Bold Fenian Men
Chapter Seven
"They're heading this way and they'll be coming from behind you. " Padraig's voice was still angry from the conversation earlier. "If I were you I'd turn round and point your guns in the other direction." All three men jumped and span round, looking at Padraig in disbelief.
"What the –"
"So I see you finally made it, Gearoid?" Padraig cut him off, looking at the brown-eyed man to his right. Gearoid's eyes were still fearful as he watched Padraig, and Padraig shook his head and chuckled softly.
"What are you doing here, Caraher?" Cillian's voice was also angry.
"Looks like I'm saving your skins. Again." Padraig said. He signalled behind him. "They'd have come up there and blasted your head off and you wouldn’t have known about it until you were standing at those big white gates wondering where you were." Padraig smiled thinly as he saw that the eyes of all three men were filled with fear. "Oh, I know." Padraig said softly. "I know what they’re doing. One of them has a gun at my head while the others are telling youse not to move or they'll shoot me."
Padraig span round and grabbed the end of the gun that was less than an inch away from his head. He sharply pulled it up as it went off, and the bullet fired harmlessly into the air. The two men stood facing each other for a long time, before the UVF man chuckled and shook his head.
"Padraig Caraher." he said slowly. "I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy, hey?"
"You never learn though, do you?" Padraig asked icily. He kept his hand firmly on the gun, keeping it pointing into the air. "Get your fucking guns off my men."
"And what are you going to do about it, Caraher?" Padraig kept his eyes on the other man's, and he smiled as he recognised those cold blue eyes that were staring back at him.
"William McAllister." he said softly. "Do you remember last time we met, eh, Billy? And you asked me what I was going to do about it? And three of your men ended up dead. You don’t want that to happen again, do you?" McAllister's eyes hardened and his hand jerked back down, but Padraig tightened his grip and held his arm firmly.
"You South Armagh bastard," he hissed.
"Now now. Be nice, Billy." Padraig smiled sweetly. "We don’t want any childish name-calling, do we?"
"I swear to God, Caraher, you're not getting out of this one!"
"Get your guns off my men." Padraig said again. He was done playing around. His voice was cold, and his eyes hard. "Now, McAllister, or we'll have a repeat performance of last time."
"Oh no," McAllister laughed. "Not this time, Caraher."
"Take your fucking guns off my men, or so help you God I will kill you where you stand." Padraig hissed dangerously.
"Shoot them." McAllister said simply. Padraig didn’t hesitate for a second, and on McAllister's words he kneed him right where it hurts, causing him to fall to the floor. Padraig didn’t waste anymore time and he dived over to the three young IRA Volunteers, throwing himself over them and knocking them all to the floor as the gunshots ripped through the air.
"Get out of here!" Padraig screamed at them, shuffling off them and shoving them away towards the exit to the alleyway. "GO! NOW!" They all scrambled up and took off down the alleyway, Padraig close after them.
"What the –"
"So I see you finally made it, Gearoid?" Padraig cut him off, looking at the brown-eyed man to his right. Gearoid's eyes were still fearful as he watched Padraig, and Padraig shook his head and chuckled softly.
"What are you doing here, Caraher?" Cillian's voice was also angry.
"Looks like I'm saving your skins. Again." Padraig said. He signalled behind him. "They'd have come up there and blasted your head off and you wouldn’t have known about it until you were standing at those big white gates wondering where you were." Padraig smiled thinly as he saw that the eyes of all three men were filled with fear. "Oh, I know." Padraig said softly. "I know what they’re doing. One of them has a gun at my head while the others are telling youse not to move or they'll shoot me."
Padraig span round and grabbed the end of the gun that was less than an inch away from his head. He sharply pulled it up as it went off, and the bullet fired harmlessly into the air. The two men stood facing each other for a long time, before the UVF man chuckled and shook his head.
"Padraig Caraher." he said slowly. "I should have known it wouldn’t be that easy, hey?"
"You never learn though, do you?" Padraig asked icily. He kept his hand firmly on the gun, keeping it pointing into the air. "Get your fucking guns off my men."
"And what are you going to do about it, Caraher?" Padraig kept his eyes on the other man's, and he smiled as he recognised those cold blue eyes that were staring back at him.
"William McAllister." he said softly. "Do you remember last time we met, eh, Billy? And you asked me what I was going to do about it? And three of your men ended up dead. You don’t want that to happen again, do you?" McAllister's eyes hardened and his hand jerked back down, but Padraig tightened his grip and held his arm firmly.
"You South Armagh bastard," he hissed.
"Now now. Be nice, Billy." Padraig smiled sweetly. "We don’t want any childish name-calling, do we?"
"I swear to God, Caraher, you're not getting out of this one!"
"Get your guns off my men." Padraig said again. He was done playing around. His voice was cold, and his eyes hard. "Now, McAllister, or we'll have a repeat performance of last time."
"Oh no," McAllister laughed. "Not this time, Caraher."
"Take your fucking guns off my men, or so help you God I will kill you where you stand." Padraig hissed dangerously.
"Shoot them." McAllister said simply. Padraig didn’t hesitate for a second, and on McAllister's words he kneed him right where it hurts, causing him to fall to the floor. Padraig didn’t waste anymore time and he dived over to the three young IRA Volunteers, throwing himself over them and knocking them all to the floor as the gunshots ripped through the air.
"Get out of here!" Padraig screamed at them, shuffling off them and shoving them away towards the exit to the alleyway. "GO! NOW!" They all scrambled up and took off down the alleyway, Padraig close after them.