A yell from outside their prison interrupted her. Somebody blew a
whistle. A chorus of shouts, muted by the thick walls, reached them
faintly.
Joel swung toward the door. The prisoners were all staring in that
direction too.
Nick Thorp scrambled to his feet, came over to Joel and Tamis. "What's
the fuss?"
Tamis shrugged naked ivory shoulders. She slipped into her coveralls,
a frown tugging at her eyebrows.
Suddenly a siren turned loose like a blast from the last trumpet. Joel
jumped involuntarily.
"Someone's escaped!" Tamis gasped.
The door burst open. Guards spilled into their prison. They wore white
shorts and tunics and carried paralyzers. The dapper colonel was no
longer jaunty. His face was red.
"Line up against the wall!" he shouted in a furious tone.
Joel fell into line beside Tamis and Thorp. The colonel opened the
muster, barked, "Allyn!"
"Here."
"Aus'l!"
"Here."
"Baden!"
"Here."
Through the open door, Joel could see a white uniformed guard sprawled
on the floor. Blood trickled from his mouth and nose and the doctor was
fussing over him.