The beginning:

Belfast 1984

(...)

Michael tapped angrily onto the steering wheel when he saw them.
"Fuck - I´ve sensed it! Brits!"
"What´s wrong?" Kelly returned to reality and fixed her eyes onto the road in front of them. An armoured car of the British Army had blocked the end of the street and it seemed that they were waiting. Two shadowy soldiers approached the white VW Golf. Michael reduced speed and although they were still more than 50 yards away from him, his nerves have been worn to a frazzle. Trembling
he was gnawing at his lips while holding his breath. Suddenly he rummaged in his pocket, still glancing at the soldiers, and brought out a black shining pistol.
"Don´t ask me anything - but you must help me, Kelly!" and with these words he laid the gun into her hands, "Take it and hide it. They don´t want anything from you!"
"But - Michael!" Shocked and confused she was starring from the gun to the soldiers who kept on approaching. The gun was black and heavy lying in her hands and it seemed so unreal. Why did Michael have a gun? she wondered aghast and shivering; her second hand rested on the metal as if there was an
invisible power preventing her from taking it.
"Come on, put it away. Better put it into your jacket!" Michael hissed as he grabbed her wrist to press it down, "Hurry up!"
How she managed at last to hide the gun in her jacket, later she couldn´t say. A gun....a gun, it echoed in her ears.....why?The soldier approached the car door and gave Michael and Kelly a sign to get out; a submachine gun already in his hands and a touch of nervousness in his eyes. Their whole appearance expressed a strong determination; dressed in army battle dress with helmets and the so brutal looking army boots.
"Michael I´m terribly frightened!"
"Get out of the car!"
Until today Kelly had never before met a soldier from the British Army face to face, she had only seen them from a distance. As she had - years ago - visited the RUC station where her father had worked, these soldiers had been men who gave her security; fearless, brave armed men, ready to fight against Catholics. But today, in a catholic district of Belfast and with an Irishman at her side, she felt as if she was on the wrong side of a battlefield.
"Get out and stay at the door. Driver´s licence?"
Still gnawing at his lips Michael obeyed without saying a word. For Kelly it seemed that she would collapse at any minute; she glanced around at the soldiers and it confused her that she could not see the soldiers face behind the visor. He was also human but part of the darkness of the night in his uniform Kelly was irritated. Fear crept into her heart - but why?
The British Army was stationed in Northern Ireland to protect her - but not Michael, this came suddenly innto her mind. Now she was standing on the other side - was this still protection or was it provocation?
"Also you, Miss. Do you have papers?"
"Of course!" slipped softly from her lips before she began to search with trembling hands in her pocket. Anxiously she passed the soldier her driver´s licence and waited until he gave it back to her.
There was more interest in Michael - a Catholic, an Irishman, young and dangerous. The soldier at Michael’s side inspected the licence and sneered:
"It´s very late for a trip, Flanagan!"
"Really?? And you??" It was the arrogance in his voice which Michael hated.
"Wait her, Flanagan. It won´t take long and you can go with your girl!" the soldier murmured before he fetched the licence and returned to the armoured car to check Michael’s identity.The Irishman, listless and nervous, was leaning against his car and blinked at the second soldier:
"How many have you got tonight? Or am I your first victim?" His lips formed a sneer, as he saw the anger in the British eyes.
"Shut up, you bloody Taig, and don´t move!" The soldier replied and lifted the barrel of his gun.
"Piss off, bloody Brit," cursed Michael inaudibly but not to Kelly herself who had approached him. She was irritated and had to breath deeply as she thought of her father who was an RUC inspector. It hurt her when she heard such insulting words used against security institutions - because he was also insulting her family. Why did Michael have to say this?
She turned away and tried to banish her thoughts hoping for a glance from Michael. A short time later the soldier returned and gave him back his papers.
"All right turn around, lay your hands upon the car roof and no wrong motion!"
"What do you think I´m carrying in my jacket?? An Armalite? A bomb?"
Michael hissed annoyed.
"Shut up and turn around. Go on, go on!!"" the soldier commanded and pushed him backwards.
"You bloody sniffer, go back to your own country – all of you!"
"Do you wanna feel my fist??"
Kelly stepped backwards and because of what she saw felt she was in a strange world, Michael was standing at the Golf like one of these criminals on TV; his hands on the car roof and the legs straddled so that the soldier could search for weapons. They were looking for any evidence to implicate him as an IRA member.
"Bad luck tonight??" Michael was grinning and leant back against the car and their eyes met for the first time in ages. She was good, he thought contented, but he was worried about how he would explain the gun to her. Later, after searching the car, one of the soldiers approached Michael once again
and hissed:
"I´m sure that you have a gun. Each of you has one!"
"But not tonight - Sir!"
"Piss off!"
Still sneering Michael saluted and jumped into his car. A few seconds later the white Golf disappeared into the darkness of Belfast.

(...)

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