The Breakout
Patrick and Hazi hid behind some barrels. Patrick saw Lucius turn the corner. The prefect was with two soldiers.
“You should have seen the look on Georgius’s face,” Prefect Lucius said. “He couldn’t believe I let him go to Silene.”
The three men stopped walking. They shared a laugh.
The Romans now stood near Patrick and Hazi.
Patrick was afraid that one would see them.
“Why did you let him go?” one soldier asked. He had thick, dark eyebrows.
“It’s simple, Cato,” Lucius said. “Georgius believes in fables. First, it’s Christos . . . Now it’s dragons! He can die for them if he wants.”
“But Lucius,” Cato said, “there really is some giant beast. It’s killing animals in Silene.”
“Yes. I hope there is,” Lucius said. He laughed again.
“You hope?” the other soldier asked. “You want Georgius to die?”
Patrick leaned forward to see more clearly. The other soldier was tall and sweaty. Thin blond hair stuck out from under his helmet.
“I’m tired of him, Emil,” Lucius said. “His religion is hurting the Roman army. The religious men love their God more than they love Rome. Let the dragon have Georgius.”
Cato nodded. Then his bushy eyebrows rose. “What if Georgius kills the dragon? He’ll save the village and become a hero.”
“Then you’ll never be rid of him,” Emil said. “A dead hero will make Georgius’s religion more popular.”
Patrick saw Lucius’s face turn dark red. “Then we’ll put a new plan in place,” he said.
“What plan?” Emil asked.
“We’ll stop Georgius. We’ll march twenty soldiers to Silene,” Lucius said.
“Twenty? Why so many?” Cato asked.
“To capture the soldier who left his post,” Lucius said. “We’ll say he ran off to worship his God.”
Emil said, “But you gave him permission—”
Lucius scowled. “Georgius left his post,” he said. “He must be punished.”
“A very good plan,” Cato said.
“Go get the men,” Lucius said. “One way or the other, Georgius will die tonight.”
Hazi grabbed the horse’s reins. He leaned close to its ear. “Hurry, Coal!” he whispered. “We must warn Georgius!”
Patrick held on tight. Hazi pushed the horse to reckless speed. The ground was uneven in places. He prayed that he wouldn’t fall off.
They came near the village. Hazi shouted over his shoulder, “I think I see Georgius up ahead!”
Georgius’s horse was drinking from a bucket. Georgius was holding up one of the horse’s back legs. He appeared to be digging at the hoof with a knife.
The boys rode right up to the soldier.
Georgius turned toward them with his knife raised. He seemed ready to fight. But he lowered the blade when he saw the boys.
“What are you doing here?” Georgius asked.
“We overheard Lucius,” Patrick said. But he was too breathless to finish.
“He’s coming with twenty men,” Hazi said. “If the dragon doesn’t kill you, they will for deserting your post.”
Georgius looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he said, “This changes nothing. The girls must be saved.”
Georgius focused on the horse again. A moment later, he freed a sharp stone from its hoof.
“Where are the girls?” he asked Hazi.
Hazi’s mouth fell open. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never been to the dragon’s cave. My father wouldn’t tell me where it is. He was afraid I’d be curious and go.”
“Your father knows?” Georgius asked.
“Yes,” Hazi said.
Georgius climbed onto his horse. “Then take me to him. And hurry!”
The trip back to the cells felt endless. Patrick worried about Beth. They might not reach her in time.
Patrick, Hazi, and Georgius arrived at the jail. Hazi called to his father.
Tarek’s face appeared at the cell window. “You’ve come,” he said. “Thank you, Georgius.”
“Where are the girls?” Georgius asked. “Tell me how to get there.”
“I can only show you,” Tarek said. “But I’m locked in.”
Patrick suddenly had an idea. He slipped the rope off of his shoulder.
“Catch my rope,” Patrick said to Tarek. “And tie it to the bars in the window.” He tossed the coiled rope toward Tarek. The man caught it and pulled it into the cell.
Georgius said, “Good idea, Patrick. The horses can pull the bars out with your rope.”
Patrick blushed with pride. But then he frowned. I should have thought of this sooner, he thought. It would have saved time.
Soon Tarek had the rope tied to the window bars. He tossed both ends of the rope back to Patrick.
“Tie each rope end to a saddle,” Georgius said. “We’ll pull out the bars. But first let me loosen the mortar.”
Georgius stood on a crate so he could reach the window. He pulled a dagger out of his belt. He used the dagger’s blade to loosen the mortar around the window. Chunks of mortar fell to the ground with soft thuds.
While Georgius worked, Patrick and Hazi tied the rope ends to the saddles.
Patrick was afraid that someone would hear the scraping.
“What’s going on?” someone called from inside. “What’s that sound?”
“Hurry!” Tarek said. “A guard is coming!”
“Hazi, get on your horse!” Georgius cried.
Patrick moved away from the horses.
Georgius jumped off the crate. He raced to his horse. Then the soldier leaped into his saddle. “Now!” he shouted.
Both Hazi and Georgius spurred their horses. The horses suddenly moved away from the wall. The jerk tore the window bars out of the cell wall. And there was Tarek.
Hazi’s father climbed through the hole. He used the crate as a step and jumped to the ground. He climbed in front of Hazi onto Coal.
The merchant took the reins and dashed away.
Georgius grabbed Patrick’s arm. The soldier swung him onto his horse. They left the village of Silene in a cloud of dust.