“We’ll check the other gangs. You’d better hope we find them,” the captain said.
“Yes, sir.”
“Tell Rainack to phone in to the warden.”
“We ain’t sure they broke out yet.”
“The warden wants a report when anybody’s missing.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Check this end of the line and I’ll start on the other.”
Daddy Claxton had his ear pressed to the back door of the truck. His mouth was open in a half grin. The water dripped off his clothes onto the floor.
“By God, they done it. They broke out,” he said.
“Did anybody see them?” Avery said.
“They was working next to me,” Brother Samuel said. “When the sides started caving in they dropped their tools and took off down the ditch.”
“Did you hear the captain chewing out Evans?” Daddy Claxton said. “He’ll get busted if they don’t catch them.”
“We ain’t sure they got away yet,” LeBlanc said.
“They wasn’t running down the ditch for no exercise,” Toussaint said.
“They could have climbed up the other side when all that dirt fell in,” Daddy Claxton said. “The hacks was worrying about the ditch flooding and them pumps going out.”
“The dogs won’t be able to follow them in the rain. They have a good chance,” Avery said.
“Billy Jo said they had a car hid out somewhere,” Daddy Claxton said.
“They’ll be lucky if the police ain’t sitting in it waiting for them,” Toussaint said.
“They talked it around plenty,” Brother Samuel said.
“Them boys is long gone. I wish I was with them,” Daddy Claxton said.
“Why didn’t you go?” LeBlanc said.
“I asked them. They told me I was too old.”
“They couldn’t have stopped you from going.”
“I reckon they’re right. I been in prison too many years to have any business on the outside.”
“I ain’t sure I want to be with them,” Brother Samuel said.
“How come?” Claxton said.
“Jeffry’s carrying a spirit. I seen the sign this morning. There was a big wart on his finger.”
“You get warts from picking up frogs,” Claxton said.
“Not this kind,” Brother Samuel said.
“Them boys is gone. There ain’t no wart going to hold them back.”