100% Compatibility novel · Chapter 9 of 24

Chapter 9: Board Table

The boardroom was on the sixth floor behind frosted glass, and the glass was open.

I came through the doors at a run with Maeve behind me and every head at the long table turned.

There were seven of them, in dark suits, under a portrait of Aldous Farnsworth.

Barrett sat at the head of the table.

He sat in Ronan's chair, with a laptop open in front of him and his tie loosened.

Ronan stood at the far end.

He wore yesterday's shirt, unbuttoned at the throat, and a day of beard.

He had a paper in his hand that he was not reading.

His eyes found me, and I looked at him for one second too long.

I could not tell if he had been walking all night or praying.

"This is a private meeting," said Barrett.

"Miss Keogh is no longer an employee."

"I'm not here as an employee," I said.

"I'm here for the livestream."

"It has four thousand people now, and one of them is the chairwoman of your biggest bank."

A woman on the left side of the table looked up from her phone.

It was the first time anyone had moved.

"Mr. Farnsworth, the lobby," she said, faintly.

"Is that true?"

"It's an attempt to smear us," said Barrett.

"My mother has handled it."

"Has she?" said the old man next to her.

"Because I've read your mother's memo on the glitch."

"The engine doesn't have glitches."

"I wrote the audit trail for it in my first year on this board."

He said it to the table, in a dry, tired voice.

"Barrett, who changed the passwords?"

"I did," said Barrett.

"As acting head of systems, to protect the firm's integrity."

"From whom?" said the old man.

"From my brother," said Barrett.

"He's emotionally compromised."

Ronan said, softly, "I am."

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