“His own private detention center?” Frank said.

“Nothing like that. It’s a clinic.”

“They don’t even have a medical facility there,” Frank said. The International Security Assistance Force camps rarely did.

“He’s got some mobile thing set up,” Rex said. “A gift from some NGO.”

“What do you mean by different?” Mary said.

“Oh, he’s got this sub-rosa deal where if locals insist that civilians got plunked, like even though Special Forces says they’re Taliban, he’ll treat them,” Jeff said. “Winning hearts and minds. Freelance.”

“Fuck,” Frank said. “He’s crazy.”

“We’re trying to catch him at it red-handed,” Rex said. “Then we’ll send it up the chain. Right now it’s rumor.”

“It’s happening,” Jeff said.

“Not till I see it for myself,” Rex said.

“If it weren’t for this sky dump, I’d be over there,” Jeff said. “Apparently, some of these people are going to the embassy about this one.”

“They say it was an F-16,” Rex said.

Frank and Mary didn’t look at one another or say anything.

“For all we know, there wasn’t even a run last night,” Rex said.

“Guys, guys,” Frank said, wanting the subject changed. “Where we going?”

“Nice little mountain up here,” Jeff said, his tone saying, Not yet.

“Sorry, Frank,” Rex said. They were putting Frank and Mary on the spot. And it wasn’t like them.

“We’re both sorry,” Jeff said, but reluctantly. Mary kept her face fixed: apology neither accepted nor denied.

“Look, who knows, right?” Rex said, honestly sorry.

“‘Who knows’ is right,” Frank chimed.

“The other day, I’m on grievances,” Rex went on, “meeting with your friendly lords of the locals and so forth. Saying some unnamed Afghan guys I’m training are, well, causing problems with some of the girls, little girls. I say, ‘Okay, let’s find the girls, let’s get some descriptions.’ He says no way. We go back and forth. Finally, he says, ‘Okay, you send a woman, we’ll let her talk to the girls.’ Bring a nurse from the Canadian NGO up there, she spends the day in the village. Comes back. Says, ‘These girls aren’t girls. They’re women. Plus, they said their husbands put them up to this, to say this.’”

“Fucked-up country,” Frank said.

“Aw, come on,” Jeff said. “How many times do you look into something only to figure it’s not what it was sold to you as? I mean, really?”

“When I was in the army …” Rex began.

“Well, that’s your problem right there.” Frank bumped his fist on Rex’s back.

“My wife, there’s a better problem. Talk about not being as sold,” Jeff started to say.