Harry's Protégé Ch. 09

"White Star Drilling which manufactures that drilling machine has agreed to place a double-page ad already available to immediately follow the article and the agency representing Black Gold International Inc. is expects a decision whether their client wants to take two or four pages of recruitment ads for projects world-wide."

"This is great. But tell me beautiful, why were you wearing those manly looking clothes with your hair rolled up in a bun and dyed ugly brown; I scarcely recognized you? And your change of name to Sierra Gay - I suspect this is some sort of sting?"

"Shut it Tommy, not another word. Understand?"

"Loud and clear, Sierra. You can rely on me. What say someone wants to talk to you?"

"Thanks for making that point Tommy. Get them to leave a number for me to call them back. In a couple of weeks or so you'll be told everything. In the meantime..."

"Mouth stapled. I know."

Three weeks later, two days after the magazine published its feature on machinery at the quarry; police raided the site with a search warrant, bringing in a team of mining experts who soon called in crews to begin excavating Tunnel 59, working through the night.

Two hours before dawn the excavators made the breakthrough to discover a huge cache of air system machinery.

Five employees including the senior foreman at the quarry were arrested (Claude the site boss was exonerated) and seven engineers and staff of the Twin Oaks Mining Company together with the company chairman, operations manager and senior engineer also appeared in court and were released on bail.

A news team from The Sentinel, led by Jake Withers with a beard showing some regrowth, were there to record the discovery and subsequent arrests, watched by Sierra, her father Duncan, Jack Fish and editor of Heavy Machinery, Tommy Thompson, who was busy with his camera to report the role of his magazine in this sting as he called it.

"This is a proud day for The Sentinel," Duncan said to his daughter. "Where's Harry?"

"He's down south for two days at a media conference on advertising legal issues."

Looking at Sierra's face he said, "Christ, you haven't told him, have you?"

Hearing her mutter no, he said: "You fool, at least you should have hinted and invited him here today - he would have dumped that conference for this."

"I know, daddy, but secrecy was vital until the warrant was issued. It was a planned operation to round up the villains at their homes and to ensure Shaft 59 wasn't blown up any further. By the time the raids were about to begin Harry had left for his conference."

"You've goofed Sierra."

"Daddy, had you been in my position with everything screwed down on a need-to-know basis, would you have told mommy in advance?"

"Hell no."

"So what's different about that and me not telling Harry?"

"Because he's your operational boss and expects your confidence as any superior has the right to know. I can understand why I wasn't told."

"Daddy, our company is being sued for more than $4 million, possible much more if the parent company decides to take independent action. Also my reputation was at stake. And another thing, Peter Fish came to me to operate this sting, not to Harry - so think about that one."

"Until that investigating team finally managed to identify a possible whistle-blower from the comparison of those two photos, and worked on him successfully, we were up a tree on this chancy and high-risk operation. I was in the gun and I made my call - it's me you should be supporting daddy, not Harry and his probable hurt feelings."

"She's right Screamer," Peter Fish said, breaking into the conversation. Neither father nor daughter had noticed him approaching.

Screamer? What a disgusting nickname, thought Sierra, aware in her earlier days at living at home that her father's bellowing yells of exaltation could be heard occasionally from her parent's bedroom. She was fifteen before she knew enough to realize that he was not roaring away reading funny comics.

"We were on a knife-edge with this one," Peter said, "and that's why I'd insisted we operate on a need-to-know restriction."

Well, thought Sierra, he may have meant to tell her that, but hadn't. She simply used common sense. Fortunately it appeared nobody on The Sentinel, including Harry, read Heavy Machinery, which really wasn't surprising. None of them probably read other titles such as Age Concern, Quilting Monthly, Stamps Pre-1940 and The Temperance Society's Quarterly and so it hadn't raised awkward questions about why she was writing for an oddball magazine under an assumed name and looking like a man.

"Support you daughter dickhead," Peter urged. "There's no way the claim by Twin Oaks Mining will proceed and I've just taken a call advising the Government has ordered an immediate enquiry into the operations of Black Gold Inc. in this country."

"Your embargo on having nothing to do with the Two Oaks action is lifted my girl and so get back to work and get your big story on it out to the public. Radio and TV will be on to it before midday but in the morning The Sentinel will have its exclusive story by you and its exclusive pictures of the raid," Peter said.

"I'm taking Duncan to late breakfast. You're a great lady Sierra. I'm saying that on behalf of this tight-lipped gentleman beside me."

"Brilliantly done Sierra, you have made me so proud of you," her father choked.

In the cab ride to her office, Sierra called Harry who was on his way to the conference hotel restaurant for early breakfast.

"Hi, what's up?"

"You're going to hate me for this - I've been involved in a huge sting I haven't told you about."

"Fancy that. By your behavior I guessed something was on but was too much of a gentleman to ask."

"You heard me apologize, so here goes."

She imagined Harry's tension growing as he listened quietly for the three minutes it took to summarize.

"I'm appalled that you didn't tell me Sierra, cut to the quick. I'm coming home, chartering a plane."

"No I don't want you here and interfering, Harry. You've helped prepare me for this. Let me fly."

"This is a huge story, Sierra - it will go round the country and to other countries where Black Gold operates."

"I know that. Let me handle it Harry, don't make me beg."

The initial anger appeared to be ebbing from his voice.

"I'll not forgive you if you blow this chance of leading the team to present The Sentinel's story of the decade."

Sierra was becoming impatient.

"Harry, you're not needed - I have Frank as back-up and we have a whole staff trained to jump when the call comes. Harry, accept that it will have been a waste of time preparing me if you don't let me head this big one; it's part of my destiny, Harry. Please don't deny me."

There was a brief silence between them, "Okay - go girl, and good luck. I'll keep my phone on in the conference and will pay their damn fines. Call me if you need to talk. You'll do fine."

"Thanks, Harry; I'm forever in your debt."

The grandfatherly cab driver turned to his backseat passenger. "That Harry fellow is a pretty difficult devil lady. You'd do better finding a guy who's more flexible."

"I could be better off, but he has to be the one. It's my destiny."

"You should know lady; you sound like you wear the pants."

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