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"These bastards think we’re the ones with no principles, but we’re the ones who uphold our religion, who uphold our faith above everything else. They went to the pinnacle of Catholicism and burned it down. They went to our parish, and destroyed St. Patrick’s.
“If they hadn’t declared war on us with countless untold small acts of aggression, this is merely confirmation that these enemies need eradicating."
Because I’d come to think of Aidan Sr. as a kind of deranged monster who liked to crucify people in his spare time, it was weird to see him speak lucidly about this situation. Even weirder to realize that he was a good orator who sold his lies as if they were gospel truth. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise though. Men with this kind of power often could weave a spell over a crowd.
And this crowd, well, it could be considered bespelled.
They were shuffling, wriggling, talking, and chattering. Whispering among themselves and taking deep gulps of their drinks. Even the kids were listening. The elder ones no longer messed around on their phones, and the younger ones stopped playing their games.
As silence reverberated around the room with all the power of a wrecking ball about to dive into the glass walls of the solarium, Aidan let the tension ratchet up, and up, and up, and up.
Even though their leader looked like he’d gone up against a WWE wrestler and lost, they were still clearly terrified of him.
Impressed, I peered around, curious what the pressure was doing to people.
Some guys looked angry, others looked nervous.
Was the anger at the arson attacks? At the war? Were the nerves because these Captains and Lieutenants had something to hide?
"It’s come to my attention," Aidan Sr. rumbled, "that we have rats in our midst. People who’ve been speaking with the Sparrows, maybe even dealing with them for decades." Gasps surged around the room like a tidal wave. "We’ve come to learn their MO.
“They approach a man about a crime they purportedly committed. That man is in fact innocent of that offense, but they will fit him up for the job if he doesn’t comply with their wishes.
"When faced with a choice like that, well, it’s easy to see why someone could fall into temptation. If Adam and Eve could do it," he declared, "how can simple creatures like us resist?
"But when I spoke of miracles, I was speaking of the offer I’m about to give you.
"On Christmas Day 1914, in the trenches, my grandda told me of a game of soccer he played with the Germans. For those ninety minutes, there was peace in No Man’s Land. Peace in the midst of war. I’m going to offer a ceasefire to the men in this room right now. An armistice, as it were.
"Over the next few hours, you’ll each come into my office and speak with me. You will have a moment to confess.
“If you had dealings with the Sparrows, and you admit to it in my office, there will be no retaliation. Nobody apart from myself and Aidan Jr. will know you betrayed the Points." His eyes narrowed. "If, however, you do not speak out, and we learn another way that you’re a Sparrow, you’ll wish you hadn’t been born, because I’ll be sending you back to your Maker in more pieces than a jigsaw puzzle."
Some kids, quite naturally, started crying. Their gulps and snotty sobs could be heard, as could shushes from their mothers.
"I say this here, in front of your families, in front of children who are too young to understand, becauseyouwill understand the generosity of this miracle I’m offering you.
“Each of you is married and has children. Each of you knows what it is to be a family man. You acted against the Five Points. Ordinarily, that would be a death sentence. But I’m telling you, here and now, confess or you won’t be the only ones who die the day I find out the truth."
I saw my Aidan’s hand tighten around the cane, and I knew he didn’t approve of what was happening here, but there was no evading the truth—the crowd was shook.
"I will not stand for rats in my midst. We are at war, we need our people around us to keep the families within the Points safe. If I can’t trust you to look after my family, then you don’t deserve to be trusted with yours.
“Now, take the gift I’m giving you, don’t be fucking stupid, don’t question my generosity, and use your goddamn brains." His jaw worked as he cast a look around the room that seemed to dance from each man, imprinting a warning that couldn’t be denied.
Even I felt it when he stared at me, and we both knew I wasn’t guilty of any of the crimes he was speaking about. A shudder ran down my spine, the warning making me well aware of the many screws that Aidan Sr. had loose.
I straightened up though, and stared right back at him. I wasn’t afraid. Not of this.
Of course, he hadn’t found out that I’d helped Mary Catherine escape the Five Points yet.
But that was a problem for later, maybe even tomorrow.
At least, I hoped it was.
