Now then, you bitch, get that door open.
She cried out, Martin, watch yourself! and Fox released her wrist, got the door open, and pushed her out between Keogh and Dolan, his pistol still against her neck.
Give that rifle to Dolan, he ordered. Go on, do it!
Kathleen screamed, Shoot them, Martin, the both of them. Dont mind me.
Ill kill her, I swear it! Fox cried.
No need. Just cool it. Keogh handed the AK, butt first, to Dolan, who stepped back covering him with it, a look of unholy pleasure on his face.
Now then, you bastard.
The door to the engine room companionway opened at the end of the passage and Grant stepped out, a revolver in his hand. Im here, boys, he called.
Fox lowered his pistol and turned to look at him and everything happened at once. Kathleen half turned, her hand slipping inside her denim jacket. She found the Colt.25, pulled it out, rammed the muzzle in Foxs stomach, and pulled the trigger twice. Keogh hitched his right trouser leg revealing the Walther in the ankle holster, dropped to his left knee, pulling the gun out in one fluid motion, his first bullet catching Dolan in the left shoulder. He dropped the AK, spinning round, and Keoghs second smashed his spine. Grant got off one wild shot. Keogh fired back, creasing his shoulder, and the Scotsman disappeared fast.
Keogh picked up the AK and put a hand on the girls arm. Are you all right?
Fine. She laughed shakily. I did what you told me and you were right. Hold it against them and you cant miss.
So lets get out of here.
He got the door of the companionway open and called across to the truck. Michael, they tried to jump us.
Are you all right? Ryan called, opening his door and sheltering behind it.
Fine. Cover us. Were coming through. He pushed Kathleen out. Keep behind my back, girl, and he turned, looking up at the wheelhouse, and fired a quick burst into the air when he saw a movement up there at the window.
Kathleen reached her uncle in safety. Get back into the rear cabin. Youll be safe there. She did as she was told and he called to Keogh, who was sheltering behind the passenger door. What happened?
Kathleen reached her uncle in safety. Get back into the rear cabin. Youll be safe there. She did as she was told and he called to Keogh, who was sheltering behind the passenger door. What happened?
Keogh told him. So you were right after all.
I usually am. A bad habit.
IN THE WHEELHOUSE it was several minutes before Grant reached the bridge by a circuitous route involving the engine room hatch. He was very pale, eyes wild, blood staining his left shoulder. He pulled off his jacket, found a piece of engine room rag, and tried to bandage his shoulder.
That little bitch shot Fox. She had a gun, then Keogh killed Dolan and had a go at me. What do we do now?
I dont damn well know, do I? Tully answered.
He went to the stern window, killed the wheelhouse light, then opened the window keeping in the shadows and peered down. He saw the truck doors standing open like wings and realized Ryan and Keogh must be standing behind them. He took careful aim at Keoghs side, aiming below the door in the hope that he might get lucky and catch feet or ankles. He emptied his revolver, firing six times. The response was terrible, as both Ryan and Keogh fired a long burst back, dissolving the wheelhouse windows into a snowstorm of flying glass.
Tully and Grant went down on the floor fast, but Muller wasnt so lucky, several rounds catching him in the back. He fell, the wheel started to spin, and Tully crawled to it and, half crouching, pulled it round, then secured the wheel with the chain lock.
Thatll hold for a while.
But how long for and what do we bloody do? Grant asked.
I dont know, do I?
IT WAS TEN minutes later that the radio crackled and Ryan said, You there, Tully?
Yes, theres still three of us, Tully lied. Muller, Grant, and me.
Are you going to be sensible?
Why should I be? You need me more than I need you, Ryan. The Irish Rose rolled heavily as the wind howled in. Unless you can handle a ship like this and I dont think so, especially not in weather like this.
So what do you suggest?
I dont know. Only one things certain. You cant touch us up here if we keep our heads down and we cant get at you. Id call that stalemate.
So, what do you suggest?
I dont know. Ill think about it.
Hes right, Keogh called across to him. No way of storming the wheelhouse. Theyd have every advantage.
And even if we did and by some miracle succeeded in knocking them off, where would be the advantage? Ryan said. Could we sail this thing on our own, you and me, Martin? I doubt it.
Keep pointing it at Ireland is about the best you could do as long as the engines kept going.
With no one to handle them? Ryan shook his head. I dont think so.
NOTHING HAPPENED FOR some fifteen minutes and then Tullys voice crackled over the radio.
Ryan, are you there?
What do you want?
Were three miles off the Down coast.
Still aiming for Kilalla? You could still land us there, take the other fifty thousand, and go your way and no harm done.
I dont believe you. Youd shoot me like a dog after thats happened. Its not on and Kilalla is miles away north of here, anyway.
So what do you suggest?
I can turn this tub round and put out to sea again any time I want.
And we sail on forever like the Flying Dutchman, you up there in the wheelhouse and us down here? Ryan said. And where would that get us?
Nowhere from your point of view. Tully went off the air again.
Its no good, Keogh said. Ill have to try and rush the ladder and you can give me covering fire.
Covering fire? Are you mad or what? Ryan said. You wouldnt stand a chance and you know it.
CROUCHED DOWN IN the wheelhouse, Tully said to Grant, Hows the arm?
It hurts like hell, but it was only a crease. Ill survive.
With you in the engine room and me up here we could still sail back to England, couldnt we?
I suppose so. What are you suggesting?
Im going to try him with an offer one last time.
TULLYS VOICE SOUNDED over the radio. Ryan?
What do you want?
I could turn out to sea like I said, we could go round in circles till the diesel oil runs out, then wed just drift until someone called the Coastguard and they came to investigate and then the fat would be in the fire for all of us.
True enough, Ryan said. So what do you suggest?
Why not cut your losses? Theres the big yellow inflatable behind you in the stern with a good outboard motor. Were only two miles off the coast now as far as I know. You could make it easily now that the winds dropping.
And leave the gold to you? Ryan demanded. So what do we get out of this?
Your lives, Tully said.
And you trying to pick us off as we get in the inflatable.
I cant even see it from the wheelhouse. The trucks in front of it. Think about it. Ill give you five minutes and then Ill turn this thing around.
He went off the air and Kathleen said angrily, We cant do it, Uncle Michael, not after all weve been through.
I know, girl, I know. He turned to Keogh. What do you think, Martin?
I dont think we have much choice.
So its live to fight another day? And then Ryan smiled that unholy smile of his. Of course there is another possibility, which is to make sure Tully doesnt get the gold, either.
Kathleen gasped and Keogh said, And how would you do that?
So Ryan told them.
A MINUTE LATER he called Tully. All right, youre on. Give me a few moments while Keogh checks that you really cant see that inflatable because of the truck and Ill come back to you.
In the wheelhouse, Tully laughed hoarsely and turned to Grant. Its worked. The bastards going to go. Weve won.
If he means it.
Of course he does. No other way out. Nothing for him here now.
Ryans voice sounded again. Okay, Tully, everything checks. Ill see you in hell one of these days.
The transmission ended and Tully laughed exultantly. Ive beaten the bastard. Fifty million pounds and its all mine.
All ours you mean? Grant said.
Of course. Tully smiled. We need each other, so lets get this tub turned around.
SHELTERED BY THE truck, Keogh and Ryan slid the inflatable over the stern rail and tethered it by its line. Keogh went over first and got to work on the outboard motor. It roared into life instantly with a strong heartbeat.
Over you go, girl, Ryan told Kathleen.
Keogh helped her in and the inflatable tossed this way and that in the choppy sea, the stern of the Irish Rose rising up and falling again just above them.
Come on, Michael, for Gods sake, Keogh called.
Not before I leave Tully his going-away present. Ryan held it up. A half pound block of Semtex and a one-minute timing pencil. He pulled open the stern deck hatch, dropped the Semtex inside, and closed the hatch again. He was over the rail on the instant, untied the line, and Keogh gunned the motor.
They were perhaps fifty yards away when the stern of the Irish Rose exploded into the darkness in a vivid tongue of flame. The end was incredibly quick, the ship tilting, the prow rising dramatically, and it slid backwards under the surface, vanishing in seconds in a hiss of steam.
And you can chew on that, you bastard! Michael Ryan said and put an arm around his niece. All right, Martin, take us to some sort of shore.
IT WAS FOUR oclock in the morning, the sky lightening just a little, when they coasted into a wide beach, the land rising on the other side cloaked with trees. Keogh killed the outboard motor, jumped over with the line, and waded out of the water. Ryan helped Kathleen over the side and followed her.
What do we do with the inflatable? Keogh asked.
Ryan was inspecting it in the light of a small torch. No name on it as far as I can see. Shoot a couple of holes in it, Martin.
Keogh waded in again and pushed the inflatable out to sea again. It drifted for a while, then an eddy took it out some distance. He took careful aim with his silenced Walther and fired twice. After a while the inflatable went down.
And where do you think wed be, Uncle Michael? Kathleen asked.
God knows, girl, but it hardly matters. Were home. He turned to Keogh. What now, Martin?
I think it best we part company, Keogh told him. You go your way, Michael Ryan, and Ill go mine.