Faithless (60 page)

             
John said nothing.

             
The Governor said, "It's just that this is a tricky one. We want to make sure everything is done with due process. So, we're sending you back to Dublin to see a judge before he agrees that you can be extradited. There are some people in Ireland who don't like the idea of us handing over what some might see as political prisoners to the British Government. You're aware of our history."

             
John nodded. "I'm sorry to have caused you a problem."

             
The Governor waved his comment away. "Well it wouldn't have been a problem if we hadn't caught you."

             
"And how did you catch me?"

             
The Governor said, "I honestly am not privy to that information. It was a Garda Special Branch operation. They have their methods."

             
"Someone betrayed me?"

             
The Governor laughed. "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones as they say. Anyway let's let your visitors in."

The door opened and in came Sue and Toby Ewing with two British Special Branch Officers. Sue had a cold smile on her face.

              "Lovely to see you again John," she said. Toby said nothing. John thought he even looked uncomfortable.

             
"You're so arrogant, I bet you thought you were going to get away," she said.

             
John remained silent.

             
"Cat got your tongue? Never mind we'll soon have you in London where you can face justice for your crimes."

             
The Governor said, "You mustn't presume the Irish Judiciary will simply rubber stamp what you want, madam."

             
Sue looked back to him. "Of course not. But you have signed an agreement with us. It is in your interests to comply."

             
The Governor grew red faced. "I'm not sure you're qualified to comment on Irish interests. "

             
Sue was about to say something else, but Toby put his hand on her shoulder to quiet her. She shrugged and turned back to John. "These officers will take you back tomorrow." She indicated the two British policemen. "So, see you soon," she smiled and turned. The door was opened for her. "Oh, by the way," she said, "Ailsa and Karen send their love."

             
"Bitch," spat John. He struggled to get at her. Sean and Dermot put a hand on each of his shoulders to hold him in his seat. Later when they were taking him back to his cell, Sean said, "She's a fucking piece of work all right." 

The next morning Sean came with breakfast to his cell. "Time for your trip to Dublin. Do you have any other clothes apart from the underpants you came in with?" He smirked.

             
John shook his head.

             
Sean said, "Well, it's a big day. I'm sure we can find you a suit. Drink your tea. Eat your sandwich. You need your strength."  He went away about twenty minutes later came back with a dark suit, a white shirt and a tie, black shoes and underwear.

             
"I'll leave you some privacy to put it on," said Sean and locked the door behind him.

About an hour later Sean and Dermot came to fetch him. "We need to handcuff you."

              "Can you please do it with my hands in front? It's less painful."

             
"Sure. If it was up to me I wouldn't put you in them."

             
They led him out through the high security airlock to the waiting prison van. He got in the back with Sean and Dermot.

             
"About an hour," said Dermot.

             
He  couldn't see out of the van.

             
"Travelling with no windows makes me feel sick. I hate these transfers," said Dermot.

             
"I know. I see you forgot the paper too," said Sean.

After about forty minutes the prison van turned, slowed down and started going over bumpy ground.

             
"Where are we going?" said John.

             
Sean shrugged.

             
"This doesn't feel like we're on the main road any more," said John.

             
"Oh?" said Sean, "You're astute. I can see why you did so well in your career." Then he reached out an squeezed John's knee in a friendly manner. "Only joking."

             
"Have you done a deal with MI5?"

             
Sean turned to Dermot. "Have we done a deal with MI5, to maybe kill him?"

             
"Like what? Out of the way in the woods and stuff?"

             
"Do you remember that nice lady with the dyed red hair and shrill voice?""

             
Dermot laughed. "I should coco."

             
Then the van came to a halt.

             
"What's happening?" said John.

             
"Mechanical breakdown," said Sean, brushing his eyes tiredly.

             
"How do you know that?" asked John.

             
"I'm astute too." said Sean. Dermot laughed. There was the sound of the back door being opened. The driver came round back and flung it open. "This is Connor," said Sean.

             
John looked at them suspiciously.

             
"Do you want a cigarette?" asked Sean.

             
"I don't smoke," said John. 

             
Sean reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a packet of Benson and Hedges. "Maybe now would be a good time to start." Then he looked at Dermot. "I think the man needs his cuffs unlocked. So he can smoke."

             
John heard the sound of another car pull up and the driver pull the hand brake on too hard. He looked out. They were at some kind of picnic area in a forest. The day was grey. The trees were swaying in the wind. 

             
"What happens now?" said John. "Someone shoots me in the back of the head while I was escaping?" He thought the car would contain Sue and her accomplices.

             
"What?" exclaimed Sean. "Taken to some forest and shot in the back of the head? That wouldn't happen here. This is Ireland." He looked at Dermot and Connor who laughed. Then he looked back at John. "Now get the fuck out of the van."

             
"Do I have any choice?" asked John.

             
"No you fucking don't. Get out. I'm losing patience with you."

Dermot unlocked his cuffs. John rubbed his wrists and made his way slowly to the open back. There was a step
and he took it gingerly. He saw a red car out of the corner of his eye but didn't look at it directly until he was on the gravel of the clearing. He looked toward the forest and wondered how far he would get. Sean must have realised what he was thinking because he put his hand on his arm to halt him.

             
He turned and saw Eithne and Pádraig standing beside their car.

             
"What?" he said and stood dumbfounded.

             
Eithne came up to him and put his arms around him. "I'm so sorry John. I'm so sorry."

             
Pádraig came up to stand beside them. John looked at him. He said, "Seems like you were right about Mickey. Who'd have thought that? I've known him most of my life. It seems everyone has their price."

             
"Where is he?" asked John.

             
"He's having a chat with some friends of ours. It'll be a fatal conversation."

             
John turned to the prison guards who were standing smoking looking very relaxed. "And what about these guys?"

             
"These are the good guys," said Pádraig.

             
Sean laughed. "If you think I'm handing anyone over to the Brits, you've got another think coming."

             
"So how do you explain this?" asked John.

             
"You were ill. I thought you were having a heart attack so we stopped and unlocked your cuffs so we could give assistance. We called Connor to help, when he opened the door off you ran like a hare."

             
"No one will believe that."

             
"It's the truth, I swear. And as for the Governor, he's a cute hoor but his heart's in the right place. He didn't like your MI5 friends any more than we did."

             
Pádraig tapped John on the shoulder. "Come on. We need to get out of here. They'll have to radio the incident in soon."

             
He walked towards the car and just as he was about to get in he turned to Sean. "Thank you."

             
Sean gave him a mock salute. "You stood up for your beliefs. They'll call you a traitor. Their newspapers will blacken your name.  Well done you."

John sat in the back, while P
ádraig drove. They were driving to Cork. It was a long drive on winding roads. The day had turned to rain. They let him half lie down under a blanket in the back and he slept from exhaustion. He woke when they eventually got into the city. They drove to a safe house that Pádraig had arranged. They parked out back.

             
"I'm starving, " said John.

             
"There'll be food in the house," said Pádraig.

             
"And what am I doing after that?"

             
"Come on. Get off the street you eejit." 

             
Eithne squeezed his arm. "Come on, he's right."

             
They went in via the back door. As they entered the kitchen, Pádraig called through hello to the front room as he went through. There was a man standing there. When he stepped out of the shadow, John saw it was Bebur. He came forward and gave John s hug.  He held him tight like he was his friend.  As if he'd thought he'd never make it. "It is so good you're here, John," he said.

             
"But you shouldn't be here. It's not safe."

             
"I've come for you."

             
"But you won't have diplomatic immunity. You could be arrested."

             
"Did you not think I'd take that risk for you? After you have lost so much for us."

June 1991, Moscow:
John made his way to Bebur and Yelena's house in Kropotkinskaya after finishing work at the Department of English of the Moscow State University.

             
He knocked on the door and Yelena came down to meet him. She was carrying her four year old son Volodya. "Here's your Uncle John," she said to the child in Russian and he beamed. John was a frequent visitor and loved to play with the child - reading to him or kicking round a ball. Yelena welcomed John in with a kiss. They went upstairs to the kitchen where Bebur was cooking. He turned round when he heard them enter. "My hands are covered in cheese," he said. "I won't shake yours yet. Yelena get John some vodka."

             
"What's on the menu?" asked John.

             
"We have Khachapuri - cheese bread, then we have some Lobio - red bean soup and then some Sacivi chicken in a walnut and garlic sauce. You've had them all before."

             
"I love them."

             
"We have some nice Georgian wine which is made by my uncle. He's started to produce it privately. It used to go to the State company of course, but now we are all capitalists."

             
John played with Yelena and little Volodya while they waited for the meal. Then they sat up at the table in the dining room. When they had finished they talked and drank wine and listened to Bebur's CDs of Georgian music. Volodya fell asleep and Yelena put him to bed. It was still warm so they went up to the roof terrace to drink more wine. Yelena left them to it and said she was going to read.

             
The two men sat on the terrace in the warm Moscow night looking over the city. The dome of the church of Christ the Saviour dominated the view.

             
"You haven't done too badly, " said John.