On this present operation Labeaux was hired by top members of the Irish National Liberation Army. Formed in 1974, the INLA became an Irish republican socialist paramilitary group, whose intent was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom, by any means necessary.
Quinn finally asked, “And have you taken care of…?”
“Only Carter. I felt it best to wait to eliminate the others. There is already an investigation into Carter’s death. The local constabulary have had his flat under guard. One death is enough for now.”
“Will you need help? I can send a couple of men… ”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Quinn sipped on the beer as he looked again at the papers, this time seeing a blank page. “You haven’t been able to find the schedule for when the Americans change their guards?”
Labeaux shook his head. “From what I’ve been told, there is no set pattern. It’s different every day, as part of their security.”
Quinn was concerned. “But won’t that interfere with…?”
Looking down, considering the question, Labeaux answered, “I doubt it.”
He folded his hands on top of the briefcase, and said, “I expect you to design the explosives for diversion purposes. I’ve already marked on the base diagram paper where I want them placed.”
Quinn picked up the first page, noticing small red dots at different locations around the perimeter. He looked up when Labeaux said, “I assume more than one of your men has the necessary expertise.”
“Sure. Callahan and Logan have many years between them with such experience.”
“In addition,” Labeaux continued, “I want them to devise at least two IEDs (improvised explosive devices) that are more complicated to defuse. The American EOD men will probably have that task.”
“It’ll be taken care of. What about guards posted at the two gates?”
“I think it best you use the back gate, the one closer to the beach, since it’s more remote. You should be able to take that guard out easily enough.”
Quinn glanced again at the third page, noticing a handwritten note at the bottom. “What’s this note, this date and time?”
“That’s when I want the devices placed at the locations I’ve designated. You’ll have plenty of time but you must be finished by four in the morning. The RAF guards patrol regularly, but they rely heavily on the fence and barbed wire. You see on the diagram there are two guard towers. Each has one guard, rotating every three hours.
“I expect you to be completely ready, and I don’t just mean the devices. You and your men must be mentally ready. Do you understand?”
“Don’t worry.” Quinn, usually arrogant and intimidating in his own right, remembered he’d been taken down a notch the first time he met Labeaux.
“Now, the plane we’re waiting for arrives at two in the afternoon.”
Quinn was caught completely off guard. “A daytime attack?”
“Yes. A daytime attack.”
“But I don’t have enough men to pull that off!”
Labeaux remained calm. “Timing will be everything, Callum, and it must be perfect.” He let that sink in before adding, “I haven’t told you, but I’ll be participating in this event.”
For the second time during this meeting, Quinn was surprised, or maybe shocked. “You? Where will you be? What do you plan on doing?”
“I have others involved who’ve been vital in this planning. They’ll be arriving soon, one of whom knows how to fly.
“That’s all I’ll say for now.” He stood, locked his briefcase then tucked it under his arm, giving his last order to Quinn. “Now, I want your man to take us in the Zodiac to another location along the coast. I’ve arranged to be met there. When the Zodiac returns, destroy the rental boat.” Pausing, he thought briefly about the two men he spotted on the breakwater this morning. It worried him but his initial decision when designing the plan was correct. Perhaps this minor change might help throw the English off their investigation, if only for a short amount of time.
He gave his instructions to Quinn then left the cabin, immediately walking to the stern. He called to Farrell in the rental boat, waving for him to come closer. “Come around!”
Without question, Farrell maneuvered around to the port side.
Labeaux leaned near the rail, with one hand holding it in a death grip. “We’ll be leaving that boat here and going to shore in the Zodiac. Come on board.”
Farrell tossed the rope to Delaney, then he climbed the ladder, ready to assist in lowering the Zodiac.
A few minutes later Quinn stood by the railing, watching Delaney maneuver the Zodiac away from the catamaran with Labeaux sitting close to the side, holding onto the rope. Quinn had to smile, thinking everyone had a demon or two in the closet. Labeaux’s demon seemed to be water.
Glancing back towards the stern, Quinn saw that Farrell was unconscious, with his arms stretched overhead, his wrists tied to the railing. The unsuspecting Farrell had been distracted by attending to his task with the Zodiac, when Delany came up behind him, and knocked him unconscious with a hand chop to his neck.
Once the Zodiac was out of sight, Quinn went back inside the cabin to begin preparations for making the rental boat disappear as he’d been instructed. Kneeling in front of the bunk on the port side, he removed a cushion and tossed it on the opposite bunk. Lifting up the wooden seat, he held it open with one hand as he looked through boxes of grenades, timers, flares, fuses, chemical pencils. Opened larger boxes lined the starboard side. He and his men had already starting assembling IEDs.
His choices were to either make it look like an accident, or perhaps it would be cleaner, neater to just sink the boat. The depth of the water was close to three hundred feet at this spot. If it sank, it would take a long time to discover. Then again, there might be an oil slick visible along the surface. He decided to go with the accident version, hoping a search would end when charred debris was found, along with the remains of Brady Farrell.
He went to the window, pulling a curtain aside, seeing Farrell starting to come around. The man had been part of the group for three years, having been recruited by Quinn. As he looked at Farrell, Quinn began to wonder if he’d be able to do it, to carry out Labeaux’s request.
He turned away and sat on one of the benches, reaching for the remaining bottle of beer. Gulping down half the liquid, he realized there was only one thing to do. He could not defy Labeaux’s wishes, or his orders, without risking his own life. The plan was much bigger, much more important than either he or Farrell.
He swallowed the last mouthful of Kilkenney. He and Delaney would prepare the rental boat for its destruction, then they’d return to the Isle of Lundy, meeting up with his other men.
Located twelve miles off the coast of Devon, where the North Atlantic meets the Bristol Channel, the Isle of Lundy was a mere three miles long and only three quarters of a mile across. Months before, Quinn and his men sailed along the coastline finding a small hidden cove on the northeast side of the island.
There they’d wait, having time to memorize locations of each building at St. Mawgan, review the present plan, assemble the IEDs, and recheck all weapons.
Another cove, that was closer to the base and had a campground, was a perfect location for bringing in the Zodiac. Following Labeaux’s orders, Quinn had rented a camper specifically for storing the devices. When the final word came from Labeaux, they’d be ready for their most dangerous, and possibly their last chance to free Northern Ireland from England. Their group was small, but with exact planning, and with help from the inside, success was within their grasp.