They huddled as one, pressed into the dark depression of a doorway at another fork in the tunnels. It was one guard, no, two. Then the two guards were talking, jawing on about making it with island girls, souping up a coupe, busting skulls.

The two passed right by, took a turn, and their drunken babble faded.

“They’re heading away from the break room,” Jock said. “Come on, let’s go.”

They moved on. Wendell didn’t want food yet, not until they were safer. He hobbled but kept up with help from their shoulders. A break every few minutes, more water from a canteen. It gave them time to listen to the tunnels. Wendell smiled at Kanani again. It calmed her deep and warm in her belly and she grinned back, wondering just what Wendell had experienced in that cell, all alone, in total darkness. She’d never seen a man more ready for what came next.

They were heading up mountain, reaching the part of the map from Selfer’s office that she’d memorized. She couldn’t help but think of all that treasure.

Jock said he knew of a locker room. It was vacated. Jock grabbed coveralls and rubber-soled jungle boots for Wendell, both the boots and suit too big but they would have to do. It kept the fabric from rubbing at his wounds, Wendell told them, thanking them again.

They moved on, passing through a larger sealed door that a jeep could drive through. Here the tunnel was rougher on the sides, like in a mineshaft, the lights few and far between. They’d reached lava rock.

Jock had slowed his pace, slower than Wendell. They waited for him. He tried but had to lean against the jagged wall. He touched it, then yanked his fingers away like it was hot and took a step back from, turning to them with his arms hanging, his face glowing pale green.

Kanani left Wendell to rest on a stray empty crate and walked back to Jock. His breathing was labored, a low pant.

“Those tunnels back there?” Jock said. “I could deal with those, they’re man-made, by Seabees most likely, and I was loaded for bear to rescue Wendell. But these caverns, these lava tubes you call them? We had these in the Pacific. Saipan. Some lead right to those cliffs.”

“Cliffs? No cliffs here.”

“No? Okay, okay. But . . . So they strung some light bulbs in here. So? They could shut them down anytime. So I don’t know. I don’t . . .”

Kanani didn’t know what to say. Maybe Jock had a pint of booze in his pack—maybe that would help. Or supposing it only made him more spooked?

“I don’t know, either,” they heard.