Free The Need for Fear by Oisin McGann Page B

And Chi told her everything he knew. Suppressing his bitterness at his role, he gave her enough perspective to connect the pieces of the story that she already had. He described the false flag operation Robert had depicted, the brainwashed terrorists that would provide the justification for a war in Sinnostan, and the plan to create a surveillance state. He explained how the Scalps would generate the public fear needed to successfully abolish the concept of privacy, giving the government unprecedented power over its citizens.
    He even told her about the words on the fridge hard drive—and that Robert Caul was one of his sources, which seemed to give Sharon a flush of satisfaction. Perhaps she’d wanted to talk to the old spy about his work for a long time, but Harriet had never allowed it. Chi, thoroughly miserable now, watched her take it in. Even as he talked, he wondered how much of it was true, or if Robert had lied through his teeth about the conspiracy, too. Perhaps there was something entirely different going on and the whole brainwashing thing was just a ploy to deflect attention from the real story. There were so many knots in the narrative, there was no way to be sure of the truth anymore.
    Either way, it didn’t matter what Sharon learned about the whole thing. Her reporting, and her reputation, would be discredited by her association with Chi, and he would play his part in full. He’d tell his own story of this meeting, post the photos, make it look as if they were working closely together and exaggerate the fantastical aspects of the story. He’d ruin it all for her. To save her life.
    They talked until they reached the offices of The Chronicle , where she paid the fare and jumped out, energized by the new material and eager to start double-checking Chi’s claims alongside her own discoveries. She thanked him and promised to be in touch, giving him a smile that exuded an excited hunger, like a hunter who caught scent of her prey.
    He sat there, watching her walk away, feeling a sense of massive anti-climax. After everything that had happened, was this it? Had he succeeded? Had anything he’d heard today even been real? Despite Robert’s assertion that he was saving lives, Chi felt as if he’d achieved nothing except make a fool of himself and sabotage a good journalist’s career. The cabbie’s voice startled him out of his morose musing.
    â€œWhere to, guv’?” the man asked.
    Chi wanted to take the taxi home, exhausted and deflated after this head-wrecker of a day. He gave the driver his address, and the cab started off again, the doors locking automatically as it did so. It was normal, but for some reason, it set Chi’s nerves on edge.
    He noticed the driver had fixed him with an intense look from the rearview mirror. He studied the guy for the first time, absorbing details. The man was of about average height, with a shaved head and skin the color of old bone. His face wasn’t very visible in the mirror, but it was bland, with lean features, light brown eyebrows and eyelashes that, along with the skin, gave the impression of something faded or not quite there. It was the eyes that made Chi pay attention. They were devoid of emotion, like a doll’s eyes. They gazed at Chi, as if measuring him up. It was only then that he remembered Robert’s words: “ They carry out a lot more abductions with taxis than they do with UFOs .”
    The man must have seen Chi’s change of expression, for he gave a slight, humorless smile and nod of the head.
    â€œYou did well back there,” he said, his voice taking on a flat, insipid quality that Chi suspected was more true to character then the cheery London tone. “Ms. Monk was convinced and so am I.”
    Chi looked out the window, his heart thumping. The doors were still locked and they were moving faster through the traffic now. He wondered if he could escape by one of the windows. At this