Our first stop was Copenhagen, where we rented a car. From there, we drove across the bridge to Sweden. I wanted to show Marlene my ancestral home and revisit the area where I came close to meeting my Maker when I worked on the Bergwald case. From Sweden, we drove back to Copenhagen and then through part of Denmark to the port city of Rodby. Here we took a ferry to the German town of Puttgarden.

Now, we were in Hamburg and were ready to continue south tomorrow. Before that, we had to walk to the train station and pick up an envelope from the Israeli agents. That alone was intriguing. Why would two Mossad agents hand-deliver a report to us? It should be easy as pie, but why did I have this funny feeling in the back of my neck?

Holding Marlene's hand, I entered the station through the east entrance just like last time. Then we marveled at the immense delicatessen that displayed an unbelievable amount of delicious-looking sausages and other meat products. Even now, we slowed down to take in the delectable presentation. Just then, we heard.

Mr. Nelson?

I looked around and saw two young men in casual clothing. They fit right in with the traveling crowd here. OK, maybe I had had a funny feeling for nothing?

Do you mind if we step into this store? The taller of the two said and pointed to a clothing store.

Not at all, I answered and took Marlene's hand as we stepped into the small retail space.

Mr. Nelson, as you know, we have a package for you that Max Altman wants you to read. Please don't take this the wrong way, but we are going out on a limb here. However we have our orders, but we would appreciate it if you kept this information to yourselves. You know why when you read it. The taller agent said as he furtively looked around.

I tried not to bristle. We are only doing a favor for a friend, and we don't appreciate your lack of trust.

Sorry, Mr. Nelson. It didn't come out right. Of course, we trust you. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here, but you will understand our nervousness when you read this report.

The other agent looked around to make sure nobody was about who could hear us. Mr. Nelson, the information in this package could be of unbelievable importance if true, he added and then continued. And if it is, this group will do anything to prevent it from being made public.

He noticed Marlene's intake of breath and continued. Don't worry, Mrs. Nelson. Nobody knows about our meeting, and you are completely safe. We only want to make sure that there are no leaks until we can ascertain the authenticity of this information. That's why Max Altman suggested to our superiors that we get your input. He reached into his jacket pocket to withdraw an envelope.

Come on; you guys are Mossad. What do you need me for, or Max, for that matter? I interjected.

The two agents looked positively shocked, and the taller of the two threw a quick look at the store employee. Please, Mr. Nelson, don't say anything like that. Not ever. We are just friends of Max Altman, and we have information…. As he said the last word, the glass in the door shattered, and the Israeli agent fell as blood splattered his shirt. I didn't have time to react before the other man fell. Then my adrenaline started to flow. I threw myself toward Marlene and pushed her down behind the small counter. She looked stunned but recovered quickly. Bill, we got to get out of here. Look, there is a rear exit. Come on, let's go.

Wait for a second, dearest. We need to think this over before we make a wrong move.

Correct, and the right thing is to get the hell out of this place.

Not so sure. There were only two shots, but two shots in this place must have sounded like they were firing a cannon, sound suppressor, or not. There are no tall buildings or other places where the shooter could have laid in wait. Whoever killed these two guys must have been standing right outside this store. Since they didn't come in here after us tells me they had to beat a hasty retreat. At least, that's what I would have done if it was me. I wouldn't have taken the chance of being caught or even recognized; there are too many tourists with cameras in their cell phones. Still, I don't think this was a one-person operation; there must be associates who will have the rear staked out. I think our best chance for survival will be to disappear into the crowd right now before the cops show up.

Marlene risked a peek around the corner of the counter. A few people are milling about, but I don't see any cops yet.

This should be the right time for us to disappear. Get ready to go as soon as I have retrieved the envelope from the dead guy.

But we should tell the police what happened. Marlene broke in.

Not right now. We'll let the clerk handle the police. I gestured to a young man cowering in the back room. Besides, we have no idea why somebody wanted to kill these two Mossad agents. Or who the killers are. We need to find out more before we know who we can trust. Look, Marlene, I'll grab the envelope from the tall guy, then we'll walk out and try to get lost in the crowd.

One second, Bill. I can see several people with their phones out. It looks like they are taking pictures of the broken window.

I looked around the counter, and sure enough, there seemed to be lots of curious onlookers. I guess we have to take the rear exit now. I don't fancy having my face all over the local news or their Facebook pages. Let's hope that there are no shooters out back. It is one advantage of having a wife who is also your partner in the business. She didn't panic, didn't argue. She merely stood up and straightened her dress.

OK, Bill, let's go, she said as I pulled the blood-stained package from the inner pocket of the dead Israeli agent. Trying to look nonchalant, but with our faces averted, we walked out the rear door. Rather than taking us outside, it led to a long corridor, and we turned right toward a sign that I assumed meant an exit. Carefully, I opened the door and peeked out. Surprised, I closed it again. This is strange. I thought the sign said exit, but this door takes us into the passenger area again.

Marlene peeked out. Yes, it does, but far enough from the store where we were to make it safe to come in here.

Stepping back into the large hall, we set a fast pace and walked toward a platform as if we were going to catch a train. At the last moment, we veered off as if we were going to another store. We could hear the sirens by this time, and we both knew we had to get away from here right now. There were killers, well, at least one killer, after us, or would be as soon as they realized we had the envelope. I was also sure that the Hamburg Police would want us as material witnesses to a double homicide. What kind of vacation was this?

We had planned to leave Hamburg the next day, but now it seemed prudent to get out immediately. But first, we needed to find out what was in the envelope. It had already been responsible for two deaths, and I didn't want to add ours to that count. Taking Marlene's hand, I walked toward the west exit of the transit hall. It took us to a street filled with shops. That way, we could dash into one if someone showed undue interest in us. This street also took us toward the St. Pauli area. It is the location of Reeperbahn, the world-famous entertainment and red-light district in Hamburg.

Nobody seemed to watch us, and there were no shots fired. After about ten minutes, we went into a large department store. I left Marlene at the cosmetics counter and asked her to look for any unusual or suspicious movements in the store while I watched the entrance. We kept up our vigil for about fifteen minutes. Then, I felt safe. It didn't appear as if anybody was following us. If there was, that somebody was too good for us, anyway. I went back to Marlene at the cosmetics counter. Dearest, we better go back to the hotel, and then we'll leave this town post-haste. However, before we leave this store, we should make a few changes.

Marlene was with me as usual. That's right, she answered. And we better get some different clothes.

We used our credit card to purchase a light raincoat for Marlene and a suede jacket for me. Marlene put the garment over her light sweater. I placed my Eddy Bauer jacket in the bag for the new coat. I sensed it was safe to use the credit card here, and we needed to save our cash just in case.

We got back to our hotel with no further complications. Both of us were shaking as we got into our room. We sat on the bed for a while, trying to get our breathing back to normal. When I felt close to normal, I told Marlene we should look at the information in the packet. She nodded and took out our suitcases.

While Marlene packed, I carefully opened the thick envelope. After reading a few sentences, I called Marlene over.

Holy damnation, this is dynamite. No wonder somebody killed those two Mossad agents, Marlene exclaimed as she read. We have to leave right now."

Yes, dear, but first, we need to read the entire memo and figure out who would kill two people in such a public place.

Chapter 2

The Memo

There was a photocopy of what I supposed was the original document and a translation of the same. In addition, there were five pages with double-spaced typing to make room for clarifications between the lines. Yellow highlighting demarcated specific sentences with comments scribbled underneath. Most observations stated, 'Confirmed.'

The narrative started with background information on Adolf Hitler and the Nazi hierarchy. It outlined how Hitler killed a stand-in for Eva Braun while a pregnant Mrs. Hitler managed to sneak out without detection. Since the survivors cremated the bodies of Adolf Hitler and the unfortunate ersatz Eva, there were no remains to identify. Thus, the world assumed that Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun were dead. A scribbled note stated, 'Confirmed.' I presumed the Israelis had confirmed that Eva Braun had escaped.

As I read, I came across a notation explaining that this information had recently come into Israeli hands. A daughter of an old SS soldier had died. Initially, the survivors dismissed this information as ramblings of a disgruntled Nazi. The old man had been one of Hitler's personal guards. After the war, the Allies accused him of war crimes, but they never prosecuted him. Still, he had written this account of Eva Braun's escape as a bargaining chip should