could see the square building at the base of the lighthouse. The large wooden doors were closed. Two sentries with javelins stood guard. As Lucius watched four other guards marched past, then rounded the corner and disappeared down the side of the building. His eyes travelled up the twenty feet high crenelated walls. He could see the tips of more javelins there. The lighthouse itself rose up from this point, towering above the harbour.
There was no cover. Nothing on the road. His men wouldn’t even make it a quarter of the way before they were seen. Caesar had archers with him, but at this distance, with this wind, Lucius knew they couldn’t risk it.
On one side of the walls running along the road was the harbour, twenty feet down. The wall sloped outwards near the water. On the other side was open sea.
Lucius knew there was nothing else for it. He would have to send swimmers along the walls and then scale near the lighthouse and kill quickly. He gave instructions and six men, three on each side, removed their tunics, tied knives to the insides of their forearms, and dashed off for the water on one side of the road and the sea on the other. The rest of Lucius’ men moved into the shadows and waited.
The three that ran for the harbour were in the water in no time. The boats giving them added cover. They had to duck under mooring ropes from time to time.
The three that ran for the sea had it much tougher. Near the shore it was rocky and they had to climb barefoot over sharp, jagged rocks. Once in the sea it was no better until they were able to swim. Surprisingly to Quintus Varius the sea wasn’t as cold as he’d thought it would be. Nor did the two legionaries accompanying him.
In the harbour Gaius Lepidus thought the water was cold. He felt it numbing his body as he swam. His neck was already aching from having to keep stopping and looking up.
The next time he looked up the fire from the lighthouse was looming above him. He estimated they had been in the water for less than five minutes. Slowly, trying to cause the least amount of ripples and noise possible the three made their way towards the wall.
Here at the lighthouse the wall came down into the sea. The foundations were deep in the silt. Gaius scrabbled along the wall with his hands while underwater his feet pushed against it, helping him along. Finally he found a foothold and pushed himself up out of the water. The other two moved along until they were behind him. Then slowly the three began to climb the very difficult wall.
Twice Gaius nearly slipped. Both times he managed to hang on, pressing his fingers and toes into rough edges of stone and mortar. Once he did slip and he began sliding down the wall, his fingers scrabbling on the rough stone. He managed to stop himself before he collided with his two fellow climbers. He hugged the wall tightly. Then when he felt that he wouldn’t slip anymore he took first one hand and then the other off the wall and brought it up to his face. In the light cast by the large fire at the top of the lighthouse he could see that his fingertips were raw with abrasions. His finger nails were broken and bleeding. Both his knees were grazed. He reached down to the one that was hurting the most and brought his fingers up to his face again. There was blood on them. His knife on his forearm had slipped also and he retied it one handed and using his teeth.
One of the others had managed to move out to the left and was now level with Gaius.
“Are you all right Gaius?” he whispered across.
Gaius nodded.
“Do you want me to take the lead?”
Gaius’ fingertips were stinging and he clenched his fingers into a tight fist. They were extremely sore but regardless he shook his head and thrust himself upwards, climbing the wall quickly. Soon he found himself at the top and he pulled himself up just enough to peek over . They had come up at the side of the building around the corner from the standing guards.
Perfect!
He bade his colleagues to wait then, quick as a flash, Gaius pulled himself up over the wall and darted silently for the corner. He peeked around once. The two guards were