An Irish Affai Ch6

         
         
         
         
CHAPTER 6.

I made sure I was at the hanger before the other two, as usual it was empty. There were two lines of scaffolding racks, each with six parachute harnesses hanging from them. These looked as new as the day they were put in place, some three years earlier. Parachuting wasn’t a priority out here. At the rear, another load of scaffolding, made out to represent the fuselage of a C130 aircraft with three banks of seats. One bank on both sides and the other running down the middle. I decided that this would be the best place to conduct the meeting. To ensure they went along with it, I positioned myself on one of the seats on the center bank. When they arrived, I gestured them over and got them to sit on the bank of seats opposite me.

“Okay everyone happy?’ I said.

“Sure,” said Mac.

“No problem,” replied Pat.

“Good, then we’ll start,”

“The one thing that is paramount is when we do this, they must have no idea it has anything to do with the British, or we’ll all end up fucked. So I think that throughout the operation the only person who should be allowed to speak, if the need arise should be Pat. At least, they will be left wondering, who is doing this? They will never imagine the Brits would have the balls to do something like this, not even the SAS . . .  Do you agree?”

“Sounds good to me,” said Pat, and looked straight over to Mac.

“Fine, by me.”

“Okay. Next, we need to use civilian vehicles. This isn’t a problem as we can use one of the COP covert cars; we can take them out anytime without question. We will need to be armed, and I suggested the only arms we use are 9mm pistols. It’s all we require for what I have in mind. The one thing we have to watch is the Operational Ammunition.” (All ammunition issued in Northern Ireland is registered by a number, a date, stamped on the base of the round. and each week you have your ammunition checked to ensure you haven’t lost or used any, without authority to do so.)
“The only way around this is to take and hide some of the ammo we use when practicing on the shooting range; this ammo isn’t registered, and therefore not accountable. Agreed?”

“So, we need to book a range before we do this thing then?” said Mac.

Pat gave Mac a glaring look. “Well I would have thought that was pretty obvious.”

“Fuck you, you paddy bastard.” Mac replied angrily.

“Alright, enough of that, you two.”

“We also need to find a time when all three of us are free from Ops, which is difficult as I’m in a different team to you two. Also, even though we are after some payback, at no time is anyone to be killed. The whole operation is based around scare tactics, and that’s it.”

Pat jumped straight in. “You’re taking the piss aren’t you, this is meant to be about pay back. These bastards killed my da, if you remember.”

“Pat wait a minute, and let me finish will you?, I know how you feel, but if this thing does go tits up at least we can’t be done for murder, and we may get some support from the military.”

I knew that was bullshit, but I had to tell him something. “Look, just listen to the rest of the plan first, alright?”

“Fine but it had better be good.”

“We need to choose our target wisely, and try to keep it local. We don’t want to spend most of the night driving. He needs to be high profile as this will have more of an impact, and will send waves right down the chain, and start tongues wagging within the organization. I think it will be better to stay away from the rural areas. There is the remote possibility we may drive into an IVCP, and if we have to shoot our way out, we will have too much explaining to do back at the compound . . . Happy so far?”

Both just looked at each other, then at me and nodded approval.

“I think that the target should be living in Belfast. We’ll be dressed in civilian clothing and wearing ski masks, and we need to ensure we’re not carrying anything that will link us to the army. This is going to be difficult, because we have to carry our army ID in case we drive into one of our own VCPs. Therefore, only one of us should carry all the ID's and hope if there is a shoot-out that he isn’t the one to get killed. If this is the case, we all need to know where he is carrying them. Then at least if we don’t have time to get him out we can at least grab the ID's before making our get away.  If we all get killed, well, then it doesn't really matter if the ID's are found. The army will just play it down and say we’re renegade soldiers, working on our own.”

Pat interrupted. “You still haven’t convinced me yet Rob,”

“Give me a chance, Okay?”

“Like I said before, most of this will depend on when we are all free from our army commitments. This is going to be difficult; it’s only once in a blue moon we are all free at the same time. The best thing to do is to plan it all down to the last detail. Then when we are all free, put the plan in motion. I have been sorting through the known players for a suitable target.”

“And?” said Mac.

“There is this one guy where the battalion is patrolling down Woodburn. He is the ASUs second in command (Active Service Unit. Each town in the province has its own ASU; these are just smaller units of PIRA.) The guys name is Kieran Heggarty, and he has a wife and son living at home.”

“I like it,” said Pat.

“There is no way of us knowing whether the guy will be in or not. We just don’t have the time to do any kind of surveillance beforehand. So, if he is out the plan will be to really scare the crap out of his wife and son.”

“That will probably be more effective anyway.” said Mac.

“You're probably right. Anyway, Mac, you will drive and carry all the ID’s when we get there, stay in the car and keep the engine running, this also means if it all goes tits up at least you have the ID's. Pat and me will knock on the front door, and then don the ski masks. From this moment on only Pat will do any talking. Once the door opens, we’ll force our way in, with pistols in hand. Once inside we’ll force all the occupants to sit on the sofa together. Okay so far?”

“Don’t stop now, it’s getting really good,” Pat replied, with a big smirk on his face.

“Hang on, why do I have to drive the car?” screamed Mac.

“Look, let’s not get petty about this. Next time I’ll drive the bloody car, okay?”

“Whatever,” he replied.

“If the guy is there Pat will put the pistol to his head and issue him a warning. With that, we will make for the car and be on our way.  If it is just a member of the family, the plan will stay the same. Well, that’s it, simplistic and fairly risk free, no killing involved just plain old fear. Fear can be a good motivator. So what do you think?”

Hesitantly Pat said, “Okay, I’ll go along with it, for now.”

“Fine, but I’m not driving next time,” said Mac.

“Whatever Mac,” I replied. “It should all be over in an hour or two. Then just sit back and see what kind of response we get afterwards. All we have to do now is wait for the right time to execute the plan. Until then it must be business as usual.

********

It was a few weeks before we finally saw an opportunity to put the plan in motion. We have three days where we will all be free to finalize everything and then go ahead and do it. It was Thursday night; we went over to the armory and signed out three pistols, saying we were carrying out a live letter-box pick up. With this excuse, we would have no trouble also signing out a covert car. We always wore civilian clothing for this type of operation, so nothing looked out of place as far as any of our colleagues were concerned. However, it isn’t normal for three people to go on one of these ops, so we said that Pat had not done one of these ops before and was coming along for the ride, to observe how it was being done, for future reference. This was quite usual. Everything seemed fine, no one questioned us at all, and so we gave it the green light, got into the car and drove out through the gates of the camp.

This was it, the tension was building up in all of us, again I can only describe the feeling as to how I always feel just before jumping out of an airplane. It’s a rush, just pure adrenalin pumping through your veins. Nobody spoke a word; you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. It was so silent I’m sure I could hear each individual heart beat, they were pumping that hard. The drive out there was pretty uneventful; the streets in the city were fairly quiet. It took us around forty minutes to get there.

The street he lived on was really dead not a soul around, and very little street lighting, and the moon was cloud covered, which was good for us. There was a row of six terraced houses, on either side of the road, which ended in a cul-de-sac. Kieran's house was the third one in on the left side of the road. We pulled up very slowly and stopped right outside his house. Mac killed the lights on the car, but kept the engine idling over quietly. He ensured the interior light was switched off before me and Pat quietly opened the doors. We both climbed out of the car and pushed the doors too, but not closing them fully.

We climbed up a set of three concrete steps and made our way to the front door and rang the doorbell, we waited to see if the curtains twitched before putting on the ski masks. There was no way the people inside would open the door if they looked through the window first and saw two men stood at the door wearing ski masks. I saw the shadow of someone approaching the front door, and we immediately donned the masks. A voice sounded out from behind the door, it was the voice of a women, damn I thought, he’s not in. Never mind stick with the plan.

“Who’s there, said the voice.

“Police,” replied Pat, “we just want a quick word Mr’s. Heggarty.”

“One moment,” she replied and began to unlock the door.

As soon as we could see the door was ajar we forced the door open and I immediately put my hand over the woman’s mouth stifling any attempts to scream. Pat closed the door behind him while I forced the woman into the lounge.

Sat there fast asleep in the armchair was Kieran Heggarty, oblivious to what was going on. Pat went straight over and kicked him in the leg.

He leapt up shouting. “What the fuck?”

Only to be met with Pat's 9mm pistol staring him straight in the face.

“Sit the fuck down on the sofa next to your wife ya bastard ya,” he said.

The look on Kieran's face was one of pure terror, “Who the fuck are you two.”

“I said shut the fuck up and sit down,” then Pat hit him straight on the nose with the base of his pistol, which sent him flying backwards on to the sofa, with a stream of blood pouring from his nose, down his face.

Covering his face with his hands. “Jesus Christ you’ve broke my nose,”

“Yes and If you don’t do as you’re told and shut up Ill break something else.”

Pat began his speech,

“We know who you are, what you do, and what rank you hold. So don’t take us for fools and try and bluff us. Listen carefully, you have one chance only, you need to cease any more activity with your organization. We will be watching you and your family. If we see you are still involved we will be back and it won’t be you we hurt, but a member of your family.  Don’t think we will do it here at your house. We know all the comings and goings of all of your family and it will happen when you least expect it. If you value your family’s lives, I would take this warning seriously. You are the first, but you are by no means going to be the last. We know who all your members are, so pass it on; anyone of them could be next. Now do you understand what has just been said to you?”

Kieran still holding his nose replied. “You don’t know who the hell you’re dealing with, you’ve just signed your death warrants.”

Pat immediately went up to him, Kieran was still holding his hand to a bleeding nose, and began to cower back into the sofa. When Pat just swung his hand out and slapped the woman sat next to Kieran across the face with the back of his hand, which sent her flying back into the sofa, she let out a scream and tears begun running down her face.

“Do you take us for amateurs? now, I said”  “DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

Kieran sat trembling,  replied. “Yes.”

“Good, I’m glad we made ourselves clear. Now remember you have only one chance, and we will be watching you.”

Then Pat turned to me and said, “Let’s go.”

We turned and headed for the door, on the way out I ripped the telephone wire away from the wall in the hallway. We came out the door, climbed straight into the car, and took off the masks. Mac began to pull away, once he reached the end of the street he turned the lights back on and we pulled the doors closed properly. We headed straight back to camp.

Again, we had an uneventful drive back. Apart from the guys that is, buzzing like hell, Pat piped up.

“Jesus Christ we did it, we actually did it.”

I replied, “That’s right and there is no going back that’s for sure.”

“To hell with that,” said Pat, “that was fucking great, did you see the look on his face, I’m sure he shit his pants.”

“Well if he didn’t I’m pretty sure his wife did,” I said.

And we both fell into a fit of laughter.
         
“So, what happened,” Mac said.
         
“Tell you later,” Pat said.

“Alright, alright calm down,” I said, “lets concentrate on getting back shall we?”

On return to camp, we parked the car up in the compound, and handed in the keys. Then we went to the armory and checked in our weapons.

The guy in the armory said to Mac. “How did it go then?”

What, Mac replied,

The letter-box job.

“Oh, you know same shit different day.”

“Yes, know what you mean,” the guy replied.

Then Pat said “let’s get over the Naafi I need a fucking drink.”

“You’re not wrong,” said Mac, “I’m still fucking shaking, I need to come down, big time.”

So we made our way across the parade square, to the Naafi.

“Whatever happens don’t mention a fucking thing about this, alright?” I said, “Especially in the Naafi”.

“Not a word” said Pat,

“No need action speaks louder than words,” said Mac,

“That’s right,” replied Pat.

“Fuck me,” I said, “have you listened to yourselves, you’re like a couple of school kids who just pulled a bloody prank. Grow up will you.”

“Oh cheer up will you Rob,” said Pat, “you need a stiff drink to loosen you up.”

“You’re probably right,” I said, and we stepped into the bar and ordered three pints of lager, and a Jack Daniels chaser.

********
         
The next morning I woke up with a hangover from hell. I looked over to Mac, who was still snoring. Butt naked with his arse staring at the ceiling. I thought to myself. That’s not a pretty site, first thing in the morning. I got up and headed for the washrooms. I looked at myself in the mirror, and thought, god you look like shit. Then it all came flooding back to me. Jesus, we actually did it. Doubts began to run through my mind. Had we overstepped the mark, were we really justified in what we did? Fuck, it’s too damn late to be having these thoughts now. There was no going back, it couldn’t be undone. I just hope to hell nobody knows, more to the point, that neither of the other two have said anything to anyone else.
I was trying to remember what had happened in the Naafi the night before, but like always, my mind drew a complete blank. Alcoholic amnesia, yet again. Replaced by the shear pain of a headache from hell.
         
I decided I’d go to breakfast, and then make my way over to the compound. I thought if anyone was to have got wind of what we’d done, this would be the first place to hear about it. I made my way to the front entrance of the compound, my heart was racing. I walked into the operations room, the boss was sat there with his head stuck in what was obviously a very good book. Next to him was a signaler doing a crossword in the Sun newspaper. Vigorously searching his mind for the answers, at the same time listening to the traffic coming in over the radio.

The boss broke his stare from the book, and looked to me.

“Hi there Corporal Williams, Jesus, you look like you just seen a ghost, are you alright.” he said.

“Yes, just had a heavy night.” I replied.

“Well, there isn’t a lot happening around here. If I was you I would go back to bed and sleep it off.”

“Sounds like a good idea, I think that’s just what I’m going to do. See you later boss.”

Just as I was turning to leave.

“Oh, by the way have you heard?”

My whole body just sank into the pit of my stomach. I turned back to look at the boss.

“Heard what?” I replied.

“We are having a leaving party for Corporal Stevens, tomorrow night, but don’t let on. He doesn’t know.”

“Oh, Okay, I’ll let the other guy’s know.”

I swiftly turned and headed for the door. Jesus, another minute in there and I would have probably been sick.

I headed back to my room. By this time Mac was up and getting a shower.

“God, that was one hell of a night.” He said.

“Don’t go talking about it in here,” I said.

“I’m talking about the drinking, you dick head,” he replied.

Checking all the toilet cubicles. “Well I have just been down to the compound, and they don’t know a thing about last night’s little escapade. So it seems for the moment we are in the clear.”

“And why would they, we did everything exactly as planned. I don’t think Kieran is going to go running to the police. Do you?”

“I suppose not . . . no.”

“Well there you go, stop worrying, and let me have my shower in peace.”