Yesterday's Warrior Page 2

  “Yeap, from what I understand, they actually lived here at the Ludus Magnus. See how it’s all segmented. I think that’s where their barracks were. I’m not sure if they were like kept in cells, locked up until they went out to train, but they lived and trained right here. There is also supposed to be a hidden tunnel that goes from the Ludus to the arena across the street. The placard says that Emperor Titus Flavius Caesar Domitianus Augustus had it constructed from 81 to 96 CE,” Thad said. He had been looking up information on the Colosseum before they’d set out for Rome. He liked the thought of the gladiators and because he was a Marine, he thought their training had been a little similar. The segregated walls were of stone and had lasted two thousand years. It just blew him away.

  “Barracks, like what we live in?” Greg asked, shock etched on his face.

  “Something like that, but I have a feeling that it was a lot harder back then,” Thad said.

  “Sure, they were all dead men walking,” Dean said and snorted darkly.

  “Yeah, no shit, like the roach motel. You may go in, but you don’t come out,” Marco said and laughed.

  “Dang, that must have really sucked, you know,” Greg said and shivered. Thad thought Greg had the right of it, it did suck. There wasn’t much to see at the Ludus. It was long and narrow, much of it still covered or built over. The small section that they could see was filled with the remnants of an ancient life, long buried. Thad noticed a lone kitten among the ruins and watched as it walked behind one of the low stone walls. Around him was the sound of traffic as it whizzed past. Horns blasted around them and motorcycles weaved in and out of traffic. Car exhaust and diesel fumes filled the air around them.

  “You wanna head over to the Colosseum?” Marco asked and Thad nodded.

  The four made their way to the crosswalk and waited for the light. They walked along with others, mostly tourists, as far as Thad could see. They got to the side of the street and he looked up at the massive structure. It nearly took his breath away. There was scaffolding spread out along the outer structure; there was work being done to fortify the ancient ruin. It was weird looking at it with the smell and sound of traffic behind him. He and his friends moved along with the others, heading toward the entrance where tourists flocked.

  He looked up at the sky and took in the gathering clouds. He also detected the scent of ozone; it would rain soon and he hoped it would lift the muggy air and not make it worse. He watched as a large flock of pigeons flew across the sky. Rome certainly had lots of those and there was pigeon shit on everything. Since he was the tallest of his group, he had the best vantage point over all of them. Greg was nearly as tall, but of a slenderer frame, then Marco, who was tall but thick, pure muscle and then there was Dean. All three men were in front of him and he brought up the rear. He now wished he’d have brought his phone.

  “Hey Velasco, make sure you take plenty of pictures. Later, you can send them to me. I want to send some to my folks,” he said. Marco lifted a hand in acknowledgment but didn’t turn around. He knew his sister, Serena, who would be starting college in the fall, would enjoy seeing the pictures of Rome. Thad moved the knitted slouch hat on his head. He liked blending in but having a Marine haircut, the high and tight, made him easily distinguishable. Because of his Italian heritage, when he wore his knit hat, he was usually overlooked by the locals. That was until he opened his mouth. Then, he sounded like an American speaking Italian.

  He felt the first drop of rain hit his face when they climbed up along the walkways of the Colosseum. He looked around and was surprised that there weren’t many tourists and he felt another splash hit his face. Rain was a big dampener for tourists but it didn’t diminish his enthusiasm. Later, they would find a trattoria and dive into some pizza and good food. He wished he liked wine, but shockingly, being of Italian descent, he just didn’t like the stuff.

  Thad noticed that Marco was taking picture with his phone and he was glad. Greg and Dean had moved on and were standing in a different section of the Colosseum. The air was heavy with humidity and the sporadic drops of rain. He was alone and looked down among the ruins and felt the hair all over his body rise. It was as though he could feel the desperation of the slaughtered souls. Around him the air moved and was filled with those who had been put to the sword so long ago. It was a visceral feeling and it was as though he could hear the screams and wailing of those sent down there. He wasn’t sure how many were Christians or just regular people, who got caught up in it all.

  He had seen the movies and shows and he had also played video games, but it all paled to what he was feeling and seeing now. This place was absolutely immense and from what he read on the internet, most of the action was actually below the surface. He could see the way down into the catacombs of the place. There were numerous passages that he could see from his vantage point. He had read that people, gladiators, prisoners, slaves and animals were held below, waiting to come up to the surface to die and die a horrible death.

  He rubbed at his arms and tried to rub the dark feelings away. Rome and Greece had been the beginnings of democracy but during those awful times, it was the violence that held sway. The all-powerful emperors who gave and took life. Here in the Colosseum, the emperor had absolute power over his people. And like so many, those men were drunk and corrupt with that power. He just couldn’t imagine what it would be like, to live out your life as a slave, until the day you were either stabbed to death or fed to a lion. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the images. He turned when he felt someone smack him on the back.

  “Hey Giangreco, look around,” Dean said.

  “What?” Thad asked, looking around.

  “Dude, most everyone is gone, there are only a few tourists across the way,” Dean said, a wide smile on his face.

  “So?”

  “So, man, look, over there,” Dean said and pointed downward. Greg and Marco came up and stood beside Thad, both looking down to where Dean pointed.

  “Okay. What am I seeing?” Thad asked and laughed.

  “Look, no one is around. I say we bail and go down, while no one is looking and take a look around down in those tunnels. You know, go where no tourist has gone before,” Dean said, his eyes darting around.

  “Y’all, I don’t think that’s a good idea, for real,” Greg said nervously, looking around as well.

  “That does sound pretty cool, man. I got my phone; we can use it like a flashlight. We can just go really quickly, you know, see what’s down there. We don’t have to stay long,” Marco said excitedly.

  “Yeah, that would be so freaking cool. We could be like the only Americans to go down there,” Dean added, now bouncing from one foot to the other.

  Thad looked around him and Dean was right. There was no one around them and he looked over at Greg, who was starting to warm up to the idea. The rain was now coming down in a misty blanket. It would be nice to get out of the rain, if for a few minutes and the idea of checking out the tunnels did seem pretty cool. Marco could also take pictures and Thad’s folks would get a kick out of seeing it.

  “Okay, but we gotta be quick, so no one sees us,” Thad said.

  “Sure, over there is a low railing. We can hop over it easily and go down to the next level and then the next. There’s an opening just below that and we’ll be out of sight in just a few seconds,” Dean said. He turned and hurried over to the railing. Before any of them could think about the consequences of jumping over, each man followed. It was as easy as Dean had indicated and the four Marines made their way down to the lower opening of the tunnels.

  The first thing that hit Thad was that it smelled of earth and dampness. He thought that it was because of the rain that was dripping off the edge of the tunnel’s opening. Marco held up his phone as they moved farther in and the light began to dissipate behind them and the darkness loomed in front of them. The four young men moved, slowing into the muffled silence of the tunnel. There was enough light that he could still see around him and the walls were sm
ooth with stone that had been there for two thousand years. Thad reached a hand out and touched the cold stone.

  “I’m touching a wall that others touched two millennia ago, people long since dead,” he said in a soft reverent whisper.

  “Much respect. When I tell my grandmother, she’s gonna freak,” Greg said softly and he too had a hand extended out, gently touching the wall. The high ceiling was curved over them. Marco was in the lead and Thad moved up closer since it was now pitch black around them. Their shoes made soft noises on the stone flooring. Marco stopped and held his phone up high, the light brightly illuminating the wall. The men gathered around and they saw an etching into the stone.

  “What is it?” Dean asked, his voice bouncing off the wall and then absorbed.

  “It looks like an elephant. Oh, shit man, look. It’s an elephant with his foot on a man’s head. What the freak!” Marco said. Theo swallowed. Marco moved on and they turned down another tunnel and Theo noticed that it was heading in a downhill slope.

  “This is hella cool,” Dean said and moved ahead. The light was sparking off his blond head and the light wavered around him, casting his shadow. He stopped and squatted, picking up something and held it up.

  “What is it?” Marco asked, coming up beside him.

  “Looks like a piece of pottery. Just a shard, but I’m gonna keep it,” Dean said and pocketed the small piece.

  The four moved farther down into the bowels of the Colosseum and through the silent tunnels. Thad heard a splash and cursed, causing Marco to stop and turn around. Thad lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the piercing light of the smartphone. Thad shook his foot and his leather sandal flew off.

  “Son of a bitch!” Thad cursed and hopped over and slipped his foot into his sandal.

  “Should have worn shoes, man,” Dean said.

  “You step in this water and your nice expensive Italian leather boots will be ruined as well,” Thad grouched.

  “Dude, I’m wearing sandals too. Just walk along the sides of the water. Looks like some kind of water system or drainage from the rain,” Marco said, moving to the side of the passageway.

  “Trust, that’s why I wear my Nikes,” Greg said and lifted a long leg and waggled his foot.

  “Whatever. How far down are we gonna go?” Thad asked as they began to move forward, hugging the wall, away from the water. The air around them was damp and beginning to chill. All of them wore shorts and Thad was beginning to feel the discomfort and thought perhaps they should turn back. He was about to say so when he heard the rumbling deep in the earth.

  He stopped and the other men paused as well. Marco turned his phone around and kept it aimed toward the ground.

  “Ah shit,” he muttered.

  “Think we need to bail?” Dean asked.

  “Yeah, we need to go back,” Thad said and went to turn around when a roar came and the earth and stone shook around them. He heard Greg cry out in fear and Thad turned and stumbled, the ground heaving up and then falling back down. Thad stumbled to his knee and his hand landed in the water. He heard Marco curse and then the world around them was plunged into darkness.

  “Dammit! I dropped my fucking phone in the water. Nobody move,” Marco called out. Thad froze and slowly stood, wiping his hand on his shorts. The earth continued to move and Thad held his arms out to balance himself. Around him the air seemed to vibrate around them all and he caught a faint hint of sulfur. He could hear the other men breathing heavily. Greg moaned in fear and Thad reached out and blindly grasped his friend’s shoulder.

  “Stay still, Greg, it’ll be over in a minute,” Thad said and he felt Greg’s hand grasp onto his forearm.

  “Y’all think we’ll be crushed in this shit?” Greg asked and Thad heard his fear.

  “We’ll be okay, this place has stood for two thousand years. Somehow, I don’t think a quake would move it, just stand still, it’ll be over soon,” Thad assured him.

  “This is some bullshit. I can’t find my phone. Anyone got a lighter? Did anyone else bring their phone?” Marco asked from the blackness.

  There were grunts of no that echoed off the walls. The shaking was finally subsiding, though Thad could still feel it in his bones. Then a wall of putrid sulfur permeated the air and nausea grew and began to climb its way up Thad’s throat. He heard someone vomit and he thought perhaps it was Greg. He swallowed hard and his head felt as though it would crack with pain. Slowly, the rumbling stopped and all was quiet within the dark tunnel, but for their harsh breathing. He then heard splashing and asked into the darkness, “what are you doing?”

  “Looking for my phone, but I can’t find it,” Marco said. Thad heard the frustration and anger and sighed heavily.

  “We need to get the hell out of here,” he said.

  “For real. How are we gonna do that?” Greg asked.

  “We turn around and head back the way we came. We just keep one hand on the wall and go back,” Thad suggested.

  “Maybe we should go forward?” Dean suggested.

  “If you smell shit, that’s on me. I think I crapped myself,” Marco grumbled. Thad heard snickering and smiled.

  “I think that is the stench from the belly of the earth,” Dean said.

  “Yeah, I think maybe something opened up during that earthquake,” Thad said and began to walk blindly forward.

  “You sure we shouldn’t just keep going forward?” Greg asked.

  “We don’t know what’s ahead, we could fall into a pit. Let’s just go back the way we came,” Marco said and followed behind.

  Greg felt weak from the fear that swam through his body. He had felt the small tremors since his arrival in Italy. He’d never before experienced something so terrifying as he had earlier. The whole damned world had moved beneath him and around him. He tasted the sulfur in air like a fart in his mouth and he’d vomited. There was a small part of him that felt shame at his own fear, but if any called him a coward, then he challenged them not to lose their shit when the whole world moved violently.

  The fine hairs on his body picked up the trembling of the air around him. His antediluvian brain was jabbing him, urging him, herding him to leave this place. He wanted the hell out of this hole. As though reading his mind, he heard Dean’s disembodied voice reach him.

  “Sorry guys, this is on me. I screwed up and I’m sorry,” Dean said, his voice some distance away from Greg. Growing up in rural Mississippi had not prepared him for this. It was a story he would tell his grandmother over and over once he got back and he sure as hell wasn’t going down into any tunnels any more.

  “We all had a choice and it was pretty cool, at least before Marco got butterfingers,” Thad said and laughed.

  “Yeah, my bad. Sorry about losing the light and the pictures. Man, that’s gonna cost me to replace it,” Marco said.

  “You didn’t find it?” Greg asked and felt his stomach drop.

  “Naw, but if they ever find it a thousand years from now, they’ll wonder about it,” Marco said.

  “No shit,” Dean said and snorted.

  “Hey Marco, I’ve come to a juncture. Do I go left or right?” Thad asked.

  “I think we came left, so make a right,” Marco said.

  Greg sure hoped that Marco knew where he was directing them. A tremor of unease went through him once more. The warning bells were bouncing around in his head like a kicked beehive. He’d not seen any pits on their way down and that was good. He heard a low rumbling and hope surged.

  “I hear something,” Greg said. All of this reminded him of Raiders of the Lost Ark, he’d seen it when he was a kid. He had thought all of it a wonderful adventure. Not so much now. But he had heard something, he just didn’t know what.

  Dean turned his head this way and that, but he heard nothing.

  “I don’t hear anything,” Marco said.

  “Me either,” said Dean.

  “Keep going,” Marco suggested.

  “Another turn,” Thad called. Dean hoped that they could
find their way out of this labyrinth. He felt horrible for getting them down here and it was all his fault. It had seemed such a good idea at the time but then the damned earthquake and then Marco dropped his phone, leaving them blind. There was a small frisson of fear that tickled through him like a flame and he felt ashamed of himself for letting it niggle its way in. He was a Marine and he had a backbone of steel. He’d faced down the bullies in high school and kicked their collective asses. He shouldn’t be afraid now; they would find their way out, they had to.

  Dean put one foot in front of the other, his hand cold on the old stone. He moved carefully forward, hearing the men around him breathing hard; his brain told him that it was stress breathing. He could feel the ground level out and his heart began to slow. They were out of the deeper part of the tunnels. Once more he cursed himself for his stupidity. He was a serious fuckup and he knew it. He wasn’t normally so stupid, but he really wanted to come down into the tunnels. He was glad they were heading out of here; it was enough for a lifetime.

  “Again, sorry guys. I’ll buy us all a good dinner at the restaurant; you can eat as much as you want, Thad,” Dean announced.

  “You’re gonna regret that,” Greg said in a singsong voice and laughed. Thad and Marco joined the laughter.

  Thad was feeling better as they went along, he wanted the hell out of this place.

  “Hey, I hear it again,” Greg said, excitement in his voice. Thad stopped and listened. Then he caught the faint rumble of something. It was a low frequency but he heard it, or rather felt it.

  “I hear it too,” Thad said and started walking again. They moved in silence and Thad blinked, it was all inky blackness around him. It was disorienting and he didn’t like it. He had to keep in mind the training he received in boot camp. The only thing keeping him from staggering around was his hand on the cool wall. He felt the rough bumps under his fingertips and he felt like a blindman. He remembered in his martial arts training when he had been a teenager. He and another kid were at the dojo fighting and one of them got the bright idea to blindfold themselves. A smile crept across his lips in recollection, they had completely missed each other and ended up tripping over each other and some of the equipment in the dojo. It had been a bust and all he’d gotten were lots of bruises. He found out that he was not a Ninja or anything like it.