Brendan knew well the dangers of the IRA when he joined up. He wasn't scared because he wasn't scared of death. All he wanted to do was make Belfast a safe, secure and prosperous for his kids to live. He wanted the war over and won preferably so that Declan and Padraig wouldn't get roped in to the danger of the patriot game like he had. Brendan believed he could help, and make things better so that there were jobs for them all he wanted was for them to be happy. Although Brendan was high up in the rankings he rarely went on bomb missions. Partly because if the warning wasn't given early enough he would be responsible for innocents peoples deaths and partly because he didn't want to go to prison for his kids sake. Brendan was no coward though. He was heavily involved in the safety side of things. He spread warnings, protected streets when UVF and protestant gangs attacked and trained recruits on the best way to cause financial damage to a building without killing anyone.

Brendan had just heard tell from higher places that he would be training some new recruits for the next few weeks. He was to meet the recruits in a little village in the Mountains that spilled over the Donegal border into Derry.. Brendan set out in his car and drove up to the village where he was well known. There was a safe house within the village and the troops never dared to enter the district on foot. He would teach the recruits about rifles, bombs and safety. It sounded ridiculous but if they got closer to peace he didn't care.

The first of Brendan's recruits to arrive was a middle aged man, a few inches shorter than Brendan. He was quite plump but looked quite strong aswell. Next was a pair of brothers from both lean and young. Brendan almost felt sorry for them. He could already tell they were in it for the wrong reasons, because their parents had pumped their heads full of propaganda they were hear out of brain washing not choice and they were fighting for pride not peace. Others followed young and old, short, tall, fat, thin until Brendans recruits were 8 in total. Brendan assumed that all had arrived and began giving a talk on the importance of loyalty and silence during interrogation. 10 minnits in to the talk there was a knock at the door. Everyone fell silent and Brendan crept up to the door and looked through the peek hole. The glass was clouded and scratched and the figure was blurry but Brendan could see no police or army uniforms so opened the door. Standing in front of him was a skinny lad who looked about 19. He had a Tracksuit on and filthy trainers. He was slouched but about 3 inches shorter than Brendan.

"Hello, I'm Ste" said the boy in a mancunian accent.

"yeh and what do you want Steven?" Brendan replied.

"Well I'm a recruit aint I" the boy replied

Brendan laughed out loud. He could not possibly imagine that somebody expected him to train this young, skinny, innocent boy in to a soldier.

"You are kidding me"

"What's so funny" said Ste defensively

"nothing, nothing" Brendan said still giggling "We just don't get many English joining up"

"Well I have Irish blood and I've been taught wrong from right, ain't I" Ste replied

"Alright, fine come in." Brendan Said leading him in the meeting room.

"Everyone this is Steven" Brendan announced.

"Just Ste" Ste cut in

"Right, yes" Brendan continued "well sit down and we'll get on with this then"

Brendan carried on with the talk everyone listened intently the adrenaline seemed to make their eyes wider. All through the talk Brendan felt like Ste was watching him. This was of corse ridiculous because everyone was watching him. Ste's eyes opened wider at Brendan's more graphic descriptions of interrogation methods. Brendan felt guilty for teaching something so violent to someone so innocent. Brendan had never thought about it like that before. That he was corrupting minds. That he was taking away innocence. It was something he only felt with Steven When the talk was finished the men all went off to the pub to meet the villagers who they would be staying with. As Ste got up to leave Brendan called him over and waited for the others to leave.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he said in a low voice

"What? What are you on about?" said Ste

"You're young, you haven't lived yet, there's no shame in ducking out"

"I'm old enough, I have two kids and I want the world to be right for them"

Brendan ignored connection he felt when he heard Ste's reason for joining and consentrated on the shock of him having 2 kids.

"Jesus Steven, 2 kids!"

"yes, I'm 24"

"OK, OK then go back to them. Look after them, you have to be prepared to die if you fight"

"I am!' said Ste and I'm doing this for my kids. Stop picking on me, I'm staying"

With that Ste stormed out slamming the door and leaving Brendan to his thoughts. Brendan sighed in resignation. Defiance is normaly courageous or annoying but on Ste it looked kind of way his head shot up, his lips pouted and his eyes shone. Brendan pushed the thought deep in to the back of his mind and went to the pub to try and get rid of the butterflies in his stomach.