‘it begins’

Nobody turned up the next day and Sean and Maggie became slightly edgy wondering if perhaps Peter and Dermot had been arrested. They slept fitfully that night. The following morning Sean was lifting some turf for the fire when he heard someone whistling Dannyboy. His immediate reaction on hearing it was one of disappointment. He had half hoped they had been forgotten about and began to think that he and Maggie might see out the troubles living at the cottage. Peter and Dermot appeared with a much taller man introduced simply as ‘Frank’. Maggie welcomed them. She had the kettle boiled and tea made, by the time the pleasantries were exchanged. With his big hands holding his mug as if it was a holy object Frank began the briefing.
‘Things are bad in Dublin, Cork, all over Munster and eastern Connacht. We believe that this new breed of auxiliary policemen have been told to shoot, shoot with effect and ask questions afterwards. It won’t matter that they will make mistakes and shoot innocent people. Nobody will get into trouble or be charged. It’s having a demoralising effect and we need to take some of the pressure off these areas. What we’re trying to do is make the countryside completely ungovernable for the Constabulary and the Tans. Keep them pinned down in the towns and we can move our people around in the country whenever we want. We’ve organised a Flying Column, a fast moving unit of armed men, to hit the police barracks and eventually drive them out completely. Our difficulty with the Column is the fact that it is easier to detect because of its size. We can’t trust everyone in the country and some people would turn their grannies in to make money. In this part of the country we don’t have enough resources to make a second Column to be really effective. That’s where you come in. We have heard how you have operated in Belfast and your effectiveness as snipers should be able to cause enough distraction to take some of the heat away from other parts of the island, including ourselves.’
Maggie looked at Sean and asked, ‘But what can two people do that your Column is not already doing?’
‘What we want you to do is target as many RIC and Tan officers that are within a radius of say twenty miles of Dundalk. Devastating their command structure should drive the rest of them behind closed doors and help make it easier for us to operate.’
Sean looked steadily at Frank. ‘So you’re saying anyone with a stripe should be taken out?’
‘Yes that’s exactly what I’m saying. You hit and run. You take no more than two shots, if you can. One covers the other. Both can go for the same target, or, separate ones. Whatever way you do it, you fire and then leave the vicinity and work your way back here. Part of your cover you established by coming on honeymoon to Dundalk to escape the sectarianism in the North. Now you’re away from Belfast, things have got worse there and you’ve decided you like this area so much that you want to stay and find work.’
Maggie practical as always asked,
‘And where are we going to find work down here?’
‘All sorted. Sean you’re now one of the porters at the Imperial Hotel and Maggie, I hope you don’t mind but you have the job of being a waitress there, if that’s ok?’
Frank looked at the two of them, ‘It means you have lots of flexible and unusual hours. The manager is a sympathiser. He will only engage with you as your boss. You decide when you need the time off to do what you have to do and he will make it work. Do not trust anyone else, other than the manager, while you are working there. Your contacts will still be the boys here. If you need to get in touch with me, go through them and I’ll do the same, any questions?’
Frank stared at the two of them, ‘Sean, Maggie?’
Sean answered, ‘Yes. But it’s more of a request. Maggie and I have been thinking about how we move around the countryside without attracting too much attention. Now that you have outlined what you want us to do it’s important that our cover is perfect. I was wondering if the two Raleigh bikes could be modified to disguise our weapons? Maggie’s Bandoleer is easily hidden under her clothes, or mine, but the rifles?’
‘What are you thinking of?’
‘What if the cross-bar on my bike could have a false tube attached to it, something that from a distance might look like a bicycle pump. It would be connected to a child’s seat sitting on top of the back wheel mudguard. The seat would have a false bottom with a flap door at the back of that false bottom. If it was made right, I could slip my rifle in from the back, barrel first. With the women’s bike you attach a similar tube coming up along the outside of the angled bar at the front of the bike. A shopping basket sitting above the front wheel mudguard could disguise the butt of her rifle. This time the false compartment with the flap would be constructed at the back of it, and Maggie’s weapon could be stored downwards. What do you think?’
Frank looked at Peter.
‘You’re the expert. I suppose the only way you might notice something suspicious would be if your bikes were sitting next to the same model. Yea, OK, it’s worth a try.’
‘Well if we can build false wardrobes, I guess our engineers could have a go, no problem,’ and Peter looked at Sean as if to say ‘well done’.
‘Good. I’d better be going. Good luck to you both. Keep it simple. Don’t be over ambitious, but create as much trouble as you can.’
With that Frank shook their hands and left.
The following day Peter and Dermot came to collect the bikes and three days later Maggie heard the ‘Dannyboy’ whistle and the boys arrived pushing the two bikes.
‘Very impressive, what do you think? One or two little hiccups but that’s the best we can do.’
After tea and some fresh soda bread off the griddle, the two weapons were tested on the bikes. Maggie’s weapon went in easy and it slipped down into its holder. Seans’ was a bit tight, but eventually went in with a little effort.
Peter and Dermot stood there grinning.
Sean tested the new weight of his bike. As he threw his leg over the saddle, he said, ‘Well done, grand job. Let’s see if it works. Fancy a spin on the bikes Maggie?’
They all laughed.
‘Actually we have the first job for you. There’s a sergeant in Jonesborough, about five miles up the road who’s been giving the locals a really hard time. He’s raiding houses on the pretext of looking for IRA men and whilst his men are searching and wrecking the house he is lifting anything of value. He calls it his little tax fund, for his retirement. He thinks he’s untouchable.’
‘OK Maggie, looks like our first bike ride is to Jonesborough tomorrow?’
As Peter and Dermot said their goodbyes, Maggie looked at Sean and mouthed,
‘Now it begins.’