Authors: David Lowe
‘It was a pig of a place to find, but Sheila’s instructions were good enough for me to find you,’ McConnell said, ‘where do you want me to take you?’
‘Back to your place in Liverpool. Once we get to yours, I need you to do me a little job.’
As Connell started driving back to Liverpool, he said, ‘Just tell me what it is and it’s as good as done Declan.’
‘I want you go to Liverpool Magistrates Court in the morning. Danny McElvaney and a lad who’s been working for me, Michael Pickup are appearing before the beak in the morning. They were arrested by Special Branch on Saturday night and they’re up for kidnap. My man on the inside told me he thinks Pickup’s become a Special Branch tout. I want to see if he gets bail. If he does, when he leaves court I want you to pick him up to see me. Then I’ll need to borrow your car as we’ll be going on a little journey.’
* * *
David quietly slid the room key into the door leading to his hotel room at the Grosvenor. As he gently opened the door, the room was in darkness. Realising Debbie was still asleep, he fumbled his way towards the bed. As he started to undress he heard Debbie stir. ‘Is that you,’ she said sleepily.
‘Sorry love, did I wake you?’
‘No, I was just dozing,’ Debbie said. Sitting up, she switched on the bedside light. Picking up her watch, she looked at the time and said, ‘Bloody hell, it’s nearly half ten. I only intended to have a couple of hours sleep.’
David Hurst pulled back the bed covers and got into bed next to her. ‘Shhh’ he said gently stroking her hair. He kissed her gently on the lips and said, ‘don’t worry about what’s been going on while you were asleep, you can catch up with that in the morning. We’ve got something else to catch up on. I thought I was going to lose you today.’
Debbie pulled David towards him and began to kiss him passionately.
* * *
After hiding for the last few hours in an unoccupied, dilapidated old cottage, Maguire and Mahoney decided to make their move into Chester. It was an ideal location. Being just outside Churton, they were still within reasonable reach of Chester. There were no luxuries at the cottage. Regardless of slates missing from the roof and a few of the windows being broken, it was nicely out the way. It gave the two Irishmen a good view of the approach to the cottage, enabling them to see in plenty of time if anyone was coming towards it. As it was approaching three o’clock in the morning, they decided to make their move into Chester while it was still dark, but late enough so they would not have to stay in the city any longer than they needed to.
Getting into the Clancy’s Ford Mondeo, Maguire said, ‘The roadblocks on the approaches to Chester they were mentioning on the radio will be a fucking pain in the arse. I suggest we dump the car on the outskirts then make our way into Chester on foot.’
‘It’s still risky being on foot, there’ll be loads of peelers looking for us,’ Mahoney said as he started to drive away from the cottage.
‘Don’t worry too much. I think we’ve caused them that many problems, they’re going to be stretched and we can use that to our advantage. Surprise is still on our side, they’ve no idea where we are. On top of that, they’ll still be guessing what we’re up to. Their scarce resources will be thinly spread and that gives us the fucking edge.’
‘We should think about a new escape plan,’ Mahoney said as he drove out from the cottage drive’s entrance onto the road, ‘Once the job goes off, there’ll be hundreds of the bastards looking for us.’
‘I’ve been thinking about that too. We’ll keep to the original plan to start with and doing whatever it is we need to do to get back to Anglesey by late Tuesday night.’
‘I wish we could just get to Holyhead and get the ferry back to Dublin.’
‘We can’t, but going by what we’ve heard about the others, there’ll be plenty of room on that wee boat home. Once you get back to Ireland, make your way to a safe-house in Wicklow. In case we don’t meet up on the boat, I’ll write the address down for you. You’ve got the money Declan transferred into that account his wife set up, so use it wisely,’ Maguire said getting a piece of paper out of his jacket on which he wrote down the address. When he finished, he stuffed it in the top pocket of Mahoney’s shirt and said, ‘Keep that safe and don’t put it where the security forces can find it if they catch you. If you think that looks likely, destroy it, even if it means eating the fucking thing.’
‘What’s this you were saying earlier at the cottage about using some canal boat to hide in when we get to Chester?’ Mahoney asked turning left onto the A41 towards Chester.
‘When we were in Chester on Friday morning, I looked around for somewhere to keep our heads down before we made our move. I noticed this old canal barge moored up not far from the Cathedral. It looks like no one’s used if for some time and it’s easy to get into. We’d only be in there for twenty-four hours at most. It’s ideal. Anywhere else could be risky for us to hide, especially with those appeals being broadcast for sightings of us.’ Seeing the look of concern on Mahoney’s face, Maguire said ‘We’ve been in fucking tighter spots than this. I’ve done my homework, we’ll be fine.’
‘I know. We’re about a mile away from Chester and I reckon we’ll come across a roadblock soon. I suggest we dump the car and walk in from here.’
‘That makes sense,’ Maguire said looking for a good place to leave the car, ‘Turn left here and find a good place to dump it. We can stick it in an empty driveway in one of these houses. It’s three o’clock now. That’ll give us about an hour before it lightens up.’
Following Maguire’s suggestion, Mahoney drove into the small housing estate. Not wanting to leave it too close to the main road making easier for the police to spot it, he looked for an empty driveway to one of the small modern detached houses that did not overlook the main road. Spotting one, he quietly drove the Mondeo onto it. Both men got out of the car and gently shut the doors. Opening the boot, Maguire took out his bag first then handed Mahoney his. So as not wake any of the residents, Maguire rested the boot lid gently on the top of the catch.
Walking through the estate back to the A41, Mahoney whispered to Maguire, ‘I’m not happy about this idea of yours to hide in the canal boat. You know they’ll increase security checks all around the city and that’s likely to include checking empty boats on the canal. For fuck’s sake Jimmy, this is a Royal visit. Their checks are bad enough when there’s nothing going down, but with what we’ve been doing, the peelers’ll be even more thorough. We’ve got those duplicate keys to that solicitor’s office we’re going to use, so why don’t we try and see if we can get into the back and keep our heads down in some room that looks like they don’t use much?’
‘We can’t. We don’t have the code to disarm the burglar alarm and with it being right across the road from the Grosvenor, the security there’ll be tight and with it being quiet, we’ll easily be spotted. Trust me, with that canal boat being a bit wrecked that tells me it’s been empty for some time and no one is likely to come to it.’
In the distance they could see a police roadblock. The two men kept walking wondering how they could get round it. Seeing a car showroom on his left Mahoney said, ‘We can get round the back of that showroom and make our way over the backs of the buildings next to it. That’ll get us round the roadblock unseen.’
Maguire considered Mahoney’s suggestion. ‘Good idea,’ he said looking down at the roadblock, ‘that row of buildings ends just on the other side of the roadblock. Come on let’s find the best place to get into the back of the showroom.’
Making their way through the used cars for sale in front of the main building they found a wall next to it. Putting his bag onto the floor Mahoney said, ‘Give us a lift up. I’ll see what’s in the back.’
As Maguire clasped his hands together, Mahoney put his left foot into the palms of his friend’s hands and lifted himself onto the top of the high wall. Placing his elbows on the top of the wall he began to study the layout when a voice shouted over, ‘What are you two doing? Stay where you are.’
Both Irishmen turned round to see a portly security guard standing at the corner of the outside wall of the main showroom. Leaving Mahoney hanging on to the top of the wall, Maguire walked up to the security guard and said, ‘It’s alright mate, we’re Special Branch police officers checking the backs of the buildings before Prince William’s visit tomorrow.’ Placing his hand underneath his coat, Maguire reached to the back of his denim jeans, saying, ‘Here, I’ll show you my warrant card.’ Stood in front of the security guard he produced a semi-automatic pistol. Grabbing the hair at the back of the security guard’s head, he thrust the pistol underneath his chin. ‘Do as I fucking say and you’ll live, don’t and you’re dead. Understand?’
Before the security guard could answer, Mahoney scrambled down the wall, picked up both his and Maguire’s bag and ran over to the two men. Realising the no-win position he was in and trembling with fear, he said, ‘I understand, I’ll do as you say, just don’t kill me, please, don’t kill me.’
‘I won’t if you do what I fucking well tell you to,’ Maguire said, ‘now, take us into your office.’
Maguire turned the guard around and taking hold of his left arm he placed the pistol against the back of the guard’s head. Nervously, he led the two Irishmen into the main showroom where Mahoney turned off the few lights that were still lit. Keeping the gun pointed at the guard, Maguire turned him round and said, ‘Before you came out, did you trigger any alarms when you saw us?’
‘No’ he said, his voice still trembling with fear, ‘I just came out to see what you were up to.’
‘You’d better be telling the fucking truth fat man or you’re dead,’ Maguire said, ‘now, where’s the key to the door we’ve just come through?’
‘I, I’ve got them here on the key ring attached to my belt,’ the guard said fumbling as he tried to quickly detach the keys from his trouser belt so as not to anger Maguire any further.
‘Hurry the fuck up and find the key, then give it to my mate here so we can lock the door,’ Maguire said.
Sensing the armed Irishman’s patience was getting even thinner, the guard’s whole body was shaking making it harder for the guard to find the key. ‘Come on you fat fuck, stop stalling,’ Maguire shouted at him.
Finding the key, he held it up and said, ‘Here it is.’ Mahoney snatched it out of his hand, went over to the main showroom door and locked it, putting the key into his pocket. As he did so, the security guard said, ‘I know you two, you’re the wanted bank robbers that were on the telly last night.’
Maguire laughed and said, ‘What are you going to do about it? Fucking turn us in?’
The guard looked down and nodded he wasn’t. ‘Have you got security cameras in this showroom?’ Mahoney asked the guard.
‘Yes.’
‘Turn them off,’ Mahoney said.
‘No,’ Maguire said before the guard could move, ‘leave them on. You see my fat friend, we’re not bank robbers, we’re the Real IRA and I want recording what happens. I want to show people that you don’t fuck around with us.’
The security guard slumped to his knees. Through fear he was unable to control his bodily functions. Letting out a loud rasping fart, the guard defecated in his trousers as he said, ‘Oh Jesus, you’re going to kill me aren’t you, just like you did those coppers.’
Being the closest to the security guard, Mahoney raised his hand to his nose and winced as the pungent odour hit his nostrils and said, ‘The dirty fucker’s only gone and shit himself.’
Maguire walked up to the guard, pointed the pistol at his head and said, ‘Why are you shitting yourself? I said I wouldn’t kill you if you did as I said, didn’t I?’
Not able to look up, the guard mumbled, ‘Yes. What do you want? Do you want the keys to one of the cars that’s for sale? There’s a nice BMW out there?’
‘Do you think I’m a fucking thief?’ Maguire asked angrily, ‘I kill people for my cause, especially those that don’t do as I say. Now stand up.’ As the security guard picked himself up, Maguire asked, ‘Is there a closet or a small side room we can put you in. You see, we just want to get away from here and we don’t want you found until later this morning by those that work here.’
‘So you’re not going to kill me?’ the guard asked once more.
An exasperated Maguire said, ‘Are you a fucking thick shit all your life or do you have a day off? I said I wouldn’t kill you if you do as I say. Now is there a room we can put you in, tie you up and lock it so when you’re found we’ll be well gone.’
‘Yes, the stationary room. It’s just down that corridor there on the right by the main reception desk,’ the guard said feeling a little less nervous that he was not going to die, ‘the key’s hanging up behind the reception desk.’
‘Get the key and don’t press any alarm buttons or you’re dead,’ Maguire said. As the guard leant over the desk to get the key to the stationary room, Maguire asked, ‘Are you married with kids?’
‘Yes, I’ve got three kids, two boys and a girl.’ the guard said holding the key.
‘Lead us to the stationary room,’ Maguire said, ‘that’s nice, are they young?’
‘The two boys are seven and six,’ the guard said walking tentatively to the room, ‘and my daughter’s three.’ As the guard got to the stationary room, he unlocked the door, opened it and switched the light on.
Maguire pushed the guard into the room and looked at it, ‘Perfect,’ he said, ‘now turn round and go onto your knees.’ The guard did exactly what Maguire said. Once on his knees, the Irishman closed the door leaving just the two of them in the small room and said, ‘So it’ll be nice when you’re reunited with them in heaven.’
Turning round his ruddy complexion turned white with fear as he looked at Maguire. ‘But you said you wouldn’t kill me.’
‘I lied,’ Maguire said. Squeezing the trigger with a double tap to the guard’s head, the guard’s body slumped to the floor. Opening the stationary room door Maguire walked out. Looking down, he saw remnants of blood splattered on his clothes. ‘I’ll just go to the bog and wash the fat man’s blood off my clothes,’ he said to Mahoney who was standing outside the room.
While Maguire went to the toilets, Mahoney ran over to the main door of the car showroom and unlocked it. Tentatively, he walked along the front of the building and looked down the road towards the roadblock to see if there was any reaction from the officers at the roadblock to the shooting. Knowing that having both doors closed would muffle the sound, he still wanted to take no chances. As it looked like none of the officers had reacted, he went back into the showroom as Maguire came out of the toilet. ‘That’s better,’ Maguire said, ‘unlock the back door so we can get to that canal barge before the sun’s up.’ As Mahoney tried to find the right key, Maguire walked up to one of the security cameras and gave a two-fingered salute.