When Samuel began going out to inspect the construction projects he found things that disturbed him. He had Chinese, Indians, even some Palestinians! Some of the work sites were well run, the workers adequitely sheltered and fed, but some of them were not, and Samuel heard rumors that some of the workers were forced to pay fees to work by some of the local leaders. He quickly put a stop to this. He also found some of the workers were under paid. Provisions and building materials were missing. The foreman complained that armed men would come from the local gangs and rob the facilities, but the local warlords wouldn't protect them.
Samuel decided to put a stop to this and the easiest way to do it was to issue the workers arms. Within a week two sites had driven off thieves. Finally some of the raiders were killed and one ended up being the son of one of Major David's lieutenants. Major David removed the man from his post and things in that sector got a lot easier.
Samuel had been in Somalia six months when he was driving to a construction site one afternoon when a sudden explosion blew his car off the road. It ended up in the ditch and as they got out of it shots rang out. They managed to get their rifles and return fire, after several tense minutes guards from the construction site arrived and drove the attackers off.
Samuel and Sahid received only slight wounds. The car needed a little body work and a couple of new windows. They had been lucky, VERY lucky! A few feet further down the road and the mine would have probably killed them.
The men that had been killed could not be identified. Captain David was furious! The next time Samuel went to go out a truckload of ten soldiers went with him, towing a trailer that carried all the provisions they would need for several days in the field.
"No arguments!" the Somali insisted. "From now on you have an escort everywhere you go!"
The other leaders complained that the escort was only Major David's men. "Fine!" Samuel answered. "If you've got a problem with that, each of you send two men. That way the patrol will be balanced. There'll be representatives from all the factions."
The leaders agreed. "As a matter of fact," Samuel suggested, "I think it would be a good idea if we integrate ALL your checkpoints and stations."
The leaders were reluctant but eventually agreed. By the time little Victor was born everything was going so smoothly that Samuel was considered a miracle worker by the other district commanders, and they began to follow his policies with a great deal of success. At the end of his first year Samuel got an acommendation which called for a bit of a celebration.
"I HOPE things continue to go as well," his superior praised over the phone.
"So do I!" Samuel answered, "but I don't know if my luck can last forever."
Less than a week later a difficulty presented itself. Samuel was at a construction site when he got a radio call. Father Murphy, who had a mission in a nearby village was calling for help. All the patrols were hours away. But Samuel could be there in minutes!
"I'll go check it out!" he answered, ordered everybody into their trucks, and they sped away. When they got to the village they found a group of men and a group of women fighting outside a building, and at the moment the men seemed to be getting the worst of it. He ordered his men in to break them up and soon had them separated.
"All right!" he screamed, "That's enough! I want order here! What in the hell is going on? What's this all about?
The priest, holding a handkerchief to his bleeding face, came forward. Samuel jumped off the truck. "Medic!" he cried. In a few minutes the priest's wounds were treated and he began to explain what was happening.

Page 45