Celtic Code

The backdrop for the first excerpt (from chapter one of The Celtic Code) is the turbulent confrontations, often deadly and destructive, occurring in Northern Ireland between pro-Irish and pro-British factions who want to determine the future of the disputed territory. Look at those flags, would you? Patrick said disgustingly, referring to the national flags of Great Britain and Ireland hanging conspicuously outside the Victorian style masonry building. The bloody Brits want us to think that the sides are equal and that progress will be made at this meeting. When Patrick saw the police shut the main door of the guildhall and close ranks around the building, he knew that all of the participants were present. He patiently waited a little longer, looking at his watch. Our people should be out of the meeting room by now. May God be with them if theyre not. He pulled a cigarette and a book of matches from his shirt pocket and, at the same time, he withdrew the remote control, concealing it in the palm of his hand. He grabbed Timothys shirt and pulled him closer, hiding his hand and remote detonation device between them... . This one is for you, Sean, Patrick said under his breath, referring to the deceased founder of the SLC (Shamrock Liberation Council). Sean had been a militant Irish patriot who had died for their sacred cause. May God bless your soul. When his somber dedication was complete, Patrick slid the cover from the remote control and pulled on Timothy, forcing him to take cover behind the stone wall. Protected, Patrick pressed the red detonation button without hesitating. Momentarily, a horrendous blast erupted inside the guildhall. The deafening noise was followed by pieces of glass and chucks of masonry showering virtually everything within blocks. Thick clouds of smoke filled the air along with the distinctive odor of burning wood. As the last of the fragments of the building pelted to the ground, the sounds of painful screams and sirens filled the air. A few people, those who could, began staggering out of the building, injured and dazed by the explosion. People who were not injured were running about aimlessly, not knowing where to go, or what to do. Fire was roaring from the busted windows, masonry rubble was strewn over the street, and bodies, some with smoldering clothing, were crumpled on the sidewalk. Patrick and Timothy stood to survey the devastation they had caused, then casually began walking away while frantic people ran past them, scurrying in every direction. They returned to their car and slowly drove from the city to report the success of their mission. The SLC had delivered an ultimatum to the British government, violently announcing that the small, dedicated army of patriots was prepared to do whatever was necessary to secure the independence of Northern Ireland. The British Prime Minister determined to end the terrorism, calls for a secret Celtic summit. The PM invites several leaders of the free world to develop a hard-line solution for dealing with the fanatical organizations that are determined to free Northern Ireland from Great Britain. An American, Byron Coulter, accompanying his wife, Hillary, on a business trip to London, becomes involved in the PMs secret meeting. Byron unknowing obtains a cryptic code detailing the particulars about the secret Celtic summit meeting; a coded message that was intended for the SLC, an ultra militant splinter group of the IRA. The SLC uses several subtle methods to recover the code, but all of them fail. Determined to destroy the Celtic summit, the SLC leadership employs more sinister means to recover the code, ultimately resorting to intimidation, kidnapping, and murder. Byron, disguised with his wifes blind ambition to become a corporate executive, decides to return to the states. In the London airport, he meets a charming woman, Mary Kate, who manage