The vengeance of Fiona Glenanne.

Part One.

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"It's not fair Ma!" Maureen Glenanne shut her eyes and raised her face towards the ceiling. She could hear her eldest daughter stamping around her bedroom. Closet doors being thrown open and then slammed shut.

"Fiona!" She shouted up the stairs. "Connor is working nights you're going to have his Mother knocking on the wall." Connor Murphy lived next door and was just as happy as Maureen that her daughters were going to be way for a week.

Coming down the stairs, banging her suitcase on each step, she hadn't finished complaining.

"Sean's Place only has two bedrooms and I was going there to get away from her." She jabbed a finger in the direction of her baby sister.

"Clare hasn't been to Sean's flat, don't be selfish Fiona." Her Mother told her, trying to defuse the argument that was building. "And he invited both of you."

Clare stuck her tongue out at her sister."Clare stop that." It had been the same since Clare had been old enough to answer her big sister back. The two of them bickered constantly, but heaven help anyone who spoke a bad word about one in the other's hearing. The pair of them were far worse than all her boys together.

When the taxi finally arrived and they left the house for the train station she sighed with relief. Sitting down with a calming cup of tea. She put her feet up, a whole week of peace would be a luxury.

.

Sean was waiting at Newry train station, he could hear them before he saw them his two beautiful red headed sisters so a like in every way. A big smile came to his face, and he waved his arm high over his head to attract their attention. Once they were through the barrier he gave them each a big kiss and a hug then took their cases and led them over to his car. Beaming with pride at their expressions.

"How do you afford this?" Clare asked staring wide eyed at the six year old BMW.

"How do you think?" Fiona rolled her eyes, sometimes Clare could be such a baby. "How would it look for -"

"Fi, shut up." Sean gave her a hard look. Nearly blurting out who he was and who he worked for in the middle of the street. The way she blushed and dropped her head he knew she understood.

"You drive." With a grin he threw her the keys, showing her he wasn't really angry. A big smile came to Fiona's face as she opened the door and slid in behind the wheel of the large car. It took her a while to get the seat right so her feet could reach the pedals. Sean held the backdoor open for Clare and as she got in he lent over.

"I'll give you some driving lessons later on in the week, ok little sis?" He was rewarded by a heavy sigh from Fiona and a smirk from Clare.

"She's too young." Fiona stated and with that the two of them were at each others throats again. Sean got into the passenger seat and smiled. This was one of the main things he missed after leaving home. All the brothers loved to play one girl off the other then watch the fireworks.

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Fiona stopped the car, her face paling. "Sean?" Ahead of them was an Army patrol blocking the way, soldiers were flanking both sides of the street their guns held across their chests.

"It's ok Fi, let me drive though. The has been a bit of trouble recently, that's what this is about." They swapped places. "You've both got your IDs on you?" He waited until both girls had their documents out of their bags. Then he started forward slowly, winding his window down and coming to a halt when ordered. Both Fiona and Clare sat in silence as Sean did all the talking, the Soldier who had stopped the car checked their paperwork. Meanwhile another was running a mirror on a pole under the car checking for explosives and others stood on alert. After a few moments they were allowed to drive on.

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They spent that first night in Sean's flat catching him up on the gossip from home. The two girls curled up at opposite ends of his sofa and Sean in his favourite comfy chair they stayed up until the early hours of the morning.

The following day, Clare asked about going into the city centre and spending the day shopping. Fiona would usually of been pleased to go out round the shops, especially somewhere new. However last time she stayed with Sean as well as teaching her to drive he took her pistol shooting at a local range and now she was developing love for firearms. She wanted to go shooting.

"Why don't you two go shopping today, and we'll go to the gun range tomorrow." Sean tried to mediate, forgetting who he was dealing with.

"When Clare says shopping. What she means is shoplifting." Fiona answered smugly, as she rooted through her sister's handbag ignoring the protests. "She only wants me with her to help cut the security tags." She produced a tool another brother had made for Clare, designed to remove tags without damaging the clothes. "That and to watch her back."

Clare marched over and snatched her property back, she took hold of Fiona's top and pulled on it with her finger tips. "Oh it's me is it, miss high and mighty and how did you get this?" She let go of Fi's expensive designer blouse. With a flick of her long red hair she turned away to grin at her brother.

That was her mistake, Fiona grabbed the back of Clare's sweater pulling her over backwards. "Don't accuse me - " She stopped, mouth open but no sound coming out. Not only had she pulled harder than she had intended, Clare knocked against the kitchen table as she fell and a full glass of cranberry juice toppled off and over her favourite top.

The shriek could be heard all the way through the block of flats. "You bitch!" Clare scrabbled to her feet looking down at her ruined clothes.

Sean knew it was a risk, but his flat was only small and he didn't want it destroyed. So taking his chances he grabbed hold of Fiona before she could launch herself at her younger sister, he shoved her out of the front door and into the hall way then he shut the door in her face. Leaning against the door to stop her getting back in, he turned to Clare.

"I'm sure Fi will say she's sorry once she's calmed down. Now before you say or do anything else go get cleaned up." He ordered his less volatile sister.

Giving Sean a furious look Clare headed towards her room. "you tell that bitch I'm going to take her new jumper to replace this one." She shouted out. Fiona had obviously heard her because Sean felt the kick against the door.

"You tell that spoilt baby to keep her thieving hands outta my stuff." Fiona yelled back.

"Look I'm going to take her to the gun range. If you go into town, be careful. Don't have me going home to tell Ma you're in jail." Sean slid out of the front door, managing to keep Fiona from pushing by him.

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Sean sat to the side while his sister shot one of the club's pistols. She had calmed down remarkably quickly once they were in the car. Being almost sweet now she had got her own way.

"She was excited to go out in a strange city, and you ruined her top. How long had she spent getting ready this morning?" Sean commented, as Fiona brought up the gun to fire.

Fiona only just got the shot onto the target, Sean smiled, he had made his point.

"Try and breathe and relax." He told her, thinking that it was advice that Fiona should take to heart in all aspects of her life.

Once they had started shooting Fiona had began to forgive him for throwing her out of the flat.

"I'll make a bread pudding when we get in, she won't be back for hours, and then you can take her to the video shop let pick a film to watch." Her next shot was closer to the bulls eye.

He pulled a face. "If it's going to be a girly night, I might go down the pub."

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Fiona usually made quite a nice bread pudding, not as good as her Mother but never as bad as this one turned out. She blamed it on Sean's oven. They stared at the burnt brown coloured dessert with blackened currants and sultanas. She thought about throwing it away but decided Clare would probably find it funny so she left it on the table and went to settle down with a book.

It got to six o clock and Clare still wasn't home. Sean was beginning to threaten violence on the missing girl. She would only go into town from now on if Fiona went with her. Fiona sat quietly reading, she knew how Clare could forget the time when enjoying herself. She wasn't worried about her getting caught, nobody in the family was as good at stealing as the youngest Glenanne.

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Clare walked along the pavement a pleasant warm feeling in her heart. It came from a fantastic day spent going around the shops in Newry town centre. Totally new to the area, none of the security guards knew her face so she had no worries about being followed. Now loaded down with shopping bags she made her way back to Sean's. She had even forgiven Fiona, and got her a couple of very nice tops to say no hard feelings. She saw another checkpoint had been set up, but was unconcerned just a little put out at having to jiggle her bags about while finding her ID. Having been given the all clear she continued on her way.

She had gone no more than a dozen steps when she heard the roar of a car accelerating towards the soldiers,turning she watched the car smash through the roadblock and the loud cracks of shots being fired. She stood frozen, a quizzical look flickered over her face and she looked down, a frown forming at all the blood over her coat.

In slow motion her legs buckled and she slumped on to the cold pavement, She tried to speak as the young soldier who had checked her ID dropped down beside her. He was talking but she couldn't hear his words, she tried to speak but coughed instead, then started to gasp for air. 'Oh God this hurts.' she thought as she struggled to breathe, she coughed one last time then was still.

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Fiona glanced up from where she sat, at the sound of a heavy bang on the front door, followed by loud shouting. Sean opened the door to his next door neighbour Stevie Doyle, the young man was breathing heavily, his face flushed from running.

"Sean, I think you need to get down to Barley Street, the Army set up a checkpoint and some wee girl has been shot it looks like your sister."

Sean sprinted down the street, not even going back inside to tell his other sister. As he neared the scene he slowed down and pushed through the growing crowd. His heart was hammering in his chest and a pit seemed to be forming in his stomach. He had to grab hold of a man standing in the crowd to stop himself falling to the ground.

Four soldiers stood around the body of a girl. Long red hair fanned out around her head and blood pooled about the small dainty body. He couldn't see her face though, he desperately wanted to see the girl's face.

"Clare!" Sean shouted and pushed through, towards the body. Those who knew who he was got out of his way. Breaking through the police line holding the bystanders back, he was grabbed immediately. Furiously he fought with the policemen who tried to stop him reaching his sister, until finally he was thrown to the floor and someone knelt on his back while handcuffs were clicked around his wrists. Even then he continued to struggle calling out his sister's name.

"Jesus!" Someone in the crowd called out. "They're arresting Sean Glenanne."

An Army Captain could see how this was going and called in re-enforcements. While waiting for them to arrive he arranged for Clare's body was carried away to the coroners office and Sean to be taken into custody. As Sean was driven away in the back of an armored police car, bricks started to rain down on the patrol men still on the scene. More and more of the local youths poured out of the nearby houses and alleyways, a molotov cocktail hit the road infront of the remaining soldiers lighting up the road. "Murderers!" Was shouted out, and then taken up by the crowd.

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Fiona had followed Sean down the street, she heard his desperate cry and then as the crowd began to turn angry Fiona felt a gentle hand on her arm. It was Stevie, "Come on girl you shouldn't be out here now."

"But Clare? Sean?" She couldn't get her head around what had happened it was all to terrible, she shook and if Stevie hadn't wrapped an arm around her she would off collapsed.

"Clare." Fiona began to wail as it hit her, Clare was dead. Her baby sister had gone. She pushed her fist into her mouth to stop herself screaming.

Stevie carried her into his Mother's house and as the woman and her daughters comforted her. Stevie and his three brothers headed out into the street.

Fiona lay in a large double bed with two of Stevie's sisters. She had stopped crying hours earlier, now her body jumped and twitched at every scream and crash she heard coming up off the street. The was random cracks of gunfire and she could see the shadows of flames that came through the window from the cars below that had been set on fire. By daylight she was exhausted and numb, after a wash she went in to the kitchen and sat, hands wrapped around a mug of tea staring into space.

Sean appeared at mid-day with bruised ribs and a black eye, they stood hugging for ages. He held his sister tight and stroked her head as she cried into his chest. When she was calm again he broke more bad news. They wouldn't release Clare's body until their investigation was finished. Also he wanted Fiona to go home without him, he was known to the security forces and was being watched. He didn't want to bring that trouble home to his Mother. He planned to stay in the North until just before the funeral.

Peter Glenanne turned up several hours later to pick up his sister and take her home. Peter was the second oldest, he lived in Belfast and had set off as soon as he had got word what had happened. He disappeared with Sean for a short while, then started back to the family home with his heart broken sister.

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It was two weeks before Clare's body was released, and returned to her family. The official report said Clare had been killed by a single bullet from one of the soldiers who had been firing on the car that had broken through the checkpoint. It was ruled an accident, the soldier would be reprimanded. The car had been stolen and had been found a mile away.

Once home Fiona remained quiet, anybody who spoke to her was faced with a cold angry glare and silence. Eventually people started to stay out of her way. After the funeral she approached Sean just before he was leaving to go back to the North.

"I what to join the cause." She said. "I want you to take me before the council."

"God, no Fi. Please Ma will kill me if I do that." He pleaded.

"Take me or I'll do it myself. Then Ma really will kill you." She stared at him, her voice calm and firm.

Reluctantly he nodded his agreement. If he took her she might get a measure of respect. It would definitely be better than her trying to get an interview alone. Looking back at the graveyard he felt that he was about to lose his remaining sister.