The next day, London time, Ron and Nancy were sitting in Lord John's manor house discussing the plans they were going to implement shortly.

"I've reviewed your exterior camera tapes," Ron was saying to his Lordship, "And the CIA and MI6 think they have identified at least one of the men who dropped off the package. He's a known confederate of Brendan McGann so I think we can assume the other man is as well. Scotland Yard sources are looking for them, but figures they are in hiding somewhere. If they left Great Britain, it might take time which we don't have."

"What about searching for McGann himself?" John asked.

Nancy answered that question. "He would be much harder to find. By now he knows United States intelligence is using every mechanism they have to find him so he is far underground. Sinn Fein has so many safe houses that we couldn't begin to search them all or, for that matter, know them all. I regret to say that Northern Ireland hasn't really high on our list of terror locations so we haven't cultivated sources there in quite a few years."

"But we have," John quietly replied. "We have had to for our country's safety. Let me work my contacts again and see if I can come up with anything. In the meantime, what are you two going to do?"

"I'm going into London this afternoon to meet with Scotland Yard and talk with their investigators and see if I've missed anything," Ron replied.

"I have a meeting with some MI6 undercover people in a local pub nearby. I want some more information on Sinn Fein and their operations so we can build up our files. It's like building the barn after the horse has escaped, but it should do us some good later."

Somewhere outside of Belfast, Abbey's relationship with Gladys was deteriorating. Abbey wasn't the type of person who could easily sit quietly and not ask questions. Neither could she tolerate the kind of silence Gladys seemed to prefer and it was beginning to wear on her nerves. Although she knew that it only meant trouble for her if she couldn't keep silent, her patience was wearing thin. The only thing keeping her quiet was lying on her bed between meal times and trying to think of other things. Asking questions of her hostess only brought one- or two-word answers, if any at all.

Getting up from her bed, Abbey walked out to the kitchen. She had made a decision and come hell or high water; she would make the request.

"Gladys?"

"Yes?" Gladys turned from the stove where she had been stirring something for lunch.

"I want to go for a walk. I need some fresh air and this place is closing in."

Gladys just stared at her.

"Are you crazy?"

"No. I need some fresh air."

"You haven't been here 24 hours yet."

"I know, but I need some fresh air. Can you get one of the guys to unlock the door?"

Gladys continued to stare at her, then shrugged her shoulders. "It's your life."

Abbey shuddered at that remark, but she was determined to go ahead with her request.

Gladys went over to the window and yelled for Martin to come over to her. When he arrived, she told him what Abbey wanted. He glanced around Gladys at the guest and then back at Gladys. "She knows?"

"I guess."

"Well, okay. Let me get Charles."

Gladys went back to stirring the pot and didn't say a word. Abbey waited for her to say something, but there was no further conversation between the two women.

In a minute or so Abbey heard the key being turned in the padlock on the door and the door opened. Charles and Martin stood there, motioning for Abbey to come out. As she exited, Charles took her arms and pulled them behind her and tied her hands together. Martin slid a black hood over her head. She screamed, but it didn't do any good.

Together, they roughly dragged her over the ground, into the barn and threw her onto the barn floor. Once on the ground, Charles tied her feet together while Martin placed tape over her mouth and eyes.

Standing over her, she could hear their laughter. Before they left her, Martin said, "You were told not to make trouble. Enjoy your short life."

The last noise she heard was the door being slammed shut and the padlock being attached and locked.

Once again, only silence.