Gladiator: Vengeance by Simon Scarrow Page A

man raising the alarm. There was nothing for it now but to make for the other gate as fast as he could before word reached the men guarding it thatthe fugitives were still in Stratos and had separated. He only hoped that Festus and Lupus had escaped through the south gate before it was too late.
    There was no sound of pursuit but Marcus kept running, keeping parallel to the road that led to the gate. When he judged it was safe, he rejoined the street he had originally been following and saw the northern gate fifty paces ahead. But his heart sank as he saw more men, armed with spears, standing either side of the arch leading out through the wall. The traffic was still moving slowly as he joined the people shuffling forward. Every so often the officer in charge of the party stopped someone and questioned them, especially any men accompanied by one or more boys. Marcus tried to control his breathing and appear calm as he approached the gate. There were only a few people ahead of him when he heard a distant commotion from behind. He dared not turn.
    ‘You! Yes, you boy. Over here!’ The officer beckoned to him and Marcus swallowed nervously, then approached and stopped in front of the man. The Greek scrutinized him closely. ‘Are you on your own?’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    The officer’s eyes narrowed slightly. ‘You’re not from these parts. Your accent is … Roman.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    ‘What’s your name?’
    Marcus thought quickly. ‘Tiberius Rufinus, sir.’
    ‘What are you doing in Stratos?’
    ‘Just passing through, sir. I’m on my way to Dyrrachium, sir. My father’s serving in the governor’s staff there. He sent for me. I’ve come from Athens.’
    Marcus could hear a voice now, demanding that the crowd clear the way.
    ‘Athens, eh?’ the officer mused. ‘Well, young Rufinus, I’d watch yourself. They’re nothing but a bunch of thieves in Athens. Thieves, and worse, philosophers. Nothing in this world so dishonest as a man who thinks for a living.’ He laughed and waved Marcus on as he turned his attention to the next person in the queue.
    ‘Let me through, I say!’ The voice cried out again, closer this time. Marcus forced himself to walk unhurriedly up to the arch and into its shadow. The crunch of footsteps echoing off the stones on either side sounded unnaturally loud.
    ‘Close the gate!’ a voice called out.
    ‘What?’ the officer called back. ‘On whose authority?’
    ‘The magistrate! One of the killers has been seen. Not far from here. Close the gate now and we’ll have him!’
    Marcus stepped out into the sunlight and had only walked a few more paces before he heard a howl of protest from those who were still stuck inside the town. Then the hinges groaned in protest as the gates began to close. He continued a short distance before he dared look back, just as the gates thudded into place, barring the exit. Relief washed over him as he turned away to walk casually along the road leading north from Stratos.
    As Festus had instructed he walked over a mile, to be safe, eventually stopping where the road passed through an olive plantation with terraces of trees that spread across the rolling hills on either side. He sat in the shade of a poplar tree and waited until there was no one in sight before leaving the road to work his way round the town towards the south. The countryside was dotted with small farms and their surrounding olive groves and strips of crops, and Marcus had to pick his way carefully to avoid being seen. Once he blundered into an angry man with two hunting dogs who threatened to unleash them if Marcus didn’t get off his land at once.
    It took the rest of the morning to make his way round the town and rejoin the road leading south towards Athens. By now the sun was high above and the air was hot and still, and Marcus was sweating freely. He took his canteen out of his pack for a few swigs of warm water before replacing thestopper and continuing on. A few miles south of