Shay smiled.“I know swamps are notorious for heat and gators but you all would not believe the things I have seen there.”
“Criminal elements too?”Seamus asked.
“Yes,” Shay replied.“People go there to hide from the law or they want to set fires and make trouble.”
They all stared at him.
He nodded.“Even in the swamps.Murderers and all kinds of low-down criminals show up there.Troublemakers.”
“Speaking of troublemakers.What do you think we’ll be looking at once we get to Florida?”Liam asked.
Finn shrugged.“I’m not sure to tell you the truth.There are so many scenes running through my head right now and I cannot believe any one of them.I do know we need to be on top of our toes the moment this plane lands.We have to check on Colin, then wait until the rest of our crew gets there.”
“Aye, we do.”Liam nodded.“And we also need to check in with Arthur’s group.They might have more information for us.”
Arthur turned and was having a conversation with Shay as they moved along the aisle toward the cockpit.
Finn studied his brother then rubbing his finger along his jaw he asked.“You trust Arthur?I meanreallytrust him?”
Liam nodded.“Sure look, I’ll tell you why that is.He was honest with us from the very first time we met.He didn’t look at us like we were shit on the bottom of his shoes.He also watched out for someone he didn’t have to.He could have turned his back on Darleen as soon as her ma died but he didn’t do that either.Instead, he took her under his wing and helped her navigate the streets.It was what he taught her to do that saved our hides and he told us where to find Ria.I think he’s a good man, honorable even and now we find out he’s Ciara’s father.He’s stepping up for a lassie he didn’t even know he had a claim to.I think if he says his friends can help us they will help us, but first we got to get to Miami in one piece.This will be the final step in this god forsaken path we’ve been on for a while now and I’m in a hurry to see it done.”He paused then looked at Seamus.“The boy needs closure as well.He needs to finally put his parents to rest.”
Finn shifted in his seat and rep;ied, “Aye brother, I think we all do.Mauve has been dead for forty years now.She’ll finally get her own justice and be able to rest in peace.And Patrick, he’ll be right alongside her in peace as well.He’s watched over Seamus from heaven all this time and now the truth will be heard and judgement will be passed.Not by us but by a judge and those that did the wrong will finally serve their time.”
“What about what Ria said?”Liam asked.“Do you really think there’s more to this than we know?Do you think the men she’s afraid of will come after us to get their boxes back?”
Finn thought about it then shrugged.“Crikey...They very well might but we don’t have what they claim as their own and if they want them they’ve have to go to Shay.I don’t think they’ll do that so they might just have to take the hit on that.They never should have trusted a woman like Ria to store their goods.It was Shay’s choice to raid her warehouses.We had nothing to do with that.We never even went there.”Shrugging he added, “But we were there when that manky witch went down.Hell yeah and we had every right to be there.She wronged us gravely forty years ago and she stole something we have every right to take back.If they want to start another war for that reason, they’ll know where to find us.Am I worried?Not really.If they come after us, they’ll know we can hold our own and they will also know we will strike back.”
Liam sat back in his seat.“You are right as usual.I guess I just needed to hear you say the words.We may be older now but we will always step up and help ourselves, won’t we?”
“Aye, we will.”Finn growled as he sat back in his own seat.That’s just the way of it in the O’Malley family.Pa always taught us boys to be there for each other and the family and by God that’s what we all taught our own kids.”Shaking his head he admitted, “Well, most of us had boys but the girls grew up under those guidelines as well and they stand on their own too.”
Liam smiled.“Aye brother.I know that.They say women are gentle creatures and they are, but you get the dander of an Irish woman up?You’d best look out then.”
Finn nodded as he chuckled.“True enough.All we as men want to do is protect them, but they just roll their bonny eyes and show us what they can do for themselves.In one way it just doesn’t sit well but in another, we are secretly beaming in pride.”
Liam agreed, “You know it brother.A wise man never dismisses his women.That would make him a fool.”He crossed his legs and smiled.“And we Irishmen aren’t fools.”
Finn nodded then turned back to the window.
For a moment, neither of them spoke, then Liam looked at him again and asked, “How bad do you figure this will get?”His words were softly spoken.
Finn just shrugged.“I don’t know but this crazy lass is fighting for her very life, so it could get bad.”He sighed heavily.“But remember, Shay told us her men wouldn’t stick around if they don’t get paid.A miserable way to earn the green but some men can do it.I never could but some men have no honor at all.But I guess we’ll see when we get there.”
“Aye, some men are just stupid, aren’t they?”Liam growled.“There’s better ways of earning the green, like going to work every day and having a decent job.So you can look yourself in the mirror every day.”
Finn nodded.“I agree with that.But then some men can look at themselves in the mirror and not see the devil on their back.They don’t ever see it until the devil swallows them whole.Then they know and see the mistakes they made but it’s too late to stop it from consuming their soul.”
“I do think I’ve sent many men to that hell.”
They all looked over at Shay.
Shay tilted his head at them.“I’ve been in three wars and I’ve been in Dark Ops for years.I’ve run upon many dark souls.Some were selling out their own country even.”
“You done the good work, Montross,” Liam told him.“There’s nothing to feel melancholy about.Why, you are a God danged hero.”He grinned.“And you wanna know why all of that is true?”
“Cause I’m Irish?”Shay supplied the answer he knew they wanted as he smirked.
“Well Kapow!”Finn teased.“I think he is finally getting it, brother.”
