He unbuckled his sword from around his waist and dropped it by the bank, as if he’d taken it off to shed weight before crossing the river. He didn’t like being without a weapon, but he still had a knife strapped to his waist. He also shed his red legionary cape and chainmail armor, and dumped the items atop the sword.
He beckoned the women to follow him, and they raced upstream, following the bends and curves of the river. Voices echoed from behind him, but they were talking, not shouting. The party of soldiers must have stopped at the riverbank upon finding Max’s discarded items.
Max drew to a halt and beckoned Iris and Volusia to hide behind nearby trees. He closed his eyes and listened hard to the voices downstream. The next part of his plan hinged on the camp being empty.
Once he was satisfied that he heard all five voices, he opened his eyes. Volusia met his gaze, her face pale and panicked. “What now?” she hissed. “We can’t outrun them, and we can’t run all night.”
“We’re not going to,” Max said. “The one place they won’t check is the camp itself. We’ll go back there—it’s empty now—and hide ourselves in one of the supply carts. We’ll escape in the middle of the night once they’ve given up searching.”
“That’s insane!” Volusia whispered. Iris nodded vehemently.
“Do you have a better plan?” Max demanded. “They outnumber us. They can fan out and search faster than we can find hiding places. The only place we can hide is somewhere they won’t search.” He reached out and took Volusia’s hand. “Once, you said you trusted me. Do you still?”
Her fingers tightened around his. “Yes,” she murmured.
“Then let’s go.” He led them back into the forest, following his vague mental map to lead them back in the direction of the camp. They walked as quickly and as quietly as possible, traveling in a wide arc to avoid running into the other soldiers.
The flickering campfire appeared through the trees ahead. Max drew them to a halt, pausing to make sure the camp was truly empty. Once he was certain, he pointed to a supply cart on the edge of the camp. It was laden with boxes and crates of Volusia’s possessions as well as food and supplies for the journey, and a canvas tarp lay over everything. “We can hide in there.”
Iris gave him a look that said she clearly thought he was crazy, but Volusia nodded resolutely. On his signal, they sprinted across the short open distance between the trees and the cart. Max lifted the tarp and helped the two women in, then climbed in behind them, pulling the fabric back down over them. There was just enough space between the trunks and crates for the three of them to fit.
Volusia and Iris squeezed into the back of the cart. Volusia wrapped an arm around Iris’s shoulders, and they huddled together. Max stayed near the front, his hand on the hilt of his knife. If anyone did try to investigate the cart, they’d meet him first, and he could give the women time to get away.
Max quickly gave up trying to find a comfortable position for his long legs, and sat crammed between two crates, his knees pressed tight against his chest. He let out a long breath, his body still humming with shock, fear, and anger. The image of Glabrio’s sword levelled at Volusia’s throat was imprinted on his mind. And resounding in his skull was the question that had changed everything:is this woman really worth dying for?
His gaze sought Volusia out in the near pitch-darkness of the covered cart. Iris’s head rested on her shoulder, and Volusia held her close, whispering something comforting in her ear. Somehow, Volusia had gone from a childhood infatuation to a woman he would sacrifice everything for. His chest squeezed at the thought of losing her. He made a vow to himself in the darkness: no matter what the future held or didn’t hold for them, he would see her safely out of this mess, whatever the cost.
Volusia couldn’t stop shaking. She wrapped an arm tight around Iris to try to quell her tremors. Her heart was still pounding as fast as it had when they’d been running.
She rested her gaze on Max’s shadowy form at the other end of the cart. The sight of him calmed her, but guilt twisted in her stomach. He had given up so much in a moment’s decision to defend her. If it weren’t for his bravery, she and Iris would both be dead, their bodies dumped in the river by now.
Her mind struggled to process the events of the last hour. Clearly, Petronax had known that she suspected his involvement in Avitus’s death. But how? She’d given nothing away.
Maybe the corrupt commander just wanted to tie up any potential loose ends, hence his order to Glabrio. This attempt on her life was all the proof she needed of Petronax’s guilt. Now, it wasn’t only about justice for Avitus, but for herself as well. If she could make it back to Rome, and with Max as a witness, she could bring Petronax to justice.
But right now, making it back to Rome seemed as impossible as traveling to Mount Olympus. They were still in the camp of the men who had just tried to murder them, and they needed to sneak out without being discovered. She shivered. Max had gotten them this far. She had to trust that his plan would work.
Volusia estimated they’d been hiding in the cart for about an hour when voices filtered back to the camp: the other soldiers returning, having given up their search. Volusia tensed, and felt Iris stiffen next to her. But no footsteps crossed near the cart.
“Idiots,” someone spat, his voice sounding from the direction of the campfire. The voice had Glabrio’s gravelly burr. “The river must have swept them away. No doubt we’ll find their bodies downstream in a day or two.”
“With respect, sir,” another soldier said, “if the order was to kill the lady, doesn’t that mean our mission was accomplished? Do we return to Narbo now, or continue on to Rome?”
“We continue on,” Glabrio said. “Once the Senate nominates a new governor, we will return with him to Narbo. As far as any of you are concerned, there was a tragic accident while fording a river, in which the lady, a legionary, and a slave perished. If I hear any rumors otherwise, each and every one of you will face severe consequences. Is that clear?”
There was a subdued muttering of “Yes, sir” from the men.
“Good,” Glabrio growled. “Now, Ulpius takes first watch. The rest of you, dismissed.”
Noises sprang up around the camp as the legionaries readied themselves for bed. Gradually, the camp quieted. Another hour passed. Volusia’s legs were sore and stiff, and her bottom had gone numb from sitting on the unforgiving wood.
When she thought she couldn’t take it anymore, Max finally shifted, his movements slow and careful. He lifted the edge of the tarp and peered out.
He lowered it and turned toward her and Iris. “Ulpius is sitting by the fire with his back to us,” Max breathed. “We should be able to escape into the trees from here…as long as he doesn’t turn around.”
Volusia’s stomach tightened. As torturous as sitting in this cramped cart was, staying here suddenly seemed preferable to a risky escape.
“Are you ready?” Max asked. “You both should run for the trees as soon as you’re out of the cart. I’ll follow.”
