Tallis noticed a young man maneuvering along the street toward the north gate. He couldn’t help but watch how hard the fellow tried to remain invisible to those around him. Head down, not making eye contact, and hugging the buildings lining the road. Reaching the marketplace, he slipped into the shadows and watched as two soldiers struggled to remove the crossbeams and open the doors. Then he began his sprint, passing the guards before they realized anybody was close to them. Tallis recognized the man but told soldiers to let him run. The lad slowed to a trot once he realized the soldiers didn’t bother to pursue him. The Triplicarious watched him disappear from view, wondering what information the young man planned to share with Zamir or Hilarion. Would he head to the blacksmith’s shop or to the estate near Magdala? He couldn’t have much to tell, and the runner might not know his friends are in custody. Bad news might not please Zamir.
Tallis didn’t know who was more surprised last night, Gad and his soldiers or Label and Deron. Why were those two making so much noise as they ran toward their friends in the boat? What were they thinking? How long will his soldiers need to wait before Zamir’s friends attempt a rescue?
“Who was the man who raced past us when we opened the gates, Tallis?”
“I’m told his name is Dan. I assume he’s going to visit a friend in Tiberias to inform him what happened in Hammath last night. Gad, dismiss your soldiers so they can get some rest. Bazak and his troops will patrol the village today. I want you to meet with me and the other Decanuses when they arrive in a few minutes.”
“I heard you had some visitors last night, Tallis. “How did they manage to come into town during the storm? It rained so hard water came in through my window.”
“You slept through the action, Priam. Two young men managed to slip into town before the squall arrived. Their friends attempted to pick them up near the pier, but the wind and waves forced them to turn back, leaving their colleagues stranded. Gad and his soldiers captured the pair when they came running along the road next to the lake. We locked them in the tower under guard. Walk with me, I promised to bring them something to eat. Abigail gave me a loaf of bread and dried figs from our evening meal. They can eat it or starve to death.”
“Did they cooperate when you questioned them, Gad?” Priam asked as we entered the tower.
I smiled at our prisoners upon entering. “Let me introduce you to Deron and Label. Good morning. As promised, I brought you something to eat.”
“Deron fell down when I asked him a question last night, Priam. But over time, he and his friend became much smarter. In fact, I’m amazed how fast they adjusted once they figured out I expected an honest response to my questions,” Gad said.
“Now they have their breakfast, and we can move to the bathhouse next door so we can speak in private. I need to share some information with each of you. Bazak will meet us there.”
“It sounds like you and Gad had a busy night, Tallis,” Priam said.
“Interesting was more like it.” Bazak arrived, and Tallis turned and said, “I need you to meet with the fishermen when they return later today. Here’s a list of things I want you to share with them if they decide to help us. Priam, I want you to find another location to hold Deron and Label. Someplace we can defend without using all our troops, yet in a spot where everyone in town will know where to find them. Gad, I want you and your soldiers to go home and get some sleep. I will meet with the three of you later. This morning, I’m going to Tiberias. There are a few folks I need to visit.”
Bazak stood in the sand near the pier, waiting for the fishermen to gather round. “Last time I met with you, I asked for your help in our efforts to stop those who seem bent on creating chaos in our community. This afternoon, I need a response. But before you make a commitment to help us, I want to share how our mission became more complicated.”
Nosh interrupted, “Before you continue, Bazak, every one of us agreed to support you regardless of what comes our way. The future of our families and businesses are in your hands. We look forward to helping you and your fellow soldiers.”
“I am honored to have you and your colleagues partner with us, Nosh. I realize I’m asking a lot after you work long days on the water and spend more time repairing your equipment. I will need the owner of a large vessel to take my Triplicarious, Tallis, and a few soldiers to Magdala. I appreciate the sacrifice I’m asking you to make, but we need your help. If our troublemakers continue to spy on us, I may ask for more support to encourage them to keep moving south while we head north.”
Once again, Nosh spoke. “My crew and I will go with you, Bazak. My vessel is large enough to carry twenty men, counting my helpers.”
“Thank you, my friend.” Several others volunteered, and Bazak selected a second boat owner to join them if more they need additional help. “I’ll let you know which night we go. Again, I’m grateful for your support. I’ll inform Tallis when I see him later today.”
After meeting with his Decanuses, Tallis walked to Tiberias, figuring Zamir would be too busy fretting over the imprisonment of his friends than planning an attack on him or Hammath. The Triplicarious hoped to meet with Kaleb and plead his case one last time for more troops. Tallis felt his Centurion would support such action, but he also thought Nikolaos would come around to his way of thinking.
Entering through the fortress gates, he saw Kaleb talking with another Decanus. Did his colleague need extra soldiers too? God knew the Army needs to enlist more men to assist in maintaining peace. Kaleb waved to his Triplicarious and began walking toward him.
“Good morning, sir. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
“I do. What’s on your mind, Tallis?”
“I have to ask, but I still feel the need for more troops to help protect Hammath. I fear another attack is imminent. My soldiers and I will find ourselves in an awkward situation if our troublemakers outnumber us.”
Kaleb smiled. “Every Decanus in the Army thinks they need more men. What makes you think your enemy will return?”
“Last night, Gad and his soldiers captured two young men as they attempted to leave Hammath by boat. One of our prisoners admitted to being present when Kush and Masa died, but he claimed he didn’t kill them. The other lad wasn’t there. I convinced him to give me the killer’s names. If I were a betting man, I would tell you their leader will give strong consideration to rescuing his friends or try and trade Benson for their release.”
“What are their names, Tallis? Nikolaos will want to know when I explain the situation to him.”
“I can’t tell you, sir, and I hope you won’t pass along anything I’ve said to our Commander. There is too much going on right now. You’ll need to trust me on this.”
“Why not? Don’t you have faith in your Superiors?”
Now, what do I tell him? He won’t like hearing the truth, at least not from my perspective. “I trust you with my life, Kaleb. But there are others, in higher positions of authority, whose loyalty I’m beginning to question. Remember when you told me these walls have ears? It’s true.”
“I suppose it won’t do any good to pressure you for their names.”
“Not until I learn which senior officers are conspiring with my enemies.”
“Watch what you say, Tallis. If what you told me comes true, and they find out, your life will be in danger. I would hate to lose a good man like you.”
“Thank you, but right now, this is nothing more than a hunch.”
“Regarding your appeal for more troops. I would love to grant your application, but a new training session began earlier this morning. So providing you with more soldiers remains at least eight weeks away unless there is a crisis in Hammath. Once trained, the situation changes, and we can decide what adjustments we need to make. Now, if there is nothing else to discuss. I’m late for a meeting with Nikolaos. I’ll keep our conversation confidential.”
Tallis left the fortress, heading north along the city’s main road, hoping to find Paroh and Dodi. Paroh’s son responded to the door
knock and ran toward his mother before Tallis could ask to speak with his father.
“Tallis, it’s good to see you this morning. My husband is not home, but he said to tell you he was trying to gather more information for you. He told me you would understand what this meant.”
“I do, but if I can’t find him, tell your husband I stopped by.”
Tallis headed toward the well. If the wrong people discovered he was working with Paroh, his family would be in danger. As the Triplicarious walked along the street, a voice from above startled him. “Tallis.” He leaped at the sound. At first, he thought God had called his name but recognized the voice in an instant. Looking up, Tallis found Paroh smiling down at him from the roof of a building.
“Why are you on somebody’s roof? Are you trying to scare me to death, Paroh?
“Open the door. Join me. The stairs are against the far wall.”
Entering the structure, Tallis found himself standing in the middle of an empty building once used as a store of some kind. Climbing the staircase, he reached the roof.
“Over here. You can see your brother’s shop from this corner, and we’re far enough away people won’t notice us.”
“How did you find this place?”
“The other afternoon as I walked along the street, I noticed this building. I decided to try the door, but it wouldn’t open.”
“So you forced your way inside?”
“Oh no, I happened to stick my knife in the keyhole and twisted my wrist. It opened right up, so I stepped in. There isn’t anything downstairs but a few empty boxes covered with dust and dirt. Then I climbed the stairs and realized I could see more from this location than I can attempting to look inconspicuous hobbling along the city streets.”
“Ingenious, Paroh. You should ask for a raise, but if you did, the answer is no. I couldn’t afford to keep you on the payroll unless I received another pay increase myself. Anyway, I want to share some news with you. If you happen to see Dodi, you can tell her too.”
“I don’t think I’ll see her for a few days, but what do you want to tell me.”
“Some of my soldiers captured two of Hilarion’s friends last night as they tried to leave Hammath by boat. I questioned them earlier this morning, as did one of my Decanuses last night. One lad was with the men who murdered Masa and Kush though he claimed he wasn’t the killer. The fellow gave me the names of the murderers during my questioning. I also found out they and their friends frequent my brother’s shop. Hilarion is working with them in some capacity. Another friend of theirs is behind their revolutionary activities.”
“It’s time you and your men received a break. I’m pleased you got some information from your prisoners. No wonder you’re smiling.”
“There’s more, Paroh, but please don’t share this with Dodi. I found out where they’re hiding Benson. My soldiers and I will check out the reliability of the information. When our meeting ends, I’m going to enjoy having a conversation with Zosimos. The next thing we need to discuss is Acaph and Mered. I need to find out where they live, who they associate with, and where they go. I haven’t seen Dodi of late, so I still need to learn where the pair resides.”
“I’ll do my best to meet with Dodi this afternoon. Sometimes she’s hard to find.”
“Good, I want to pay you four more dinars, and here’s another four to give to Dodi. I’ll try to meet with you again in two or three days, if not sooner.”
Tallis found the street deserted when he left the building. Paroh remained on the roof, watching his friend walk down the hill toward the blacksmith’s shop. Zosimos was the only one in the building when the Triplicarious entered. “Good morning, brother. We need to talk. Is anyone out back?”
“It’s good to see you too, Tallis, and the answer is no.”
“Good. Please, close and secure the door. What I have to share with you must remain between the two us.”
“Is something wrong with mother?”
“Lock the door, please. I need you to promise me, you won’t discuss what I’m going to tell you with anyone, including Hilarion.”
“You know I can keep a secret. There, I locked and barred the door. We’re alone. Hilarion left work earlier this morning when another friend of his dropped by to speak with him. I haven’t seen him since.”
“Don’t tell me Dan came to visit.”
“How did you know?”
“Remember, you promised to keep everything we discuss to yourself.”
“Didn’t I say I would?”
Tallis studied his brother’s face. “You did, Zosimos, but I want to make sure you understand the sensitivity of what I’m going to share with you.”
“This isn’t good news, is it?”
“Depends on how you interpret what I say.”
Zosimos walked a few steps and sat on an empty stool next to one of his workbenches. “Okay, Tallis, I’m ready.”
“Patience, brother. This is hard for me. … I realize you would love to have Herod and the Romans driven from Israel. So would many others, but you are in a dangerous predicament at the moment, and I may not be able to help or protect you.”
Zosimos stood and began to pace the shop while rubbing his beard. “What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?”
“You’re guilty by association. The night my two men died, Hilarion was with their killers. I’m told he didn’t kill them, but he witnessed their murders.”
“Who told you? Our brother never mentioned this to me.”
Tallis sat on the nearest stool as Zosimos continued to pace. “Remember what I said when I told you I’d seen four men running through Hammath and through the gate toward Tiberias?”
“I suppose so. Why?”
“I thought I recognized Hilarion, and last night my soldiers captured two of his friends as they hurried to leave town by boat. The waves forced those in the craft to abort their attempt to come ashore. Also, our prisoners confessed to visiting your shop daily. Then one of them gave me the names of Kush and Masa’s killers.”
Zosimos hung his head and slammed his fist on the workbench. The blow startled Tallis. “Are you okay? You act like someone stabbed you.”
“What can I say, Tallis? I’m sure nobody planned to kill anyone. Hilarion told me he went to be with a friend—”
“You mean, Dan?”
Zosimos slumped to a stool. “Yes, Dan. Who gave you his name?”
“I have many secrets, brother. I also discovered Hilarion works as a messenger for a wealthy young man. The fellow who came into your shop the other day when I was present. Zamir. And I know he is the person financing the raids in Hammath. He’s trying to disrupt life in the community where I work and live. When enough people complain, Zamir anticipates the Romans will remove Herod from power. Future attacks would attempt to force the remaining foreign troops from the land of the Jews.”
Zosimos stood, grabbed a ladle from the water barrel and took a drink. “How can this be? I can’t believe Hilarion would involve himself in something like this.”
“I haven’t determined your role in this, but Hilarion is in serious trouble once my superiors learn of his involvement in everything.” Zosimos sat down and rubbed his head. “You might want to say a prayer before Herod comes looking for you. Take my advice. You must distance yourself from Hilarion. Fire him, and don’t allow our brother to come near your business again. His time is short. … Remember, you promised to keep everything I’ve told you confidential. You better keep your word. When you fire Hilarion, say it’s for missing too much work.”
Tears began to form in the eyes of Zosimos. “What future do I have in Tiberias, Tallis?”
The Triplicarious stood and placed his arm around his brother’s shoulder. “I don’t know, but if I find out you are building and supplying weapons to use against my soldiers and me, or if you participated in any crimes against the citizens living in Palestine, your days will end sooner than you dreamed possible. Or, you might decide to speak with Kaleb. He’s an honorable m
an, and he’ll listen to you. Approach him and say you overheard someone, a rumor, discussing a plot against Herod. Kaleb doesn’t know what we’ve discussed this morning, but I’ll have to tell him soon so don’t wait too long to talk with him.”
Zosimos stood and looked his brother in the eye. “I want to clear my name.”
“I can’t share anything else with you right now.”
“How could this happen to me, Tallis?”
“You hired Hilarion, and he became friends with the wrong people. You need to fire him the next time you see our brother. Something you should have done some time ago. You’re too soft on him. Another thing to consider, Zosimos. You may want to guard your shop, night, and day in case Hilarion tells his friends, and they decide to retaliate. You could move Ya-el away from Tiberias. Somewhere our brother and his friends can’t find her.” Tallis paused and watched Zosimos pace while wringing his hands, sweat pouring down his face. “There isn’t much time to make a decision, and I can’t wait around while you try to figure out what to do. I’ll return when I have something else to share with you. In the meantime, I’ll pray for you and Hilarion.”
As Tallis turned to leave, he glanced back at Zosimos, sitting on a stool, his face buried in his hands, elbows on the workbench. He’s way too soft on Hilarion.
Tallis returned to Hammath feeling depressed from this morning’s activities. He fretted over his brothers and hoped Zosimos wouldn’t lose everything he’d worked for, including his life. Stopping near the olive trees, the Triplicarious left the highway and headed to the center of the grove. Looking toward heaven, Tallis prayed for his family, his fellow soldiers, and for guidance and wisdom. As he returned to the highway, he decided to meet with Decanuses to discuss a new location to house their prisoners. Some place where Zamir and his supports will find rescuing the captives more accessible, but challenging.
Abigail and her husband enjoyed a delicious meal. Only the two of them. No disruptions or emergencies. As Tallis looked as his beautiful wife, he realized how much he loved her, even more than the first time they met.
Dinner included lamb stew, a dish they hadn’t enjoyed for some time. Add a little wine, some fruit, vegetables, and wow was all he could say. Yet this might be the last evening meal they got to share for several days. Tallis could feel trouble brewing.
After the evening meal, Tallis prayed again. Then he wrote a note and handed it to Abigail. “I need you to deliver this to Kiva first thing tomorrow morning. It’s important he receives this right away. Please don’t read it. That’s everything I can say except it’s time for me to meet my men. I should return soon. I love you.”
Tallis found Gad and his soldiers waiting for him outside the tower. They’d closed and secured the town’s gates before his arrival. “How are the prisoners?”
“They ate their food, but neither is happy. Those two believe we should release them since both men claim they aren’t guilty. Deron said we can’t detain them for running down the street. I told him nobody cares what he thinks. I informed them they weren’t under arrest. We’re keeping them safe from anyone who might want to attack Hammath.”
Tallis chuckled. “Let’s change the subject. Tonight, I want you and your men to follow the routines you and I discussed yesterday, Gad. In the morning, we’ll move our guests to a new location, making it more difficult for anyone wanting to slip into town to rescue them.”
“We’ll do our best, sir.”
“I’ll be on my rooftop tonight. You know what to do if an emergency arises. I’ll come to your aid if you need help. So will the others. Keep your ears and eyes open.”
Chapter 22