The Gladiator

Ajax swung himself back over the parapet and felt for the top rung with his bare feet. He let his spear drop to the ground below and clambered back down. As he reached the bottom, the first of Chilo's men came after him.

'Don't let them get away!' the Roman officer shouted above the din of the fight on the wall, and Ajax felt his guts tighten at the sound. He looked up and snarled through clenched teeth,

'Macro...'

One by one his men came down the ladder and fled back across the ditch. From the other side there were cries of shock and pain, and Ajax realised that some of them must have run over the belt of caltrops in their haste to get away from the wall. Chilo landed heavily beside him.

'You the last?'

'Two still up there.'

There was nothing that could be done for them. Ajax clapped Chilo on the shoulder. 'Let's go.'

They turned and ran towards the ditch as there was a brief, final clash of weapons on the wall. Then a voice boomed out:

'AJAX!'

He hesitated and looked back. In the light of a torch blazing a short distance along the wall, he saw the Roman centurion. He had a javelin drawn back in his right hand as he took aim at the rebel leader. Then, with a grunt, he hurled the weapon down. His aim was true and the dark shaft swept towards Ajax. Before he could react, a body slammed into him, knocking him to one side. The javelin struck with a sound like a pick driven into wet sand and there was an explosive grunt of air. Ajax's gladiator's reflexes served him well as he rolled back into a crouch. At his feet lay Chilo, staring up and gasping as his fingers felt the shaft that pinned him to the ground through his stomach.

'General, go,' he managed to groan.

Ajax grasped the shaft and wrenched it out. Then he grabbed Chilo, lifted him on to his back and scrambled down the ditch, across the bottom and up the other side. There was another shout from the wall.

'Don't just stand there, you dozy bastards! Get him!'

Another javelin struck the earth close by as Ajax struggled over the edge of the ditch. Several more followed as he staggered on, watching the ground as carefully as he could to make sure he did not step on one of the caltrops. Once he was sure that he had passed through them and was out of range of the javelins, he sagged down and lowered Chilo to the grass. Chilo rolled on to his back with a sharp cry of pain and clutched a hand to the wound.

'Oh... fuck, fuck, it hurts,' he muttered.

Ajax saw some more of his men a short distance off.' Over here, now!'

Even thoughthey recognised the sound of their general, they hesitated briefly before they did as he ordered. Ajax indicated the stricken Chilo. 'Get him back to my headquarters and send for Kharim. Understand? Then go, now!'

They picked Chilo up and made off into the night. Ajax's heart was still pounding from his exertions and he stood breathing hard as he stared back towards the wall. The crest of the centurion was plainly visible amongst the other men behind the rampart. There was a derisive whistle, then jeering from the enemy, and Ajax spat to clear his throat.

'Macro!' He cupped a hand to his mouth and called again. 'Macro! When I take the city, I will cut your heart out with my own hand! This I swear!'

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

'Bugger it!'

Macro thumped his fist down on the parapet, and winced as the pain shot up his arm. His javelin would surely have killed or crippled Ajax had it not been for that other man, damn him. With Ajax out of action, Macro had little doubt that the morale of the rebels would have been stricken, and even if a new leader emerged to save the revolt, the loss of Ajax would have won a few days'

reprieve for the defenders. He turned away from the retreating rebels and examined the scene around him. Bodies lay sprawled along the walkway and some of the parapet had been pulled away by the enemy as they came over. It had been a close thing. The men on watch had been one of the units raised from the city's population.

They were under the command of optios and centurions appointed from the ranks of the auxiliary cohort. Had it not been for them, the rank and file might have fled.

Macro pointed to the nearest centurion. 'Flaccus!'

'Sir?'

'Clear the walkway. Have our dead taken to the burial pit.'

'Yes, sir.' Flaccus paused. 'And the other bodies?'

Macro jerked his thumb over the wall. 'Might as well leave them in full sight of the rebels. Might help to put them off their stride.'

'Yes, sir.'