Pele's Fire

Biting her tongue, she sat and waited for the stranger to proclaim her fate.

“ALL RIGHT,” BOLAN SAID, turning to face both passengers at once. “Here’s what we need to do.”

“Listen,” Polunu interrupted, “I didn’t mean that shit you heard, okay? I got nowhere to go if I bail out on you, and no one to look after me. I know all that, okay? What I mean to say is, I’m sticking.”

Bolan prolonged the moment with a frown. “The only thing I heard is that you plan to tell the truth. Now, if I’ve picked your brain for everything you know, and you want to be on your way—”

“No, man. Hell, no. I talked that out with Aolani. We’re all clear on that, okay?”

“Sounds fair to me,” Bolan replied. “But be aware of one thing, Polunu.”

“What’s that, man?”

“You try to set us up at any time, or run out in the middle of a fight in progress, then you’re nothing but another enemy as far as I’m concerned. And I’m not taking any prisoners.”

“I saw that at the Punchbowl,” Polunu said.

“Remember it.”

“I hear you, brah.”

“Okay, then. Unless you have more information on the task at hand…?”

“Nothing. I’m sorry, man. It wasn’t like they took me in their confidence for the high-level shit.”

“Then I need someone who would know the details, or at least the broad strokes of the master plan. Someone who’s still accessible.”

“Meaning they haven’t disappeared?” Polunu asked to clarify.

“Meaning exactly that.”

“Okay, let me think,” Polunu said. “The big guys all went underground a while ago, you understand. Warrants and shit were bugging them too much to stay out in the open.”

“But they still have contact points,” Bolan surmised. “Ways they can keep in touch with others who aren’t hiding.”

“Well, sure, man. Lanakila and his number two, Eddie Nahoa, have a list of phone numbers. They can reach out to anyone they know, whenever. Maybe two, three others have the list, but they’re all—”

“Underground,” Bolan said, finishing the sentence for him.

“Right.”

“Turn it around,” Bolan replied. “What happens when somebody needs to get in touch with Lanakila or Nahoa? When it’s vital, and they can’t afford to wait around and hope they get a call tomorrow or next week?”