She reached slowly for the lock, her hand trembling.
‘Do it!’ said Lynn, gesturing with his gun.
The woman fumbled and the door crashed open. Dunne pushed her back into the hallway, kicked the door shut behind him and pushed the muzzle of his gun under her chin. ‘Don’t move,’ he warned.
Kinsella joined Lynn and aimed his gun at Carter’s face. ‘Hands behind your head, now!’ yelled Kinsella.
Carter did as he was told.
A small boy wearing pyjamas came out of the sitting room holding a teddy bear by one leg. ‘Mummy?’ he said. His mouth fell open when he saw the men in masks. ‘Mummy!’ he cried.
The woman moved towards him but Dunne grabbed her hair. ‘Stay where you are,’ he said.
‘Let her get the boy,’ said Lynn. ‘Carter, in the kitchen.’
Dunne released the woman’s hair and she scurried over to her son, picked him up and hugged him. ‘It’s okay,Timmy,’ she said. ‘It’s okay.’
‘Don’t worry, Timmy,’ said Carter.
‘Kitchen – now,’ said Lynn, brandishing his gun.
Carter backed into the kitchen and McFree closed the door. He stood in front of it, still holding the sledgehammer.
‘Get out, you bastards!’ screeched Carter’s wife. ‘Get the fuck out of my house!’
The child began to cry.
‘You’re upsetting the boy,’ said Dunne, pushing her against the wall.
‘Don’t you touch me!’ she said.
‘Keep your mouth shut or I’ll shut it for you,’ said Dunne, raising his gun.
‘Elaine, leave it be,’ said Carter. ‘Don’t antagonise them.’
‘Do as your man says.’ Lynn kept his gun aimed at Carter’s chest. Carter had his hands up but his eyes were darting from side to side, looking for something, anything, to use as a weapon. ‘Don’t even think about it,’ said Lynn. ‘Start anything and your wife and the boy will get hurt.’
‘You scum,’ said Carter.
‘Pot calling the kettle black, is it?’ said Lynn.
‘Robbie, tell them to go, please,’ said Elaine.
‘I warned you,’ said Dunne. He raised his hand to slap her and she flinched. ‘One more word.’
‘Turn around, Carter,’ said Lynn, gesturing with his gun. ‘And lie down on the floor.’
‘Not in front of my wife and child, lads,’ said Carter. ‘For God’s sake, have a heart.’
‘Turn around,’ Lynn repeated. Carter did as he was told. Lynn pointed his gun at the back of Carter’s left leg and pulled the trigger. Carter’s kneecap shattered and blood splattered across the kitchen floor.
‘No!’ yelled Carter’s wife. She buried the child’s face in her neck before he could scream. ‘You bastards!’ she shrieked. The teddy bear fell out of the child’s grasp to the floor.
Carter’s left leg collapsed and he grabbed at the back of a chair in an attempt to keep his balance.
‘I told yez, down on the floor,’ said Lynn. ‘Now do as yer feckin’ well told.’
Elaine glared at Lynn, her upper lip curled in a snarl. ‘Four of you against one man,’ she said. ‘That’s the way you fight, is it? You cowards.’
The gun barked again and Carter’s right knee buckled as blood soaked through his trouser leg. He pitched forward, face down, and slammed into the tiled floor.
His wife screamed again, an animal howl from deep within her. Lynn pointed his gun at her face. ‘Shut the hell up or I’ll do you too, you bitch,’ he said.
‘Elaine, no!’ said Carter. He tried to push himself up as blood ran down his legs.
‘Robbie!’ she gasped.
‘It’s okay,’ said Carter. ‘Just leave them be.’ He fell forward and lay face down, panting. ‘Leave her be, lads. This is between you and me.’
Dunne stepped forward and pushed his pistol against the back of Carter’s head. ‘Shut the fuck up,’ he yelled.
‘Leave him alone!’ said his wife. ‘He hasn’t done anything.’
‘Elaine, please, don’t talk to them,’ said Carter. ‘Don’t give them the satisfaction.’ Blood was pooling round his shattered knees.
Dunne stood up and looked at Lynn. Lynn patted Kinsella on the shoulder. ‘Okay, lad,’ he said.
Kinsella was trembling. He aimed his gun at the back of Carter’s head. His breathing was coming in short, sharp gasps. The gun wavered and he used his left hand to steady it.
‘Get a feckin’ move on,’ said Dunne.
‘I can’t,’ said Kinsella.
‘You have to,’ whispered Lynn.
‘Jesus wept,’ said Dunne. ‘Get on with it.’
‘Okay, okay,’ said Kinsella, his voice shaking. His finger tightened on the trigger.
‘Take a deep breath,’ said Lynn.
Kinsella inhaled. His legs were quivering, and Lynn could hear his metal watchstrap rattling on his wrist. ‘Now do it,’ ordered Lynn.
Kinsella pulled the trigger. The gun jerked in his hand and the bullet thwacked into the floor by Carter’s shoulder, then ricocheted into the cabinet under the sink. Carter’s wife screamed.
‘Again. Fire again,’ said Lynn. ‘Come on, just pull the bloody trigger.’
Kinsella took aim at Carter’s head but then his chest heaved and vomit sprayed across the tiles. He staggered against the fridge and threw up again. He fell to his knees as vomit trickled down the front of his jacket.
‘Jesus wept,’ said Dunne. He stepped towards Carter and fired. The back of Carter’s head exploded.
Lynn grabbed Kinsella’s collar and yanked him to his feet.
Dunne pointed his gun at Carter’s wife. She was sobbing into her son’s neck. ‘Say anything to anyone and we’ll be back to do you and the kid.’
McFee headed for the front door, still holding the sledgehammer. Lynn pushed Kinsella after him. ‘Come on,’ he said to Dunne, who was staring down at Carter’s body.
‘Let’s shoot the bitch as well,’ said Dunne. He took aim at her face but she didn’t flinch.
‘We’ve done what we came to do,’ said Lynn.
‘She called us cowards,’said Dunne. ‘I’m no feckin’coward.’
‘Sticks and stones,’ said Lynn. ‘You’ve killed her man. You’ve done enough.’
Dunne’s lips tightened, but he followed McFee and Kinsella down the hallway. The little boy was crying and the woman rubbed the back of his head and nuzzled his ear.
Lynn slid his gun back into its holster. A thick, treacly halo of blood had formed round Carter’s head. He felt no sympathy for the dead man, and no remorse for what he’d done. He was at war, and Carter had been the enemy.
‘I swear before God Almighty, I will find you,’ said the woman, through clenched teeth. ‘I will find you and I will kill you.’
Lynn turned to her. She was glaring at him with a fierce intensity, still clutching the child to her neck. Tears were running down her face and he could see a vein pulsing in her temple. Lynn opened his mouth to speak, then hurried out of the room.
They left through the front door and got back into the car. ‘How did it go?’ asked McEvoy, putting the car into gear and pulling away from the kerb.
‘How it always goes,’ said Lynn. ‘Bang, bang, he’s dead. Now get us the hell out of here.’
McEvoy stamped on the accelerator and the Saab leapt forward.
Lynn took off his ski mask as McEvoy drove down the hill to the dual carriageway that led to the safety of the Republican Falls Road area of West Belfast. ‘Well done, boys,’ he said. ‘You done me proud.’
Kinsella had his head down and was wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. ‘I’m sorry,’ he muttered.
‘It’s okay, Noel. The first time is always hard, no matter what anyone says.’
‘I fucked up, I’m sorry.’
‘You pulled the trigger, lad, and there’s a lot can’t even do that.’
Kinsella was trembling and put his head into his hands. McFee opened the glove compartment and handed a bottle of Bushmills whiskey to Dunne. ‘Give the boy a wee dram,’ he said.
Dunne unscrewed the top and tapped it against Kinsella’s shoulder. ‘Here, lad, this’ll help.’
‘I’m sorry, Adrian. I let you down.’
Dunne put an arm round his shoulders. ‘Like Gerry says, the first time’s the worst. You’ve been blooded now, that’s all that matters. The next time will be easier, trust me.’