Chapter Eight

Susan

Susan reached the railing separating the stage from the crowd as the mysterious figure announced there would be a march and left the stage. The people at the front looked like trouble, she could see they nearly all had backpacks and could hazard a guess as to what was in them. “Susan Grimes!? Is that you?” A familiar shrieking voice met her ears as the hairs stood up on the back of her neck. Susan turned around to see Sadhbh, one of the group she met outside the door of O’Farrell’s the night before. She was on her own as well. Susan was caught for words as she knew Sadhbh was aware of her being a cop in the past. Sadhbh leaned in and talked in Susan’s ear. “Are you on duty?” Susan wasn’t exactly pally pally with this girl but she had to say something. “I left the force a while ago now and I would appreciate you didn’t say my name so loudly in this crowd. What are you doing here?”. Sadhbh explained to Susan how she was to meet someone who could arrange a Lens removal. Susan advised her against it as it was a dangerous procedure that left many people with damaged eyes. Sadhbh explained how her new boyfriend was from East Bank and was well connected, that he was going to arrange the whole thing. She tried to hand Susan a joint when a man brushed passed and knocked it out of her hand accidentally but stayed going. He was large and covered up like the rest of the dissidents. “Listen Sadhbh I have to go, I am meeting someone. We will catch up another time”. Sadhbh rooted around on the ground for her joint as Susan moved briskly through the crowd but kept a good distance between herself and this hooded figure. He approached another person at the railings and passed something off. This person in turn was able to gain the attention of the people behind the barriers and passed them what appeared to be a note of some sort. Susan caught a glimpse of the messenger returning through the crowd and decided to follow him. If he was passing notes the other end of that daisy chain would have to be the organisational head of this group. She followed him all the way to the edge of the park and watched him cross the street. He climbed the stairs to the entrance of an apartment building and entered. Susan hung back inside the park and decided to watch the entrance some more. With Oculus jammed she couldn’t risk entering the building alone.