Broken City

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

I begin to edge away from them and finally find myself standing beside an empty table. I sit down and pull the ring on the can of coke but it comes away in my hand, leaving the can unopened. I sit staring down at it trying to relax, to shake off the unpleasant sensation that the last few minutes have given me.

I don’t like this, I don’t like suspecting every Andak brother I meet of wanting to kill off all his siblings and I don’t like being caught up in their politics. Every where I can feel the segregation, the different tables have almost no interaction with each other but I have the unpleasant feeling that everyone is watching everyone else with suspicion and mistrustfulness. I could see it in Jayman, Val and Dagny's eye’s as they had looked at each other in wary accusation.

Tom said that before his father’s death and the setting up of the council he had been unaware that he possessed any brothers but Ryder—had that been the same for all of Paul Andak’s children? Had they all lived in ignorance of one another?

I feel sick with apprehension, with the knowledge that one of the men in this room is a monster who’s lust for power has driven him to commit unspeakable evil.

“Would you like me to open that for you?”

I look up to find a young man with his hand held out toward me, his brown hair is parted slightly to the side and smoothed back neatly, his brown eyes are spaced widely apart. However it is not these things that stir my memory, for in truth his looks are unremarkable, it is his voice, soft and quiet yet somehow carrying.

“Thank you.”

He takes the can from my hand and picks up a knife from the table, I hear the hiss of gas escaping.

“An object is only as strong as its weakest point,” he smiles down at me. “My name’s Jimmy Brook.”

“Deeta Richards,” I reply.

We shake hands and he gestures to the seat across from me.

“Would you mind if I joined you?”

“Sure, we’ve met before haven’t we—that first day in the town hall?”

Jimmy Brook looks startled.

“I—yes, I’m surprised you remember me, I didn’t think that you would.”

“Why not, you were the first person—after Ryder—that we met.”

“And Nova was the second.”

“Yes,” It is my turn to look surprised, then I laugh. “I guess we must have looked a bit—unusual—walking through the hall in our pyjamas!”

“A little,” he admits.

“So what is it that you do here, Jimmy Brook?” I ask. “Sorry was that an impertinent question? I’m just not used to—all of this,” I gesture to our surroundings, “I’m not sure quite what I’m supposed to say.”

Jimmy Brook smiles and as his face relaxes I notice that his features are rather nice—not handsome, they don’t have the strength to be call that, but nevertheless they are friendly and warm. Not like the Andak brothers—all of them seem to be veritable Adonis’s, given the sort of good looks that make a girl feel somewhat threatened—against such an unfair advantage how can she possibly be expected to think straight enough to act wisely.

“I’m a techy,” answers Jimmy, “and a bit of an odd job man.”

“Techy, I’m sorry,” I shake my head, “I’m not sure what that is.”

“I’m a technical adviser, give me a computer and some time and I can do pretty much anything.”

“Wow,” I spread my hands. “I’m afraid I’m not really any the wiser.”