“Ah, our spoils from the Newry raid,” observed the wounded terrorist.
“This is the first time I’ve seen it all together like this, and it certainly is a sight to behold.”
“It’s more than that,” broke a deep voice from behind.
“It’s the future destiny of Ireland.”
Sean pivoted in time to see the tall, gaunt individual from whose lips these words were uttered enter the barn. Bernard Loughlin had a red bandana tied around his forehead, and wore a stained sweatshirt with the seal of the University of California at Berkeley embossed on it. With fluid strides he walked to Sean’s side, looked him over with his good eye, and then reached out to hug him.
“Comrade, it’s good to see you up like this,” welcomed the IRB’s co-founder.
“When I last saw you, you were in such a weakened state that you didn’t even recognize me as I carried you up to your bed. And now just look at you, well on your way to a full recovery.”
“Thanks to all of you,” Sean added humbly.
“I believe it was a Japanese philosopher who once said, You only live twice. Once when you’re born, and once when you look death in the face. I, too, have come back from a serious combat wound like yours, Sean, and understand how confusing it is for you right now. Why I bet you’ve been up there tormenting yourself, trying to figure out why it was Patrick who was taken and not you.”
“How did you know?” Sean asked, astonished.
Bernard Loughlin grinned slyly.
“You’re forgetting that you’re talking to someone who has already looked death in the face, Comrade. So enough of your soul searching
Your mere presence here is reason enough to celebrate, even if your mission wasn’t a successful one.”
“I still say that it was a daft idea from the very start,” reflected the physician.
“Let’s not get into that again!” countered Bernard Loughlin firmly.
“We tried and we failed, it’s as simple as that.”
“At least our goal was clear,” offered Marie.
“If we were able to acquire the crown jewels, the enemy would be on their knees right now, begging to get them back.”
“How very ironic it is that soon they’ll be in this very same position, even without those jewels,” said the one-eyed terrorist.
Noting that Sean didn’t seem to know what he was talking about, Bernard turned to address the physician.
“Has he been told about our find yet?”
“We were just about to show him when you arrived,” answered Dr. Blackwater.
“Good,” retorted Bernard.
“I’m eager to see his face when he sees the object his own father was responsible for bringing to us.”
The ponytailed terrorist beckoned Sean to join him beside the crate containing the recoilless rifle. There was a large object covered by a green tarp on a pallet.
Not until all three members of his audience were gathered around him did Bernard pull off the tarp. Exposed for all to see was a seven-foot-long cylindrical canister that had a set of stubby iron fins mounted on its tail.
“Is that a bomb?” Sean asked.
Bernard’s good eye sparkled as he breathlessly answered.
“That it is, Sean. But don’t mistake it for just an ordinary piece of ordnance. For the device that you see before you has just made the Irish Republican Brotherhood into a nuclear superpower!”
“Are you saying it’s an atomic bomb?” queried Sean.
“Why, that’s impossible. Come off it. This is a practical joke, isn’t it?”
Bernard’s expression was deadly serious as he responded to this.
“No, it isnt a joke. Comrade. Doctor, why don’t you explain how this device came into our possession.”
The physician cleared his throat and proceeded to relate to Sean the story of Liam Lafferty’s incredible discovery in the waters of the Irish Sea. As Dr.
Blackwater concluded this tale, Bernard added, “I’ve got to admit I didn’t believe it myself when the Doc first called me. But then I did a little checking around with our contact at Royal Navy headquarters at Northwood, and this is what I learned. On the very night that your father witnessed the flash in the sky that he reported and then pulled this device on board, an American B-52 Stratofortress collided with another aircraft while initiating an in-flight refueling. Both planes went down in the Irish Sea, and as best as we can learn, the B-52 was carrying a load of four atomic bombs at the time. Two of these weapons were subsequently found by the Yanks, while Liam Lafferty pulled in the one you see before us. Now, I know this tale sounds incredible, Sean, but you have my word that it’s God’s honest truth.”
With his gaze still locked on the shiny steel canister, Sean stuttered, “I still can’t believe it. My own father pulled an atomic bomb from the sea without anyone but us knowing about it? Why, its absolutely amazing!”
“Don’t forget that he’s still under the impression that it’s a piece of a satellite,” said Dr. Blackwater.
“And he’s relying on me to negotiate a suitable reward.”
“We’ll pay him handsomely for his efforts, sure enough,” offered Bernard.
As the reality of this extraordinary tale began to sink in. Scan dared to vent his curiosity completely.
“Taking it for granted that what you say is true, may I ask what in the hell the Brotherhood plans to do with this thing? If it really is an A-bomb, it could kill millions!”
“We realize that,” said the doctor.
“And before we go and rush into anything drastic, we’re taking a long, hard look at our alternatives.”
“Alternatives?” repeated Bernard.
“I thought I made myself absolutely clear in this matter. Doctor. Because as far as I’m concerned, there are no alternatives. This bomb is a blessing from above, and it will be used where it can inflict the greatest amount of injury on our sworn enemy, that being English soil!”
“I beg to differ with you,” countered Tyronne Blackwater.
“What you’re talking about using here is the most powerful explosive device ever created by man. If it was to detonate right now, half of County Caven would be incinerated, with the resulting radioactive fallout poisoning the land for a thousand years to come.
To set it off in a city the site of London would cause untold havoc. There’s no telling how many innocents, and how many IRB supporters, would die from the resulting blast, firestorm, and fallout. And don’t forget, this same radiation will be borne on the winds and will settle down in Europe, the Soviet Union, and even in Ireland itself. That alone will be enough to quickly turn the world community against our cause for all time to come.”
“I’m not talking about setting it off in London,” returned Bernard.
“What I had in mind was an isolated military installation.”
“Why do we have to detonate it at all?” asked Marie.
“If you ask me, the mere fact that we possess the bomb is enough to blackmail the Brits into meeting our demands and then some.”
Bernard thought about this for a moment.
“That’s an interesting plan, comrade, but any blackmail attempt involves some degree of trust between the parties involved. And when the Brits and the Yanks learn that we have the bomb, they’ll come down on us so fast that we’ll never know what hit us.”
“If we’re not going to blackmail them with it, and it won’t be exploded in London, just what do you plan to do with the bomb, Bernard?”
The one-eyed terrorist intently scanned the faces of his audience as he answered.
“Actually, I’ve been pondering that same question ever since I learned the exact nature of this device, and so far this is what I’ve come up with. It was released in the papers last week that the Brits will be christening their first Trident-missile carrying submarine six days from now. This celebration will be taking place in Scotland, at the Falsane naval installation on Gare Loch. As befitting such a christening, the Queen and the Royal Family will be attending the launching. What I propose is to spoil their little party by sneaking the bomb into Gare Loch and having it detonate just as the Queen smashes that bottle of champagne over the sub’s bow.”