Bold Fenian Men
Chapter Six
"How dare they?" Padraig muttered to himself as he paced around his bedroom. He'd already thrown everything he could throw around the room, and the wall was home to several new holes from where Padraig had smashed the butt of the gun against the it. "Won’t last five bloody minutes without me and they know it. Well let them. Let them all get shot and beaten and arrested and see if I give a damn. Perhaps I'll be able to find meself a half-decent unit? For crying out loud, if we stayed at home all bloody day because we were scared of being shot then none of us would go anywhere!"
Padraig threw himself down onto his bed and groaned loudly. Finally he didn’t have the energy to be mad and annoyed anymore. He propped his head up on his hands, his elbows on his pillow, and he stared at the wall for a very, very long time.
And then that feeling hit him.
It was the feeling that something was very wrong. Something wasn't right. Padraig jumped up and went to the window, but looking out didn’t answer any of the questions circling his brain, and it didn’t comfort him either. Padraig decided he'd have to get out of the house, and he went downstairs and pushed his feet into his shoes, grabbed his coat, and went out to the car.
Habitually, he quickly checked under the car and ran his hand along the back of the wheel. He was well aware of the danger to his life while he continued to do what he was doing, and he wasn't going to be blown apart when he got into his car, that was for sure. Satisfied that everything was OK, he got into the car and started the engine. He didn’t know where he was going to drive, but as long as he was out he knew he was doing the right thing.
He hadn’t gone far before he had to stop. The traffic was backs up all the way up the road. Padraig groaned and pulled the car over to the side of the road. He got out, locked the car, and then walked up to the front of the queue of traffic, where there were three men keeping the cars at a standstill. All three were armed and were wearing balaclavas.
They watched Padraig as he approached, but Padraig didn’t watch them back. Instead he just walked straight past them, too pissed off to really care what they thought.
"Where do you think you're going, lad?" one of them asked. Padraig turned to face them and all three Volunteers recognised him instantly.
"I'm going to see what the fuck's going on." Padraig muttered. They didn’t question him further, just let him go. Padraig liked his authority in situations like this.
Padraig walked quickly up the deserted street and he sensed the men before he saw them. He stood silently watching them for a while, and instinct told him that they were UVF men. Padraig watched them, not making a sound, and before they'd noticed him he'd casually walked down an alley to the left. The men down there didn't notice him either. They were walking in the opposite direction. Padraig headed down a side alley and cut them off, and he found himself behind three other men, but these people he knew.
Padraig threw himself down onto his bed and groaned loudly. Finally he didn’t have the energy to be mad and annoyed anymore. He propped his head up on his hands, his elbows on his pillow, and he stared at the wall for a very, very long time.
And then that feeling hit him.
It was the feeling that something was very wrong. Something wasn't right. Padraig jumped up and went to the window, but looking out didn’t answer any of the questions circling his brain, and it didn’t comfort him either. Padraig decided he'd have to get out of the house, and he went downstairs and pushed his feet into his shoes, grabbed his coat, and went out to the car.
Habitually, he quickly checked under the car and ran his hand along the back of the wheel. He was well aware of the danger to his life while he continued to do what he was doing, and he wasn't going to be blown apart when he got into his car, that was for sure. Satisfied that everything was OK, he got into the car and started the engine. He didn’t know where he was going to drive, but as long as he was out he knew he was doing the right thing.
He hadn’t gone far before he had to stop. The traffic was backs up all the way up the road. Padraig groaned and pulled the car over to the side of the road. He got out, locked the car, and then walked up to the front of the queue of traffic, where there were three men keeping the cars at a standstill. All three were armed and were wearing balaclavas.
They watched Padraig as he approached, but Padraig didn’t watch them back. Instead he just walked straight past them, too pissed off to really care what they thought.
"Where do you think you're going, lad?" one of them asked. Padraig turned to face them and all three Volunteers recognised him instantly.
"I'm going to see what the fuck's going on." Padraig muttered. They didn’t question him further, just let him go. Padraig liked his authority in situations like this.
Padraig walked quickly up the deserted street and he sensed the men before he saw them. He stood silently watching them for a while, and instinct told him that they were UVF men. Padraig watched them, not making a sound, and before they'd noticed him he'd casually walked down an alley to the left. The men down there didn't notice him either. They were walking in the opposite direction. Padraig headed down a side alley and cut them off, and he found himself behind three other men, but these people he knew.