Slocum's Breakout - Jake Logan [65]
“What do we do?”
Slocum hadn’t thought this far ahead. In none of his schemes had he considered a riot and mass escape.
“Get behind Maria and ride the hell out of here,” Slocum said.
“Maria? She is here?” Atencio’s eyes went wide and a broad, toothy grin split his face. “I knew she would come for me!”
Slocum grabbed him by the arm and pulled him from under the gallows. As they rounded the base, the warden struggled to his feet, gasping out commands that brought nearby guards running to him.
“Damn,” Slocum muttered under his breath. He kept moving and hunted for Maria, but the woman had disappeared.
“Where is she? Where?”
“She must have hightailed it out of the prison. She pulled your fat from the fire by distracting the warden.” Slocum saw that Sergeant Wilkinson was closing the main gate, cutting off escape that way. He hoped Maria had ridden away because being trapped on this side of the wall would be a terrible fate for her.
“We’ve got to get out the hole I blasted. Murrieta is on the other side.”
“Procipio? He came to save me also?” This pleased Atencio even more.
Slocum wanted to give him time to thank his friends, but they had to first get out of the prison yard. Barely had he gone a dozen paces when he realized the hole he had blown in the wall was closed off by four armed guards. He started to draw and shoot his way out, then realized that would draw attention to him. The tower guards had stopped firing but were still where they could ventilate him if necessary.
“We can’t go that way,” he said. Grabbing Atencio and shoving him in the direction of the cell block was the only thing he could do. To remain out in the open meant their capture.
Slocum vowed not to let them take him alive. He had spent almost a week in solitary and wasn’t going to do that again. Sergeant Wilkinson still thought he was Jasper Jarvis and an escapee. No amount of argument would change that. Worse, the only lawyer he knew of had stolen money intended to bribe a judge to free Atencio. He was entirely on his own.
“They will not let us stay inside,” Atencio said with such assurance that Slocum almost believed him. Almost.
Then he saw how Wilkinson roamed the ranks of the guards and swept through the yard, collecting any convict who had been unlucky enough to remain inside. The truncheons swung and heads were split open. The bloody tide moved inexorably.
“Into the cell block,” Slocum said. “It’s our only way to get out.”
“How? There is nothing but . . . cells.”
Slocum wasn’t sure, but since this was his only route left, he had to take it. He and Atencio slipped through the open door and into the holding area. Slocum remembered it only too well. From here he had been herded to the room where he was scrubbed down and given the prison uniform.
“Uniforms,” Slocum said.
“Sí, yes, I have one on.” Atencio grabbed the heavy canvas of the striped shirt and held it out. “They would bury me in this, the pigs.”
“Guards’ uniforms. Where can we find some?” He had gotten into the prison before by pretending to be a guard. It was a long shot but all he had if they were to get out.
“I do not know. There, perhaps. The guards have bunks there.”
Slocum didn’t wait to see if Atencio followed him. He ran for the door and kicked it open, ready to gun down any guard who might be inside. The room was empty. Bunks lined two walls and at the far end were hooks, some with guard uniforms dangling from them. Hardly breaking stride after kicking the door, Slocum reached the clothing and quickly sized up the blue wool coats and trousers with the dull brass buttons.
“Here,” he said, tossing a set over his shoulder to Atencio. “Put it on over your prison uniform. No time to strip.” As he spoke, he found a uniform for himself that was several sizes too big. This worked to his advantage. He tightened a belt around his middle so that the pant legs dropped far enough down to cover the tops of his boots. The coat went on and hid his cross-draw holster with the ebony-handled six-shooter in it. He sent his hat sailing under a bunk and tried on three caps before