Authors: David Lowe
Switching onto the possible danger, it looked to Debbie that McElvaney and Pickup were blocking the Special Branch officers’ view of the bar. Quickening her pace, she was a few feet from the bar when Siobhan, with her packet of cigarettes in her hand, began to leave the bar area and walk off with O’Byrne towards the club entrance. Debbie assumed O’Byrne asked Siobhan for a light, knowing they would have to go outside the club to smoke. Walking so fast she was nearly breaking out into a run, she caught up with O’Byrne in the entrance hall of the club.
In sight of the club’s door security and other customers entering the club, she screamed at the top of her voice, ‘You fucking two timing bastard.’ Everyone in the entrance hall stopped momentarily as all eyes turned on Debbie and O’Byrne. Siobhan turned around. Seeing it was Debbie, she began wondering what was making Debbie scream at O’Byrne. ‘So you’ve fucking two timed me for this bitch,’ Debbie said pointing at Siobhan. ‘What about our baby you bastard? So this is how you treat your women. I’d leave him now love. He’s nothing but a fucking bastard.’
Walking up to this woman he had never seen before in his life, O’Byrne shouted back, ‘You’re a fucking crazy woman. What the fuck are you on about.’ Pointing to his right temple with his index finger, he added, ‘You’re fucking mad.’
As O’Byrne stood face-to-face with Debbie, she brought her right heel behind O’Byrne’s right leg just below the calf muscle, while punching him in the throat with the heel of her right palm. Unable to gather his balance, the force of the blow made him reel backwards. Hitting his head hard on the marble tiled floor, he lost consciousness. Debbie knelt down by O’Byrne. Before anyone could react, she produced her MI5 identity card and said, ‘Security services, get back.’ Pointing to one of the door security men, she said, ‘You, phone the police right now.’ The commotion in the entrance hall was loud enough to be heard over the DJ’s talking in the main room of the club. Knowing O’Byrne had gone out of the club with Hurst’s sister, McElvaney and Pickup ran towards the entrance hall to see the prone O’Byrne and a woman kneeling beside him. Seeing the two men approach, Debbie reached into her handbag and took out a 0.22 automatic pistol. Pointing it at both of them, she shouted, ‘One more step and I’ll blow your fucking heads off.’
Debbie stood up keeping her pistol pointed at the two men. ‘Stop where you are. Kneel down slowly with your hands behind your heads.’ McElvaney stood still and looked at Pickup. Before he could say anything, Debbie shouted, ‘Don’t think I won’t shoot.’ Fighting to contain her anger, Debbie was trying to keep a clear head. As she looked at McElvaney and Pickup she realised they were trying to kidnap and possibly kill David’s sister. Although not married to him, she felt Siobhan was family, her family. Ignoring her instructions the two men continued to look at each other. ‘Don’t even think about it,’ Debbie barked out to the men, ‘I’m an MI5 officer and we think nothing of killing bastards like you. Get down on your fucking knees. Now!’
As McElvaney and Pickup slowly went down onto their knees, the two Special Branch officers ran into the entrance hall to see Debbie pointing a pistol at McElvaney and Pickup. One of them drew his pistol, pointed it at Debbie and said, ‘Armed Police. Put the gun down.’
Not taking her eyes off McElvaney and Pickup, Debbie said, ‘And I’m an MI5 officer! Train your gun on these two bastards and I’ll show you my ID. They’re Real IRA and were about to kidnap this woman here,’ Debbie said nodding her head towards Siobhan. ‘She’s DS David Hurst’s sister. He’s in GMP’s Special Branch and received death threats from these two. The one on the left is Daniel McElvaney and the other one is Michael Pickup. Cuff them and get an ambulance for O’Byrne here. He’s the one unconscious on the floor.’
While one of the officers trained his pistol on McElvaney and Pickup, the other walked over and checked Debbie’s identity card. As he was reading her card, she asked him, ‘Have you anyone else outside?’
‘We’ve got two more in a car outside by the entrance.’
‘Ask one of them to come in. The other can take Hurst’s sister and mother away from here. First we should find out if they’ve got anyone outside waiting for them,’ Debbie said walking over to O’Byrne and Pickup,’ Well? Have you got someone waiting for you outside?’
The two men looked down towards the floor, not saying a word. ‘I haven’t got all fucking day,’ Debbie said. Cocking her pistol and assessing he might be the weak link out of the three, she put the end of the barrel against Pickup’s head and said, ‘I’ll ask you both again, have you got someone waiting outside. Don’t piss me off with your silence, I’d be more than fucking happy to end it for one of you here.’
Through fear Pickup involuntary urinated in his trousers and spluttered out in a high pitched Liverpool accent, ‘No, no, there’s no one else. We were going to get her into my car that’s parked just outside and . . .’
‘Shut the fuck up,’ O’Byrne growled at Pickup.
‘It’s rude to interrupt,’ Debbie said to O’Byrne, ‘Michael, you were saying?’
‘We were going to use my car and find somewhere to hide her,’ Pickup said, his voice trembling through fear.
Looking at the Special Branch officers, Debbie said, ‘Contact DC Steve Adams from GMP. He’s here in Liverpool assisting your Branch office. Tell him what happened and I’ll ring David Hurst when the family are safe.’
‘You know Steve?’
‘Yes.’
‘We’re on the same job. The DI sent us to keep an eye on these three after he got a tip off they would be doing some sort of diversionary move.’
‘Because of the threats, I’m looking after his family. You and your mate here get these two cuffed and I’ll go out to your two officers outside and sort out getting DS Hurst’s family away from here.’
* * *
Carrying a tray with four mugs of tea into the front room of his and Mary’s house, James Hurst placed it on the coffee table. Handing out the drinks to Debbie, Siobhan and Mary, he said, ‘It sounds like a lively birthday celebration.’
Taking the mug from her father’s hand, Siobhan said, ‘You can say that again Dad. Half an hour ago I was quite pissed. After what just happened, I’m as sober as a judge.’ Looking at Debbie, she said, ‘One thing’s for certain, you’re no admin manager at a police station. After what I saw dad, no wonder our David doesn’t back chat her! You can’t work with David if you’re MI5? How did you get to know him?’ Siobhan suddenly burst into hysterical laughter that quickly turned to tears and uncontrollable sobbing.
As James put a comforting arm around his daughter, Debbie could see the seriousness of the situation had just hit Siobhan as she said, ‘Of course, you don’t know what it is he does in the police do you?’
‘I do,’ James said, ‘I found that out for myself this afternoon. David told me he’s in Special Branch investigating terrorists.’
Mary looked in horror at James as Debbie said, ‘That’s how we met. I was on that last investigation into Al Qaeda when David got injured. It wasn’t drug traffickers that caused him to get injured, it was Al Qaeda’
On learning her son was dealing with terrorists Mary’s hands trembled even more. Not wanting to spill its contents, she put her mug of tea back onto the tray on the coffee table. ‘Are we in danger?’
‘I don’t think you’re in any immediate danger,’ Debbie said seeing how the incident and learning what her son really does in the police had shaken Mary. Trying to reassure her, Debbie added in a soft tone, ‘As I said on the way here, you’re not likely to be in great danger, but just to be on the safe side, I think the three of you should pack a few things and come with me to an MI5 safe-house. It’ll only be for a few days until this operation’s over.’
‘Thanks for the offer love,’ James said, ‘but no Irish terrorist is going to frighten me and Mary out of our home. We’ll be alright. Think about it. They’ve had all week to get us in this house since our David hit those two buggers in the pub. They didn’t, they waited until you went out into town for a night out. You know why they didn’t get us here don’t you?’
Debbie put her mug of tea on the coffee table, and with her hands pleaded for the three of them to listen to sense, ‘Do you think this Mick Callaghan can protect you all the time?’
‘It’s not just Mickey,’ James said, ‘this area is a strong Irish Catholic community. We knew when the Provisional’s were at it over here, there were a quite a few sympathisers to their cause living around here. There’s no way they’d shit on their own doorstep.’
‘James! Language! We’ve got guests,’ Mary said.
James lent across and placed his hand on Mary’s arm and gave a reassuring gentle tap. ‘Sorry love,’ he said, ‘but I’m sure our Debbie here’s heard much worse and I think saying S, H, one, T is nothing in comparison to with what happened tonight.’
‘I can vouch for that,’ Siobhan said, ‘I heard for myself our Debbie knows when to use the F word alright.
‘Let’s stop nit picking over swearing,’ said an exasperated Debbie, ‘I can see where you’re coming from James, but even when the Provisional’s were active, they still entered houses in nationalist areas and shot and killed those they thought were grassing on them. These bastards are the same, if not worse.’ Debbie looked at Mary and before Mary could say anything, ‘I’m sorry Mary. I know you don’t like bad language, but it’s the best word to use to describe what they are. You must move out and do it tonight. I can have an MI5 safe-house arranged within the hour.’
‘I can see you’re concerned, but they’re under arrest. They can’t harm us now,’ Siobhan said.
‘Don’t be so sure, we think there are more of them in the area,’ Debbie said, ‘What did O’Byrne say to you at the bar in the club?’
‘He asked me if I had a light and I said that once I’d ordered the drinks, I would come outside for a smoke and he could have a light then,’ Siobhan said.
‘Once outside, he and the other two would have bundled you into Pickup’s car and taken you somewhere and shot you. Trust me, and I can’t tell you how I know at the moment, but they would have killed you and dumped your body.’
Mary put her hand to her mouth, ‘Oh my god James, we’ve got to go.’
‘I think if they targeted me, I have a right to know what’s going on,’ Siobhan said.
‘Please don’t press me on it, I can’t tell you anything right at this moment. Once it’s over, David and I will tell you the full story.’
‘Were they going to use me to get at him?’ Siobhan asked.
‘We believe they were. You’ve got to trust me, to be on the safe side Siobhan go to your house and tell your husband so he and the children can come with us. Now are you going to come with me to an MI5 safe-house?’
* * *
As the ‘Z Cars’ ring tone of his favourite football club on his mobile phone entered into his consciousness, David woke up from a deep sleep. He looked at the time on his phone. It was three thirty in the morning. Focusing his eyes on the phone’s screen, he saw the call was from Debbie. ‘Debbie, what’s up?’
‘I’m sorry to ring you so early, but there’s been a development in Liverpool.’
‘I know, Steve and the Merseyside officers hit that guesthouse in Shiel Road and arrested all six targets.’
‘It’s not that. Now don’t worry, but O’Byrne, McElvaney and Pickup were arrested last night. They were in Diamonds Club when I was there with Siobhan and Mary. It’s OK, everything’s all sorted, but because of what happened in the club, Siobhan along with James, Mary and Siobhan’s husband and the children are staying at an MI5 safe-house. I wanted to come over as soon as it happened to tell you in person, but I stayed with the family and went with them to the safe-house.’
David shot bolt upright in the bed, and said ‘What’s happened? Are Mum and Siobhan alright?’
‘They’re fine. There’s nothing you can do right now. Steve and rest of the Merseyside lads have sorted everything out. There was a bit of an incident at the club we went to last night,’ and Debbie recounted the events at the night club.
David switched on the bedside light, reached for his cigarettes and, as he always did, ignored the smoking ban in hotel rooms. A little earlier than usual he lit up his first cigarette of the day. Taking a long drag on the cigarette, he inhaled the smoke deeply into his lungs. As he exhaled, his mind processed what Debbie had told him. ‘So all three are under arrest?’
‘Yes.’
‘I’ll get up and come over to see them,’ David said throwing the bedside covers aside.
‘I’m under orders from MI5 to tell you not to make any attempt to see them. We don’t know if anyone’s watching you. If they are, they could follow you to the safe-house.’
‘I’m not soft. If I think anyone’s following, I’ll lose them,’ David said reaching for his jeans.
‘Don’t make this any more difficult for me than it already is. They’re safe. I’m coming over to Chester now and I’ll be with you at the hotel in less than an hour. Our job now is to focus on the targets in the Cheshire area.’
‘For fuck’s sake Debs, this is getting fucking personal. I can take it when it’s me they’re after, but now the bastards have crossed the fucking line. They’re trying to hurt my family. I don’t care if I’m a police officer, I’ll kill the fuckers.’
‘I knew you’d react like this and it’s understandable,’ Debbie said wishing she could say this in person to David, ‘You leaving Chester could be just the diversion the IRA wants. Trust me, I can understand how you’re feeling. I see your parents and Siobhan as my family too and I’ve dealt with it just like you would. Steve’s looking after them, along with some of my colleagues. That should tell you they’re safe. If you come over to Liverpool, you could potentially fuck up all the work you’ve done in Chester.’
Standing with one leg in his denim jeans, he took another drag on his cigarette. What Debbie said hit home. ‘You’re right. Once you get back to Chester, we can go over to Alec Harvey’s office and work from there. I’m telling you now, I’m in no mood for pussy-footing around with the fuckers. As I said, they’ve touched my own, it’s personal now.’
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Poppythorn Lane, Prestwich, Manchester, 06.15 hours, Sunday,
7
th
July