An Irish Affair Ch7

         
         
         
         
CHAPTER  7.

The three of us were sitting in my room. I’d just come back from the compound. Word was beginning to feed back from the rest of the battalion who were patrolling around Woodburn. Kieran was a player, so one of our patrols would always stop him if they saw him in the street. It seemed now, whenever Kieran or any of his family are seen, two heavies always accompanied them. These were obviously bodyguards, supplied by the organization.
This meant, he’d obviously taken our threats seriously. However, on the flip side, it meant, he didn’t intend to give up his activities with Pira. It was plain to see, that with someone as staunch as Kieran, scare tactics were not going to be enough.

We all sat around the table next to the window. I turned from looking out the window. “We need to rethink our tactics.” I said.

Pat looked up, “I told you scare tactics were no good, we should have shot the bastard.”
         
“Okay, so it didn’t work, but killing him isn’t the answer either,” I said.
         
“What then?” Pat said.

“Well, I feel, that before moving on to any other potential targets, we need to finish what we started, with Kieran.”

“I agree,” Mac said, still staring out the window.

I continued. “He’s certainly spoken with other members of the organization, over what we did. So, they will all be aware of the threat we made on him, and all the other members.”

I again turned and looked out of the window and thought. We had to be true to our threat. Just to show we were not just messing around. This would also have a greater effect, on the threat we made towards the others, and would show them, we mean business.

I lit up a cigarette, and took along drag, before exhaling a long puff of smoke. “Look the one problem we have now, is that Kieran will be under much more surveillance.
Not only from Pira; but also from our troops.”

“That’s right,” Mac said.

I stood up to stretch my legs, and have a think.

“Where you going,” Pat said.

“No where, don’t panic.”

Kieran was now showing he needed protection, this meant to our troops, he was obviously under some kind of threat from someone. This would force them to pay more attention to Kieran and his family, in the hope that an incident may occur. We also have to consider the possible backlash that could occur from the incident at Kieran’s. They would certainly suspect one of the Loyalist organizations of carrying out this act. This would usually result in some kind of reprisal, and was totally the opposite of what we were trying to achieve. Still, as the saying goes. You can’t make an omelet, without breaking a few eggs.

I sat back down and stubbed my cigarette out. “Okay what to do now? Do we wait, until the heat has died down, and he becomes less suspicious?” This would certainly make for an easier target. “Or, do we strike while the iron is hot?” This would be much more difficult, and riskier, although, more effective.

“Mac, how do you feel?”

“You know me; I’ll go with the majority.”

“Okay, Pat?”

“Now, I say we do it now.”

“I agree,” I replied. “It will benefit us more if we struck now. It means we will have to really think this one through, and plan it well.”

We decided the target should be Kieran’s son, Dermott Heggarty.  He would have less surveillance on him. We also said in the threat, that we would harm a member of his family, as oppose to him. “Again, as far as I’m concerned, no one is going to be killed. This still had to be scare tactics.”

Pat looked up and frowned. “What the fuck is it going to take for you to realize, that scare tactics is never going to work with these bastards.”

“Look Pat, there is no need to start killing people, just to get our message across,” I replied.

Pat stood up and walked across the room. “Well what the hell do you suggest then? Rob.”

“Well let’s think.”

A big smile appeared on Mac’s face. “I’ve got it,”

“And what’s that?” Pat said.

Smirking, Mac said, “Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do,” 

“Can you be a little more specific?” I asked.

Mac stood up. “What do these Irish scum do to each other, all the bloody time, when they just want to teach someone a lesson?”

Pat grinned, and hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. “Of course, kneecap the bastard.”

“Ah, now I see,” I replied.

“Is that moral enough for you, Rob?” Pat said.

“I suppose it would get the point across.”

“Good, so were all agreed then?”  Mac, said.

Pat and Mac smiled. At last, we have the makings of a good plan.

I sat on the edge of my bed. “Where should we do the hit? We need to figure out where he is most likely to have the least protection.”

“We’re going to need to do some kind of surveillance on this one,”  Pat replied.

“Agreed,” I said.

“When should we do the dirty deed?”  Mac stated.

“When all three of us are in camp together.” I said.

“Hopefully this won’t be an issue, we still seem to be going through a quiet period at the moment,” Pat said.

“What about the surveillance?” Mac replied.

“Okay, let me have some time to think this through, and I’ll come up with some sort of plan,”

“Fine,”  Pat said. “Mac fancy going over the Naafi, and leaving this guy to do some thinking?”

“Sure why not,” he replied. And they both stormed out of the room.

I sat there thinking, I wish I hadn’t suddenly decided to become the brains behind this group. I could really do with a beer myself, right about now. Once again, I assumed the horizontal position on my bed. My hands behind my head staring at the flaked white ceiling.

We often used the covert cars to pop into Belfast, just to do a little shopping. Parking the car in one of the many police stations in the city. This would give us an opportunity, to drive around the Woodburn area, and watch for Dermott’s movements, then choose the best time for the job. If any of our guys patrolling around there stopped us, we could tell them we were just carrying out a mobile reconnaissance for a future task. They know not to ask questions about any of our tasks. We need to do this, before any real planning can take place. Therefore, there was no point in me trying to devise a plan for the Op, until we’d done the surveillance.

Wow, that was quick and painless. Right down to the Naafi with the lads. I walked in; the guys were sat in a quiet corner next to the unused dance floor. They hadn’t even got half way down their pints.

Mac looked up and grinned. “Fuck me that was quick,”

As I walked over Pat was sitting with his back to me . With Mac’s comment, he turned to look behind him. He had the glass to his mouth, and as soon as he saw me he spat the drink straight back into the glass. Coughing and spluttering he put the glass down.

“Jesus, not much planning going into this OP then, I take it Rob?” Pat said.

“Well I sat for a while, and it came to me. I can’t really plan the Op until we’ve done the surveillance.”

“Oh, right,”  Mac said. With a look of bewilderment.

“And what about the surveillance?” Pat said curiously.

“Well, we do a shopping trip to Belfast city.”

Mac and Pat just looked at each other totally confused.

So I got a drink, and we sat around the table and hatched out a plan to carry out the surveillance.

The next day, we all went round to the compound, on entering I walked over to the duties list, and discovered that we weren’t scheduled for anything. We informed the operations room, of our plans to go shopping, and left a plan of our proposed route. We signed out the keys to the car, and drove into Belfast city. The city was buzzing with activity. Shoppers everywhere, all with little regard to the cars trying to drive down the main high street. We carried on through, into west Belfast, a complete contrast to the city center. Busy streets gave way to empty ones, and into Woodburn. We drove into the area of Kieran’s house. It was broad daylight, so we didn’t want to park up and just sit there, and bring attention to ourselves. We drove around the estates, for what seemed like half an hour. It was around three in the afternoon. When Mac shouted from the back seat of the car.
         
“There he is coming out of that youth center.” We noted the time, and the day. Hopefully this was a regular occurrence. He was only around nineteen, and we knew he didn’t have a job. So this was probably how he passed his time. He was easy to spot just like his photos. He had shoulder length unwashed hair, and wore what looked like nineteen seventies, hand me down clothes. We knew he was a cocky little git. Only because of the position his father held within the organization, and no one dared touch him. We watched to see where he headed.
         
When Pat blurted out “Hey, don’t you notice something?”
         
“What?” I replied.
         
“Oh yea,”  Mac said.
         
“Will someone let me in on this, or what,” I shouted.
         
In unison, they said, “no body guards.”
         
“Ah, so it seems,” I said. “Maybe they have given up.”
         
“More like that little shit has pissed them off so much, they've told him where to go,”  Mac said.
         
“You’re probably right,”  Pat said.
         
“Okay, I think we’ve seen enough. Don’t you?” I said. “Let’s go and do a little shopping, and then head back to camp. I don’t want to hang around here any longer than we have to.”

“Good idea,”  Pat said “I need a new pair of jeans anyway.”
         
It would only look suspicious, if we got out of the car back at the compound, without any shopping in our hands.
         
I sat on my own in the Naafi bar, supping a pint of lager, mulling over the proposed plan. I wouldn’t be able to concentrate if the other two were with me. Plus it would just end up with us swilling pint after pint, until we were all sloshed. I needed a clear head, without any distractions.
My biggest concern with this operation was, it would be carryed out in broad daylight. The chances of hitting him at night would be too remote. We definitely couldn’t do it at his house. They would surely be watching that. Plus it’s very doubtful; he would have any kind of routine at night. No, the youth club had to be the key. In fact most knee-capping’s are carried out during the day. They are swift, they usually pull alongside you in a car. They'll either drag you into the car, and take you to a place of their choosing. Or one guy just jumps out, knocks you to the ground, and puts a bullet through the back of each knee. Before leaping back into the car, and speeding off. I felt the second choice to be the best. I didn’t want any trace of him, left in the car.

I went up to the bar and ordered another pint. The bar was beginning to fill up now, so as soon as I got my pint, I headed back to the quiet table in the corner of the room. I sat down and began to sink back into my thoughts.
Now to choose the spot. We knew the route he would take home. I also knew of an alleyway along that route. It would be ideal, if we could hit him here. We could pull up, push him into the alleyway, and then do the job. People wouldn’t suspect anything, until they heard the two shots being fired. However, the normal reaction to gunfire is to run and hide. So I was hoping this would be to our advantage, and give us time to get the hell out of there. I don’t want anyone to recognize the car, or pick up on the number plate.

This is going well, I thought to myself, as I took another sip from my pint. I was so deep in my thoughts; I hadn’t realized just how full the bar had become. I felt it wouldn’t be long before the DJ started playing music. Then I would have no chance of concentrating and I was beginning to get a real taste for the lager I was drinking, and felt like I could do with going on a good bender. Okay, I thought, just finish off this plan and then worry about it in the morning.
         
I just hope there is none of our troops in the vicinity, when this thing goes down. They would not hesitate to open fire on us, that’s for sure. They won’t pass up a chance to let off a few rounds. Again, I thought Pat should carry out the deed. Not only because he is Irish, and may feel the need to speak, but this would give him a sense of retribution, for his father’s death, and I hoped, would help to get rid of  the anger he was carrying, inside. We had to hope we would all be free on the day. Although we could carry it out with only two of us. Okay enough, time to get pissed.

********
         
The next morning I again woke with a hangover from hell, and although I did have alcohol amnesia about the night in the Naafi,. The plan remained fresh in my mind. I woke Mac, and called Pat into the room and explained the plan to them. They were elated, especially Pat. It was as if I’d handed him a winning lottery ticket.
         
“Brilliant,” he said, “at last, proper payback, now that’s what I’m talking about.”
         
“Fine,” I said, “everybody happy then, I take it?”
         
“Fucking marvelous,”  Mac said.
         
“Okay, we’ll finalize the smaller details a little closer to the time.” I said.
         
“Now, who fancies a good breakfast? Cause I’m starving,” I said.
         
“Sounds good to me,”  Pat said.

“Me too,” joined Mac.

********
         
The day loomed ever closer, and Pat’s demeanor, was getting more hyper. I had to have a word with him. It was like watching a child on Christmas Eve, waiting for the morning to come. “Pat, you need to calm down. If anyone with any sense sees you in this state, it won’t take long for them to realize there is something going on.”

“I don’t know what your on about,” he replied.

“You look like the cat that just got the cream.”

“Oh, calm down, Rob, I’m just a little excited, that’s all.”

“Precisely, you’re the one who needs to calm down. Maybe you should go and have a drink, and take your mind off this job for a while.”

“Fine, whatever you say.”

********

On the morning of the day, I did as I always do, and headed off to the compound, for an update. Once again, they said we were still going through a quiet period. Although, they did need a guy to act as an escort for a drive-by recce. So, the boss asked, If I had anything planned for today.

“I was planning on doing a bit of shopping,” I replied.

“Well, if you can suggest someone else, then that’s fine. I just need a body, I don’t care who it is.”

I quickly thought, and mentioned Mac.

“That’s fine, just tell him to be here for one o’clock this afternoon, for a briefing.”

“No problem boss, cheers, see you later.”

Shit, Mac was not going to be happy about this. Still, if I’d  chosen Pat, well, all hell would’ve broke loose.

I told Mac, he scowled at me.

“Why the fuck couldn’t you have done it?”

“Would you be happy enough with the plan to go it alone with Pat?”

He thought about it for a moment.

“As usual, you know best.” and stormed off like a boy who had just been scolded.

Pat and I agreed it would be a good idea to go and sign out our weapons, and the car, at one o’clock. The guy’s in the compound would be busy with the briefing on the drive by recce. So they wouldn’t be too concerned over what we were doing.

I had to go into the operations room, to give them my proposed route. Apart from the signaler listening to the radio, everyone else was in the briefing room. We headed off to the armory and signed out two pistols. Along with the operational ammo. Once we got into the car, and drove away from the compound, we parked up and swapped the ammo over.

“Okay, ready,” I said.

“As I’ll ever be,” he replied.

We set off, taking the route we’d given the Ops room. Again, we drove through the center of the city, which appeared to be very busy, with shoppers. It wasn’t long before the busy streets of the city, began to blend with the quieter streets of west Belfast. We were slightly ahead of time, and I didn’t want to be seen hanging around the area of the operation. So we decided to take a drive around the outskirts of Woodburn. There would be less chance of bumping into our own troops out there.
After twenty minutes, we headed for the area of the youth club. When we got there, it was ten minutes to three. The entrance to the youth club was about thirty meters down a side street. No houses, only old shops, boarded up many years ago. Three o’clock came, and went, and still no sign of Dermott. I didn’t like it, we were hanging around far too long. In Northern Ireland, there is nothing more suspicious, than two men sat in a stationary car, obviously just waiting for something.

I made a decision I thought I would never make. “Right, Pat. Let’s get out of the car and take a walk down the street towards the youth club.”

“What! Are you fucking crazy?, get out of the car. What the fuck for?”

“We can’t keep sitting around here, this looks even more suspicious.”

“What happens if he comes out, while we are walking down the street?”

“Then, you will follow him, and I will head for the car, and follow you both. We stick with the plan and you hit him when he reaches the alleyway.”

We got out of the car, and walked down the street, toward the youth club. After passing the club,

Pat turned to me and said, “Stuff this I’m going in.”

“In where?” I said.

“The club, to see if he’s in there.” Well I am Irish, so there should be no problem.”

“Jesus, this is getting out of hand,” I said.

“ I’ll be two minutes, just, pop my head through the door, and see if he’s in there. If not then we can get the hell out of here.”

“Okay, I’ll start taking a slow walk back to the car. Just don’t be long.”

“Fine,” he replied.

I had almost reached the car, when Pat came out of the club, and followed me up.

“He’s in there, and was just putting his jacket on, so he must be leaving.”

“Back to plan A, we follow him in the car, okay?”

“Sounds good to me,” Pat replied.

“Here is now,” I said.

I started the car, and began a slow drive away. The alley was about half a mile from the youth club, so I decided to take a slow drive to it, and park up right at the entrance. This was a quiet area and hopefully we wouldn’t be noticed, just sitting there. It should only take him about five minutes to reach us. I kept an eye on my rear view mirror. Then there he was, walking down the street, with his hands in his jacket pockets, kicking a coke can as he walked.

“Get ready, Pat,  he’s almost here.”

Pat sank down in his seat and donned the ski mask. He took the pistol out of his shoulder holster, and cocked the weapon, ready for firing. Dermott was singing some Irish ditty, when, Pat kicked the car door open, and leapt out. Throwing his whole body weight into Dermott’s side, knocking him way off balance and onto his back. Pat pushed the pistol into Dermott’s face. “Shush, Quiet,” Pat said softly. “Now turn the fuck over onto your belly, and put your hands behind your head.” Dermott was sobbing like a baby, and a large wet patch began to appear, in the front off his dirty trousers. “Please don’t kill me,” he blubbered. “I’m not going to kill you,” Pat replied, and put the pistol behind one of Dermott’s knees, and pulled the trigger. He screamed out in shear pain. Before he had chance to say anything else, Pat pumped another bullet through his other kneecap. Before he left, Pat said to Dermott. “Tell your father, we warned him. Maybe now he’ll listen.”

By this time, I had started the car, and as soon as Pat was in, I put my foot down, and got the hell out of there. We still had to go into the city and do some kind of shopping. Just to keep up the cover story.

The silence in the car was disconcerting . Pat never spoke a word, he just stared out of the side window.

I headed straight for one of the police stations, and parked the car. As we would be shopping, we had to check our weapons into the police station. We ensured we swapped back to the operational ammo before we checked them in. I decided it would also be a good idea to pop into a bar, and get a drink inside of Pat. Just to help him calm down. He was still shaking, and unlike the last Op, very subdued.

“You okay , Pat?,” I said.

“Sure, I just want to get back to camp.”

“Well we have to at least buy something, before we go back.”

“Fine, you nip out while I’m having this drink, and don’t be long.”

“Okay, I won’t.”
.
I left the bar, and saw there was a men’s clothes shop next door. I quickly went inside and bought the first shirt I could get my hands on. I didn’t even check the size. I went straight back to the bar, to find Pat sinking the last of his Guinness.

“Lets go,” he said.

“Fine.”

Pat never said a word the whole way back. “Are you sure your alright?” I repeated.

“Yes, let’s just get the car and the weapons handed in, so I can get the hell out of here.”

“See you over the Naafi then?,” I said.

“Not me,”  he replied, and he headed off, straight toward the barrack block.

I made my way to the Naafi bar for a few bevies, as I was still a little shaky myself.

At the bar I saw Mac, chatting to one of the bar maids. Shit I thought, that’s all I need, is him to start grilling me on how it went. Especially if he’s had a few to drink.
I went to the other end of the bar, hoping to avoid him. Then the bar maid saw me and said to Mac, “Hey, there’s your other half over there.” Great I thought, thanks, bitch.

“Hi, Rob, how’s it going?, he said.

“Fine,”

“Well, how’d it go?”

“Not now, I’ll speak to you about it tomorrow, okay?”

“Well if that’s how you feel about it.”

“It is, so just leave it at that.”

“Whatever, I’ll leave you to it”. I think I’m in with the bar maid anyway. See you later?”

Thank god for that, I really just feel like getting drunk, all on my own.