“Selfer was first. Main House. Rear entry so as to stress secrecy. He opened the door for me, he’s the only person there. I tell him. He goes pale, wants to shit his drawers. He didn’t want to go down there, but I convinced him. If he doesn’t get Frankie alone down below and now, all alone in that break room, then it’ll be too late. He got quiet a moment. I tell him it’s the only way to fix what he helped create. He nodded at that, gained a little color in his face, asks me what comes next. I told him to give it one hour, until Frankie was sure to be in position. By then Frankie will have relieved the only guard down there.”

“You sure there are no other guards?”

“Yes. I checked it again. We can’t be sure about a random sentry, though.”

“Then what?”

“I went to Frankie. This one’s not so easy. His bungalow was all fouled up. Quite a card game they had going. The rest, his skeleton crew, they’re all there throwing one hell of a wingding like before shoving off for combat detail, some passed out already or on their way.”

“So?”

“I told him. Gave him the lowdown, what Selfer was planning, and it wasn’t no scuttlebutt, I got it on good authority—because Selfer himself came to me with it.”

“Why would Selfer do that?”

“That’s what Frankie asked. I told him that Selfer was trying to recruit me. I’d been hanging around on a bender, in no big hurry to shove off down to Kona Town. So Selfer found me. He needed someone to get his back, see. Nothing doing, I says, to Frankie. I’m rotating out and anyways I seen enough blood for my kids’ lifetimes.”

“That’s a nice angle. You don’t have kids.”

“Who’s counting? So, I get to the gist of it. Selfer will be heading underground, and soon, and on no one’s orders but his own. I think he’s after a little of that gold, I also tell Frankie.”

“Good. Okay.”

“And I tell Frankie, Selfer’s aiming to release Wendell while he’s at it, let him run free and clear. But, and here’s the thing: Frankie would have to face Selfer on his own. He brings that reckless blotto crew of his, then Selfer’s going to hear them coming. Well, Frankie just smiled at that and said he wanted to do this one himself anyways.”

“Frankie believe you?”

“He asked me why I’m doing this. I told him I got no orders for what Selfer wants. I only follow orders. But I do report any transgressions I see to the highest authority—meaning Frankie. That got Frankie smiling too but it wasn’t a smile you’d want to see twice.”

“I don’t want to see it once. What then?”