by Matt Lincoln
He led us through the large Garda station, further than we’d been before. We went through several winding hallways until finally, we made it to a small conference room. Three other men were already waiting inside. He closed the door before turning to speak with us.
“Alright then, men,” he began. “First off, let’s get the introductions out of the way. Agents, these are Garda Roberts, O’Haines, and Shelley. Boys, this is Agent Hills and Agent Chapman.”
“Pleased to meet you.” One of the officers nodded politely at us. He had shortly cropped blond hair and a long hooked nose.
“Right then,” Seamus nodded. “Here’s our plan of attack. We’re going to head on over to the docks now, with just a few officers, so it’s easier to remain concealed. The three of us will stay right on the edge of the water so we’ll have a clear view of any boats that come in. We’ll also station a few men around the perimeter in case anyone tries to give us the slip. Finally, once we have eyes on the target, we’ll give the alert, and an officer stationed outside the docks will move in to block the entrance to the port so that no one will be able to drive through. We don’t have any men to spare, so we need to make sure we don’t mess anything up.”
“Can we really pull this off with so few people?” Junior asked, a puzzled look on his face.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “The three of us plus a few more officers seems like pretty bad odds against whoever’s going to be out there.”
Seamus looked around shiftily before leaning closer and lowering his voice.
“I can’t risk involving anyone else,” he admitted quietly. “Truth be told, hardly anyone knows about this operation, save for my direct superior and the small group of people we felt it was safe enough to tell. I didn’t want to believe what Patrick Gallagher said about having friends within the Garda, but unfortunately, it looks like he was telling the truth. There are a few things I’ve noticed that I don’t have time to get to now. Suffice it to say that I don’t know who we can trust, so we’ll have to make do with this much.”
“Okay.” I nodded seriously. This would make pulling off the mission significantly harder, but Seamus was right that we didn’t really have a choice.
“Good,” Seamus replied. “The parade will be starting soon, so we should head to the port now.”
We left the small conference room and followed Seamus back through the station and out into the parking lot.
I couldn’t help but surreptitiously glance at every officer we passed. Any one of them could be in league with whoever we were after, and at least one of them undoubtedly was. It was nerve-racking being surrounded by potential undercover enemies, and I didn’t relax until I was seated in the passenger seat of the car.
The Port of Dublin was only a ten-minute drive away from the Pearse Street Garda Station, though the trip felt much longer with how anxious I was. I was relieved when the boats docked on the water finally came into view.
The port was a long, wide area of land pressed up against the sea. I could see both small and large boats docked across its length as far as the horizon on either side and initially, I was worried that there was no way we’d be able to cover a port this large.
“The boat will almost certainly be coming into the left side of the port,” Seamus explained as we pulled into a narrow road leading directly down toward the line of ships. “The right side is for ferries and cruise liners. A cargo ship will most likely dock on the left, as even if they are carrying illegal merchandise, that side is equipped for unloading heavy containers.”
“That definitely narrows it down,” I replied as we drove closer to the docks.
“Aye.” Seamus grinned. “And there’s only one road in or out on either side. If we put a police van across it sideways, then their only path to escape is gone.”
“That sounds like a solid plan,” Junior replied, though there was a nervous tremor in his voice. Junior was always thinking through the worst possible outcomes. It was a good habit to have, honestly, because it usually prevented us from doing something stupid we would regret later. We didn’t have time to think of an alternative now, though. It was either do or die.
“Alright,” Seamus announced as he parked the car beside a large pickup truck so it would be concealed. “Let’s go hide behind those warehouses. Once Finnian Gallagher shows up, we’ll be primed to grab him.”
I nodded as I quietly stepped out of the car. The sun had almost completely set, and aside from the sounds of the water, this part of the dock was utterly silent.
We made our way around the side of one of the large storage warehouses. From here, we’d be entirely concealed from sight, and I settled down against the side of the building to wait.
I didn’t have to wait long, as I’d scarcely settled into a crouch before I heard a car pull up around the other side of the warehouse.
“Already?” Junior hissed. “The ship isn’t even here yet.”
I held my breath and strained my ears to listen as Seamus drew his phone from his jacket pocket, probably preparing to alert the officer in standby to block the entrance if this really was them.
“Where is it?” a deep, slimy voice drawled. Something about it raised the hairs on the back of my neck. “Late again, eh? Typical. People these days are incapable of providing quality work.”
“I think there was a mix-up with the arrival time, boss,” a different, softer voice called.
That was enough for Seamus, who quickly put the phone to his ear and began whispering something urgently. I glanced over at Junior, who appeared to be thinking the same thing I was. His hand was already on his holster, and he unhooked it as quietly as he could.
I listened intently to their conversation. I needed to figure out how many people there were. I’d only heard one car pull up, but without knowing what kind of car it was, I couldn’t be sure how many people might be inside. I could only hear two voices, but again, I had no way of knowing whether there were any more people in the car.
“You two go out on my signal,” Seamus hissed as he stowed his phone away. “I’ll go around the other side of the warehouse and get the jump on them while they’re focusing on you.”
“Got it,” I replied as I slowly got to my feet and prepared to jump out from behind my hiding spot. I looked over to Junior to check if he was ready. He nodded in confirmation, and in the next moment, we both stepped out from behind the warehouse with our guns drawn.
“Freeze!” I barked as I pointed my gun at the man who had been speaking. He was tall and broad-shouldered with a thin nose and high cheekbones. Even slicked back, I could tell that his hair was a deep burgundy color. His stance was calm but commanding and exuded confidence. I knew immediately that this was the Finnian Gallagher we’d been looking for.
The look of surprise on his face would have been funny if this wasn’t such a dangerous situation. He was holding a phone to his ear, but his mouth had stopped moving.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a sudden flash of movement as the shorter man standing beside him whipped a gun from the inside of his suit jacket. Junior was quicker with the trigger squeeze, though, and the man fell to the ground with a pained grunt before he could fully draw his weapon.
The car’s back door flew open as the man fell, but Seamus was one step ahead already.
“I don’t think so, lads,” he warned as he pointed his gun toward the open backseat. He’d circled around the car and gotten into position while everyone’s eyes were on Junior and me. They hadn’t even noticed him approaching from behind. “The Garda’s already on their way, so don’t think about doing anything stupid, now.”
I watched as he instructed the two men in the back of the car to exit the vehicle and get onto the ground. Junior moved toward the man on the ground and retrieved his gun before walking over to assist Seamus in handcuffing the two men who had climbed out of the backseat. As they did that, I turned to look back at the tall, red-haired man.
“Finnian Gallagher?” I asked.
The man
looked back at me with a polite, almost serene smile before answering.
“Yes,” he nodded. “That’s me. I suppose I’ve been caught, then.”
Something was unsettling about how calm he was, as if we were a pair of old pals having a casual chat rather than a criminal and a federal agent facing off against each other.
“Get on the ground and put your hands behind your head,” I growled.
A few steps away, Junior and Seamus seemed to have the other two men contained, but I still couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that we weren’t out of the woods yet.
“I’ll put my hands behind my head,” Finnian replied as he slowly clasped his fingers together behind his neck. “But do I really have to get on the ground? This is an expensive suit.”
“Shut your mouth, you daft eejit!” Seamus yelled as he stalked up behind Finnian and forced him roughly to the ground. “I’ve had just about enough of you.”
Finnian didn’t break eye contact with me the entire time that Seamus was putting the handcuffs on him, and I recognized the savage look in his eyes for the challenge it was. I held his gaze unwaveringly, unwilling to back down from whatever mind game this was.
My eyes finally shifted away from his a few seconds later as three other police cars pulled up to the scene.
“Took you long enough,” Seamus chuckled as the three Garda officers we’d met before climbed out of the cars.
“What’s the damage then, Seamus?” Roberts asked.
“We’ve got four men total,” Seamus replied. “One of them needs an ambulance.”
“It might be faster if we just take him,” the Roberts replied. “The parade’s in full swing right now. If we call for an ambulance, it’s going to take a while to get here.”
“Alright then.” Seamus nodded as he gestured toward the man still lying on the ground before addressing the other two officers. “Roberts, you two take these two back to the station while Shelley’s taking that one to the hospital. O’Haines, you’ll drive their vehicle over to the impound lot after I take a look at what’s inside. I’ll handle the boss myself.”
The three men nodded before moving off to their respective duties. Two of the officers carefully lifted the injured man into the back of one of the police cars as quickly as they could. As they did, Seamus yanked Finnian up off the ground roughly before shoving him into the back of his police cruiser. He slammed the door shut before turning to move toward the black car the men had arrived in, and I followed him, curious to see what was inside myself.
To my disappointment, the car was completely empty. There weren’t even any specks of dirt or bits of trash that pretty much everyone had just via normal wear and tear. It looked like a brand new car.
“Well, that’s a shame,” Seamus scowled as we finished combing through the car. “We’ll tear it apart when we get it over to impound. If there’s anything we missed tonight, we’ll find it. Now, which one of you will be riding back with me, then?”
I blinked in surprise before looking over to Junior. Obviously, it wouldn’t be safe for one of us to ride in the back with a suspect, but I didn’t like the idea of separating from my partner. It seemed like every time we did that during a mission, something went wrong.
“You go,” Junior insisted. “It’s not that far to the station. It’ll be fine.”
I nodded in agreement and watched as Junior walked over to one of the other police cars before climbing into the passenger seat of Seamus’s car.
“I’m sorry that you wasted your time,” Finnian’s slimy voice mocked from the back seat. “I could have told you that there was nothing in my car for you to find if you’d only asked.”
“Shut your mouth,” Seamus spat in annoyance. Finnian just grinned at him maliciously in the rearview mirror.
We drove in silence for several minutes, but I kept glancing back at Finnian. Even handcuffed and locked in the back of the car, I didn’t feel comfortable turning my back on him. There was a wicked glint in his eye that told me he was up to something.
“It’s quite the affair, isn’t it?” Finnian suddenly piped up as we approached the main street where the parade was taking place. “It’s the biggest Halloween festival in the world, you know. It’s such a shame you had to miss your opportunity to see it, agent.”
“I’ll live,” I deadpanned as I glanced back at him. To my surprise, he was lying on his back across the backseat. “What are you doing?”
Instead of answering me, he bent his knee before extending his leg out forcefully to kick at the door.
“Hey!” Seamus barked in anger and surprise. “Stop that!”
Finnian ignored him and kicked at the door again, and to my shock and horror, it burst open. He was out the door in a flash and running up the street with his hands still cuffed behind his back.
I swore before throwing my door open to give chase. He wasn’t that far ahead of me, but just a few seconds later, he slipped into the large crowd, and I lost sight of him.
“Damn!” I yelled as I shoved my way through and fought through the throngs of people dancing and singing around me. Everywhere I looked, I saw clusters of people wearing costumes, masks, wigs, and towering hats, all smashed together as they clambered to get a better look at the floats rolling down the street. It was dizzying, and for a moment, I wasn’t even sure which way I’d come from.
Then I spotted him. Ironically, he stood out because he was the only person in the crowd wearing a plain black suit instead of a ridiculous costume.
I lunged forward through the crowd, shoving people aside in my haste to get to him. He turned around just before I made contact, and I saw his eyes go wide as I tackled him to the ground, off the sidewalk, and directly into the path of the parade floats.
I felt a large, dark shadow fall over me and looked up to find a massive float looking back down at me. It was nearly as tall as the buildings around us and in the shape of a ghastly old man with long, wispy white hair holding a lantern as tall as I was. The float was glowing eerily, and the man’s eyes seemed to loom threateningly over me.
Finnian let out a bark of laughter beneath me, and I turned to glare at him.
“You should see your face,” he snickered mockingly. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I just ignored him and hauled him off the ground. Honestly, the float had been really jarring, especially since I hadn’t expected to turn around and find a giant, creepy old man looking down at me.
As I stood, I realized that the entire parade had come to a screeching halt, and several people were yelling at once.
“What on earth is going on here?” a uniformed Garda officer demanded to know as he stepped toward us.
“Agent Hills,” I snapped at him. “With MBLIS. This man was trying to escape custody.”
“I think I’m going to have to see some credentials,” the officer replied skeptically. “You’ve caused a big ruckus here.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but I remembered what Seamus had said about why he’d only let a limited number of people in on the mission to begin with. I wasn’t sure how much I could say to this man.
“He’s telling the truth!” Seamus called out as he pushed through the disquieted crowd. “Officer Seamus O’Connor, with the Armed Support Unit. We were just on our way to the station when the suspect escaped custody and took off. Sorry about the commotion, folks. We’ll let you get back to your celebration now.”
Seamus’s voice was authoritative but still jovial, and the crowd cheered as he apologized and led Finnian away by the arm.
“They sure settled down fast,” I remarked as Seamus pushed Finnian back into the car and this time used an additional set of handcuffs to fasten him to the thin wire cage that separated the back of the vehicle from the front.
“They’re surprisingly easy to convince when they’ve had as much to drink as that crowd has,” he chuckled before getting back into the driver’s side. “I’ll have to ask about getting that door fixed. Something must be wrong with it
if it gave way that easily.”
“Don’t bother,” Finnian sighed. “There’s nothing wrong with the door. I jammed it with my phone when you were tossing me back here.”
I turned to stare at him in surprise. Why was he admitting to that so easily?
“Don’t look so shocked,” he shrugged. “I couldn’t just give in without at least trying to make an escape, but it would be rude of me to let you waste your time trying to fix something that isn’t broken.”
The longer I listened to him speak, the more frustrated I got. He was acting like this was all a game. His cavalier attitude was ticking me off, and it was also making me nervous that he still had more up his sleeve. I kept my gaze fixed on him the entire way back to the station. I needed to watch him in case he tried anything else, and I didn’t want him to think that I would back down from him. He glared back at me with just as much furor.
30
Charlie
“I had a bad feeling something would happen,” Junior grumbled. “Every time we need to split up to do anything, something goes wrong.”
“Yeah, I had that feeling too,” I nodded as I fell backward onto the metal bench that had become our unofficial rest point and meeting place for the past few days. Finnian had been dragged away into the depths of the station by Seamus while I’d stayed behind to bring Junior up to speed about what had happened with Finnian at the parade. Since we’d been the last car to leave the port, Junior’s ride hadn’t even noticed anything had gone wrong until they were almost to the station and realized we weren’t behind them anymore.
“I guess it’s just part of the job,” Junior sighed as he took a long swig from a bottle of water he’d pulled from his bag. “Fiona asked me to take some pictures of the parade. Too bad we didn’t get to see any of it.”
“Aside from almost being crushed by one of the floats,” I remarked with a slight chuckle.
“Come on!” Seamus’s booming voice startled me as it interrupted our lighthearted conversation. “Let’s not waste any time. I want to interview this scumbag as soon as possible.”