day?” And then Ryan smiled that unholy smile of his. “Of course there is another possibility, which is to make sure Tully doesn’t 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, you’re on. Give me a few moments while Keogh checks that you really can’t see that inflatable because of the truck and I’ll come back to you.”
In the wheelhouse, Tully laughed hoarsely and turned to Grant. “It’s worked. The bastard’s going to go. We’ve won.”
“If he means it.”
“Of course he does. No other way out. Nothing for him here now.”
Ryan’s voice sounded again. “Okay, Tully, everything checks. I’ll see you in hell one of these days.”
The transmission ended and Tully laughed exultantly. “I’ve beaten the bastard. Fifty million pounds and it’s all mine.”
“All ours you mean?” Grant said.
“Of course.” Tully smiled. “We need each other, so let’s get this tub turned around.”
S HELTERED 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 God’s 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.”
I T WAS FOUR o’clock 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 we’d be, Uncle Michael?” Kathleen asked.
“God knows, girl, but it hardly matters. We’re 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 I’ll go mine.”
“Martin?” Kathleen sounded distressed. “Can’t we stay together?”
“I don’t think so, Kate. Your uncle will have his plans and the Army Council and Reid to consider. One trip back home to dear old Ireland has been exciting enough for me. I’ll say goodbye, Michael.” He shook Ryan’s hand.
The girl grasped his arm, reached up, and kissed his cheek. “God bless you, Martin, and thanks for all you’ve done.”
“I didn’t have the chance to pay you,” Ryan said. “I’m sorry.”
“Not to worry.” Keogh smiled. “It was a great ploy.”
He started to walk away and Ryan called, “Who are you, Martin, who are you really?”
“God save us,
Kathleen gasped and Keogh said, “And how would you do that?”
So Ryan told them.
A MINUTE LATER he called Tully. “All right, you’re on. Give me a few moments while Keogh checks that you really can’t see that inflatable because of the truck and I’ll come back to you.”
In the wheelhouse, Tully laughed hoarsely and turned to Grant. “It’s worked. The bastard’s going to go. We’ve won.”
“If he means it.”
“Of course he does. No other way out. Nothing for him here now.”
Ryan’s voice sounded again. “Okay, Tully, everything checks. I’ll see you in hell one of these days.”
The transmission ended and Tully laughed exultantly. “I’ve beaten the bastard. Fifty million pounds and it’s all mine.”
“All ours you mean?” Grant said.
“Of course.” Tully smiled. “We need each other, so let’s get this tub turned around.”
S HELTERED 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 God’s 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.”
I T WAS FOUR o’clock 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 we’d be, Uncle Michael?” Kathleen asked.
“God knows, girl, but it hardly matters. We’re 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 I’ll go mine.”
“Martin?” Kathleen sounded distressed. “Can’t we stay together?”
“I don’t think so, Kate. Your uncle will have his plans and the Army Council and Reid to consider. One trip back home to dear old Ireland has been exciting enough for me. I’ll say goodbye, Michael.” He shook Ryan’s hand.
The girl grasped his arm, reached up, and kissed his cheek. “God bless you, Martin, and thanks for all you’ve done.”
“I didn’t have the chance to pay you,” Ryan said. “I’m sorry.”
“Not to worry.” Keogh smiled. “It was a great ploy.”
He started to walk away and Ryan called, “Who are you, Martin, who are you really?”
“God save us,
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