Sons Of Ireland #6

New Orleans Book Four

When Sergi’s plane landed in the private airport in New Orleans, several pairs of eyes watched it land. They were hidden in the shadows but they were there watching.

One pair of eyes belonged to Ciara and she watched as the steps were brought out as the doors opened.

Men began pouring out. Narrowing her eyes, she studied one of the men carefully.

His auburn hair made him stand out against the others.

And dang, she could appreciate his good looks and solid build as she watched him step down the stairs and onto the tarmac.

Now, Ciara caught the sound of a bird call and she glanced over at the tree next to where she sat.

Her friend Rosco stared back at her and mouthed the words, “Who the hell are these guys?”

She shrugged then turned her head to watch everyone load into SUV’s and drive away.

She found out what she needed to know. The big boys of the Bratva had come to the rescue.

She gave Rosco a nod then began climbing down the tree.

By the time she hit the ground, several others were gathering around her.

She stared at them and nodded. “Ok lads, the Bratva big boys are in town and they brought some newbies along for the ride. We don’t know who they are yet but something tells me they are on our side. ”

“But how do we know that for sure?” Tag snarled.

“We watch, we listen and we observe,” Ciara told them.

“We’ve all been listening to the rumors and we’ve been watching for a week now as these assholes have been taking up space in our city.

We all feel the danger from these guys and we all know they aren’t here for a picnic, don’t we?

” She gazed at the few half grown men around her.

“Now we need to think like they think, we need to anticipate what they are here to do. They are watching the Bratva, but why? Are they here to wipe the Bratva out of New Orleans? We can’t let that happen.

This city rules smoothly because the factions hold their own.

If one goes down, I have a feeling they all go down and New Orleans becomes a cesspool, maybe even worse than New York City.

We have to hold up what makes this city run smoothly.

If the MacGruders’ win, I have a feeling everyone who isn’t them will have to watch their backs and that ain’t no way to live.

So for now, we keep the peace by watching everyone.

We may not be many but we can hook up with the other homeless and we can make a difference.

We have to protect people like Ms. Mary or old Joe.

These animals wouldn’t think twice about hurting people and I’m not gonna let them hurt someone I care about. ”

“So what do we do?” Rosco asked.

“We watch, we hide and we stop the bad guys,” Ciara replied. “We can do that much because nobody knows we’re out here yet. We’ve been careful and we can still move around the city freely because no one knows who we are.”

“So are we standing with the Bratva then or against?” Rosco wanted to know.

She sighed hard. “I can’t tell you what to think but I’m standing with the Bratva.

Yeah, I know their reputation says they don’t need anyone on their side but think about how different this city would be without them here.

They have earned respect and they haven’t ruled with an iron fist. They have led but showed us we matter and they keep the others in line as well.

I may not know them personally but I can give them that much.

Who are these new guys that came with them?

I don’t know yet but I intend to find out. ”

The half dozen guys she spoke to began to fade into the night, leaving only her and Rosco standing there.

Rosco stared at her and asked, “Do you have any idea who the new guys are?”

Ciara nodded. “I have a feeling about them.”

“A feeling? What kind of feeling?” He looked puzzled.

She glanced back at the city lights and said, “I think these guys came here to help the brewery. The older one looks a lot like Dareagh O'Malley.”

Rosco thought for a moment then he nodded. “I think you could be right. Maybe we should go over there and see if Darragh called his family in. MacGruder’s men have been watching him for days already and if they see he’s got more men, they might make their move soon.”

A half hour later...

Rosco had given her a signal that other men were walking on his side of the complex. She had settled in for the long night of watching to try and figure out what their plan was. Then she saw the redhead from the plane pause to search the area for anyone that shouldn’t be there.

Then he turned his back.

Suddenly, a new man who looked like one of the gunrunners, stepped out of the shadows.

Ciara knew he was there as he had arrived shortly after she got into position.

She sent out a signal...a bird call Rosco would know but anyone else hearing it wouldn’t even bother to look.

She got her weapon ready and she quietly slid down the trunk of the tree as the gunrunner crept up on the red head.

As soon as he swung on the other guy, she hit him even harder.

After a startled yelp, the gunrunner slid to the ground in a heap.

When Rosco joined her, he stared at the two men and shook his head. “The guy with the red hair came in on the plane with the Bratva, didn’t he?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, he did,” she quietly replied as she worked on tying up the runner. “Call one or two of the others and get this guy underground.”

Rosco shook his head. “This makes four of them we’ve managed to get. We’re running out of room, you know.”

“And they are running out of men watching...so what?” she retorted. “We still have a long way to go.”

Rosco dragged the runner guy deeper into the shadows.

The red haired man groaned and he tried to wake up.

Later on...

Seamus studied his uncles for a moment then looked back at his son Sean. “What exactly happened out there, son?”

Sean shook his head slowly. He then flinched but said, “I really have no idea. One minute I was looking around then someone hit me from behind and I thought I heard more noise. Then I was waking up slightly to an angel cupping my face. She whispered that I’d be alright then she kissed me.

I thought I was imagining it. Then I woke up here. ”

“She kissed you?” Rosco all but shouted as he looked gobsmacked.

Rosco’s Ending...

Ciara stood from her seat and explained what happened, “I got a call just before the explosions started. It was from Eddie. He’s one of our crew.

He said he was in dire straits. So, I went after him.

Then all hell broke loose along the city grid.

Finally, I made it to his location...” she paused.

“He...” She swallowed heavily and continued, “Had been stabbed.” Tears filled her eyes.

“By the gunrunners?” Liam asked.

Shaking her head, she sniffled. “No, Rosco stabbed him.”

The room went completely quiet.

“What?” Cian asked in shock. “You mean your friend, Rosco?”

Nodding, she swiped at the tears she couldn’t stop. “Rosco let all the runners go. The ones we’ve been collecting. You know like the one who hit Sean? Well, Rosco let them go and Eddie saw him do it. He asked Rosco why.”

The room full of men stared at her.

“Wait a minute here,” Shay spoke up. “Did you say Rosco?”

Nodding, she sighed and lowered her head.

“Rosco Lord?” Shay asked. “Moses Lord’s nephew?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed in frustration as she raised her head up. “Though I thought his last name was Spencer.” Now her crying took over.

Sean grabbed her, sat her on his lap and took up the story, “He was going to shoot me with the very rifle I’d given to him. Then lo and behold, Ciara pops out of a trash bin and stops him. Then when he was confessing about watching her for his uncle... Guess who arrives?”

“Holy shit,” Cian muttered as he guessed the answer already.

“Yeah,” Sean said as he nodded. “His Uncle Moses walked up and pointed his gun at Ciara.”

“Fuck,” Seamus swore. “Well, I’m glad you got him, son.”

Sean shook his head and explained, “Rosco shot him to protect Ciara.”

They all looked gobsmacked.

Sitting up straighter, Ciara looked around at them and tried to explain it, “He claimed he was always protecting me. I called him a liar, I said he wanted the money. Well, he did, but in the end–” Her voice broke. “...he was my friend.”

“I’m sorry, lass,” Seamus told her.

“Well, with Moses dead,” Liam spoke up. “And the gunrunners were defeated, we also got custody of Stuart MacGruder...” He looked back over at Ciara. “I think we are winning.”

She shook her head. “Winning? We came out of that alive, but we didn’t finish telling you the whole story.”

The men all stared at her.

“Someone drove up,” she went on. “I think they were looking for Moses. We hid in the trash bin.”

“Then we heard the most horrid, wrenching scream,” Sean added as he actually shuddered while remembering it. “I swear it sounded like a banshee.”

Again, his brother Cian swore, “Holy shit, not...”

Nodding, Ciara continued on, “Shannan White MacGruder.”

“Fuck,” Shay swore now. “That woman isn’t human.”

Bits of Book Five... Chicago

Cillian looked down at him. “You got something ta tell me?”

“Yeah, what do you want to know...” The man on the ground lowered his head.

“Come on, man,” Seamus cut in. “What the hell do you think we wanna know?”

Cillian crossed his arms over his chest. “Two things. Firstly, what were you here to do?”

The man looked uneasy as he admitted, “We were supposed to put you into a coma. Or death, whichever came first.”

“Me in particular?” Cillian asked.

“Yes,” another of them spoke. “We were shown a picture of you.”

“Then that brings us to the tootsie pop, doesn't it?” Seamus said as he squatted down to stare at them. “Who ordered this?”

The main guy looked up at him and whispered, “It came from an old woman.”

The Irish men all paused to glance at each other then they looked back at the men.

“You don’t mean a younger woman?”