𝐃𝐨 𝐈 𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰? , ᵐⁱᶜʰᵉᵃˡ ᵍʳᵃʸ

39. Barney

ADA POURED BOTH her and Tommy a drink. "Let's sit down, Ada"

"What happened"

"Sit down, eh" he said, sitting at the table. "Ben Younger is dead." he said. "Someone put a bomb in his car. I don't know how you felt about him or how bad this is going to hurt but whatever happens just remember you have a a baby inside you"

She sat back. "God" she whispered. "Anyone you touch, which means anyone i touch, which means anyone any of us touch. He never knew i was pregnant, i hadn't told him. And i didn't love him, but i like him, he was decent and good. And i wasn't going to marry him" she sighed. "The baby was a mistake but that's okay because i didn't ask anything of him. God he didn't deserve us"

"Well i've spoken to his family they'll take care of the funeral. It will go down as an IRA assassination of a British military officer"

"And what was it really?" she sniffled.

"It was..a consequence of good intentions, my good intentions. I pushed him to report on the fascists i thought it was the right thing to do. And as a result, section D or the branch or intelligence for him killed"

She scoffed.

"There was a kid, died in the explosion. Ten years old. It's funny..isn't it? How it works" he stood.

"No, Tommy" she said with a shaky voice. "Don't give yourself this excuse" she said. "He was ten years old, if i would've stuck to what i do, he'd still be kicking a ball in the street" he whispered. "Funny isn't it?"

-

Tommy walked down the stairs, meeting with the strange looking man. "Hat and coat off," he said to Tommy, Tommy shrugged his jacket off and the man shook it, letting things fall from the pockets.

"Stand up against the wall" he pointed. Tommy walked over, placing their arms up.

"For your own safety, i need to search you for items that could potentially be used as weapons against you" the man said, taking things from Tommy's pockets.

Tommy moved, picking his coat up from the floor.

"He was my friend" Tommy spoke. "Yeah, well hes nobodys friend anymore. Hes a fucking animal. Laces out of your shoes."

"Table" the man nodded. Tommy threw the laces on the table.

Tommy followed him through the door, screams coming from every direction. They stopped at a door. "Barney! Visitor. This ones real" he chuckles.

"You can wait here" Tommy said. "No, i cant."

Tommy pulled out money, handing it to him.

"Its your funeral, ill have to lock you in"

"Yeah" Tommy nodded. He opened the door, letting them inside. A light turned on.

He stared at the boy sat in the corner. "Hello, Barney" Tommy said. "Arthur says to say hello,"

"Sergeant Major?" he asked, "you're alive?"

"Arthur's alive, John is dead, Danny's dead, Freddie's dead. Jeremiah preaches the gospel barefoot. Yeah, im alive" Tommy listed. "Thems who're gone are the lucky ones" Barney said, "thanks for the letters you sent Sergeant Major,"

"Yeah, Arthur mostly writes them, i just..sign them. How the fuck do you write back? With your fucking teeth?"

"No they stick the pen in me arse"

"Someone in here said your name," Barney spoke, looking at Tommy, "they said out there you are a politition now."

"Sometimes, yeah"

"Didnt know if it was real, comrade. I see rats coming out of bodies like at the black wood. The shit they give me in here.." the boy shook slightly.

"Hey, Barney, look at me." Tommy pulled something from his mouth. "Barney, this here is opium and cyanide. Bring on a heart attack. They wont even check the cause, you wont feel a fucking thing"

Barney struggled, getting closer to the bars.

"So, here, you're in here forever brother, dont have the use of your fucking hands. You're still in the tunnels. I can give this to you now, you want it?"

Barney's breath was shaky. "No" he said.

"Why not? I know, i know. You still remember that French waitress" Tommy said. Sobs left Barney's mouth. "You still going on about that, Tom?"

"Yeah, did you fuck her before me?" He joked. "Because whoever did gave me the fucking clap, and im guessing it was you"

"Yes i fucked her before you did"

"Yeah, she was beautiful."

"She was, she was," Barney whispered. "And i reckon i was second best after Barney." Tommy spoke. "Why did you bring the capsule, Tom?"

"You're in here, Barney. You have no hands. There is no daylight. And you dont want to die"

"No, i dont" he shook his head.

"Because one day things might change"

Tommy stared at him blankly, "Yeah, things might change. Maybe they already have. Come here Barney, come here" He kneeled beside the bars. "What if i could break you out of here?"

"Why would you break me out?" he asked. "See the trouble with the people in here, is the fucking meds they keep you on. Ten years since we're back. Barney, ten fucking years. Maybe the storm has passed,"

"Passed for you then, has it, Tom? What would the world do with me if i was out?"

"I have a job for you"

Barney laughed, "fuck"

"Barney,you were the best fucking sniper in our company. Never missed. I can use that man. Get you the latest BSA fucking telescopic sights. Barney nodded, "who am i shooting?"

"The fuck do you care, Barney? Get that fucking thing off. Get you free"

A bang on the door startled her. "Is everything all right in there?" he aked. "Grand in here" Tommy replied. "What do you say Barney? lll come for you after midnight Wednesday."

"Oh i dont keep track of the days, Tom"

"Dont have to. You'll know it will be Wednesday because there'll be a big fucking bang"

"All right," Barney nodded. He raised his eyebrows, stuttering slightly.

-

"Where'd you disappear off to the other night?" Anthony asked, hanging his jacket on the hook. She looked up, her lips parting. "I've not been in Tommy's home for years, forgot where the lavatory was."

"Ah," he mumbled, placing a kiss on her forehead and walking to the desk. " And that Micheal boy, who's he?"

"An old friend." She lied.

"I like him. We should invite him and his wife for dinner sometimes." He suggested. Cassidy practically choked on her saliva. "What?"

"Dinner. Micheal and his wife..what's her name? Gina?"

"Yeah..yeah, that's a lovely idea." She said, straightening her back. Dinner was a terrible idea.

She knew that whatever feelings she used to have for Micheal, were very much still there. And it was the same situation for him, if not stronger. And then two being in a room together for that long, not being able to express them feelings, would drive one of them mad.