“I don’t know.” Flavius drew his sword and yelled, “Who’s there?”
“No matter who we are, you are coming with us,” said a voice from behind.
He turned to see a shining blade poised at the throat of his slave.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Flavius asked.
“Master, run. Don’t bother about me,” Lukos yelled with a broken voice.
“Yes…why to bother?” the man replied, cutting the slave’s throat.
Flavius stood shock-still, unable to move a single muscle as Lukos’ body fell to the ground, lifeless. His blood pooled around him.
Someone seized Flavius from behind. “Be quiet, now; no one can hear you. I wouldn’t like to cut your throat too, but I don’t have any problem with it,” he said, pressing the cold blade to his skin.
Flavius feared he was going to die soon and felt glad that it wasn’t Saul instead of Lukos, Dionysius or Leandros lying on the ground.
“What do you want from me? I don’t have anything valuable,” Flavius said.
“We are not simple robbers; your life is very precious, not only to you, but to us as well,” he replied in his ear as he fastened his hands behind his back.
They lifted him onto one of their horses and left in the opposite direction of the tavern, riding until they reached an isolated old shack that was used by hunters as an occasional shelter. They walked him inside and secured his neck to the wall with a heavy chain long enough to allow him some movements.
“Make yourself comfortable” a male voice rumbled, as he untied Flavius’ hands. You will be here a while.” The man spoke to his sidekick, “Go now. I will wait for you.”
Walking toward the door, the dismissed man said, “The sooner we’re done with this, the better.”
Flavius looked at his captor in the semi-darkness. He could not recognize anything about Caius, not even the voice, which was muffled through the scarf.
“What do you want from me?” he repeated his question.
“I want you to remain silent. Soon everything will be over. Surely, your family will pay a good sum to have you back home safe and sound. As soon as we have the money, you will be free to go.”
After a few seconds, Flavius asked: “What if they don't pay?”
“Then we might kill you, or maybe we could sell you as a slave.” Caius enjoyed the fear in his eyes and voice.
Flavius shivered as he remembered how easily they killed all his slaves, but he had never thought about the possibility of being sold as a slave. At that moment, he saw how destiny could change the course of his life— from a Master to a slave.
From the tone of his kidnapper’s voice, he felt sure the intent was to scare him, to tease him as a cat would do to a mouse until a ransom was paid. As it surely would be.
Shivering on the cold, rough floor, he pondered his situation, who could his kidnappers be? What was their real goal? Was it truly for money, or was it something more?
His mind ricocheted, not finding any answers.
Caius kept his face covered and lighted an oil lamp to illuminate the room revealing the details. The only pieces of furniture were a small bed, a chair, and a fireplace. The walls were darkened by the smoke, and the rough floor made of uneven wooden logs bent further with the time. He then took dried meat from a leather bag.
“Are you hungry?”
Flavius scrutinized him, trying to identify him. “I just want to go home.”
The man glanced at him and chortled behind his mask. “Not going to happen. Food and water. Take it or leave it. As for the rest, forget about it.” He handed him a bowl with dry meat bread and fruit.
“Then I don’t want anything from you.”
“You will when you feel hungry. I’m not in any hurry,” The man settled on the only chair and ate the meat while Flavius watched.
A rumbling in his stomach betrayed him, but he refused to accept anything from the person who had killed three of his best slaves and threatened to do the same to him.
He scanned the surrounding to search for a way to escape. The first obstacle was the chain that tied him to a hook on the wall. Something tickled his leg and, as he turned his glance from the chain, he noticed a large spider crawling on his calf.
He cringed, and with a fast move, he pushed it away.
There is no way out. What I can do is to keep an eye on them trying to understand their real intentions.
He tried to set himself into a more comfortable position to go to sleep.
Caius walked over and covered him with a blanket. “You will sleep more comfortably with this.
“Thank you,” Flavius said, feeling weak, then succumbed to sleep.
Caius didn’t want to harm him, and though the situation didn’t feel right, there was no going back. He wanted things done in the cleanest way possible, then continue his life and keep himself far from Flavius. He hoped everything could be solved. He would prefer to have Claudia accepting his proposal and leave Rome, but he knew she might have not that choice at her availability. Things are getting more complicated when your marriage is founded on the political advantage and not on love.
I know I could never live far from Claudia, but I could never give her the same life she has with Flavius.
He glanced at Flavius, who was trying to fall asleep.
You have the love of a charming woman, but you are so much in love with Saul that you became blind also to the pain you are causing to her.
Flavius’ sleep was cursed with nightmares about being sold on a market as a slave. He dreamt about the yelling of the merchant, and his vain cries about being a Roman, a free man. He felt the gaze of potential buyers, on his naked body; those he would have addressed as Masters.
He woke up drenched in sweat and looked around. His captor was sleeping on the bed, confident that he would have never been able to break the chain that imprisoned him. His breath was steady, and it seemed as if he had no nightmares or worries to keep him from a night of peaceful sleep.
Meanwhile, the other man rode as fast as possible to Rome.
The next afternoon, he arrived, and waiting at a tavern, he sent a slave to deliver a message to Claudia to let her know that everything was going according to the plans. The boy returned a few hours later with her answer; she would receive him that evening.
He went to relax at the Thermae and waited for the night to meet Claudia. He knew he shouldn’t show his face around, but, nothing untoward had happened so far, and that gave him a comforting feeling.
Hours went by, and nothing had happened, the wait was for Flavius, excruciating; it was evening again, and the other man hadn’t returned. He wondered if Claudia decided to cleanly get rid of him without paying for his release, or if she was collecting the necessary sum, involving his father as well.
“Why hasn't your friend returned? What is going on?” Flavius asked, out of patience and afraid of their intentions.
“He will be back sooner or later, and we’ll know if your family will pay or not. Either way, you have no choice but to wait. Maybe you should enjoy the fact that he has not returned yet. At least you stay alive until then.”
“What do you mean? Of course, my family will pay!” he said, stifling the niggle of doubt that peered at the edge of his mind.
“If you’re sure they will pay, maybe you should stop bothering me with stupid questions. I might lose my patience and kill you. Your family will never know if you are still alive or not. They will pay anyway, whether we will deliver you dead or alive.”
“Are you going to kill me in any case? Is that your plan?”
“It is not my plan to kill you, but I strongly suggest you not give me a reason to change my mind. Stop annoying me with your useless questions.”