Julius Caesar, a successful Roman spy among the countless ex-slaves who have joined the rebellion led by Spartacus, stood in the narrow alleyway leading to the docks of Sinuessa.  He felt incredible excitement, mixed with nervous energy.  This was it.  The moment Heracleo's ship pulled into port, Caesar knew it would be his time to strike.  He could see Spartacus and Gannicus standing on the dock, waiting impatiently for the ship's arrival.  It was already later than expected.  He smiled to himself.  He knew that Spartacus would not be pleased by what the ship carried, hidden below deck.  His hand rested on the handle of his knife.  He was prepared.

In the meantime, the exodus from the city, by way of Melia Ridge to the North of the city, had finally begun.  Crixus and Naevia took their place at the Northern gate, doing their best to move along people, laden carts, and animals in as organized a way as possible.  Agron and Brion worked together orchestrating the placement of preserved Roman corpses along the main walls of the city, in hopes Crassus would believe the city was still occupied by the rebels after they were all gone.  Brion was anxious to finish their task so that he could make his way to the Northern gate, where he knew Justinus would be waiting for him.  Agron was just as eager to finish.  He hated the thought of sailing in Heracleo's ship... his memory of last being on water was aboard the Roman slave ship... but at least he would be with Nasir and Spartacus.  And this time he would be sailing towards freedom, not slavery. 

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As Agron and Brion hurried to complete their task, their lovers were struggling to loosen the ties that kept them bound.  Justinus was in even more distress than his companion, Nasir.  Their mouths were gagged by material torn from their tunics.  Justinus struggled hardest to force the gag from his mouth.  His hatred rose like bile in his throat when his own father laughed at his success in catching him off-guard, and then bragged to Cassius that Crassus would reward them for capturing two of the rebels single-handedly.  The fact that Crassus would most assuredly torture his son seemed of no concern to Craigh, making Justinus's hatred even stronger.  But the worst was yet to come.  He had seen the look in Nasir's eyes when he heard what Craigh said, once he and Cassius had them both subdued. 

The element of surprise worked perfectly for Craigh and Cassius.  When Justinus asked Nasir if he should leave the barn to find more men and a wagon to load the hay piled high at the back of the building, Nasir agreed after taking a moment to decide.  It was just enough time for Craigh and Cassius to make a decision.  Justinus had not taken two steps away from Nasir when they both heard noises coming from one corner of the pile of hay.  It was a trap, set in a moment of desperation by the two concealed men.  Cassius moved to the other side of the haystack quickly while Craigh lured Justinus and Nasir towards him by making groaning noises.  When Nasir and Justinus cautiously edged around the haystack, they saw a figure with his back to them, leaning heavily against the far wall.  Nasir approached and tapped the man on his shoulder.

"What name do you go by, and what purpose brings you to this place?" Nasir asked.

The man leaned even further towards the wall, one hand supporting his weight against the wood, while the other seemed to clutch at his stomach.  He said nothing.  Nasir tapped him again, while Justinus waited.

"Come with us, friend.  We will lend help for whatever ails you."

There was still no answer, but in the silence, Justinus and Nasir heard movement behind them.  They turned and saw the figure of another man rushing towards them.  Cassius had circled the hay and come up behind the two young men, catching them off-guard.  In an instant, Justinus recognized the man's face.  He tried to shout a warning to Nasir, but was slugged so hard that he fell to the ground, his ears ringing from the blow.  Nasir was a trained fighter with lightning reflexes.  His hand flew to his knife, but before he could pull it from its sheath, he felt the pain of a blade sliding into his back.  The man behind him had been feigning, and was now ready to make his move.  Nasir knew he could fight back as long as he was conscious, but what he saw in front of him stopped him dead in his tracks.  He slid to his knees and watched in horror.  The second man was kneeling on the ground next to Justinus, who was obviously disoriented, and had a knife aimed at his jugular.  The slightest movement of the blade, and Justinus would bleed to death.  Nasir could not take that chance.

Nasir might have still fought his capture, if given a chance, once the second man moved away from Justinus, but in less than a heartbeat, he was hit with a great deal of force by the heavy handle of the knife his assailant carried.  He fell into unconsciousness.  Justinus was beginning to regain his senses, and saw what his father did to his friend.  He tried to rise, but was stopped when he felt Cassius's blade nick his throat.  A tiny trickle of blood coursed its way down his neck.

"Move again, and see more blood spilled," Cassius warned.

"Murderer!" Justinus hissed, looking straight at his father.

"Calm yourself.  Your 'friend' yet draws breath.  I barely cut him.  By scars upon his body, he has borne far worse.  Make more noise, and I will gladly bear the name you call me," Craigh warned. 

"We must bind and hide them until the city is free of rebels.  We shall truss them up as gifts for Crassus," Cassius decided.

Craigh nodded his agreement.  Together, they tore strips of cloth from the clothing of Nasir and Justinus and used it to bind their hands and feet, then placed a gag to keep them from crying out in case anyone else showed up at the barn.  They then dragged their prisoners to the very spot they had used to hide themselves.  It was not long before Nasir began regaining his senses.  He found himself bound and gagged.  He felt movement beside him and saw that Justinus was in the same predicament.   He did not see anyone else, and believed they had been abandoned.  He had no idea who had attacked them or why, but he wasn't panicked.  He knew that Agron and Brion would never leave them behind.  His eyes locked on Justinus's eyes.  He saw fear in them.  He wanted to reassure his friend, who had never been in a battle for his life before.  It was nothing new for Nasir.  But they could not speak to one another.  Nasir tried hard with a look to give Justinus hope.  It didn't seem to be working. 

Shortly after he regained his senses, Nasir's hopes faded too.  Their attackers had not left them behind as he had thought.  He had been trying to wriggle his hands free, but the binding was too tight.  That's when he saw the two men reappear.  Nasir saw Justinus's eyes widen... abject fear clearly displayed on his face.  Nasir did not recognize either man, but he was surprised by their actions.  They were not dressed like the enemy.  However, they had to be Roman spies who had obviously infiltrated the rebel ranks in some way, as there seemed no other explanation for their actions.  Nasir felt more anger than fear.  If they would just remove his gag, he could at least question the strangers.  If he was to die, he wanted to know why, and by whose hand he breathed his last.  He began squirming in frustration.  The bigger man reached out with his foot and kicked Nasir, the toe of his sandal connecting with his thigh.

"Be still, insect!" the man ordered.

Cassius turned to Craigh and pointed at Nasir. 

"By Jupiter's cock, that one has balls.  He shows no fear... not like your son, who looks ready to piss himself."

Craigh frowned.  "He stood brave enough when given opportunity to leave his lover and side with us.  Now he stands weakened on his own."

Cassius laughed.  "Indeed... but he is not alone."  Cassius squatted down and tapped Nasir's leg.  "He has a new champion.  Perhaps my slave no longer satisfied your son's appetites, and now he beds this tasty morsel."

Nasir was confused.  What in the world were these men talking about?  And why did they keep looking at Justinus while discussing the 'son' of one of them?  Nasir observed a change in Justinus's countenance.  He no longer looked afraid.  He looked what best could be described as enraged.  It was a look Nasir had seen many times with Agron, especially in battle, but never before on Justinus.  Then, a very strange thing happened.  The smaller man walked over to Justinus and squatted next to him.  He ran his hand almost lovingly through Justinus's thick blond hair, causing the bound youth to do his best to pull away from the touch.  Then the man rejoined his companion.

"Are you certain you want to deliver him to Crassus?" Cassius questioned Craigh.

"It is not a thing I do with cheerful heart, but he was dead to me long before I was even aware of it.  If the gods bless me, I will someday be given a son to bear my name without shame, unlike this one."

"Then we must make haste.  The hour grows late and the sun will begin to set soon.  We must observe rebel movements to know our time to strike, and raise the gate for Crassus."

Cassius and Craigh took one more moment to make sure their prisoners were still bound tightly enough, then made their exit.  Several minutes passed, with neither of the young men moving.  Nasir was trying hard to make sense of what he had just heard.  Justinus was both angry and afraid.  He wanted to explain himself to Nasir, more than anything.  He wondered if he had made a mistake in taking Brion's advice, and not confessing who he really was to Nasir much sooner.  Of course, if they could not get free, it would no longer matter how he had handled himself.  It was obvious that Cassius and his own father intended to turn them over to the Roman army, and that would mean certain death.  For a brief moment, Justinus felt sorrow and guilt... sorrow that he would never see Brion again and guilt that he had not confessed to Nasir.  If he had, then there was the chance Nasir would not be facing the same fate.  He did not have long to think about any mistakes he may have made because Nasir was not staying passive any longer.  Nasir knew that any questions he had for Justinus had to wait.  They needed to free themselves first if they were to survive. 

Both of the young men twisted their hands until they ached, in an attempt to loosen their bonds.  They lay on their sides several yards apart on the ground.  They were facing each other.  Suddenly, Justinus flipped himself over, grunting into his gag with the effort.  He began scooting his body painfully along the ground, slowly closing the gap between them.  He began wiggling his fingers.  It only took Nasir a second to understand the message.  He too flipped over onto his other side and scooted the short distance now between them.  It took more than one try before they could feel each other's hands.  It was a long, slow process, fraught with discomfort from the effort, but eventually Nasir was able to loosen Justinus's bonds just enough for him to wrench one hand free.  With both hands now free, Justinus sat up quickly and tore off his gag.  He next removed the ties around his ankles. 

Justinus knew that Nasir was no fool.  Even if Nasir did not fully understand everything he had heard between Craigh and Cassius, he was quite capable of putting together the pieces of the puzzle.  But it didn't matter.  He didn't hesitate for a second.  He quickly set to work loosening the ties around Nasir's wrists.  The moment his hands were free, Nasir tore off his gag and got to work on the restraints of his ankles.  Once free, he jumped to his feet.  He faced his friend, Justinus.  He had questions... many that needed answers, but now was not the time for words.  He grabbed Justinus by the arm and began pulling him towards the aisle between the horse's stalls that led to the front of the barn.  Justinus hesitated.

"We must break words, Nasir.  I know questions flood your thoughts."

"No!  No time for words... we must warn the others!" 

Nasir yanked on Justinus's arm again.  He pulled back once more.  His eyes showed surprise.

"We?  You still lay trust in me?"

Nasir did not hesitate.  "We must warn the others!" he repeated.

This time Justinus did not pull away.  Nasir began running to the front of the barn, Justinus hard on his heels.  Neither man carried a weapon of any kind, having them taken by Cassius and Craigh.  They kept a sharp eye out for their captors, having no wish to battle again with no defenses.  The streets they traveled were deserted.  They had a long way to go to reach the main gate, where they hoped to find Agron and Brion still at work.  They feared they'd be too late.  It appeared that nearly all the common folk among the rebels had already made their way to the Northern gate to follow Crixus.  That would mean that those following Spartacus would soon be at the docks to board Hearacleo's ship.  The only thing Nasir and Justinus wanted now was to find their lovers, or someone in command that they could report to... someone who could stop the spies from their nefarious plans to open the city gates for the Roman soldiers.  They rushed on, desperation erasing the pain caused from their struggles while being held captive.  They silently prayed they would not be too late.

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At the same time that Nasir and Justinus were in the throes of freeing themselves from their restraints, a ship was finally pulling into port.  Spartacus and Gannicus watched with anticipation as Captain Heracleo stepped onto the dock.  They were not placated by the pirate's apologies for being so late.  His explanation for being detained meant nothing to them.  Spartacus wanted to get his people on board as soon as possible, knowing that those that were following Crixus had already begun their journey.  It was important for both factions to arrive at their destinations at approximately the same time for their plans to succeed in boxing Crassus's men between them.  Heracleo was still grinning at Spartacus when he was asked about the whereabouts of Sanus, the man Spartacus sent with Heracleo to keep an eye on things.  That's when Heracleo's face changed.  Warning bells went off in the heads of both Spartacus and Gannicus... learned from years of instinctual self-preservation in battle.

"He is gone from this world," Heracleo announced.

"He fell to the Romans?"

"To their desires, and to the weight of more coin than even a 'King' could offer," referring to the nickname Heracleo had given Spartacus upon meeting him.

Heracleo stepped several feet back, flung his cloak over his shoulder, and withdrew his sword.  At that instant, his second-in-command threw back the large tarp covering the entryway to the hold of the ship, revealing the presence of dozens of fully-armed Roman soldiers.  Heracleo apologized as the soldiers made their move to leave the hold.  Spartacus and Gannicus instantly took up the defensive position they had learned well in the past, pulling their swords out.  It was at that very moment that Caesar finally made his move, striking out at Spartacus from behind, the blade of his knife cutting into the cloth of Spartacus's shoulder and nicking his skin.  He was knocked away by Gannicus.  It became an all-out battle for survival, with the two rebel leaders hopelessly outnumbered.  Spartacus spotted one of his men, who had just arrived to board ship, and shouted an order for him to warn the others.  The man hurried away, intent on bringing reinforcements for his leaders.  Only their tremendous skills, combined with Caesar's order for half the men to follow him to the main gate, kept Spartacus and Gannicus from being slaughtered.  One Roman after another misjudged their ability to beat the trained gladiators, and died by way of their swords, falling lifelessly onto the cold-stone docks.  Even Heracleo and his second-in-command were cut down, falling into the icy waters of sea. 

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As Caesar and his soldiers ran through the streets towards the main gate, Agron, Brion, Donar, and Saxa were finishing their work at the wall.  Agron was just descending to the ground when they heard the sound of running feet approaching and men shouting.  Through the darkening street, they saw the uniforms of Roman soldiers coming at them, led by a man they thought was one of their own.  They drew their weapons and prepared to fight, knowing instantly that somehow they had been betrayed, and sensing that more soldiers were waiting outside the gate.  They would defend the gate with their lives, if need be.  The battle was fierce, with Agron calling Caesar a traitor in a brief moment when they locked swords.  Caesar proudly pronounced himself a Roman, and they broke apart, continuing their conflict.  During the bloody melee, Caesar ordered his men to raise the gate.  When Agron saw what was happening he ordered Donar to sever the rope so it couldn't be raised.  Fierce fighting for control of the gate ensued between Donar and two of the soldiers.  The gate was lifted nearly a foot, briefly revealing the feet of those waiting outside, when Donar struck a blow that severed the rope in two and brought the gate crashing back to earth.

Agron and Brion were soon surrounded by Roman soldiers, giving Caesar the chance to break away from the fight momentarily.  The two rebels fought valiantly, dispatching several soldiers together.  Brion quickly gave proof that he had learned his lessons well in handling a sword.  After several long minutes of fevered conflict, the rebels appeared to have routed the Romans.  Then they discovered their mistake in not taking Caesar down first.  While his soldiers fought for their lives, Caesar grabbed several large jugs of pitch and tossed them directly onto the wooden gate, followed by a lit torch. Agron was closest to Caesar and rushed him just as the torch lit up the wood.  He was able to knock Caesar to the ground.  Before the man could regain his footing, he found himself confronted by the four rebels who had just decimated his soldiers.  Agron pointed his sword at Caesar's heart. 

"Whatever your plan, it dies with you, Roman," Agron growled. 

The sound of wood cracking suddenly filled the air directly behind where Caesar was sprawled on the ground.  The rebel's eyes were riveted to the gate, which was now covered in licking flames.  In the blink of an eye, they saw the source of the sound as a battering ram from the other side struck a second blow, causing the wood to splinter even further.  The rebels backed away, surprise written on their faces.  They raised their swords higher.  Caesar rose to his feet and leveled his sword at them.  The four rebels backed up again, prepared to stand their ground.  Before anyone could make a move, Agron and Brion heard familiar voices behind them shouting.

"Agron, look out!" screamed Nasir.

"Brion, behind you!" shouted Justinus.

All four turned abruptly at the sound and saw two men, dressed as fellow rebels, rushing towards them with swords high in the air, ready to strike.  The rebel's survival instincts kicked in instantaneously, and they parted... Agron and Donar to the left, with Brion and Saxa to the right.  Cassius and Craigh were no match for the seasoned warriors, or even the lesser trained Brion.  Cassius and Craigh were moving so fast that they were unable to slow their momentum, and fell face forward into the dirt in front of Caesar's feet, when tripped up by Agron and Brion simultaneously.  There was no time for thought.  The rebels knew the two men were not friends of the rebellion, despite their dress.  Without a single moment of hesitation, they drove their swords into the backs of both men.  At that very instant, a third blow slammed into the wood of the gate and it gave way, the dragon head of a battering ram bursting through.  The rebels backed up again, their swords lifted in defense.  By this time, Nasir and Justinus had reached them.  They bent down to remove the swords still clutched in Cassius and Craigh's hands.  They stood beside the others, prepared to fight with their men.  Caesar glanced back and saw that the hole was growing larger as burning wood fell to the ground.  He grinned and turned to face the six rebels.

"Now would be time to run," Caesar warned them.

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Only minutes before the first blow from the battering ram struck the city gate, reinforcements arrived to aid Spartacus and Gannicus... among them were Crixus, Naevia, and Lugo.  The carnage continued, with the Romans no longer having the advantage of numbers.  One by one, they were cut down.  When the last soldier lay bleeding on the ground, the rebels regrouped.  Briefly, Spartacus considered using Heracleo's ship to get some of his people away from the city to safety.  That hope died when they looked out to sea.  Dozens of Roman ships appeared on the horizon, sailing towards the port.  They no longer had any choices. 

"Fall back to the ridge," Spartacus ordered.

Many of those who had been a part of the evacuation with Crixus and his people had already left the city, but many more had yet to reach the Northern gate.  Spartacus and his followers moved quickly to warn all they met of the advancing Romans who would soon land in Sinuessa.  Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Spartacus, Caesar's plan to open the main gate for Crassus had succeeded.  Agron, and the others with him, tried valiantly to fight off the first few soldiers who made it through the fiery gate, but quickly realized it was a hopeless cause.  Agron gave the order to fall back.  He didn't need to repeat himself.  The rebels turned and ran, hoping to find Spartacus.  It was their only chance for survival.  As they rushed through the narrow streets, only minutes ahead of Crassus and his army, they ran right into Spartacus and many others.  Agron angrily told Spartacus of Caesar's success and the fall of the gate.  Spartacus now knew that all avenues of escape had been effectively blocked, except for the mountain ridge behind the city.  The order was given to take flight and abandon the city. 

As the group of rebels turned towards the Northern gate, the air was suddenly ripped by screams of agony.  It was clear that the Romans who had entered through the main gate were making their way through the streets in search of those unfortunates who had tarried too long in the city.  Whether they were old, lame, sick, women, or children, they were put to the sword without mercy when found.  Spartacus knew there was no way to save them.  They were hopelessly outnumbered now, with some of their best fighters already gone... serving as guides and protectors for those who  had passed through the Northern gate first.  Their only hope for living to fight another day was for everyone to leave the city behind and retreat to the ridge.  There, they could regroup and make plans to reach the other side of the mountain through Melia Pass, just as Crixus had been expected to do before their plans were aborted.  Once they were outside the reach of Crassus and his army once more, they could decide on a new course of action.

Spartacus began running for the Northern gate, followed by the rest.  It was not an easy task, reaching their destination.  Several times they ran into small groups of soldiers who had scattered throughout the city in search of  victims.  Each time, more blood flowed from Roman veins as experienced fighters decimated their ranks.  Even Justinus cut down one Roman, although he would have been struck down himself if Brion had not seen the threat behind Justinus and run his sword through the soldier's back.  Finally, the leaders were all gathered at the gate.  The hundred or so souls who had not departed through it yet, had heard the screams and knew what was happening.  Spartacus ordered them to move faster, and fear guided them forward much quicker than earlier in the evening.  Only a handful remained at the mercy of Crassus, Caesar, and their army when they appeared at the end of the pathway to the gate. 

Spartacus ordered his men to follow those who had passed through in order to protect their rear.  He shouted another order to lower the gate, sealing off the Romans from pursuit.  Crixus grabbed a pitch-filled jug and threw it onto the rope that held the gate aloft.  Spartacus grabbed a nearby torch and flung it onto the rope, setting it ablaze.  Crassus ordered his men to attack.  The fighting was brutal, as each strand of the rope burned and split away.  One by one, the rebel warriors broke free and raced for the other side of the gate.   One second before the final strand of rope burned through, Spartacus turned away from the enemy and raced for the gate himself.  The gate began its descent... Spartacus hit the ground, rolling under the gate, as it fell with a tremendous thud.  The soldiers rushed forward, but it was too late.  Crassus stood facing the gate with a strange smile on his face.  He knew something Caesar did not.  He would bide his time.  The city was now his.  He had won the battle for the city, but lost his prize... yet the war was not over.  Not by a long shot.

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As the sun began to rise over the mountain peaks, it looked down upon the frozen ridge.  It was covered with tents and campfires, and thousands of men, women, and children despairing of their future.  Among them were two couples, both grateful to be alive and in their lover's arms again.  The couples had parted, each taking possession of their own small tent.  Agron and Nasir huddled closely under furs to share the warmth of their bodies.  Earlier, when first arriving on the ridge, Agron noticed the wound on Nasir's back and assumed it was received while fighting the Roman army.  Nasir said nothing to dissuade him as Agron gently tended to the wound.  He had no wish to speak of the questions in his mind until they could be answered by his friend, Justinus.  Meanwhile, Justinus also shared body heat with his lover, Brion.  But he did not keep silent about the events that occurred before he and Nasir saved the lives of their loved ones.  As Brion took in all that Justinus told him, he wondered what difference it would make that Nasir had probably learned their secret.  All their lives were probably forfeited now... for when they reached the ridge, they discovered why Crassus was in no hurry to pursue them.

Spartacus, Agron, Crixus, and Gannicus had scouted ahead after making camp for the night.  What they discovered was a deep pit, at least four people wide, that had been dug all along the entire length of the ridge.  On the other side was a wooden wall, built high enough to look down into the pit, and manned by Roman soldiers.  The fate of anyone trying to get across the pit to reach the other side was clear by the bow and arrows the soldiers carried.  The pass was indeed impassable now.  Crassus had used his vast wealth to trap the rebels like lambs led to slaughter.  There was no way out.  They could not get across the pit and move forward, or turn back to face the vast numbers of Roman soldiers behind them without losing their lives.  Only a miracle could save the rebels now.

To be continued......