Crime Network Session 1: There's a Rat in My House

The fading sun had left only dim moonlight and a thin but steady mist, however, this did not deter the small Fiat car carrying four persons from traveling to an old family farm nestled in the hills and lower peaks of the Sperrin Mountains. After thirty minutes of driving along narrow county roads, the driver, a pretty young blond, turned off onto a gravel drive that would take her and her compatriots to her father's farm house.

Minutes later the four guests were closing their car doors shut and were greeted by a grinning old man and his unsmiling comrade. The smiling old man was Nathan Kerrigan, founder and leader of a rogue element of the C.I.R.A., an organization dedicated to the violent reunification of Ireland. His comrade was "Mean" Mike Connors, an ally and trusted friend of over forty years in "The Struggle" against Great Britain and her villainous clutches.

Kerrigan's daughter, Fiona (a PC), the pretty blond driver, giggled loudly and ran into her father's arms. She held him tight and they exchanged pleasantries while Fiona's three companions began unpacking their belongings from the car. The joyful family reunion was overshadowed by the disapproving stare of "Mean" Mike Connors who hated the intruders presence only slightly less than their reason for arriving that night.

Hours later, after a few glasses of wine and a homemade meal provided by host Nathan Kerrigan, "Mean" Mike Connonrs garnered every one's attention by telling the newly arrived guests their purpose for coming. He told them that both he and Nathan were convinced that there is a rat inside of the organization that has been relying plans, contacts, and safe-houses to the authorities.

Kerrigan then interrupted and mentioned that rat-catching is one of Mike's specialties but he has been unable to catch the rat for over a month and that he didn't know who else to trust with so significant a task. This, he explained, was why he called in his beloved daughter and her associates to take care of this problem.

Kerrigan then went on to tell the group that before they begin looking for the rat that they were to meet up with a representative of a Belfast Skinhead group, Erik "The Skin", to broker a trade for the Skins Semtex in exchange for the C.I.R.A.'s AK-47 assault rifles.

The next night, Fiona (a PC), Owen (a PC), John (a PC) and Maggie (a PC) pulled up to a construction site that was owned by Erik the Skin's uncle to broker their trade. When they arrived, Erik was flanked to two small but muscular supremacists who each had M16s slung over their shoulders. The four got out of their car and Erik greeted the group with firm handshakes for the men and with kisses to the hands for the ladies.

After the exchanged of compliments the two sides got down to business. Erik stated that he wanted 50 AKs every week along with 3,000 rounds of ammunition and that in return he could and would supply five pounds of Semtex to the C.I.R.A. The group was started by the massive quantities of weapons being discussed but Erik said that he had heard that the C.I.R.A. was recently undergoing troubles and may not be around for long, so he wanted to purchase as many weapons as he could in as short a time as possible. Luckily for the group they were able to leave the meeting with a promise to deliver 25 assault rifles the next week and to then contact their supplier so that they could discuss purchasing more weapons from him to sell to the Skins. Both sides were satisfied by this arrangement. The only further hiccup during the negotiations was when Maggie's cell phone went off and Erik became rather agitated.

The group turned and made their way back to their car that was parked at the entrance of the construction site. Maggie and Fiona were closet to the car when a yellow H3 crept towards them slowly. Maggie noticed that the windows were down slightly and as the car approached that she thought that she smelled the fragrance of marijuana. Before the words of warning could escape her lips the windows on the H3 rolled all the way down and Maggie saw the snubs of an Uzi and a Mack 10 peak out and open fire.

Maggie was caught unawares as the 9mm round blasted thru her arm and Fiona took a bullet to both her chest and her side. Both women dropped to the hard pavement with cries of agony and without a chance to return fire. However, both women struggled forward so that they were behind their car in the event of any further shooting.


As Owen and John pulled their weapons out the H3 sped off and a yellow sports car took its place. Two gangsters jumped out with weapons drawn. Owen and John both unloaded their weapons at the gangsta who exited the driver's side door. After taking two 9mm Glock rounds from John the gangster was violently thrown back into side-mirror of the yellow sports car by a blast from Owen's shotgun that struck his chest.

The surviving gangster began to shoot wildly at the group while he cursed at them loudly. Over the sounds of gunshots and with blood gushing out of her side Fiona thought that she could hear the gunman shouting with a thick Jamaican accent.

While John fired off suppression rounds Owen made his way around the rear of the sports car in a long arching run. John was quite surprised however when three of his suppression shots actually struck the gangster and instead of dropping, the gangster simply changed shooting hands and continued firing! John quickly realized that either this was the meanest gangsta ever, or he was as high as a kite!!!

Owen, crouching as low as he could came around the rear of the car with his shotgun at the ready. The Jamaicans entire body was within feet of Owen, and just before he squeezed off another round he heard the loud shrieking of an approaching police vehicle. Realizing that the group had overstayed their welcome, Owen raised himself to his full height and let loose with a 12 gauge shell to the Jamaicans cranium. What was left of the shooter's torso and legs slammed roughly into the pavement as a large police van pulled up and swung itself in a blocking position on the street.

Before the police van skidded to a complete stop, Welsh Bob, the most dedicated and vicious anti-IRA paramilitary in all of Northern Ireland opened the passenger side door and unloaded approximately forty 5.56 rounds from his SAW machine gun. Maggie, Fiona, and John all utilized their car as a shield but the car itself took serious damage to its rear window, rear lights, bumper, and both tires. John raised his Glock over their vehicle and fired off a few rounds to no effect.

It took him roughly three seconds to realize that a) more police were on their way b) there were now two corpses and two wounded people bleeding on the streets c) there was no way that the C.I.R.A members were ever going to be able to beat a Kevlar vest wearing SAW armed policemen and d) it was time to get the hell outta there!

While John was formulating a plan with the girls the cavalry finally arrived. While attempting to staunch her massive blood loss, Fiona saw Erik the Skin's two assistants run towards the chain-link entrance fence. When the two supremacists reached the fence they unslung their M16s and opened up on Welsh Bob and his heavily armored police van.

Rounds tore into the side of the vehicle but there were little visible damage. However, the white supremacists were able to catch Welsh Bob's attention and he quickly through open his van door, dove inside, and slammed the door back shut behind him. John knew that this was the time to leave. He hollered at the women to hop in as he entered the car himself.

John forcefully turned the key in the ignition until he heard it catch. Looking over his left shoulder he saw Owen making a break for them. Throwing the car into drive, John reached back and opened the rear-driver's side door and Owen dove inside.

Before Owen could alert everyone that he was in, the Skins M16s went silent and Welsh Bob once again emerged from his van and unloaded another long burst at the car. More 5.56 bullets punctured the trunk of the Fiat but luckily none of them punctured anyone in the group. John slammed down on the accelerator and the car lurched forwards while the massive firefight continued behind.

Roughly five minutes later John finally removed his entire foot from the accelerator and the group took stock. Owen began to apply first aid to Fiona's side with a used fast-food bag and napkins. While Owen worked on Fiona, the group debated what to do next. While they were discussing their options, Maggie's phone rang again and it was "Mean" Mike telling them that Nathan Kerrigan's house had been raided by the police and that going back to the farmhouse was obviously compromised. "Mean" Mike told them to instead to travel to the group's home away from home: Murphy's Pub.



Thirty minutes later the group pulled up to Murphy's Pub in a newly stolen non-descript van. The only visible movement in and outside of the bar was the usual fixture; old Nevin sitting at the bar polishing off another pint. Before entering the group discussed the chances that they were being set-up, but before they could finish their conversation there was a loud bang on the drivers-side window next to John's head. Standing outside the van was "Mean" Mike who was scowling when he growled, "Leave your weapons and come inside, the authorities are after us...Nathan wants to speak with ya...now".

The group followed "Mean" Mike inside the pub and as soon as he realized their presence, old Nevin downed the remainder of his pint, pushed his bar stool back and promptly left the pub. Nathan Kerrigan was standing in the back corner of the pub watching the news on an old television. As the group cautiously approached they could see that the anchorwoman was standing in the middle of the street where the earlier shootout had taken place and was enlightening the rest of Ireland about the most "recent flare-up of gang violence in downtown Belfast." Locals then told the cameras how scared and angry they were at the shooting and even a local "community leader" named Dewan Thomas Jr. accused the police of not caring about the victims because of their race and socioeconomic status.


Just as Fiona was going to take a seat to rest her beaten body "Mean" Mike put a hand on her shoulder and nodded for her to follow him. When the two were out of ear-shot of the group "Mean" Mike quickly told her that under no uncertain terms did he trust her or any of her friends. He also told her that he believed that she or one of her friends was the actual rat. Lastly, Mike told Fiona that he had a Sicilian contact that he was bringing in to personally rid the C.I.R.A. once and for all of their rat problem. "Mean" Mike then stormed out of the pub and Fiona was left wondering about what the hell she had gotten into.

As she struggled to comprehend everything that had happened to her and her friend's that night the pub's doors were thrown open. Fiona's ears were assaulted by the loudest noise she had ever heard and she, her father, and her friends were immediately restrained by members of Britain's SO13 anti-terrorist squad. Within minutes they were all frisked and then marched into the rear of a waiting police transportation van.

The next thirty days were a blur of interrogations, cold temperatures, sleepless nights, and further interrogations. Fiona, Owen, Maggie, and John were all subjected to numerous unpleasant coercive tactics, however nothing that was considered tortuous to the British government.

At the end of thirty days Fiona was given her cloths and possessions back. She was told that someone was waiting for her and that if she continued "down her chosen path that she would most likely end up back in jail." Bewildered after a month of captivity she said nothing and made her way outside.

Waiting at the facilities entrance for her was "Mean" Mike and her father. She ran and hugged her father tightly and out of the corner of her eye she then saw John and Maggie. As the tears ran down her cheeks in a moment of extreme emotion she asked where Owen was. Her father said that he hadn't been released yet and that he was
being held on terrorism charges. Before Fiona could respond "Mean" Mike interjected, "Or maybe he's talking to them about us right now..."