The House by the Liffey (8 page)

‘Up to the altar,' a voice directed Milo and two armed men appeared from behind the vestry door, wearing balaclavas. A sound behind made him turn and he saw two more, also armed. One moved up behind him and the other stayed by the open door, looking out at Tommy.

‘Put the bags on the floor, open them, then step back
and don't try anything
.'

‘Why would I? You have my child!'

‘But we know you're armed.'

‘So are you.'

The voice grunted something incoherent in response.

They counted the money from one of the bags, working extremely fast. They did a very quick, superficial sort through the contents of the other bag and then stepped away.

‘Take them out, put them in the boot of your car and bring in the other two.'

Milo followed the instructions and as he zipped up the two bags one of the men stepped forward and, ensuring no deliberate substitution, drew a large cross on each bag with a thick marker pen. Milo swapped the bags, making sure he remained in full view of them, so they could see there was no sleight of hand. He carried the other two into the church and the same procedure took place.

Milo was completely outraged. On top of their many other crimes, so far as he was concerned, to count this money out in front of the altar was an act of sacrilege. He wouldn't have been surprised and would, indeed, have been highly delighted if an Almighty hand had appeared from above and struck the villains dead.

‘Now wait for us to pull in behind you and then drive to Powerscourt Waterfall at a steady pace, like tourists out for a day's sightseeing. Park as close to the falls as you can. We'll be right on your tail so no tricks.'

‘Will my child be there?'

‘She's there.'

‘Suppose there are visitors there?'

‘There won't be.'

‘Okay. No tricks.'

Round and round it went in his head.

‘I'm coming for you, Izzy. I'm coming for you. Daddy's coming for you, my darling child. God keep you until I have you safely in my arms again.'

After the call to Riverside had been made, Izzy had been bundled back indoors. She was still quite distraught and Eddie tried to calm and comfort her, while cleaning and disinfecting her damaged lip. He tried to get her to go back down into the cellar and this seemed to be the last straw. The tears ran down her face.

‘Please, no. Not back down there, Doctor Eddie – I heard that man call you Eddie.'

‘It's all right, girleen, it's only for a few minutes. Then once we leave here it'll soon be over. I'll leave the trapdoor open and you can call me Eddie, that's okay.'

Izzy started to panic. There was no way she could endure this hell, all alone, for one second longer. Since she'd drawn to his attention how bored she was, from time to time Eddie had played a game of cards with her. Realising she had no choice about returning down there, she tried to persuade him to stay with her.

‘Please, Eddie, I think I'm going to have one of my fits and I shouldn't be alone when that happens. Could you stay and play a game of cards with me or just talk to me
please
? It might stop the fit.'

‘All right, Izzy,' he answered hastily. ‘I'll stay with you 'til we're ready to go. They don't need me up here, so don't panic. Come down the ladder with me and we'll have a game of cards.'

Outside a call was made to “Himself” for any last minute instructions. Then the final arrangements were made to move out. There was little to do since they just had to ensure they left nothing behind to tell any tales. Yes, Izzy would be able to give descriptions of them but it would be open to doubt given the age and condition of the child, mental and physical. Anyhow, she might not survive. Better if she didn't Willie thought. In spite of the strict instructions, they all knew Willie wouldn't hesitate to kill her if it would help their cause and Bob would positively relish the chance to finish her off.

‘Shamus, go and get the van.'

Willie went and shouted down into the cellar.

‘Bring the brat out.'

Eddie and Izzy came back up the ladder.

‘Tie her up and get her into the van.'

‘You don't need to tie her up, Willie. Surely you're not afraid of what a little kid like that might do. There'll be
five
of us in the van with her, for God's sake!'

‘Getting softer all the time are we, Eddie?'

‘Just realistic, Willie. Surely you're not afraid of her, or maybe it's that ghost that's worrying you!'

Willie swore violently at him, casting doubt on his parentage and suggesting he did something that, if taken in its literal Anglo-Saxon sense, could be construed as a positively enjoyable experience.

Mac stepped in again.

‘Cool it, both of you. No point in falling out at this stage when we're almost there. Now, everybody outside.'

Eddie and Izzy with Bob got into the back of the van. Although Bob was heavily medicated, Eddie made sure he sat between him and Izzy. Bob glowered at her but when she spoke to Grandpa Tom, looking directly at the space beside him, he shrank back glancing around fearfully. She remembered his reaction the last time she had mentioned Grandpa Tom. Willie and Mac put in a very few items which included the radio.

‘Pull down the track a bit, Shamus.'

They returned to the cottage with large jerrycans and soon there was a strong smell of petrol. They ran out, tossed a lighted taper through the door and were well clear before the whole place erupted. There would be no evidence.

They made a dash for the van but when they leapt in there was no Shamus. He had heard Izzy's comment to her imagined grandfather and had been completely unnerved. As soon as he had moved the van he got out as fast as he could. While all other eyes were turned towards what was going on at the cottage he ran, hell-for-leather, down the winding track and into the woods at the bottom, disappearing completely from view. No way was he staying in that van. He'd make his way back down to civilization on foot. He knew they couldn't afford to waste time searching for him. He didn't care about the money any more. He just wanted to get as far away as possible.

‘Where the hell's Shamus?'

‘Don't know. He was standing out there when you were back in the cottage.'

‘The big eejit. He's run off on us at a time like this. And we were
all
supposed to get away with the money together.'

‘Doesn't matter, Mac. He'll be dealt with. Let's get going – I'll drive.'

‘Okay. Straight to Powerscourt Waterfall, but you can take your time. The others have to get to Enniskerry and then the money will have to be counted. That'll take a while.' Mac laughed. ‘Anyhow, we don't want to get stopped for speeding at this stage.'

When they got near to Powerscourt Waterfall there was, as they had been told to expect, a notice saying the road and the falls were closed to the public for the day, but not saying why. The area had been hired for quite a considerable sum on the pretense that a film was to be made there. It was explained that those making the movie didn't want curious members of the public turning up to watch them and maybe getting in the way of the work. They wanted them kept well away until the filming was finished.

There was plenty of flat space around the area of the falls and they parked well away from any trees, as instructed. Mac and Willie took out the radio and set it up beside the van, where they thought there should be good reception. Then, lighting up their cigarettes and balaclavas at the ready, they settled down for what they expected to be a bit of a wait.

* * * * *

Jack and Bertie were able to follow the van at quite a distance behind, for when they had found it hidden away they had attached a homing device under it's back bumper. As they passed the turning to the waterfall they could see it making it's way along at a sedate speed. They drove past and well beyond before stopping to call Sean.

‘Powerscourt Waterfall, Sean,'

‘Got it! I've used side roads to get round and south of Enniskerry, so we're quite close. One of my undercover men tells me that Milo and Tommy have arrived in the main square. Got Noel and Declan with me.'

‘If we meet we can work out a way of getting some of us in on foot, through the trees. They were driving quite slowly so I suspect there's no mad hurry. They must be counting the money somewhere.'

‘Meet me soonest at Ballybawn. Just drive south on the road you're on now. You're very close to it. I'll see you coming.'

‘Right!'

They found the tiny settlement without any trouble. They all squashed into the one car and set off again for the entrance to the waterfall, with Declan driving. They drove past, stopped close to the wooded side of the track and the two of them with Sean and Noel leapt out. The car sped off and all four headed for the trees at a run. Moving through the wood at a pretty smart pace, it didn't take them long to get to the area where they could see the van was parked and, well hidden, they settled down to wait.

Twenty minutes later Milo and Tommy arrived with another car behind them. As soon as they reached the falls the other driver turned around and drove away fast, both men still wearing their balaclavas.

They had heard the cars approaching while they were some distance down the track. Mac had sent off one more urgent message on the radio then got the others out of the van and told them to pull on their balaclavas. He would brook no opposition now to tying Izzy's hands and feet with tapes.

‘Don't argue this time, Eddie. We can't chance her trying to run off and jinxing things up altogether.'

‘Okay, but I'll do it myself.' Which he did, whispering to her: ‘Don't worry, your dad's just about here and I'll not pull the tapes too tight.'

Tommy parked the car and Milo, spotting Izzy surrounded by four men in balaclavas, three of them armed, leapt out and started to run towards her calling her name over and over. She had spotted him at the same instant and was screaming to him.

‘Daddy, Daddy! You've come for me, oh you've come for me. Daddy
please help me
.'

Being tied up she couldn't move and was being held tightly by Mac, his gun to her head.

‘Back off, Butler, or we'll shoot her and you!' Milo stopped short. At that moment, given the chance, he would have tried to kill all four of them with his bare hands.

‘Back to your car.'

Milo, Tommy and the men hiding wondered how on earth they hoped to get away with all that money in this van, which would be so easy to track down. They got their totally unexpected answer. There was a buzzing sound from the far side of the waterfall and over the top of the hill came a dark grey helicopter with no markings. They watched in amazement as it settled on the flat ground not far from the van. The door opened but nobody got out and the rotor blades kept spinning.

‘Right, Butler, lift the bags out and carry two of them to that lump of rock there near the chopper. Then put them on the ground and back away. We'll bring your child to that point and when we've loaded them, we'll swap her for the last two.'

Milo followed the instructions. Tommy stayed by the car with his firearm at the ready. Willie loaded the two bags and Milo returned to his car for the other two. He stepped forward, this time with Tommy beside him, making no effort to conceal his gun.

All would have gone to plan for them had it not been for Bob. One look at Milo and he had torn off the irritating balaclava. He didn't care whether or not “Tom Butler” saw him. In fact he wanted him to. His moment had come at last.

Unobserved by the other three men he had managed to get hold of a gun. He had seen where Shamus had hidden his in the van and, when the attention of the others was distracted, he had taken it from its hiding place and tucked it under his jacket. He wasn't going to kill Tom Butler first, oh no, he was going to kill his child; that would hurt him much more. Then, oh sweet revenge, he'd kill him too. He ran towards where the exchange was about to take place beside the helicopter. The two bags were put on the ground and Eddie stooped to undo Izzy's bonds. That was the moment Bob shouted his venom.

‘Got you! Got you both, Tom Butler.'

Raising the gun he took aim at Izzy but Eddie threw her to the ground and lay protectively over her, so Bob's bullets tore into him instead. Willie didn't hesitate. He and Mac had been instructed not to allow Bob, Eddie or Shamus to survive. Assuming Eddie was dead, he shot Bob twice through the back of the head, then he and Mac grabbed the remaining bags and threw them into the chopper, leaping in after them. Milo and Tommy were too concerned with getting to Izzy to make any effort to stop their escape. At least with Izzy pinned under Eddie they couldn't harm her any more.

Suddenly four men, screaming like banshees, burst from the nearby trees. The helicopter was preparing to take off but the door was still open. At the sight and sound of these unexpected attackers heading straight for them Willie and Mac panicked.

‘Move it!' Willie screamed at the pilot holding the gun to his head.

‘The door.'

‘Just go. We'll manage!'

Bertie and Jack had put hand grenades in their pockets “just in case”. They had given Sean and Noel one each and now as they tore towards the chopper, they all, simultaneously, pulled the pins and threw as it started to rise from the ground. Jack and Noel missed and the grenades fell into the stream where they exploded doing no real harm, although the concussion from the explosions hit the chopper. Bertie was a first-class cricket player and Sean a talented hurler. Their throwing arms were powerful and accurate. Both of their grenades went straight through the open door of the helicopter. It swerved as they exploded and continued drunkenly on its course before dropping in flames into the trees the far side of the stream.

In the meantime Milo and Tommy had reached Eddie and Izzy. Eddie was clearly badly injured and in severe pain. They lifted him carefully and Tommy looked after him while Milo took Izzy into his arms.

‘Daddy!'

‘My precious Izzy. Are you all right?'

‘Yes. I am now. Can you hold me safely like this for ever?'

‘For as long as you want, sweetheart. But let's go home now to Mum and the others. You can imagine how worried we've all been and Mum will want to hold you in her arms too.'

‘Eddie saved my life, Daddy. Will he be all right?'

‘They'll do their best for him.'

He carried her back to the car while the helicopter burned fiercely. It would be some time before anyone would be able to go anywhere near it. Sean came running over to them.

‘Hello there, Izzy. What a heroine you are. I'm delighted to have you back with us all. Are you all right?'

‘Yes, Uncle Sean. Where did you come from?' She held out her arms for a hug.

‘We'll swap stories when we get to Riverside. I want to hear your story too, so let's wait. Milo, I suggest Tommy drives you and Izzy home. The rest of us will stay here and mop up. I'll call in more help and an ambulance for that injured man. He doesn't look too good.'

‘He saved my life, Uncle Sean, when that nasty Bob tried to kill me.'

‘I know, darlin'. We'll look after him. Two of the men are with him now, doing what they can.'

‘Sean! Thanks…' Milo was too choked up to say any more.

‘I know, Milo. See you when we all get back. We'll have a helluva celebration.'

Izzy was surprisingly lively considering what she had been through, but Milo realized that the adrenalin rush of relief and excitement at being rescued must be keeping her going. He knew she would go down like a pricked balloon quite soon. She would probably cry and cry and he wouldn't try to stop her. He knew it would be an important cathartic process. They got to the car and he set her down on her feet. Tommy came running up to them and swept her into his arms swinging her off the ground.