Ashes to Ashes
Chapter Four
The whole room was silent as Darragh and the woman stared each other out. Darragh didn’t drop his gaze. He let his eyes bore into hers, and she was the one who looked away first.
"Here's what's going to happen." Darragh said quietly. "You're not going to say a word. If any of us, and I mean ANY of us, are caught, I know exactly who touted on us. And it will be you. And you will be killed. At least leave the brats with one parent."
"You piece of scum," she whispered, her voice dripping with hate as she looked at Darragh. "What's it going to do? One more senseless murder and what's it going to do?"
"Save your breath," Darragh smirked. "You'll not get through."
"Why do you do it, eh?"
"Because I love my country. And anyone who stands in the way of Ireland's freedom is a target."
She was about to reply, but she was cut off by the front door opening. For a brief sceond she was going to yell, but Darragh jumped up and put the gun right at her throat and she faltered.
Footsteps came towards the living room door, and then:
"SIMON! GET OUT!" Darragh shoved the woman hard so she fell off the chair and onto the floor, and he span round just as there was a gunshot behind him. Darragh swore as he ducked behind a table – he hadn't thought Henderson would have a gun on him.
"Take the kids and get out, Joyce!" he yelled to his wife. "I don’t want you seeing this!" He must have heard Darragh cocking the high-powered gun because Darragh was suddenly thrown under intense gunsfire. His heart skipped a beat as something skimmed his forhead, and blood began running down his face.
Darragh peered out from behind the table and through the blood he could make out where Henderson was. He didn't want to hit the wife or the kids – his war wasn't with them. Darragh managed to aim and then he fired back, and for several minutes there was a fierce exchange of gunfire.
And then Darragh was the only one left firing, and he didn’t waste anytime after that. He ran over to Henderson where he was lying on the floor, groaning. He kicked Henderson's gun away from him and aimed the gun from his shoulder, pointing it down at his head.
"Say your prayers."
"It's not be that should be praying." Henderson's voice was surprisingly strong. "It's you."
Darragh raised his eyesbrows.
"Boo hoo." he said simply, and then he pulled the trigger. Wasting no time, he jumped over the body and made a run for the door. The front door was closed again, and Darragh quickly rested the gun on his hip and yanked on the handle, but it was locked.
"Fuck," he muttered, looking round for any sign of keys.
"You'll not get out, you scumbag," he heard a voice behind him and he turned to see Joyce Henderson staring at him, tears rolling down her face. "And I hope they kill you as well!"
"Open the fucking door, you bitch," Darragh yelled at her.
"It's too late! The police will already be on their way. You'll not get away, and if you have any mates around the place they'll not either!"
Oisin.
Darragh suddenly realised just how urgently he needed to get out.
"Open the door, or I'll shoot you as well." Darragh hissed.
"Shoot me then." Mrs Henderson glared at Darragh, tears still rolling down her face and dripping onto the floor.
"You want me to orphan your children, eh?" She let out a choked sob at Darragh's words, and shook her head. "WELL LET ME THE FUCK OUT THEN!" Darragh screamed. He pointed the gun at her and she watched with wide eyes, seemingly frozen.
Darragh heard movement outside, or at least he thought he did, and he was taking no chances. He shoved past the sobbing Mrs Henderson and ran back into the living room, stepping over the body again and over to the large window, where he quickly glanced out. There was no sign of anything, and so he threw himself through the window, not caring that the glass cut him and that he landed roughly on the floor. All that mattered was that he got out of there alive. That he got back to Grainne and Miceal and Aoibheann and little Caolan.
What if it was too late for Oisin, though?
That was the thought that made Darragh scramble to his feet and run back down the long drive. To his relief the car was still parked where they'd left it, and Oisin was still in one piece in the driver's seat. As he saw Darragh approaching, he started the engine and turned the car round, so the passenger door was closest to Darragh.
"Jesus!" he cried when he saw the blood running down Darragh's face and coating his hands.
"Just go! Go!" Darragh yelled, diving into the car and pulling the door closed, in the same second as Oisin put his foot down and the car sped down the road.
"Here's what's going to happen." Darragh said quietly. "You're not going to say a word. If any of us, and I mean ANY of us, are caught, I know exactly who touted on us. And it will be you. And you will be killed. At least leave the brats with one parent."
"You piece of scum," she whispered, her voice dripping with hate as she looked at Darragh. "What's it going to do? One more senseless murder and what's it going to do?"
"Save your breath," Darragh smirked. "You'll not get through."
"Why do you do it, eh?"
"Because I love my country. And anyone who stands in the way of Ireland's freedom is a target."
She was about to reply, but she was cut off by the front door opening. For a brief sceond she was going to yell, but Darragh jumped up and put the gun right at her throat and she faltered.
Footsteps came towards the living room door, and then:
"SIMON! GET OUT!" Darragh shoved the woman hard so she fell off the chair and onto the floor, and he span round just as there was a gunshot behind him. Darragh swore as he ducked behind a table – he hadn't thought Henderson would have a gun on him.
"Take the kids and get out, Joyce!" he yelled to his wife. "I don’t want you seeing this!" He must have heard Darragh cocking the high-powered gun because Darragh was suddenly thrown under intense gunsfire. His heart skipped a beat as something skimmed his forhead, and blood began running down his face.
Darragh peered out from behind the table and through the blood he could make out where Henderson was. He didn't want to hit the wife or the kids – his war wasn't with them. Darragh managed to aim and then he fired back, and for several minutes there was a fierce exchange of gunfire.
And then Darragh was the only one left firing, and he didn’t waste anytime after that. He ran over to Henderson where he was lying on the floor, groaning. He kicked Henderson's gun away from him and aimed the gun from his shoulder, pointing it down at his head.
"Say your prayers."
"It's not be that should be praying." Henderson's voice was surprisingly strong. "It's you."
Darragh raised his eyesbrows.
"Boo hoo." he said simply, and then he pulled the trigger. Wasting no time, he jumped over the body and made a run for the door. The front door was closed again, and Darragh quickly rested the gun on his hip and yanked on the handle, but it was locked.
"Fuck," he muttered, looking round for any sign of keys.
"You'll not get out, you scumbag," he heard a voice behind him and he turned to see Joyce Henderson staring at him, tears rolling down her face. "And I hope they kill you as well!"
"Open the fucking door, you bitch," Darragh yelled at her.
"It's too late! The police will already be on their way. You'll not get away, and if you have any mates around the place they'll not either!"
Oisin.
Darragh suddenly realised just how urgently he needed to get out.
"Open the door, or I'll shoot you as well." Darragh hissed.
"Shoot me then." Mrs Henderson glared at Darragh, tears still rolling down her face and dripping onto the floor.
"You want me to orphan your children, eh?" She let out a choked sob at Darragh's words, and shook her head. "WELL LET ME THE FUCK OUT THEN!" Darragh screamed. He pointed the gun at her and she watched with wide eyes, seemingly frozen.
Darragh heard movement outside, or at least he thought he did, and he was taking no chances. He shoved past the sobbing Mrs Henderson and ran back into the living room, stepping over the body again and over to the large window, where he quickly glanced out. There was no sign of anything, and so he threw himself through the window, not caring that the glass cut him and that he landed roughly on the floor. All that mattered was that he got out of there alive. That he got back to Grainne and Miceal and Aoibheann and little Caolan.
What if it was too late for Oisin, though?
That was the thought that made Darragh scramble to his feet and run back down the long drive. To his relief the car was still parked where they'd left it, and Oisin was still in one piece in the driver's seat. As he saw Darragh approaching, he started the engine and turned the car round, so the passenger door was closest to Darragh.
"Jesus!" he cried when he saw the blood running down Darragh's face and coating his hands.
"Just go! Go!" Darragh yelled, diving into the car and pulling the door closed, in the same second as Oisin put his foot down and the car sped down the road.