Guardian of Rome (#2 in Gladiator Series)

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

They approached in silence.

No sound, smell nor sight alerted the rebels to their presence as Gaius paused just inside the treeline, his army following his actions until two hundred strong men were concealed within the trees, and looked out at the villa.

From the ground it looked more in line with a stronghold rather than a luxurious villa with its high walls, thick wooden gates and flattened ground around its perimeter, making any invader visible from five hundred yards away.

But between the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning, the rebels would be sleeping.

A few soldiers walked the wall, watching the perimeter but even they were stood still; their shapes slumped over in slumber.

Gaius shook his head at their poor defence; from a legion of gladiators he expected more and he expected Krista to be a fearsome leader.

If her warriors were sleeping on duty they must not fear her wrath.

Waving the archers forward, Gaius remained where he was as a dozen men crouched against the earth in front of him and took aim at the guards sleeping on the wall.

The arrows barely made a whisper as they shot through the air before impacting against their targets.

Gaius watched in earnest as each arrow sunk in to the flesh of a traitorous gladiator; their bodies falling backwards off the wall and into the villa.

Krista will soon be alerted to their attack if they discovered the bodies. He needed to act fast.

Sending the signal for the first attack, Gaius once again remained under the cover of trees as a force of fifty men left the sanctuary of the forest from the east.

Two columns of armed men were stood on either side of a battering ram; which had been fashioned from a huge tree trunk with the front hacked into a point.

Metal had been melted down and shaped to cover the point, adding extra strength; simple but effective.

It would decimate their front gate within a minute.

Turning from the villa, Gaius peered up through the trees at the night sky.

It was a clear night, with no clouds, and a full moon; it wasn’t ideal for an evening assault but Gaius worked with what he had.

The tremendous sound of the battering ram being punched against the gate jolted Gaius from his thoughts as he turned back to the task at hand.

Krista will definitely be made aware of their assault now, Gaius thought, as the ram was bashed against the gate a few more times.

But the gate could not stand forever and soon the panelling gave way to the battering ram; the metal point breaking through the beams.

Timing the assault perfectly, Gaius instructed his men forward so that by the time they crossed the plains and reached the villa, the gates had been opened and they flooded in.

Torch lights burnt brightly in their cradles, signs of life were everywhere from the half-finished bowls of food to the warm bedding that littered the ground.

But the villa was empty.

His men poured through the villa, searching for anyone, but as the villa filled with Romans, Gaius turned his attentions on something that rested a few feet from the wall.

Removing a torch from its cradle, Gaius lowered the flame towards the heavy shape on the floor and saw an arrow sticking out of its chest.

But on closer inspection, Gaius saw it for what it truly was and anger expanded in his chest.