Chapter 69

the sound: Styx – Come Sail Away, Styx – Blue Collar Man, Styx – Renegade, Styx – Too Much Time on my Hands, Styx – Babe, Styx – Madame Blue, Styx – Lady, Styx – Show me the Way, Styx – Boat on the River, Styx – Mr. Roboto

At the bottom of the stairs we were greeted by Rosie. I’d not even known that she was in the area, let alone in the building.

She too was carrying a rifle.

“I feel like I’ve been dropped into a grade B wild Wild West movie” I mussed.

Rosie and her mother exchanged hugs and when she turned to me I asked her once again if she’d tell me what was going on…and for some strange reason this time she decided that she would….I don’t know what the difference was…maybe it was the fact that we were all standing there holding guns.

Rosie sighed and then replied tersely, “Robert owes some money…a rather large amount of money and not to Grey this time. Once again he made a deal to pay someone off, but because he was in jail he missed the drop date. They’ve come to collect.”

“Just how large a sum are we talking about?” I asked and Rosie told me that it was more than 50 large.

“What will they do?” I asked

“I’m not exactly sure” was her reply, “last time they shot all the windows outta the house and blew up Mama’s Cadillac in the driveway”

“Last time?” I asked with incredulity…”this happens kinda regular like does it?” at which point I began to look around the shelter and discovered it was actually somewhat like a cement bunker and that it was rather obviously used for storage….that or that in fact this did happen quite regular like.

The shelter was well stocked. There were boxes of dry good foodstuffs, barrels of liquid and cases of liquor down there. There were camp cots, and a folding chair and tables. A person could likely survive a long time if need be.

I stood there looking about and spotted the 4 serving women and the butler up against the far wall. All 5 of them were also holding guns.

I also wasn’t at all amused to see box after box of shells.

Surprisingly enough, I wasn’t as afraid as I should have been. I felt rather like I wasn’t really myself and I was beginning to understand how Alice felt after falling through the looking glass.

“Robert means well…” Rosie began but she was over run by Mrs. K’s announcing that “all her boys were strong, each in different areas, Roibhilín’s area of expertise is the creation of conflict…just like his fadder.”

“You may have mentioned” I began only to be stilled by a large boom…the concussion caused the house to shudder and I dropped the shotgun to put my arms over my head as dust filtered down from the ceiling of the shelter.

“The bastards have blown up the garage” Rosie yelled and started up the stairs. I grabbed at her but it was her mother’s whip crack voice that stopped her in her tracks “Siobhán! You’ll nae be goin oot dere!”

Rosie turned and came down the stairs – looking rather disgusted. We all settled down amongst the boxes and barrels to wait what may come.

In the end the damage to the garage and Cadillac was extensive. The damage to the house minimal as the garage was separate. We waited for what seemed like hours for a sign is was safe to return to the main part of the house and didn’t do so until Barry came hobbling in on crutches to get us.

We found out later that it was actually Barry that had appeased the “collector” by giving them Robert’s motorcycle.

“Betcha that goes over well with the big guy” I thought as I listened to him explain his actions to his mother.

Mrs. K just patted him on the arm and put her shotgun back into it’s slot in the gun cupboard.