The Honor of Spies

"Suboficial Mayor," General Rawson said, "if I ordered you to take the regiment back to San Martin de los Andes, with these officers under arrest, what would you do?"

"I would have the regiment turned and moving in five minutes, mi general."

"Do it, Suboficial Mayor," General Rawson ordered.

As they watched Suboficial Mayor Martinez march away, Nervo said, "What do we do about Peron, Mr. President?"

"You go to Bariloche in the other Cub and place him in protective custody. Suggest to him that he return to Buenos Aires as soon as possible. Arrange things so that 'as soon is possible' is tomorrow. Not before. By that time, I should have things straightened out, at least to the point where I can make an intelligent decision about how to deal with el Coronel Peron."

He turned to Cletus. "Let's go, Cletus. Now that you've saved my life, the sooner I can get to Buenos Aires, the better."

Clete looked at Nervo.

"Have a good time in Bariloche, General."

Nervo smiled. "And you in Buenos Aires. Don't think you're going to be able to relax, Don Cletus. I have a feeling we're all going to be very busy very soon."

POSTSCRIPT

In this fictional work, reference was made to the actual Nazi massacre of 335 men and boys in the Ardeatine Caves in Rome during World War II.

The story line dealt with the escape of Nazis from Allied retribution during and after the war, and several scenes were laid in San Carlos de Bariloche, which is today sometimes known as "Argentina's Vail," making reference to the wonderful skiing in Vail, Colorado.

In 1996, the SS officer second in command of the mass murders in the Ardeatine Caves, Erich Priebke--who had escaped to Argentina on a false passport and other documents provided, he said, by Vatican authorities--was put aboard a Falcon DA 90 aircraft sent by the Italian government and extradited to Italy to finally face trial.

He had lived in Bariloche for fifty years, and owned a hotel there.

Argentina's interior minister, Carlos Corach, suspended several Bariloche police officers who had embraced Priebke fondly just before he boarded the airplane.