I turned to leave, Titus following obediently, but before we could take another step, Herod stood from his chair and reached an arm out in our direction.
“Wait.”
We turned back to face the monarch. Herod glanced at his feet in a very non-royal manner.
“As I have said, I know who you are and what you can do. Please. If you can help, I would not turn you away.”
“That is most prudent, my lord,” I replied, cringing at the overly formal title. It was hard for someone who had lived his entire life in a free world to acknowledge such a title. “They will come for you tonight. We suggest that you remain here, in your courtroom. We will be able to protect you far easier here than anywhere else.”
Herod nodded as he retook his seat.
“Should I not just leave now before they come for me?” He asked.
I shook my head. “Not a good idea. If you leave, they’ll just hunt you down. If you hold your ground, the empress may back down.”
“What is her purpose in this?” He asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “Is it not enough that she defiles our temple with a statue of her likeness, despite my pleadings otherwise? Not enough that she keeps me here as a mere figurehead with no real power? These people,” he continued, waving his hand at the window and the gathering Jews outside, “come here for nothing. All that is within my ability is to settle petty squabbles.”
“Perhaps that will change once your people see what the empress tries to do tonight,” I baited.
His head lifted and I could tell he took it. “Perhaps. I tell you, Burt, this is not at all how I imagined life would be when I lived in Rome. When I was but a child, the great Caesar Augustus himself assured me Judea would become a sovereign nation within his empire.” He frowned and lowered his head, submitting himself to the life he had been dealt. That I had dealt for him. “There are days when I miss my friends Caligula and wise Claudius. Oh, what great emperors they could have been.”
I felt my mouth twitch, but I didn’t let on like I cared. Even though I did. Once again I was reminded of what was a result of my actions.
“I’m sorry for what has befallen you here,” I consoled after forcing myself to swallow my guilt, at least for the moment.
At my words, his head straightened, and I could see his resolve tighten.
“Will it be just the two of you?” He asked, fishing himself this time.
I smiled. “Perhaps, but you won’t be seeing anyone tonight either way, but we will be there.”
And with that, I turned on my heels with the military like precision I thought I’d forgotten years ago, and marched out of the room. I couldn’t see Herod’s reaction, but I hoped he heeded my warning. Fadus’ assassins were actually coming for him. Only they wouldn’t be alone.
“So?” Titus asked, as we made our way into the crowd. “Now, now, now…”
“Shut it,” I snapped, jerking my head in his direction.
I hoped to catch some kind of reaction, but his face remained hard. I decided that I had to keep this kid away from Santino. It was clear my child-like friend was a bad influence on the personable teenager. Even I couldn’t take two Santino’s running around here.
Better play it safe and keep him away from Wang as well.
I sighed. “Now, I said, figuring I might as well play along, “we become magicians.”
“Tangos inbound, north north east. ETA, five mikes. Howcopy?”
“Solid copy, 8–7,” I whispered with the click of my radio. “We’re in position and ready to receive.”
True to his word, Fadus had sent his assassins. Granted, the term “assassin” was used loosely, as his agents for murder were really little more than common thugs. A procurator didn’t exactly have the resources or connections to get in touch with highly trained professionals, so he did what most Romans with deep pockets would do. He gathered up fifty or so well-known trouble makers, deviants and scumbags, paid them an extravagant amount of money and sent them on their way.
Which was perfect for us. They wouldn’t notice a few additions to their ranks.
Helena, Bordeaux, and I were camped out on the high balconies overlooking Herod’s courtroom. We’d snuck in through a small window near the back as soon as it turned dark. There wasn’t much room to maneuver on the overhang, so the three of us had spread out along the length of the courtroom, providing overlapping fields of fire.
Below us sat Herod, his two dozen loyal bodyguards and half as many employees, administrators and servants. They were gathered around a few large tables which had been brought in earlier this evening. They were munching on wine, cheese and fruit, very Roman of them, and appeared to be going over legal documents, dockets, cases, and the like. They looked nervous, and they had every right to be. The guards were tense and stiff, and Herod was clearly perspiring.
Frankly, I was still impressed they were so willing to trust us. I guess the reputation Helena, Santino and I had built over the past few years truly was one worth respecting. These people were placing their lives in our hands, and they didn’t even know we were there.
“ETA, two mikes,” Vincent updated.
He and Madrina were once again waiting outside the AO, working as our intelligence team. Santino had his UAV up and flying and Vincent was using it to track the incoming bad guys.
As for Titus, Wang and Santino, they were waiting just a few blocks away, along the mob’s projected course of entry into Herod’s compound. Their mission was to tag along with the assassins, gain entrance into the courtroom and perform a little play acting.
That put our best swordsmen in play on the ground and our best shooters up top in support. The three of us opted against our rifles, replacing them with air guns and our remaining tranquilizer darts. Most of what occurred tonight relied on theatrics, and we couldn’t overplay our hand by allowing a few overly curious inspectors discover bullet wounds.
“ETA, one mike,” Vincent reported for the last time. “Good luck.”
I sent back a double click. Vincent and Madrina would now be falling back from their lookout position, making ready our escape, just in case. We had spent considerable time hashing out this plan, and we were completely confident it would work. We had the upper hand and the enemy was dancing to our tune. Even so, I stretched my neck and tried to get comfortable. No matter how easy a mission was, the nervousness and adrenaline never left me.
I didn’t have much time to think on it as fifty eight seconds after Vincent’s transmission, a horde of malcontents burst into the courtroom. Some seemed drunk, others alert, but they were all tense and ready for a fight. They didn’t make any preamble by ordering Herod to come quietly. They simply charged forward.
Herod’s guards advanced in return, ready to meet the interlopers. As for Herod’s retinue, many fled through the small door in the back of the room, but some stayed. They armed themselves and made ready to protect their sovereign. Finally, near the rear of advancing assassins, came three other men: Santino, Titus and Wang.
They had two, very specific mission instructions.
Not to kill indiscriminately.
Ensure Herod’s survival.
They were to defend themselves if they were attacked by either side, but they had to leave people alive for when I decided the right moment had come.
Tracking my first target carefully, I fired.
My tranq dart found its target, about three men back in the advancing horde. As he stumbled and fell to the ground, many more behind him tripped over his fallen body. When the two forces met, Herod’s guards lost little ground. They were braced and well able to receive the oncoming blow that hit them in a haphazard fashion thanks to my intervention. However, once the assassins regained their footing, the tides quickly turned, and Herod’s guards were systematically pushed back.