Maeve walked down the street. She hated the feel of eyes constantly on her. She was a beautiful woman buy she never got used to it. One more pair only made her more uncomfortable.

She just wanted to go to the corner store to pick up a few pints of Guinness for her and the boys. A bodyguard is unnecessary. Her brother had gone way too far this time. She turned a sharp corner and maneuvered herself swiftly through a maze of back allies. When she convinced herself that she lost the bodyguard, she redirected her walk toward the store again.

She walked in and got a twelve-pack from the refrigerated case. "Is that all lass?" the cashier asked at his counter. She nodded and gave him the money she owed. The glass window behind him shattered and the man fell on top of the counter dead, a bullet hole in his back.

Maeve fell to the floor and crawled to the rear of the building, pack in hand. More bullets flew through the windows causing glass to rain down on her. She made it to the door in one piece and kicked it open.

A man stood there, gun pointed at her head. She kicked it aside and used her free hand to punch him in the stomach. He doubled over and she raised her knee to his face to knock him unconscious.

"Stop!" Maeve turned around to see the owner of the voice and found 20-25 men standing, all having guns pointed at her.

Two men came forward, each restraining one of her arms. One man took the case from her hand. "You'll be sorry for that!" she told him. She turned back to the men with guns, "All this for me? That's so sweet, but you shouldn't have, really!"

The leader stepped forward, "Not for you, for your brother, Dermott. Where is he?"

Might as well kill two birds with one stone, she thought. "He's right there!" she pointed to her bodyguard who was walking down the street toward the store.

They all turned and started firing at him. He took cover behind a car. While their attention was diverted, Maeve took the arms of the soldiers that were holding her and flipped them over at the same time.

"That's not him! Shoot her!" the leader yelled over the gun fire. The soldiers turned to shoot so Maeve grabbed the fallen man's gun and dove behind a row of shelves and the shooting battle began.

"Dammit girl! How can you be such a pain in the ass!" the 'bodyguard' said to himself. He withdrew his gun and started shooting toward the store where all the soldiers were. He went from car to car, closer to the store, shooting. A car door opened and a man pulled him into the car, grabbing his gun. The captive then pulled another gun from his boot and aimed it at the man.
"Relax. It's just me."

"Sorry. Just trying not to get killed."

"Don't forget the plan."

"Are you sure it's worth it?"

"Yes. Anything to catch Dermott McConnell. Now go."

"The 'bodyguard' exited the car and carefully snuck up to the store. He fired out the rest of his round killing five of the soldiers. He dove into the isle Maeve was in to dodge the leader's bullets. Maeve turned and shot twice at him, hitting him once in the shoulder. He cried out in pain.

"You again? You're like a bad nightmare. Will you ever go away?"

"Thanks for your concern. I'm fine."

"I didn't ask, now did I, gobshite?"

"Out the back. I'll cover you."

"I don't need no coverin'. Injured and weak first." Maeve gestured with her gun.

After he made a swifty exit, Maeve dove in clear view, sliding and grabbed her case of pints. She made it to the other side of the back door and used it as cover between shooting at the soldiers. Maeve disappeared into another alley and the bodyguard followed.

"You and your Black Stuff. Couldn't you have just bought another case?"

"What can I say? We Irish like our beer. You wouldn't know that though, would you? Because you aren't Irish." Maeve spun around pointing her gun in his face. "Who are you?" She demanded ready to shoot.