The defensive perimeter around Colonel Tanner’s headquarters is like nothing I’ve ever seen. There is a ring of armed guards surrounding the building and even more inside. However, Hanley does not seem daunted.
‘I’ve come up against worse,’ he says gruffl y. ‘And won?’ I enquire nervously. He refrains from answering and continues on.
Much to my surprise, we make it to the study without any real obstacles. Any guards I’d previously noticed seemed to disappear as we arrived at their former locations. We approach the heavy doors of Tanner’s study and Hanley pushes them open.
‘I’ll wait here,’ he mumbles, as sombrely as usual. ‘Find those fi les.’
I enter the room and begin my vigorous search. The study is luxurious, full of medals and pictures of Tanner. I have little time to admire the room, however. I am only minutes into my search when I hear a fl oorboard creak behind me. Before I can turn to investigate the noise, for the second time that day a sharp pain plagues the back of my head. The accompanying crack confi rms my suspicions. As I roll over on the fl oor, I see Hanley standing over me, a wide grin on his face, fl anked by imperial soldiers. That’s the last thing I see before everything goes dark.
My dank and dark cell in Kilmainham Gaol is not where I’d dreamed of spending my last few days. I only realised today that I never learned the name of the important man in the cell beside me. The crack of a rifl e tells me I shan’t have much use for his name anymore, even if I knew it. I doubt I’ll have use for any names, not where I’m headed.
