A Wild Rose in Spring

By Kenna Gordon

Maybe life was not as black and white as Kasey Quinn wanted it to be. It seemed that her life had been decided before she was born. The schools she would attend, the clothes she wore, the people she called her friends, and the day she would take her place in the family business. But fate had a different plan for Kasey’s life. A predetermined plan that was set in motion years before, when the lives of five people converged and her journey with Sean McKenna began.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483560519

Book preview

Twelve

Chapter One

~Fall 1963~

The smell of fertilizer and petrol filled the small garage on the edge of town as the four men worked quickly to finish before dusk fell over the Irish countryside. They had been gathering bags of fertilizer, cans of petrol, and empty beer kegs from a local pub for weeks, squirreling away the supplies until it was time to assemble a bomb.

Homemade firebombs had proven effective against British troops in the past, and their training had taught them to use whatever they had on hand. Carefully measuring the exact proportions of ammonium nitrate and fuel, they filled the six aluminum barrels and sealed them tight.

The bomb maker’s hands shook as he readied the detonator knowing that if he accidently triggered the device, the detonation wave would not only take out the tiny garage but everything within a thousand meters. After assembling the bomb, the men cautiously loaded the heavy kegs into the back of a lorry they had commandeered from a car dealer in the area. With the ability to carry 3200 kilograms of explosives, the vehicle would serve as the perfect delivery mechanism for a bomb this size. A light green sedan followed closely behind the lorry as it headed north. The driver of the automobile, a young Patrick O’Connor, wondered if he and his friends would return home safely.

The long four-hour drive gave Patrick time to reflect on the events that brought them to this moment. How the Irish, inspired by America’s determination to achieve independence from British rule, struggled for years to gain that same independence.

The Irish rebellion began in 1798 when the people of Ireland rose up against the British with a resolve to end England’s grip on Ireland, but the British quickly suppressed their attempts at freedom. Although the uprising was unsuccessful, it helped to unite the people of Ireland, giving them the hope that a free Irish Republic was possible. They would finally gain a modicum of independence on December 6, 1921. However, their dream of absolute freedom was still unrealized. The treaty between the Irish and the British had bitterly divided the country into North and South. While most Irish independent leaders were willing to accept a compromise, staunch Republicans were not. Their dream to secede from the United Kingdom, and establish an independent Irish Republic, included all of Ireland.

Years of struggle came at a price, and for some that price was high. Patrick O’Connor’s grandfather had fought in both the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War; he died when the black and tans captured and executed him. Years later a young Patrick watched as British soldiers brutally gunned down his father outside their home in Tipperary—he was only twelve. Patrick could still hear his mother’s whaling as she threw herself over her husband’s lifeless body. He had seen, firsthand, the heartache and devastation their fight for freedom had cost them. However, his desire to live in a free Ireland was innate; bred in him from birth.

The IRA had recruited Patrick O’Connor and his friends, Aidan, Liam, and Seamus as part of a campaign to attack British infrastructure targets within Northern Ireland. Republican activists had already successfully destroyed a courthouse in Armagh, a couple of army barracks in County Fermanagh, and a relay transmitter owned by the BBC in the city of Derry. Their objective was to force their enemy to flee by attacking British strongholds in Northern Ireland.

The moon hung high above the Irish countryside as the four friends drove north toward their intended target, the Ballylumford Power Station. The drive from County Cork had been uneventful, but Patrick could not help but feel a sense of trepidation. As they approached the narrow neck of land off the northern tip of Ireland, Patrick could see the lights of the power station off in the distance. The Protestant-run facility was the largest power plant in Northern Ireland; the location provided more than half the power to the province. The IRA knew that if they could disable the facility, it would hamper British operations in the North for months.

Liam Murphy and his friend Seamus drove the small van onto the service road to the rear of the power station. The plan was to park the lorry, painted to resemble a Ballylumford service vehicle, near the back of the plant where it would do the most damage. The two men would need to work quickly to arm the bomb and make their way back to the sedan before sunrise.

Liam turned off the engine and grabbed his backpack. Looking up at the night sky, he noticed the moon had hidden behind a bank of clouds, giving them the cover they needed to complete their task undetected.

Looking over at his friend, Liam said, Remember we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.

Aye, Seamus responded, as he checked the loaded gun in his lap.

Jumping out of the van, they hunkered down, and hastily made their way to the back of the lorry. Liam climbed in to set the detonator while, Seamus stood watch.

Make it quick, it’ll be mornin’ soon, Seamus said.

Aye, don’t be rushin’ me, Liam said nervously, as he carefully connected the detonation wires and set the timer to go off during morning shift change. Exiting the back of the vehicle, Liam and Seamus walked toward the green sedan that was waiting for them just beyond a row of hedges that lined the main road.

Patrick anxiously tapped the steering wheel as the sun began to appear on the horizon. Where were his friends? They should be here by now he thought. A burst of gunfire made him sit to attention.

What the hell, he said looking over at Aidan.

Aidan looked out the window hoping to see his friends, but instead, he only saw Seamus, covered in blood, running toward the car.

Jumping into the back seat he breathlessly said, They shot him. They shot Liam.

Who shot him? Aidan asked.

A British soldier. Seamus buried his head in his bloody hands. They shot him, he muttered repeatedly.

Patrick flung the car door open and started getting out of the vehicle. Patrick, no, Aidan said, grabbing his arm. We have to go. We have to go now!

I won’t be leavin’ him here.

Patrick we must go. Now! Aidan exclaimed as he noticed a small number of British soldiers making their way around the building.

As shots rang out, Patrick put the car in gear, spun around and headed back down the service road to the main thoroughfare. His heart began to race as he headed for the main road. Taking the back roads, they made it as far as Dunnamanagh before Patrick realized the authorities would be looking for their vehicle. They drove only a few miles before abandoning the sedan in a farmer’s field.

Taking off on foot, the three men made their way through the countryside, to the border town of Lifford, and across the River Finn to the safety of the republic.

Exhausted, cold, and hungry, Patrick sat down to catch his breath.

Looking over at Seamus he asked, How did they know we would be there?

What?

How did the British know we would be there? Patrick repeated the question.

How should I know, Seamus replied.

It doesn’t matter now, Aidan said, trying to ease the tension between the two friends.

Patrick knew Aidan was right; now was not the time for answers, but his thoughts were of Kathleen, Liam’s younger sister. She would be waiting for them—what was he going to tell her? What was he going to tell Kathleen?

Chapter Two

~Spring 2002~

It was a chilly spring morning; Kasey Quinn sat in a coffee shop just up the street from her apartment. She liked spending Sunday mornings at the small café sipping chai tea lattes and reading the Irish Times her grandmother had sent the week before, along with the usual tin of biscuits, and her favorite Irish brews. However, this Sunday morning Kasey was waiting for her twin sister Katelin, who as usual was running late. Always two minutes too late, Kasey thought; as she sat down at a corner table with her cup of tea, and a cup of coffee she had purchased for her sister. Kasey had agreed to meet Kate to discuss plans for Meggie’s eighty-ninth birthday, the two sisters wanted to do something special for her.

Meggie Sheehan was their mother’s aunt; she had come from Ireland after the birth of Kathleen Quinn’s oldest son, Christopher. More than twenty-six years and five children later Meggie was running the Quinn’s household like a well-oiled machine until the unthinkable happened—doctors diagnosed Kathleen with stage-four breast cancer. Meggie was the one who