by Paul Heron
‘Everyone on this island is aware of our arrival. They believe we’re carrying out research in the cave,’ George said. ‘There is a local farmer who knows what we’re doing. His family have lived on the island and have worked with the Sirani Foundation for many generations.’
‘Still can't believe there are Sirani agents in Ireland. Did they know about me? and the rest of us?’ Michael asked.
‘No,’ George said. ‘Elisabetta told me, specifically, that nobody, not even the Sirani family were to know about you seven. You seven are not Sirani agents. You are working directly for Elisabetta. Everyone else within the foundation are the support network for you seven.’
George led them towards the house. Everyone was filled with excitement at seeing the cave and, of course, where the sculpture was created.
They were greeted at the door by a tall thin lady. She had blonde hair, with freckles dotted around her button nose. She would have been in her 30s and appeared excited to see them all.
‘I’ve been waiting for you,’ she shouted as her rowdy sheep dog ran past her, wagging it's tail at the group. ‘Emmett’s down at the shore, checking the boat.’ She looked at the group, eyes darting from one to the next. Then she met Michael’s eyes. ‘Michael, when I watched the video you broadcast from the jungle, I got goosebumps.’ Then she looked at Mohammad, Carolina, Ajit, Eduardo, Sofia, and Marcel. ‘So, this is the group Elisabetta has chosen. I'm Aine. It’s nice to meet you all.’ She smiled, looking at Scarlett. ‘I could see them all running things down at Stormont.’
‘What’s Stormont?’ Ajit asked. ‘Sounds like a prison.’
She exploded into laughter. ‘Well, it kind of is a prison, a prison for Irish politicians.’
‘I don’t want to be a politician,’ Eduardo said. ‘Saving the world is a big enough job.’
‘Follow me,’ she said, making her way down the green and red stone covered driveway. They cut across the front garden. ‘We’ve been keeping watch of the cave, more than usual. You know, after all that activity last week. I’m sorry, George. If we knew it was them in the cave, we would have called you right away.’
‘Don’t be silly. They outsmarted all of us,’ George said.
‘But they won’t be doing that again,’ Michael said.
‘This place is lovely,’ Carolina said. ‘I wish I lived here.’
‘Your accent? you’re the Brazilian lady?’ Aine asked.
‘Yes, I’m Carolina.’
‘And you,’ she pointed at Eduardo, who was walking beside her. ‘You’re the Brazilian boy?’
‘Certainly not, madam,’ Eduardo replied.
‘He wishes,’ Marcel said, steaming up and wiping his sunglasses. ‘I am.’
As they made their way down the stone path towards the boat, they all grouped together. Not a word was spoken, but the atmosphere proved there was a universal feeling between them.
‘You all have your chains? The stones?’ Scarlett addressed the group.
They all nodded, continuing their descent onto the beach. Boots and shoes crunching on the stones.
‘Wow, that’s a steep drop down,’ Marcel said, looking over the edge of the narrow footpath that cut into the edge of the island. The path led them down to the beach.
‘Emmett’s really excited to meet you all,’ Aine said. ‘He’s been acting like a wee lad on Christmas Day. He must have washed that bloody boat three times in the last week.’
‘Does he fish?’ Sofia asked.
‘He fishes, yes. There are lovely mackerel in these waters. He also gives tours of the area. He ferries people across from the mainland to here and back, giving people a chance to fish. But he likes to think of himself as the cave’s very own guardian. Don’t you, sweetheart?’ she shouted to him as they got closer.
‘Aye, love,’ Emmett replied, not even knowing what he was agreeing to. He was scrubbing down the deck. The dog playfully ran and jumped into the boat, barking at Emmett as he scrubbed. ‘Daisy, leave daddy alone. I’m not playing... Bad dog!’ he howled.
‘You never could control that dammed dog,’ George shouted. ‘She’s still full of life then.’ He laughed as it ran and jumped up on George, covering his suit in wet sand.
‘Good to see you, George,’ Emmett shouted, jumping down from the boat. ‘Big team with you today, then.’ He looked around at the group, his grin highlighting his white teeth in between his bushy brown beard. ‘Good to see you again, Scarlett. Bonjour, Avril, Pierre, Nicole. Well, Ringo, how’s the car collection?’
‘Better, thanks. Looking a boat,’ Ringo said.
‘But, I’m sure we can talk about that later. Folks, great to meet you all,’ Emmett said as the pleasantries were done away with and a more serious tone developed. ‘We’ve had some activity around here only yesterday and last night, so if Mancini Corporation know you’re here they’ll be down on us like a ton of-’
Emmett trailed off just as the thunderous sound of quad bikes raced down the path towards Michael and the rest. There were six in total. They raced onto the beach coming towards them.
Michael gripped the bag with the fragment. ‘We’ve been through hell to get this.’
‘Yes, and I’ll go through anyone who tries to take it,’ shouted Marcel as him and Carolina stood on either side of Michael. The quads pulled up to them, Daisy barking frantically at the strangers with helmets.
‘Scarlett, Nicole,’ Avril shouted as she and Pierre drew their pistols. ‘You have weapons?’
Scarlett and Nicole didn’t need to reply. They had drawn their weapons before Avril had even finished asking. The six on the quads looked at each other, then looking at the crowd started laughing. Another four quads down the same path.
Michael’s heart began to pound. He felt the rest of the group crowding around him. ‘Let’s go,’ he shouted. ‘Everyone in the boat.’ But as soon as he stepped one foot into the boat, he saw another boat coming from the direction of the cave’s opening.
‘Who the hell is that?’ Ajit shouted.
Someone in a black suit, wearing the mask of the president of Mexico sailed the boat towards them. Michael turned and looked at the bikers who were all standing beside their quads, automatic weapons in their hands.
‘Well, we got this close,’ Eduardo shouted, sounding defeated. ‘We gave it our best shot.’
‘What’s with the tone?’ Mohammad shouted. ‘We’re the dream team!’ He whistled for a group of seagulls to swoop down from the sky, swarming around the bikers. The bikers waved their guns in the air, attempting to beat them off which caused one of the bikers to spray the air above them with bullets. The birds dispersed. Three of the birds were hit, dropping onto the beach in a pool of their own blood.
‘Everyone stay calm,’ George shouted. ‘Nobody panic.’ Another chopper arrived. The unknown boat floated towards them with the engine slowing down, idling as it glided across the water, almost within touching distance of Emmett’s boat.
Another two men, armed with pistols, aimed their weapons at Emmett’s boat, riddling it with bullets. Michael’s ears were ringing from the deafening sound of the gunfire.
‘Get off the boat,’ the man who operated the boat shouted. He had a thick Mexican accent. ‘We’ve been waiting patiently for you all.’ His eyes glared at Michael through the rubber mask.
Michael was stunned. ‘I have nothing to say. I’m sorry. Everyone out of the boat,’ he shouted, looking at the group. He felt in his stomach something churning. How can this have happened? This can’t be the end.
‘I don’t want to go to prison,’ Marcel said.
‘Will we at least get to see each other?’ Carolina asked, sounding as defeated as Michael felt.
‘Nobody panic,’ Scarlett shouted. ‘Just do as they say and we’ll figure it out.’
Yeah, figure it out. Sure we will. Michael said to himself as the chopper landed.
Two people got out.
The man with the Mexican accent jumped from his boat laughing, followed by the others.
He ran towards the chopper, while the others organised Michael and the rest in a line.
Michael looked at Sofia standing beside him breathing heavily, her eyes like glasses of water. He grabbed her trembling hand. ‘Together, remember?’
‘I’ve killed someone, Michael.’
‘No you haven’t. You saved Michael’s life,’ Carolina said, reassuringly. They were marched across the beach, back towards the pathway that lead back up to Aine’s house.
As they stood waiting, Ajit griped. ‘I will not be beaten like this!’ He handed Eduardo L’amico and, like he did in the jungle, dropped everything and ran at the bikers. He kicked one of them in the genitals. One of the others flipped his weapon around and hit Ajit on the back of the head causing him to fall, half dazed. Mohammad, then Marcel, followed by Carolina ran to help Ajit. They stopped in their tracks with the deafening sound of automatic gunfire spraying bullets into the sand.
‘Well, it looks like revenge really is sweet,’ another Mexican accent shouted from the distance. ‘Michael, I’m happy to finally meet you. I’m Alejandro Garcia.’
He looked like he’d aged five years in a number of days: unshaven and hair in a mess – certainly not the charming man Michael seen on the news a few days ago. He walked up to Michael, smiled, and then looked at Sofia. ‘But, I’m actually more interested in her.’
Michael felt Sofia grip his hand. Garcia had the look of a man who’d lost his sanity; a tormented man who’d just lost his brother. His twin brother, to make it worse.
Michael pulled Sofia behind him. He knew she would be ready to face Garcia, but he felt this was his way to pay her back. ‘You’re going to have to get through me first.’
‘And me,’ Eduardo said.
‘And me,’ Mohammad said.
‘And me,’ Carolina said until the whole group stood in front of Sofia.
‘It’s very touching,’ Garcia said. ‘You all must really love each other. Like a family,’ he said, looking down, kicking a pebble in the sand. ‘A family, yes. A family.’ He paused. ‘I know what it’s like to love your family. And I know it’s not pleasant to lose someone you love so much.’ He pulled his gun from inside his jacket. ‘It’s not even about a stupid sculpture anymore. I don’t care what happens to me. I just want revenge for my brother.’ His shaking hand used his pistol to scratch the side of his head. ‘Now, none of you move, or I’ll kill every one of you.’
‘Screw you,’ Michael shouted. ‘You’re not getting near her.’
‘Have it your way.’ Garcia asked for a weapon. ‘It was one of these you used to shoot my brother.’ He held the weapon with both hands and ordered them all to get on their knees. They all did so, closely lined up shoulder to shoulder.
Not even George had an answer.
Garcia’s phone rang. He turned his back on them and walked away to answer it, but not before handing the weapon back to the guard and ordering his group to keep their eyes on them.
With the guards all pointing their guns at the group, Eduardo nudged Michael. He gestured for him to look to his right. Michael glanced up the pathway that led back to the house. At the top, he spotted a pack of ten Irish Wolfhounds. Slowly, they made their way down to the beach, almost in complete silence. As they reached the bottom of the path they crept up behind the guards and just stood there, baring their teeth.
Michael watched as Garcia yelled down the phone to whoever had called him. His mind raced, trying to think of what to do. They were given this time to act. This was their chance.
Mohammad started laughing. Nobody knew what he was laughing at. Perhaps it was his way of coping. Then he looked at Sofia, then the rest. ‘I smell honey,’ he said. They all had no idea what he was talking about, until he pointed at a cloud of black dots, hovering closer to them. The buzzing sound caused the guards to look around them as a swarm of bees surrounded their heads. At the same time the dogs latched onto the back of the guard’s legs, dropping then all to their knees. Marcel and Carolina jumped to their feet and led the way to the crowd followed by Scarlett, Pierre, Nicole and Avril, taking possession of the guns.
Garcia turned, dropping his phone he ran back to them, pulling something from his pocket, but from out of nowhere, a black horse appeared it ramped and kicked Garcia, sending him to the ground, holding the side of his jaw.
Michael dove on top of Garcia. Garcia was weakened by the blow from the horse and couldn’t wrestle.
‘Everyone in the boat now, go!’ George shouted. ‘Michael, leave him. He’s not why we’re here. We’ll hold them off. You go and return the fragment.’ Michael continued to wrestle with Garcia. ‘Michael, move!’
Scarlett and the others had guns pointed at the guards. The dogs viciously tore chunks of flesh from them as they screamed for help that didn't come.
‘Guess I left the cages open, whoops!’ Aine laughed. ‘God, you’d think I didn’t feed them.’ She called for her pack to retreat.
Michael threw one punch at Garcia, knocking him out cold.
‘Michael!’ George yelled.
Michael got up from the sand, leaving Garcia there. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the enormous black horse moving towards him. He turned and watched it approach. He looked into it’s eyes. He felt vulnerable, weak in comparison, like he was looking into the eyes of Storm. He didn’t think it was a normal horse, this looked evil, like it belonged to the Dark One. None of them knew where it came from. It just appeared.
Slowly, he raised his trembling hand as the horse walked towards him, maintaining eye contact with him the entire time.
‘Michael, don’t touch it,’ Mohammad shouted. ‘Even I have a bad feeling about that thing.’
To everyone’s surprise, the animal towered over Michael, then lowered it’s head as if bowing. He carefully placed his hand on it’s head and stroked its long face. It looked deeply into Michael’s eyes. He could see his own reflection in it’s glazed eyes.
It was looking at Michael as if it was trying to tell him something. Then, in the reflection he saw something move, Garcia, pulling something out of his pocket.
Michael spun around just as Garcia had a gun pointed at Sofia.
‘This is for Jose!’ Garcia shouted in a deranged voice.
Michael launched himself in front of the gun, taking a shot in the shoulder. His adrenaline masked the pain. He grabbed the gun, pointing it towards the ground as Alejandro continued to fire shots into the sand. Michael wrestled with him, struggling, both shaking. Eventually, he overpowered Garcia, rotating the gun to point in Alejandro’s direction. The Mexican fired four shots into his own stomach.
For the second time in three days, Michael had looked deeply into the dying eyes of a Garcia. First Jose and now his twin brother Alejandro. This time, he was the one who forced the bullets into the body.
Michael watched as Alejandro dropped motionless to the ground. Still holding the gun, Michael was frozen on the spot, looking at the blood pool around the stomach of the corpse.
He felt the horse nudge him. He looked at it and smiled.
‘Michael, drop the gun and get in the boat,’ George said as he approached the horse cautiously. ‘Go and return that bloody fragment to the cave. We can’t hang around here for too long. Emmett will take you around to the cave entrance.’
Chapter Twenty-Six
MICHAEL AND THE SIX others sat quietly in the boat as Emmett ferried them around the edge of the island to the opening of the cave. Everyone was shell-shocked.
Michael’s nerves went into overdrive, not knowing what was going to happen next. He continually checked the bag for the container. Spots of blood tattooed his hands.
‘Take your jacket off let me see your shoulder,’ Sofia said. ‘Looks like we have something in common now.’ She giggled quietly trying to make him feel better.
‘I guess so,’ he laughed, taking his jacket off to reveal a blood-soaked shoulder. ‘But I owed you one, so we’re even now.’ He squeezed Sofia’s hand. Feeling like they had this bond. An un
breakable bond. Maybe being bonded by blood was the most powerful bond someone could experience.
He took off his shirt.
Sofia took wet wipes from her bag. Cleaning up the blood, she realised it was just a scratch. ‘Lucky it’s not worse.’
Michael thought back to the previous Friday, the morning they all met at Sir Herbert Noring’s library when George said how, in a short time, they’d all be like family. Those words were very quickly starting to ring true.
‘Who’s going to be waiting in here for us?’ Mohammad half joked as the boat sailed into the cave. The blue sky disappeared behind the ceiling of the huge rock. They were sailing into a timeless darkness.
Emmett switched off the motor and let the boat float further inside. ‘This is as far as I can go,’ he said. ‘This is what makes you seven different than anyone else. You can get close to it.’ Emmett patted Michael on the shoulder. ‘I’ll be waiting here for you. You lot be careful.’ He tapped each of them on the shoulder as they stepped off.
Michael felt his heart race. As he stood up to disembark, he felt his legs wobble. Minus the shirt, he put his jacket back on. ‘Let’s go, guys,’ his tone clearly portrayed someone who was a bag of nerves. It reminded him of going on a rollercoaster for the first time, and this new life was the greatest rollercoaster he would ever experience.
‘Let’s go rebuild the sculpture that weird lady with the black horse made,’ Eduardo said, his voice trembling.
Everyone burst into a fit of laughter, their laughs echoing down the dark tunnels.
‘Mancini agents can’t get any closer to the sculpture, so I’m pretty sure we can relax now,’ Carolina said. ‘We must be close. I can feel the stone on my necklace tremble.’
‘Yes, mine too,’ Sofia agreed.
‘Michael, you memorised the sculpture’s location from the book, right?’ Marcel asked as they all stood looking into the tunnels that split into three.