Page 5 of Dublin Debacle

Before the man could spin to face her, she launched herself at his back, wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist and held on as he bucked and twisted in an effort to throw her off.

The men holding her uncle let go, letting the old man drop like a sack of potatoes to the ground.

Then they were on her, dragging her off the other man’s back. As her arms were pried from around his neck, she grabbed his ski mask along with a handful of his hair.

When the men yanked her free, she came away with the mask.

Without the mask covering his face, the man spun toward a waiting car before she could see his face. “Get her in the trunk,” he said, his voice low and raspy.

The men holding onto her arms lifted her off her feet.

Emily fought like a wildcat, kicking, twisting and biting to no avail. The men holding her were much bigger and stronger than her five-foot-three frame.

They carried her toward the car parked several feet away in the alley. The trunk stood open, and the third man had climbed into the driver’s seat.

Emily couldn’t let them get her inside that vehicle. She fought with every bit of strength she could muster.

As they shoved her toward the open trunk, she planted her feet against the frame and pushed as hard as she could.

The men staggered backward, regained their balance and regrouped.

“I’ll get her arms. You get her legs,” one of the men muttered.

When the man on her right released his hold on her right arm, Emily twisted hard.

The other guy lost his grip on her left arm.

Emily fell to the ground, rolled to the side and bunched her legs beneath her, ready to leap to her feet.

A heavy body landed on her back, slamming her to the ground.

She cursed and tried to move, but the man on top of her was too heavy for her to get free, and his weight was crushing the air from her lungs. She couldn’t breathe.

The other man stood beside them. “We gotta get her into the trunk.”

“She’ll make a run for it as soon as I let her up,” the man on top of her said.

Was this it? Would the man keep her from breathing long enough for her to pass out? That would make it too easy for them to throw her into the back of the car.

Her uncle lay in an unmoving heap nearby. Was he dead? Would she soon be? Were the masked men members of the Travellers, throwing their weight around to get the O’Briens in line?

She fought the dark fog, snuffing out what little light was given off from the lamp hanging over the back door of the pub. Then she remembered the promise she’d made to her mother.

I’ll look after Finn.

“Can’t let them...win,” she whispered, using up what little air she had left.

CHAPTER2

Jack Collins could have kickedhimself for not reacting sooner. When the pub owner, Emily O’Brien, had run through the barroom and disappeared down the hallway, he should have gone after her immediately. Instead, he’d waited, expecting her to reappear momentarily to serve her customers.

“Where’s Emily?” the redheaded waitress asked as she set her tray of empties on the bar.

“Her Uncle Paddy came scurryin’ through a few minutes ago.” The man Emily had called Sean snorted. “The crazy old man claimed he wasn’t there.” He shook his head. “Miss Emily went after him.”

The waitress frowned and slipped behind the counter to dispense with the empties and start filling her orders. “Did she say when they’d be back?”

Jack shook his head. “No, she didn’t.” He’d been watching the bar owner all evening. She hadn’t taken a single break, making certain her customers had everything they needed. He didn’t think she’d leave the bar unattended for as long as she had.

---