Read Chapter 20: — THE NEXT CONTRACT

Success did what success always did in infrastructure.

It earned them more work.

The consortium reassigned Graham’s core team to a mountain-and-desert section farther inland: a long viaduct, several cuttings and a tunnel driven through difficult rock beneath a seismic zone.

Toby stared at the new programme.

“Did we offend someone?”

Maya smiled. “You wanted experience.”

“I wanted tasteful experience.”

The new camp was harsher than the city but more organised than their first desert posting. Lessons had travelled with the team: integrated local management, multilingual safety briefings, heat-adjusted rosters, formal mentoring for graduates and regular cross-team meetings.

Daniel noticed that systems he had suggested months earlier were now simply “how we do things.”

That pleased him more than any award.

Graham appointed Daniel deputy lead for one of the critical sections.

Daniel challenged the decision immediately.

“Because I’m qualified?”

Graham’s face hardened. “If you ask me that again, I’ll give the role to someone else.”

Daniel held his gaze.

“Good answer.”

“You’re impossible.”

“Family trait.”

The words escaped.

Both men froze.

Then Graham looked down at the plans to hide a smile.

Their relationship did not transform into sentimental fatherhood. Graham still called him Mercer at work. Daniel still called him Mr Bennett. They argued over temporary works, inspection hold points and whether engineers were permitted to survive on coffee.

But after night shifts they occasionally sat outside the office with tea.

Graham told stories about early projects in Scotland, North Africa and Central Asia. Daniel listened without pretending the stories repaired the years between them.

They did something more modest.

They built a present.