Free The Need for Fear by Oisin McGann Page A

white bonnet. He started bellowing curses at the two uniformed men inside the car. Chi was close enough to hear Harriet say: “Dad?” in a bewildered voice and start across the road toward him.
    â€œHarri?” Sharon called. “What’s going on?”
    â€œJust get in the cab,” Harriet shouted back over the noise of the traffic. “I’ll handle this. You get to your meeting!” Facing forward again, she cried, “Dad? Are you okay? What’s going on?”
    Sharon was opening the door of the cab as Chi came up to her. He caught the flash of suspicion in her green eyes, one hand swiping back a lock of auburn hair from her face as she looked him up and down, cautious, but unafraid.
    â€œSharon, hi! My name’s Chi Sandwith,” he said brightly, holding out his hand, which she took on reflex and shook reluctantly. “I don’t know if Harriet’s told you about me—”
    â€œYes, she has,” Sharon replied drily, then turned as she heard more shouting.
    Harriet was approaching the police car. The two policemen had climbed out to deal with the injured, incoherent, old man raving on the street.
    â€œWhat’s going on here?” Sharon demanded. “That’s not … that’s not Robert , is it?”
    â€œOh, you know him? I think Harriet’s dad just wanted a word with her. They’ve got some issues to work out … y’know, stuff that goes way back. Listen, Sharon, I need to talk about the story you’re working on, about the Scalps. Can I have a few minutes of your time?”
    â€œYou comin’ or not, love?” the cabbie called through his window. “I’m holdin’ up traffic ’ere and there’s some mad geezer across the street covered in blood that I’d like to get away from, if you don’t mind.”
    â€œJust wait a second,” Sharon said to him. Looking at Chi, she asked: “What do you know about the Scalps?”
    â€œEnough to put you on the right track,” he told her. “Give me five minutes, and I’ll give you everything I know about their plans.”
    Chi cast his eyes back at the squad car, wincing at what he saw. One of the policemen had his hand on Robert’s arm. The old spy swung his right elbow back into the man’s nose, drove the heel of his left hand into the man’s sternum, and then seized the can of pepper spray from the cop’s belt as he tottered backward. The other copper, handcuffs in hand, attempted to get Robert in an armlock, but Robert swiveled and sprayed the pepper spray into his face. The copper cried out, rubbing frantically at his eyes. Harriet roared at her father, her expression one of consternation as she ran around the car and kicked him in the kneecap. He yelled in pain and stumbled back. She seized a baton from a fallen policeman’s belt and raised it, ready to strike. Chi couldn’t watch what was going to happen next.
    â€œShe was trying to get you out of here,” he said urgently to Sharon, clasping her hand in his. “She had the right idea. You need to make that meeting. It’s important.”
    â€œWhat? How did you know about that?”
    â€œI know a lot. Five minutes, that’s all I’m asking for. Then I’ll get out of the cab and out of your life.”
    Climbing into the car, Sharon slid along the seat to make space for Chi, who got in and closed the door behind him. Somewhere nearby, he knew, cameras were capturing the meeting. He smiled ruefully at Sharon as the taxi pulled away, wishing he could explain why he’d just contaminated the biggest story of her career.

Chapter 14: The End of the Road
    Sharon knew what kind of writer Chi was—Harriet had warned her—but she listened to him all the same, recording it with her phone, open-minded and willing to use any source of information, confident that she could verify it later and discard it if it seemed unreliable.