From his throne, Emperor Herodius watched as the four spies headed
back to the gladiator tunnel. He knew there weren't many rounds left to
take place, and the day would soon give way to dusk. If his general could
not defeat the four spies before the day is done, then he would have no
choice but to grant them freedom, and the prize. Sure, he'd just have them
killed afterwards, but the damage would be done. The people would see him
as weak, and they would die a martyr for the cause of rebellion.
It was this reason that the emperor feared the four men. No one had ever defied him before, and still remained alive. For now, he would have to place his trust in General Marcus. The man had a knack for handling theses situations. Though only in the emperor's service for three years, Marcus had proven extremely intelligent, as well as vicious and intimidating. The emperor had first seen him in a gladiator match. Apparently, the soldiers had chosen him at random from the street to compete. It was the man's sword fighting skills that saved his life, and also caught the attention of his majesty. Marcus was just the sort of person the emperor needed for his captain of the guard.
The mammoth wooden doors opened slowly. It was almost as if the guards were reluctant to admit another victory to the four men walking back to the gladiator tunnel. At least this was how they seemed to Kenshin. Of course, he couldn't blame them. He had killed over two scores of gladiators, not to mention the two-dozen of their comrades. Perhaps this was how everyone would eventually treat him. Kenshin had killed so many in the guise of justice, that his actions had affected the entire country of Japan. But how would they see him? Would they see him as the hero who brought about the new government, or would they see a demon without a soul?
There were times when the young samurai felt like a demon. He would never admit it though, even to himself. It was only now, after the death of HIS loved one that he truly understood. As he walked with the others back to the tunnel, Kenshin again reaffirmed his vow. He would never again take a human life after the battles were won. There would be no other way for him to atone for the wrongs he committed.
Though Kenshin was silent, Lance was not. He needed to reclaim the group's true objective. Now that he knew they stood a chance in the arena, the girls needed to be rescued. Lance didn't trust the emperor to keep any word he made, no matter what the people thought. If they were going to get out of this, they would have to make their own way.
"Did any of you see Conway?" Lance asked them. "He's leaning against the balcony as we speak. I caught his attention and mouthed for him to wait for a signal from us."
The darkness of the tunnel now engulfed them. The four men continued down the large corridor of rock, letting their eyes adjust to the dim lighting being cast by the torches. They could hear the clang of hammers and the shouts of gladiators echoing from around the bend in the tunnel. The other gladiators, who had been fighting while the four men were down in the arena, were now readying themselves to make the trek up the tunnel.
"The gladiators fighting above us," said Lance, "could provide a distraction and give us some time to get up to the girls."
Mark didn't like that idea.
"But if they find out we attacked the guards that are watching us down here," said the tall graduate student, "then there's no way we could get up to them in time."
"I know," replied Lance. "That's where Conway comes in."
"I see," noted Kenshin. "I could probably take care of the guards down here and any on the way up in time for you to reach the stadium seats unnoticed by the emperor or his men."
"Yes," Lance said. "That is if you think it can be done."
Kenshin glanced around the gladiator room as they reached level ground. The weaker men were now starting up the tunnel. The guards escorting them would be out of the way, and there were only a dozen soldiers guarding the exits to the gladiator room. He could certainly take care of them quickly. The only problem would be if they screamed. He'd have to use his full speed to pull it off without one of them crying out too loud. Still, he could do it.
"It can," the samurai told Lance. "But I'm going to need one of you to get their attention by that locked door over there." He pointed to the barred, iron door where General Marcus had been a round earlier. Right now, only one soldier was standing guard next to it. "That way, I can take out the rest from behind them. This way, I'll be able to take them all without them being able to scream aloud."
"But we'll have to act fast," Nick commented. "The round that's about to take place probably won't be very long."
"Then it's settled," said Lance. "I'll cause the distraction, and Nick and Mark will watch the tunnel for any sign of trouble. Once Kenshin takes care of the guards, then we'll have to find someway to get past that door and up to the main terminal."
"Leave the door to me," said Kenshin.
Up above, standing next to the emperor's balcony, was Greg Conway. He was now waiting for a signal from the others, whatever it might be. Conway's face was about ground level with the balcony, letting him see the entire layout. He could see the professor's fiancée sitting only six feet away from him. The other girl was right next to her. Sitting a little farther back, but still close, was the emperor. To Conway, the dictator looked severely riled. He was sweating and shifting in his seat.
Despite smiling at the agitated emperor, Conway was a little unsure of the general's absence. The three guards standing against the back wall of the balcony would be tough enough, let alone having to deal with General Marcus. To Greg, he seemed a little too evil than the other soldiers. But despite the lack of such a foe, Conway was uneasy. Not only was General Marcus evil, but intelligent. Just from his observations, he could tell the man knew more about fighting than anyone else around. What could he be doing now?
Kenshin stood against the back wall of the gladiator room. Opposite him, over fifty feet away, was the iron door. The guard in front was standing at full attention. Kenshin would definitely have to be fast.
Lance stood near the door, smirking now and then to the guard. Lance was trying hard to find some sort of way to distract the guard at the door. There was another tunnel to the left of the doorway that led up to the garrison. They had been led down to the gladiator room through this tunnel early this morning, which seemed ages ago.
Nick waited with Mark, both of them standing beside the samurai. His ear began itching, and he felt his translator had shifted. Nick scratched his ear with his finger, and then tapped the earpiece to push it back into place. After it felt comfortable again, he mumbled to himself in a low whisper.
"Stupid earpiece," he muttered. "Always twisting in my ear."
From across the room, Lance immediately spun around. He stared at Nick. Mark too had turned suddenly, holding a hand up to his ear. Nick caught their gazes with a look of confusion.
"What?" Nick asked Mark.
Lance Thatcher heard Nick again. Even being over fifty feet away, he could hear Nick loud and clear through the electronic translator. His eyes widened. Now he remembered what Conway had said before they made the jump to Rome.
Greg Conway cursed when he remembered about the earpiece. He even told the archeologists and marines who came with him, and yet he himself forgot all about it. The earpiece also acted as a radio transmitter, being fitted with a powerful microphone. He reached up and tapped his ear. While doing so, he turned to Lisa and Jackie, who had also heard Nick's voice through their earpieces.
Being turned around, Conway also saw General Marcus standing in the corridor that led to the balcony. He was apparently talking to a guard, or at least that's what it appeared like. Only his arm and shoulder could be seen. But Conway knew it was the general. Only he would have armor that boisterously shiny. Still, if he was in the corridor talking to someone, then he couldn't have noticed the girls' reaction to Nick's voice. He turned and looked back to the arena.
"Everyone keep quiet," Conway said. "I'm sorry I forgot about it, but remember what I told you before we made the jump."
Lance listened intently as Conway's voice came over the earpiece. The disguised marine above continued, his voice being electronically transmitted in Lance's ear.
"If you haven't done so already," continued Conway. "Tap your earpiece. Once you do that, you should be able to communicate directly to the rest of the group, even at a whisper."
The professor immediately did as instructed, and watched Mark do the same. Kenshin was somewhat confused to say the least, but Lance heard Mark informing the samurai of the earpiece.
"Lance?" came a female voice.
"Lisa," said Lance, almost without breath in his lungs.
"Lance, are you alright?" Lisa asked.
"Yes," Lance replied. "But what about you? Are you all right? Did they hurt you?"
"No," the woman answered in a whisper. "But I don't want to wait here until they do. Get us out of here."
"We're working on it," said Lance. "Can you see Conway? He should be standing right beside the balcony."
Lisa and Jackie simultaneously leaned forward and glanced to their left. Sure enough, Conway was there. The ex-marine turned his head slightly and nodded slowly. Lisa felt her hopes rising, as did Jackie.
But back in the gladiator room, Lance was worried.
"Listen," the professor said. "Are the gladiators fighting yet?"
Conway answered back.
"They just started," came his electronic voice.
"Alright then," Lance told everyone. "We're coming up. Conway, when you hear us in the corridor get up onto the balcony, and try to put a knife to the back of the emperor's neck. Tell him to act calm like nothing was wrong, or you'll cut his throat. He seems like a man who values self- preservation. I think he'll do what you say."
"That's easier said than done," said Conway. "That general is up here."
Standing next to the balcony, Conway turned to survey the general's location. He was still in the hallway, and from what Conway could see, had his arms crossed as he listened to a soldier who was farther into the hallway.
"He's in the corridor that leads to the balcony," said Conway. "I think he's talking to a soldier – wait a second."
Two soldiers came out of the corridor, followed by the general. One of them took over for one of the men who were standing guard against the wall. The other soldier came forward and took position beside the emperor. General Marcus was now taking his normal position beside his commander's throne.
"No," said Conway as he turned back to the arena. "I think the soldier he was talking to is now guarding to the emperor, and Marcus is standing on the other side of the throne."
There was a pause, and then Lance's voice came over the radio transmitter.
"Mark," the professor said. "See if Kenshin would have a problem taking out three soldiers and the general."
Conway heard Mark ask the question to the samurai. A moment later, Mark spoke up.
"He said no problem," Mark said.
"Good," came Lance's voice. "Greg, when Kenshin appears on the balcony, that'll be your queue to get to the emperor. By the time you mount the railing, the balcony should be clear. Then we'll take the emperor as our ticket out of here. All we'll need to do is find somewhere open enough for all of us to grab hold of the return device, and we can get out of here."
Greg Conway looked back at the throne. He could see the general standing on the other side shifting his weight back and forth.
"Sounds fine," Conway said. "Just make sure your samurai friend does his part. I don't want to be up here against four big Romans."
"Don't worry about Kenshin," came Nick's voice. "Compared to what he's done already, four soldiers should be a piece of cake. Jackie, Lisa, get ready, because we're going to have to hall booty once we nab the emperor."
"We've been ready," Jackie replied. "Just be careful. Please."
"Alright then," Lance said. "Everyone get ready."
It was this reason that the emperor feared the four men. No one had ever defied him before, and still remained alive. For now, he would have to place his trust in General Marcus. The man had a knack for handling theses situations. Though only in the emperor's service for three years, Marcus had proven extremely intelligent, as well as vicious and intimidating. The emperor had first seen him in a gladiator match. Apparently, the soldiers had chosen him at random from the street to compete. It was the man's sword fighting skills that saved his life, and also caught the attention of his majesty. Marcus was just the sort of person the emperor needed for his captain of the guard.
The mammoth wooden doors opened slowly. It was almost as if the guards were reluctant to admit another victory to the four men walking back to the gladiator tunnel. At least this was how they seemed to Kenshin. Of course, he couldn't blame them. He had killed over two scores of gladiators, not to mention the two-dozen of their comrades. Perhaps this was how everyone would eventually treat him. Kenshin had killed so many in the guise of justice, that his actions had affected the entire country of Japan. But how would they see him? Would they see him as the hero who brought about the new government, or would they see a demon without a soul?
There were times when the young samurai felt like a demon. He would never admit it though, even to himself. It was only now, after the death of HIS loved one that he truly understood. As he walked with the others back to the tunnel, Kenshin again reaffirmed his vow. He would never again take a human life after the battles were won. There would be no other way for him to atone for the wrongs he committed.
Though Kenshin was silent, Lance was not. He needed to reclaim the group's true objective. Now that he knew they stood a chance in the arena, the girls needed to be rescued. Lance didn't trust the emperor to keep any word he made, no matter what the people thought. If they were going to get out of this, they would have to make their own way.
"Did any of you see Conway?" Lance asked them. "He's leaning against the balcony as we speak. I caught his attention and mouthed for him to wait for a signal from us."
The darkness of the tunnel now engulfed them. The four men continued down the large corridor of rock, letting their eyes adjust to the dim lighting being cast by the torches. They could hear the clang of hammers and the shouts of gladiators echoing from around the bend in the tunnel. The other gladiators, who had been fighting while the four men were down in the arena, were now readying themselves to make the trek up the tunnel.
"The gladiators fighting above us," said Lance, "could provide a distraction and give us some time to get up to the girls."
Mark didn't like that idea.
"But if they find out we attacked the guards that are watching us down here," said the tall graduate student, "then there's no way we could get up to them in time."
"I know," replied Lance. "That's where Conway comes in."
"I see," noted Kenshin. "I could probably take care of the guards down here and any on the way up in time for you to reach the stadium seats unnoticed by the emperor or his men."
"Yes," Lance said. "That is if you think it can be done."
Kenshin glanced around the gladiator room as they reached level ground. The weaker men were now starting up the tunnel. The guards escorting them would be out of the way, and there were only a dozen soldiers guarding the exits to the gladiator room. He could certainly take care of them quickly. The only problem would be if they screamed. He'd have to use his full speed to pull it off without one of them crying out too loud. Still, he could do it.
"It can," the samurai told Lance. "But I'm going to need one of you to get their attention by that locked door over there." He pointed to the barred, iron door where General Marcus had been a round earlier. Right now, only one soldier was standing guard next to it. "That way, I can take out the rest from behind them. This way, I'll be able to take them all without them being able to scream aloud."
"But we'll have to act fast," Nick commented. "The round that's about to take place probably won't be very long."
"Then it's settled," said Lance. "I'll cause the distraction, and Nick and Mark will watch the tunnel for any sign of trouble. Once Kenshin takes care of the guards, then we'll have to find someway to get past that door and up to the main terminal."
"Leave the door to me," said Kenshin.
Up above, standing next to the emperor's balcony, was Greg Conway. He was now waiting for a signal from the others, whatever it might be. Conway's face was about ground level with the balcony, letting him see the entire layout. He could see the professor's fiancée sitting only six feet away from him. The other girl was right next to her. Sitting a little farther back, but still close, was the emperor. To Conway, the dictator looked severely riled. He was sweating and shifting in his seat.
Despite smiling at the agitated emperor, Conway was a little unsure of the general's absence. The three guards standing against the back wall of the balcony would be tough enough, let alone having to deal with General Marcus. To Greg, he seemed a little too evil than the other soldiers. But despite the lack of such a foe, Conway was uneasy. Not only was General Marcus evil, but intelligent. Just from his observations, he could tell the man knew more about fighting than anyone else around. What could he be doing now?
Kenshin stood against the back wall of the gladiator room. Opposite him, over fifty feet away, was the iron door. The guard in front was standing at full attention. Kenshin would definitely have to be fast.
Lance stood near the door, smirking now and then to the guard. Lance was trying hard to find some sort of way to distract the guard at the door. There was another tunnel to the left of the doorway that led up to the garrison. They had been led down to the gladiator room through this tunnel early this morning, which seemed ages ago.
Nick waited with Mark, both of them standing beside the samurai. His ear began itching, and he felt his translator had shifted. Nick scratched his ear with his finger, and then tapped the earpiece to push it back into place. After it felt comfortable again, he mumbled to himself in a low whisper.
"Stupid earpiece," he muttered. "Always twisting in my ear."
From across the room, Lance immediately spun around. He stared at Nick. Mark too had turned suddenly, holding a hand up to his ear. Nick caught their gazes with a look of confusion.
"What?" Nick asked Mark.
Lance Thatcher heard Nick again. Even being over fifty feet away, he could hear Nick loud and clear through the electronic translator. His eyes widened. Now he remembered what Conway had said before they made the jump to Rome.
Greg Conway cursed when he remembered about the earpiece. He even told the archeologists and marines who came with him, and yet he himself forgot all about it. The earpiece also acted as a radio transmitter, being fitted with a powerful microphone. He reached up and tapped his ear. While doing so, he turned to Lisa and Jackie, who had also heard Nick's voice through their earpieces.
Being turned around, Conway also saw General Marcus standing in the corridor that led to the balcony. He was apparently talking to a guard, or at least that's what it appeared like. Only his arm and shoulder could be seen. But Conway knew it was the general. Only he would have armor that boisterously shiny. Still, if he was in the corridor talking to someone, then he couldn't have noticed the girls' reaction to Nick's voice. He turned and looked back to the arena.
"Everyone keep quiet," Conway said. "I'm sorry I forgot about it, but remember what I told you before we made the jump."
Lance listened intently as Conway's voice came over the earpiece. The disguised marine above continued, his voice being electronically transmitted in Lance's ear.
"If you haven't done so already," continued Conway. "Tap your earpiece. Once you do that, you should be able to communicate directly to the rest of the group, even at a whisper."
The professor immediately did as instructed, and watched Mark do the same. Kenshin was somewhat confused to say the least, but Lance heard Mark informing the samurai of the earpiece.
"Lance?" came a female voice.
"Lisa," said Lance, almost without breath in his lungs.
"Lance, are you alright?" Lisa asked.
"Yes," Lance replied. "But what about you? Are you all right? Did they hurt you?"
"No," the woman answered in a whisper. "But I don't want to wait here until they do. Get us out of here."
"We're working on it," said Lance. "Can you see Conway? He should be standing right beside the balcony."
Lisa and Jackie simultaneously leaned forward and glanced to their left. Sure enough, Conway was there. The ex-marine turned his head slightly and nodded slowly. Lisa felt her hopes rising, as did Jackie.
But back in the gladiator room, Lance was worried.
"Listen," the professor said. "Are the gladiators fighting yet?"
Conway answered back.
"They just started," came his electronic voice.
"Alright then," Lance told everyone. "We're coming up. Conway, when you hear us in the corridor get up onto the balcony, and try to put a knife to the back of the emperor's neck. Tell him to act calm like nothing was wrong, or you'll cut his throat. He seems like a man who values self- preservation. I think he'll do what you say."
"That's easier said than done," said Conway. "That general is up here."
Standing next to the balcony, Conway turned to survey the general's location. He was still in the hallway, and from what Conway could see, had his arms crossed as he listened to a soldier who was farther into the hallway.
"He's in the corridor that leads to the balcony," said Conway. "I think he's talking to a soldier – wait a second."
Two soldiers came out of the corridor, followed by the general. One of them took over for one of the men who were standing guard against the wall. The other soldier came forward and took position beside the emperor. General Marcus was now taking his normal position beside his commander's throne.
"No," said Conway as he turned back to the arena. "I think the soldier he was talking to is now guarding to the emperor, and Marcus is standing on the other side of the throne."
There was a pause, and then Lance's voice came over the radio transmitter.
"Mark," the professor said. "See if Kenshin would have a problem taking out three soldiers and the general."
Conway heard Mark ask the question to the samurai. A moment later, Mark spoke up.
"He said no problem," Mark said.
"Good," came Lance's voice. "Greg, when Kenshin appears on the balcony, that'll be your queue to get to the emperor. By the time you mount the railing, the balcony should be clear. Then we'll take the emperor as our ticket out of here. All we'll need to do is find somewhere open enough for all of us to grab hold of the return device, and we can get out of here."
Greg Conway looked back at the throne. He could see the general standing on the other side shifting his weight back and forth.
"Sounds fine," Conway said. "Just make sure your samurai friend does his part. I don't want to be up here against four big Romans."
"Don't worry about Kenshin," came Nick's voice. "Compared to what he's done already, four soldiers should be a piece of cake. Jackie, Lisa, get ready, because we're going to have to hall booty once we nab the emperor."
"We've been ready," Jackie replied. "Just be careful. Please."
"Alright then," Lance said. "Everyone get ready."