Digging Deeper: An Adventure Novel (Sam Harris Series Book 1) by PJ Skinner Page B

monitoring the Tamazian peace process.  This heightened the escalating tensions between MARFO and the government, which had tangible effects on the operations at Kardo.
    The logistics manager told her, ‘I can’t ask the control tower at the airstrip when the cargo flights are due because they’re not allowed to tell me over the radio.’.
    ‘That must be inconvenient’
    ‘You have no idea.  But this is a protective measure against MARFO.  They listen to our radios.  If they don’t know when the flights are coming in, it is harder to organise an attack.’
    Sam was not too happy about flying again to do the diamond export but Jim given her no choice.

V
    As part of her training at Kardo, Sam had to spend time with Fred Allen, the geologist, who explained to her how the diamond data were put into the computer.  Fred was a big, fat lad with piggy eyes and a Walter Mitty complex.
    ‘You know of course that I have the only computer on site?’ Fred said to Sam.  ‘I'm the sole person Black trusts with the data on diamond production.  He’s paranoid about anyone finding out what the production is.  He doesn’t trust computers at all and has avoid getting internet for the site so far, even though it is available on satellite.’ 
    Fred was not willing to befriend Sam and incur the disapproval of the other expatriate staff, but she flattered him enough to get to look at the famous graphs and figures.
    ‘You see this table?’ he said.  ‘Diamonds are divided up by shape, colour, clarity and size.  The production from Kardo is of very good quality in all of these facets.  Fancy coloured diamonds also turn up from time to time, which increases their value even more.’ 
    A week later Jim finally got Sam the piece of paper which allowed her to enter the diamond sorting plant and see the real thing.
    ‘I’m not happy that it took so long to get you the permit,’ said Jim.  ‘I need you to go to Mondongo with the diamonds as soon as possible.  You’re senior management and it should have been a formality.    The men in the internal security department are a law unto themselves and don’t associate with the other people on the mine to maintain their impartiality.    I suspect that someone in security, maybe Brian Lynch, who you meet in the office, is being obstructive. He's a professional security man and a real stickler for protocol.  He was in the British army for many years and spent a lot of time in Northern Ireland.’
    ‘How did he finish up here?’ asked Sam.
    ‘He went into security when his commission ran out but found doing the security for shopping malls a little tame compared to what he was used to.  His attention to detail and experience in conflict means that he's a natural for working abroad in mining security and he quickly rose to management level.  He runs a tight ship at Kardo, which is vital when dealing with a product that’s so easy to conceal.  He's responsible for the security in the diamond recovery room and the periodic lie detector tests conducted at random on all of the staff.  You should be careful of Brian Lynch.  That man is always plotting something.  He’s a very vindictive character. He likes to play people off against each other by spreading false rumours and other methods.’
    ‘I’ll remember that.  Can I ask you a question?’
    ‘Sure, as long as it’s not about macramé.’
    ‘I’m having a tough time with the other members of the management team.  They treat me like shit for no reason.  I don’t even know most of them.  Have I done something wrong?’
    ‘God, no.  They’re a bunch of old wankers who think they own the place and they don’t like you because you’re not one of them.  Even worse, you’re a woman and they think you're Black’s spy.’
    ‘Black’s spy?  Why would they think that?’
    ’Because Murphy told Brian Lynch that you must be a spy when he heard that you were living in his old house here.’
    ‘When did he