When the lights go down, in the city (TBC anyone :) )

Annalong,Northern Ireland, Lucky O'Shea's pub. I stand on stage with my band Spirit Wheel. It's a lively crowd, word of us has got around. Not to mention my winning streak making waves in IWF. I step to the mic and look out at the crowd in the bright spot light.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are Spirit Wheel. This first song is one of the most popular 80s rock anthems by Journey."

The band starts to play "Don't stop believing" as I play lead guitar and sing.

"Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere
Just a city boy
Born and raised in South Detroit
He took the midnight train
Goin' anywhere

A singer in a smokey room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin', somewhere in the night

Workin' hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win
Some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching
In the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin', somewhere in the night

[Instrumental Interlude]

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to the feelin'
Streetlights, people
Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlights, people"


I look out in the crowd and notice a few of my co workers coming in as the song ends, the final chord ringing out.

a familiar looking man wearing a realistic fake moustache and a wig, wearing a long trench coat and track pants enters the bar through the side door. he orders a Guinness in a low voice and sits down at the back of the bar. he makes eye contact with Storming Raven on the stage and nods.

Blyss is sitting near the front and cheering for her friend Storming Raven. She even sang along during the performance.

"Great job! What's the next song?"

She turns around and notices someone walking in through the side door. Though there have been some others who walked through there earlier, this guy somehow looks familiar. She looks at him as he passes by to the back of the bar and notices the fake mustache. She stifles a giggle.

"Is that Tim?"

The man in the back of the bar notices Blyss sitting up front and grins at her. After carefully looking over the room, he waves her over.

I nod and smile at the "stranger" know full well who it is. I hear Blyss telling me great job and here her ask if the "stranger" was Tim. I look at her and give a slight shake of my head as if to convey "don't say that name." I don't think anyone noticed. I go back to the mic and smile at the crowd.

"Thank you everyone. after the next song we are going to be taking a pause for the cause. If you like what you hear we have a Spirit wheel demo, and T shirts available at the bar... Now this next song means a lot to me and I think it means a lot to my friends in this business. It is a song about the difficulties of living on the road and leaving your family behind, and how tiring it can be. Ladies and Gentleman the next song Bob Seger's "Turn the page"

I nod and the band starts to play the intro to the song.

"On a long and lonesome highway
East of Omaha
You can listen to the engine
Moanin' out his one note song
You can think about the woman
Or the girl you knew the night before
But your thoughts will soon be wandering
The way they always do
When you're ridin' sixteen hours
And there's nothin' much to do
And you don't feel much like ridin',
You just wish the trip was through

Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page

Well you walk into a restaurant,
Strung out from the road
And you feel the eyes upon you
As you're shakin' off the cold
You pretend it doesn't bother you
But you just want to explode

Most times you can't hear 'em talk,
Other times you can
All the same old cliches,
"Is that a woman or a man?"
And you always seem outnumbered,
You don't dare make a stand

Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page

Out there in the spotlight
You're a million miles away
Every ounce of energy
You try to give away
As the sweat pours out your body
Like the music that you play

Later in the evening
As you lie awake in bed
With the echoes from the amplifiers
Ringin' in your head
You smoke the day's last cigarette,
Rememberin' what she said

Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin' star again
There I go
Turn the page
There I go
There I go"

I sigh and bow, thinking about my sister who I haven't heard from in months.

"Thank you. We are Spirit Wheel. We will be back in about 20 minutes."

The sound guy plays some random music while we take our break. I step off the stage, and order a bottle of Jameson from the waitress. When she brings it over I twist the cap off and drink a long swig straight from the bottle, before walking over to Blyss and the "stranger".

"Thanks for coming...I really don't have many friends in the company. I don't know why."

The man in the disguise takes a sip from the Guinness and looks over at Raven and speaks in a very low voice.

Hey man, only recently have people even acknowledged my existence in IWF. When you bleed for a living like we do it's hard to make friends.

the man in the back notices that Corey Bull ordered American whiskey. His eyes widen and he begins to laugh

I take a long swig from his bottle of Jameson. I watch as the big man order Jack Daniels and looks at the man by his side.

"I may be wrong, but ordering American whiskey in a place like this is a big no no faux pas, right?"

Taking another swig, now good and buzzed.

"This should get interesting."

She looks at SR and Tim.

"Hey you're both my friends. And for the record, this world tour is the best thing to happen. Home isn't where I wanna be right now. And since Jaci went home, Chuck is God knows where and Gordon... I think he's pissed at me since Monday... I'm just glad to be here, you guys!"

She hesitates to hug Tim because she isn't sure if she should so she just hugs SR. Then they turn to see someone at the bar and she looks.

"Oh shit! That's Corey! And that crazy woman!"

the disguised man looks up at Blyss, gets up and hugs her before sitting down.

You can hug me here. I doubt anybody here recognizes any of us. I don't think half of these people own a television. This has to be one of the poorest bars in the County Down. Just don't mention my name.

the man takes another sip of beer.

You look great tonight, Blyss. What's bothering you at home?

I look at the stranger, with a grin.

"You're gonna come up with a different name, like when Stephen King wrote as Richard Bachman so we have something to call you."

I look over at the massive man and the "crazy" woman Blyss mentioned.

"So what's the story? Think they'd join us without any trouble? We obviously have a few common enemies."


I take another drink from the bottle of Jameson and down it in one big swig, then signal the waitress for another. I also signal to her that the people I'm with are friends and are covered by the same free drinks that the band is entitled to.

"Playing in bars has it's perks, like free drinks."

I chuckle.

She smiles at SR.

"Sweet!"

Turning back to Tim, she glances at the drink in SR's hand and shrugs a little.

"I don't know, James. Home doesn't feel much like home lately. I guess I just need this break away from there. Don't worry. I'm fine..."

She looks at SR, grinning. She holds up a shirt.

"Hey, will you sign my Spirit Wheel shirt?"

Blyss cringes, slowly backing away behind Tim.

"Stay away from me, Calypso or whatever. I'm not in the mood for crazy right now. But if you insist, I will not hesitate."

Her right hand curls into a fist by her side.

the man in the disguise puts his arm out to keep Calypso away from Blyss and stands up between them. he leans over and grabs Calypso by the collar and pulls her ear close to his mouth. he begins speaking in a low, angry voice.

Two things. One, don't fuck with my friends. Two, victims? Do you even know where we are? We are in the County Down in a small loyalist majority town. The people in this town have reigned over the Irish and have caused them great pain. These people think they're British, but they're not. They're all confused and use their religion to bully and belittle their neighbors. If anybody here lost somebody they love in a violent conflict, it's because they shouldn't have been there in the first place. The last thing any of these people are - are victims! Go back and sit with your big friend and drink your Bushmills piss and if you even look at our table, this glass that I'm holding is going to be sticking out of his eye. Understand?

he lets go of her collar and gives her a light push in the opposite direction then takes another sip of Guinness

I watch Tim, get intense with the woman. I speak quietly.

"Easy man, last thing we need is to draw attention to you. I don't think these people take kindly to man handling women. I could be wrong though."

I shrug, and turn to Blyss with a grin.

"Sure I'll sign the shirt."

I pull out a silver sharpie since the shirt itself is black. I sign it "To Blyss, stay classy. Keep on rockin'. Your friend, Storming Raven."

the man looks up at Storming Raven

I made a point of not hitting her. I don't do that to women.....

Blyss wears the shirt over her top.

"Yay! Oh hey I think it's time for Spirit Wheel to get back up there. Go wow us again."

She pulls up a chair next to Tim.

I nod and smile at Blyss.

"I think you're right."

I make my way back up on stage and pick my guitar back up as the rest of the band takes their places.

"This next song, well it's for someone special who for some reason hasn't made it yet, but we're gonna play it anyway."

The band starts to play "Angel Eyes" by Jeff Healey

"Girl, you're lookin' fine tonight
And every guy has got you in his sight
What you're doin' with a clown like me
Is surely one of life's little mysteries

So tonight I'll ask the stars above:
How did I ever win your love?
What did I do; What did I say
To turn your angel eyes my way?

Well, I'm the guy who never learned to dance
Never even got one second glance
Across the crowded room was close enough
I could look but I could never touch

So tonight I'll ask the stars above:
How did I ever win your love?
What did I do; What did I say
To turn your angel eyes my way?

Don't anyone wake me if it's just a dream
'Cuz she's the best thing that ever happened to me
All you fellows, you can look all you like
But this girl you see, she's leaving here
With me tonight

There's just one more thing I need to know
If this is love, why does it scare me so?
Must be something only you can see
'Cuz girl, I feel it when you look at me

So tonight I'll ask the stars above:
How did I ever win your love?
What did I do; What did I say
To turn your angel eyes my way?"

The crowd applauds as we look over our set list for the next song

the man in the disguise applauds the band and puts his arm around Blyss

You know, I'm super nervous right now. I haven't been in this area of Northern Ireland in years. It wasn't a pleasant experience. I was arrested in this town before, they threatened to kill me.

She claps for SR with a big smile on her face and turns to Tim.

"Don't worry, James. Just stay quiet and everything will be fine. "

I shoot Tim a little grin before stepping up to the mic.

"Now we're gonna try something a little different we've been working on. A traditional folk song from this beautiful country."

I nod and the band starts to play Danny Boy. The crowd is instantly a little incensed and booing before I even start singing.

"Oh Danny boy, the pipes,
the pipes are calling.
From glen to glen,
and down the mountain side.

The summer's gone,
and all the flowers are falling.
'Tis you, 'tis you
must go and I must bide.

But come ye back
when summer's in the meadow,
Or when the valley's hushed
and white with snow.

And I'll be here
in sunshine or in shadow.
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy,
I love you so.

But if you come,
and all the flowers are falling.
And I am dead,
as dead I might well be.

You'll come and find
the place where I am lying.
And kneel and say
an "Ave" there for me.

And I will hear,
though soft your tread above me.
And all my grave
will warmer sweeter be.

And you will bend
and tell me that you love me.
And I shall sleep
in peace until you come to me.

But if I live,
and should you die for Ireland,
Let not your dying thoughts
be just of me.

But say a prayer to God
for our dearest Ireland.
I know He'll hear
and help to set her free.

And I will take your pike
and place my dearest,
And strike a blow,
though weak the blow may be.

T'will help the cause
to which your heart was nearest
Oh Danny Boy, Oh, Danny boy
I love you so."

the man in the disguise has a massive grin on his face until Raven sings the line about Ireland. it's not a traditional lyric, it's a political one added by Sinead O'Conner. the place erupts in jeers and obscenities. the man in the disguise holds Blyss' wrist with one hand and places his other hand in his jacket pocket. he whispers in Blyss' ear.

Listen to be carefully. I have a feeling that Raven is going to troll these people and they won't like it. It's going to get worse. If it goes down, I'm becoming a different person and it might be better if you run out the side door. There is a cottage down the road. Tell them you know "Tadhg Padraig" and they'll let you in.

Her eyes widen and she nods, lightly squeezing his hand.

"I hope it doesn't end like that but... Okay. Please be careful if that happens."

Her worried eyes search for the side door, preparing to run towards it when the time comes. She's not sure if she wants to know what might be in his jacket pocket.

A devil may care grin spreads over my face as I look out at the building tension in the crowd.

"Now as proud Cherokee, freedom is very important to me. So there's certain group of people here, I have something in common with. Now when you listen to this next song, just remember.....just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right."

The band starts to play and I sing

"When boyhood's fire was in my blood
I read of ancient freemen,
For Greece and Rome who bravely stood,
Three hundred men and three men;
And then I prayed I yet might see
Our fetters rent in twain,
And Ireland, long a province, be.
A Nation once again!

A Nation once again,
A Nation once again,
And lreland, long a province, be
A Nation once again!

And from that time, through wildest woe,
That hope has shone a far light,
Nor could love's brightest summer glow
Outshine that solemn starlight;
It seemed to watch above my head
In forum, field and fane,
Its angel voice sang round my bed,
A Nation once again!

It whisper'd too, that freedom's ark
And service high and holy,
Would be profaned by feelings dark
And passions vain or lowly;
For, Freedom comes from God's right hand,
And needs a Godly train;
And righteous men must make our land
A Nation once again!

So, as I grew from boy to man,
I bent me to that bidding
My spirit of each selfish plan
And cruel passion ridding;
For, thus I hoped some day to aid,
Oh, can such hope be vain ?
When my dear country shall be made
A Nation once again"

The crowd now starts dousing me in alcohol. I chuckle.

"Thank you I was a bit thirsty."

They'll really love the last song on the set list.

the man in the disguise looks at Blyss

Let's see what he does here. Remember what I told you. There is a guy sitting at the bar and he keeps adjusting something in his back pocket. I think he's armed.

he takes a deep breath

I am too......

Her heart starts to beat faster as she notices the guy at the bar whom Tim just pointed out.

"Mmhmm... I remember. I just hope SR doesn't piss them off again."

She glances around warily at the other patrons, chuckling nervously.

I flash that Devil may care grin at Tim and Blyss and wink, as I switch from my acoustic to electric guitar. I then hang my head as if in thought before raising it again and looking at the crowd with a wild look in my eyes.

"And for our grand finale.....A song I just KNOW all of you tea swilling snaggle toothed Limey bastards will REALLY enjoy. HIT IT BOYS!"

The band starts playing a song much louder than the previous songs. That song? Anarchy in the UK by the sex pistols.

"Right now ha, ha!

I am an anti-Christ
I am an anarchist,
Don't know what I want
But I know how to get it.
I wanna destroy the passer by
'Cos I wanna be anarchy,
Ho dogs body

Anarchy for the UK
It's coming sometime and maybe
I give a wrong time stop a traffic line.
Your future dream is a shopping scheme
Cause I wanna be anarchy,
It's in the city

How many ways to get what you want
I use the best I use the rest
I use the NME.
I use anarchy
'Cause I wanna be anarchy,

It's the only way to be

Is this the MPLA
Or is this the UDA
Or is this the IRA
I thought it was the UK
Or just another country
Another council tenancy.

I wanna be an anarchist
(Oh what a name)
And I wanna be an anarchist
(I get pissed destroy)"

Leilani sits at the bar away from the others. Her emerald green orbs glow as she senses what is to come. A mischievous grin upon her face. A light shake of her head as she watches the scene unfolding before her eyes. She can't help but laugh softly to herself at her fiancé's antics.

the people in the bar erupt in screaming. bar stools and chairs start getting thrown and tables overturned. the man at the bar pulls out a pistol. the man in the disguise pulls Blyss down under the table. he places his hand over her mouth and points to the door.

while under the table, the man pulls off his wig and mustache to reveal what we all know, that it's Tim Patrick. he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a mask and 9mm hand gun.



he stands up and points it at the man at the bar

PUT THE GUN DOWN YA FUCK!

It feels like suddenly everything just goes into slow-mo. People are yelling and the whole place seems to have turned upside down. She looks at Tim and nods as he points to the side door. She gives him a quick hug before crawling under another table towards the exit. More rough yelling and someone just trampled over her legs.

"Ow! Fuck!"

She quickly makes her way through, behind upturned chairs and under more tables. There are still people running about thus blocking her escape.

"Fuckfuckfuck!"

She gets onto her feet and squeezes through the chaos, finally tumbling out the side door unhurt. Just as she turns on her heels to run, she looks back in hesitation.

"Tim... SR..."

But she knows it's too dangerous to get back in there so she forces herself to find the cottage down the road that Tim mentioned earlier.

The man at the bar stands there, gun pointed at Tim. Tim keeps his gun pointed at the man at the bar. Storming Raven and his band just stand there on stage, frozen, not moving. The rest of the bar clears out, running as fast as they can out the door.

I said to put the fucking gun down!

The man just stands there, gun aimed at Tim.

Who do you represent?

Loyalist Gun Man: The Ulster Volunteer Force, Mr. Patrick.

HOW THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?!

Loyalist Gun Man: I was sent her by Ian MacFadd....

before the man can complete saying the last name "MacFadden", Tim shoots him in the knee.

the gunman drops his gun and falls to the floor clutching his knee. Tim runs over to him and kicks the man's gun across the floor. he points the gun at the man's head

Have you been following me?! For how long?!

Since you got to Dublin early this morning!

As I see the chaos ensue I smile and take a flying leap off the stage clothes lining two guys and rolling to my feet. Bowie knife in my hand I slash out at a few more guys as I make my way over to Tim. I pick up the gun he kicked out of the way and point it at the guy's head.

"And Shepherds we shall be

For thee, my Lord, for thee.

Power hath descended forth from Thy hand

Our feet may swiftly carry out Thy commands.

So we shall flow a river forth to Thee

And teeming with souls shall it ever be.

In Nomeni Patri Et Fili Spiritus Sancti."

Tim keeps the gun pointed at the UVF gunman and screams at Raven

PUT DOWN THE GUN AND LEAVE, RAVEN! NOW!

I shrug.

"If you insist."

I hit the man in the back of the head with butt of the gun Wyatt Earp style before dropping it and walking out the door. I stand outside the bar and wait, taking a pack of cigarettes from my jeans, and a black zippo. I put a cigarette between my lips and strike the zippo on my jeans. I light the cigarette and take a long drawl. I slowly exhale through my nose.

"Yippie Kai Ay, mother fuckers."

The entire bar is now empty except for Tim and the UVF gunman. Tim stands over the man laying on the floor, gun pointed at his head.

Is Ian in Belfast?

Yes, he send me to follow you to challenge you to a fight on the Shankill Road

Tim laughs to himself

Shankill Road? Loyalist ground zero? If he wants me to break his head on his own street, I'll do it.

I'll tell him...

No, you won't...

A single gunshot is heard from inside the bar and Tim slowly walks out and meets Storming Raven outside. He walks up to Raven and smacks him on the back of his head with his hand.

You fucking moron, you almost got us all killed!

Tim begins to laugh

It sure was fun though.....why don't you head to the hotel in Belfast. I'll catch up with you sometime tomorrow. I have some business to take care of. We both have to get the fuck out of here before the peelers show up

I chuckle.

"What can I say? There's no love lost between Cherokee and British either. You need any back up let me know."

I Shake Tim's hand and walk off down the street singing "Nowhere to run" by Arnold McCuller.