They all jerked as they heard a vehicle drive up outside. ‘Are you expecting anyone, Willie?’ Maguire asked.

Ryan shook his head. ‘Could be a friend of the wife’s.’

‘Gerry, have a look-see,’ said Maguire.

O’Leary reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a gun. He walked on tiptoe to the barn door.

Maguire gestured at Power and he also pulled a gun out from under his jacket.

O’Leary eased the door open and slipped out. Power and Maguire crept over to the door. Time crawled by but they heard nothing. No shouts, no gunshots, no footsteps. Just the cawing of crows in the distance and the sound of a tractor in a far-off field.

‘Gerry, are you OK there?’ shouted Maguire.

There was no answer. Ryan came up behind Maguire. ‘If it was the cops, they’d have blown the doors off by now,’ muttered Power.

‘Gerry?’ shouted Maguire. ‘You OK?’

O’Leary appeared at the door, scowling.

‘What’s happening?’ asked Maguire. ‘What is it?’

‘Father bloody Christmas,’ said a voice, and the door was kicked in by a man in a ski mask and a knee-length black leather coat holding a sawn-off shotgun. A second masked man burst into the barn, holding a Glock. The man with the shotgun kept the twin barrels pointing squarely at Power’s chest. A third masked man wearing a brown leather bomber jacket pushed O’Leary into the barn and then pointed his handgun at Maguire.

‘Drop your gun, sunshine. However this plays out you’ll be dead if you don’t,’ said Leather Coat.

Power looked over at Maguire, screwed up his face as if he was in pain, and threw his gun down to the floor. The masked man with the Glock walked over, picked it up and stuffed it into his belt in the small of his back.

Leather Coat reached into a pocket and pulled out a cloth bundle. He tossed it to the ground in front of Maguire. ‘There’s four hoods there, put them on and then stand with your hands behind you.’

‘Who are you?’ asked Maguire.

‘I’m the guy who’s telling you what to do, and if you don’t do exactly as I say I’ll shoot you in the legs and then put the hood on you myself. Now do as you’re fucking well told.’

Maguire bent down and picked up the hoods. He handed them to Ryan, Power and O’Leary and one by one they hesitantly pulled them down over their heads and then stood with their hands behind their backs.

The two men with Leather Coat walked behind the hooded men and used plastic tags to bind their wrists.