The Q7 @ the V8

By A. J. Hooper

Two opportunistic American gangsters masquerading as journalists have infiltrated the media circus surrounding the V8 summit in Northern Ireland with the intentions of stealing the Emerald Eye, a rare gemstone which the Japanese dynasties have owned for over five hundred years and replacing it with a fake. The Japanese prime minister's wife was to wear it at the state dinner as a sign of friendship between the two countries.
A gang of seven local children calling themselves the Q7 overhear the gangsters making their plans, and they along with a special visitor make the Fermanagh visit one that Marv and Hank will never forget, and the children will remember forever.
The story unfolds over the two weeks prior to the V8 summit as County Fermanagh and the hotel prepare for the arrival of the leaders. The baddies are taken away by the local police. The children are invited to no. 10 Downing Street to meet the PMs children followed by a fun-filled day spent driving around the sights of London in a stretch limousine and a helicopter ride over the city at night before flying back to Belfast. Their antics will be explored in the sequel to this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Feb 11, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491892718

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© 2014 by A. J. Hooper. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/04/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4918-9270-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-9271-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014902669

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Contents

Humble Beginnings, Banoffi Pie, und Eine Kleine Fraulein

The Saga Begins

The Week before Trouble

A Foreign Guest and a New Gang Member

The Italian Job

The Preparations Begin

Trouble at the County Jail

Pressure at the Hotel

The Italians Move In

Action Stations

An Audience with the

Prime Minister

Foiling the Plot

American gangsters masquerading as journalists have infiltrated the media circus surrounding the V8 summit in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland to steal the precious Emerald Eye, a rare gemstone which the Japanese dynasties have owned since 1500, and to replace it with a fake. The wife of the Japanese prime minister was to wear it at the state dinner as a sign of friendship between the two countries.

A gang of seven local children overhear the gangsters making their plans, and they along with a special visitor make the Fermanagh visit one that Marv and Hank will never forget, and the children will remember forever.

The story unfolds over the two weeks prior to the V8 summit as County Fermanagh and the hotel prepare for the arrival of the leaders. The baddies are taken away by the local police The children are invited to no. 10 Downing Street to meet the PM’s children followed by a fun-filled day spent driving around the sights of London in a stretch limousine and a helicopter ride over the city at night before they fly back home to Belfast Their antics in London will be explored in the sequel to this book.

Humble Beginnings, Banoffi Pie, und Eine Kleine Fraulein

It was after a long hot tedious three months of school that the gang was formed for reasons of boredom. It didn’t take long for the twelve-year-old leader, Harry, to assert his authority. After all, he was a natural-born leader. Most importantly, he had stolen apples out of old Grouchy Hannigan’s orchard—a feat which would be remembered by all, not only for its bravery but also for the brevity between a Great Danes teeth and the backside of Harry’s jeans. What a lucky escape! Everyone in the gang was totally gobsmacked! Danny, the Great Dane, was one mean and ugly biting machine known for his ferocity as far away as County Donegal. Escaping from his killer jaws made someone worthy of undisputed leadership. Apart from all this bravado and bravery, it was an unspoken truth that Harry was the only one up for the job. His aloofness and his quiet sense of containment and authority set him apart from all the rest.

Second-in-command was Darrin. He had been appointed by Harry, who said that Darrin, who was also twelve years old, had all the necessary qualities to take over leadership if Harry was ever devoured by Danny Hannigan. Everyone else knew that Darrin’s promotion was because of two simple facts. The first was that he and Harry were best friends, and the second was that Darrin’s mother was the best baker in Ulster, and her mini banoffi pies were to die for! What good were clandestine gang meetings and picnics without some of Mrs McKnight’s home-made sticky and sweet treasures and treats?

Over time, the gang took on a military style of ranking, with Colonel-in-Chief Harry, followed by Major Darrin, and Batman Alice. Darrin’s ten-year-old sister, Alice, was unaware of the menial military title of batman and instead thought she aspired to a highly elevated position with superhuman powers.

The other four gang members became regular soldiers, which suited them well, as they did not like to make decisions. Harry, as commander-in-chief, insisted that promotion should be earned and not handed out willy-nilly. He secretly worried that if he had too many highly ranking officers in his troop, they would organize a coup behind his back, and he would have to face Danny once more! He still had nightmares about that episode but never showed his fear, particularly to his inferiors.

The Saga Begins

Seanie and Ryan looked forward to spending the summer in their new cottage on the grounds of the big hotel. They had moved in only two months ago. They had a big flat-screen TV on the wall in the sitting room and a smaller one in their bedroom. The cottage had an en-suite bathroom with a Jacuzzi. They shared a bedroom, unlike in the house that they had lived in before, but they didn’t mind. They had central heating, a stove, and a dishwasher. The latter was great, as their dad liked to cook and make a mess, and the two of them had to clean up after him. Seanie and Ryan were twins and did everything together. Everybody expected them to dress the same, look the same, and speak the same, but they were different in every way possible. Seanie had a mad head of red curls which he did not like to cut very often as well as a mass of freckles that stretched from his forehead to his chin. His teeth were slightly prominent. His dad had promised him train tracks for his sixteenth birthday, but he was happy with his teeth just the way they were. Ryan, on the other hand, was dark and much taller than his brother. He had milky white skin, and their dad had said that his teeth were perfect, and there was only enough money for one set of train tracks in the house anyway and no room for a railway station. The twins quietly admired their dad. He was the head chef at the resort after giving up his job in Cork to work in Fermanagh, in the large hotel, for the big meeting that was coming up. He had won lots of competitions and even had his own column in the local paper.

Seanie and Ryan knew their dad was preoccupied with upcoming events, but he never talked about what was happening at the hotel.

The boys’ teacher told them