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over the passing traffic. “She’s too stubborn. It would just convince her she was on the right track. Harriet’s almost as bad. Sharon’s going to get herself killed and she’s going to take my daughter with her. I can’t let that happen.”
    â€œWhat’s all this got to do with me?” Chi asked.
    â€œIf the Scalps see me with her, or even with Harriet, it’ll be taken as a sign. They’ll think I’ve gotten involved. If there’s even the slightest possibility that Sharon could quote me as a source they’ll … I’m too close to it all for them to take the chance. They’ll decide on her disposal there and then. And maybe they’ll do me and Harriet in, too.
    â€œBut if you show up, as one of Sharon’s sources, it’s an entirely different thing.”
    â€œYeah?” Chi asked. “Why is that?”
    â€œBecause you’re a conspiracy theorist,” Robert told him, glancing at his watch and quickening his pace even further. “Anything you produce can be ridiculed by pointing to other things you’ve written. You know: weaponized parasites, human mutants, aliens, all that malarkey. We don’t worry about the likes of you.”
    â€œExcuse me?” Chi responded with indignation.
    â€œThat’s what you conspiracy nuts have never realized,” Robert grunted. “We need oddballs like you. You poke around, finding some real facts from time to time, but even if it’s true, it won’t matter, because with the kind of nonsense you turn out, no one takes you seriously. Christ, the bigger the conspiracy you guys come up with, the better, as far as we’re concerned. You’re our best defense when it comes to discrediting a dangerous story. So if you’re one of Sharon’s sources, then we can ridicule her too, by association. We can undermine her with her editors long before she can get a single word printed.
    â€œThat’s why I contacted you, Chi. I’m going to save my daughter’s life by using you to make a complete fool out of her girlfriend.”

Chapter 12: Damage Limitation
    Chi had rarely experienced such rage. He wanted to throw himself at the old man, to smash his fists into that grimacing, wrinkled old face, to throw him to the ground and stomp on this horrible human being until he’d beaten the life out of him.
    He didn’t, of course. He wasn’t the violent type, after all, and he suspected Robert would be more than able to fend off any attack and turn the hurt back on Chi. And then there was that photo they’d sent him, a close-up of the back of his head—a message, to let Chi know he was being watched, to keep him in line. Still, it was sickening to learn that his only role in the biggest story he’d ever come across was to be the stooge in discrediting it.
    â€œI won’t do it!” he exclaimed. “You can shove it, Robert! She’s onto something and I’m not going to help you bring her down.”
    They were standing on the corner of a junction and Robert spun around and slammed Chi against the post of a traffic light.
    â€œUnderstand this,” he snapped at the younger man. “Knowing the truth about the Scalps’ operation will not make any difference to what’s going on—it will just ensure that you’re removed from the picture. You, me, Sharon, Harriet … and whoever else might get in the way.”
    â€œHang on, you’re saying the Scalps might kill me now too?”
    â€œThat photo was bloody warning, you fool! Ever since you got involved—”
    â€œYou mean ever since you got me involved !” Chi interrupted.
    â€œAs I was saying, ever since you got involved, they’ve had to factor you into their calculations. Whether they rub you out or not depends on how much of a threat they think you are. The dumber you come across, the more likely you’ll be considered