Gladiator: Vengeance Read Online Free Page A

the process.’
    Marcus leaned forward. ‘When is that?’
    The Greek clicked his tongue. ‘You just missed him. He passed through the area a few days ago. Won’t be seeing him again until the end of the year.’
    Marcus let out a frustrated sigh and clenched his fists.
    ‘Do you know anything else about Decimus?’ Festus intervened.
    ‘No.’
    ‘All right then, we’d be grateful if you kept this all to yourself. Is there anyone else you know of who might give us some information?’
    ‘Not here in Chalcis. But there’s a big slave market at Stratos. There are plenty of traders passing through. If anyone can help you locate the boy’s mother, then they’ll be able to.’
    Marcus felt his blood go cold as he recalled the slave market and the night when he and his mother had been visited by Decimus who had gloated over their suffering. His stomach knotted painfully and he renewed his vow to make Decimus suffer when the time came for his revenge. A simple death would be too good for the man.
    ‘Stratos, then.’ Festus broke into his bitter thoughts. ‘That’s where we’re headed. We’ll try the slave market like you suggest, and see if anyone has information. We’d better make plans for the night and set off early in the morning. We thank you, Andreas. For your help. And the drink.’
    ‘You’re welcome. And thank you for the lesson. I’ll think twice before I step up to fight any strangers passing through Chalcis again.’ He drained his cup and peered into the jug, frowning when he saw that it was empty. ‘Then I’ll leave you to discover what pleasures the port has to offer.’
    He rose from the bench and belched loudly before turning to Marcus. ‘Good luck, lad. I hope you find what you are looking for.’
    Marcus nodded his thanks and the Greek turned away, heading down a narrow alley towards the sunlit street that led back into the heart of the town. When he was gone Festus shook his head.
    ‘I think it will be harder to find our man than we thought.’
    ‘But we must find Decimus!’ Marcus said urgently. ‘We need to find out exactly where he sent my mother.’
    ‘We know she’s somewhere in the Peloponnese,’ Lupus intervened. ‘At an estate owned by Decimus. Perhaps it would be better if we started there.’
    ‘Lupus is right.’ Festus nodded. ‘It makes more sense.’
    ‘No,’ Marcus responded firmly. ‘We stick to my plan. We find Decimus and force him to tell us where he is keeping my mother, then we rescue her.’
    Lupus pursed his lips. ‘Why bother with Decimus? We’ve got just as much chance of finding the estate as we have of finding him. More, in fact, since estates are not in the habit of travelling around, as Decimus seems to be.’
    His attempt at lightening the mood fell flat and Lupus folded his hands together and puffed his cheeks. ‘Just saying …’
    There was a brief silence as they looked out to sea. In the distance, across the blue water dotted with the square sails of merchant ships and the smaller triangular sails of fishing boats, lay the northern coast of the Peloponnese. The region’s mountains towered up, grey and daunting in the distance. Somewhere in that direction lay his mother, and Marcus found it hard to be heading in the opposite direction for the present. But he hadto pick up Decimus’s trail first if he was to be led directly to his mother, he told himself.
    ‘We could spend months searching the Peloponnese,’ Marcus said quietly. ‘We can’t afford to waste any time. If Decimus hears we’ve been snooping around estates in the area, then he’ll have my mother killed to destroy the evidence of his crime. We need to be careful and take one step at a time. First, we track down Decimus. That’s my decision.’
    ‘Your decision?’ Festus cocked an eyebrow. ‘We’re all in this together, Marcus.’
    Marcus turned to face him as he replied firmly, ‘Caesar sent you to help me. Both of you. So we’ll stick with
my
plan.’
    Festus and