'Bloody great,' Macro muttered. He fixed his gaze on his friend.
'Cato… thanks.'
'You didn't think I'd leave you to die?'
Macro was silent for a moment before he replied. 'There were times when I gave up hope.'
'Thanks for the vote of confidence.'
Macro chuckled drily.
Cato grasped the bars of the cage door and gritted his teeth as he strained to prise them open. He gave up with a bitter grunt. 'We need the key. Who has it?'
'One of the guards, over there.' Macro pointed him out. 'If I can get him to come over here, can you two handle him?'
'We'll have to.' Cato crouched down behind Macro, and indicated to Atticus to lie flat.
Macro grasped the bars of the cage, drew a deep breath and bellowed, 'Guard! Guard! Over here!' He paused a moment and repeated his cry, shaking the bars more violently. One of the men by the tent turned in his direction and then spoke to the rebel who had been tasked with watching Macro and Julia since their capture. He picked up his spear and wearily approached the cage.
'Keep it down, Roman!'
'Fuck you!' Macro shouted back and shook the bars again. 'Fuck that old hag of a mother of yours!'
The guard paused and then growled with anger as he ran towards the cage and lowered the tip of his spear.
'Shit…' Macro just had time to mutter, before the spearhead rattled through the bars, and he dodged to one side to avoid it.
Instantly he snatched at the spear shaft and thrust it to one side. The other end swivelled sharply, and caught the guard off balance so he tumbled over and crashed into the side of the cage. Macro released the shaft and thrust his arms through the cage, grasping the guard round the neck and hauling him up against the bars as he flailed at Macro's brawny forearms.
'Get him!' Macro grunted. 'Before he works loose.'
Atticus was up first, scrambling round the end of the cage and dropping heavily on the guard, driving the breath from his body as Macro tightened his grip, choking the rebel. He struggled violently for a moment and then went limp. There was a shout from the direction of Ajax's tent, and Cato saw that the other rebels were looking across the open ground. As soon as they realised what was happening, they snatched up their weapons and began to sprint towards the cage.
'Get the key!' Macro shouted at Atticus.
Cato glanced back towards Musa and Vulso and beckoned frantically ' On me!'
Atticus snatched away the thong around the guard's neck, grasped the key and fitted it to the lock as the rebels ran towards them. As soon as the lock clicked, Macro burst the do or open and grabbed the guard's spear. Rising up into a crouch, he swung the point round toward the rebels as Atticus and Cato drew their swords. With an animal roar Macro charged forward.
'Bloody hell, there he goes again,' Cato muttered under his breath as he hurried after his friend, moving to the right as Atticus went to the left. The fury on Macro's face must have been evident even in the wan glow of the fire burning in front of Ajax's tent, for the rebels hesitated and regarded him fearfully as they readied their weapons.
There were seven of them, eight counting the old woman, who had picked up a hatchet and screamed in rage as she hurried after the others.
Cato glanced up and saw the rebels lowering their spears as the gap between the two groups of men closed. The rebels crouched, feet apart and balanced, spears held ready as Macro and his two companions charged in, Musa and Vulso sprinting hard to catch up.
'Five men against seven spears and a mad woman with an axe,'
Atticus laughed.' Not good odds!'
There was a sharp rap as Macro parried the thrust of the first man he encountered. Still running, he lowered his shoulder and slammed into the rebel, knocking the other man on to his back. Macro ran on, skewering the next man ahead of him before he stopped, wrenched the spear shaft free, presenting the point to the three men before him in turn.' Come on!' he shouted. 'Who's up for it?'
Cato kept his eyes on the man who had singled him out and who now came on, spear lowered. He thrust at Cato's face but the point was easily deflected with a clatter. Cato lunged forward, forcing the man back, and kept with him, ham me ring at the shaft of the spear, knowing that it would numb the rebel's fingers. One more blow and the spear fell. The man turned and sprinted away. Cato let him go and turned to see Atticus locked in a duel with another man, more skilled with his spear than Cato's opponent had been. Musa was down, piked through the thigh and desperately warding off further blows from another rebel as blood gushed from the wound. Vulso charged into his man, knocking aside the spear, then smashing his fist into the rebel's face a moment before his right arm swung, driving his sword through the man's stomach and up into his chest, carrying him off his feet. The rebel's knees collapsed and he sagged back on to the ground, a great tear across his front through which bloodied intestines bulged.
'Musa!' the legionary called as he turned to help his comrade. It was too late: the old woman had crept up behind the down ed soldier and now smashed her axe down into the top of his skull. Musa's head snapped forward, eyes blinking. Then his body jerked furiously as he toppled over. The woman yanked her axe back with a shriek of triumph and turned towards Macro, snarling as she glanced at the body of her son stretched out by the cage. Cato started forward, but the man who had been fighting Musa blocked his path. Macro was in danger, so there was no time to stick to his training and take the man down by swordsmanship. Cato filled his lungs and let out a roar as he hurled himself forward. The spear point came up and the man braced his feet for the impact. At the last instant Cato went down low, rolled over and slashed at the rebel's leading leg as he came up.
The blade shattered the bone and the man screamed as he collapsed.
There was no time to finish him off as Cato ran on round the cage to catch up with the old woman. But she had a head start and threw herself towards Macro, the axe raised above her head.
'Macro!' Cato cried out. 'Behind you!'
Macro swung round, gritting his teeth, as he threw up the shaft of the spear to protect his head. The axe head splintered the spear shaft, but did not cut all the way through. Macro released the ruined weapon and clamped his fingers round her skinny wrist as the axe came down again. He managed to deflect the blow so that it hissed past his shoulder and into the dirt. She released her grip and clawed at his face with her spare hand as she swore and spat at him.
'That's enough!' Macro caught her by the hair and held her at arm's length. She spat and scratched at his hands as she tried to kick him. Macro took a sharp breath. 'I have had quite enough of you.' He punched her with his spare hand, and she collapsed on to the ground.
He snatched up the axe and stood over her.
'Macro!' Cato caught his arm.
Macro stared at the old woman with hatred before his gaze turned to Cato. 'She had it coming, believe me.'
Standing up, Cato saw that Vulso had finished off his opponent, and there was a last clatter and thud as Atticus cut down his man. The surviving rebels threw down their weapons and ran off into the night. The Roman soldiers stood breathing heavily for a moment before Vulso knelt down at Musa's side. His eyes gazed blankly at the starry heavens.
'He's dead,' said Vulso.
Cato turned to Macro. 'I'm going for Julia.'
'Careful, lad, there may be more of them in the tent. I'll come with you.'
There was a sudden pounding of hooves, and Cato and the others froze.
'That'll be Ajax.' Macro turned to Cato. 'We'd better get to cover.'
'Not without Julia.'
'Don't be a bloody fool! They'll be on us before we could get her out.' Macro grabbed his arm and thrust him away from the tent, back towards the shelter of the pens.' Go!'
The rumble of hooves was much louder, and then Cato could feel the tremor through the ground. He stared desperately at the tent for an instant, then turned and ran back with Macro and the others. A moment later Ajax and his bodyguards rode up through the camp and slewed to a halt in front of the tent. Ajax swung himself down from the back of his horse and barked an order.