Free Jesus Triumphant (Chronicles of the Nephilim Book 8) by Brian Godawa

special orders, sir, not to allow any entry.”
    Right now, Demas was wishing he had his brother’s acting skills. He could very well ruin this entire plan.
    “Of course, soldier. And why is that?”
    “Because of the importance of our prisoner. He is an insurgent.”
    Demas acted impatient with the soldier’s ignorance. “Exactly. And who did I just tell you I have with me as prisoner, you moron? Another insurgent.”
    “Sir, we were told to report anything like this directly to the Tribune.” The Tribune was over the centurions and was usually an aristocrat on his way up the ladder of political power.
    “Then report it, fool. And let me through. I don’t have time for your incompetence.”
    “Yes, sir.” The soldier jogged off to make his report.
    Demas demanded, “Where is the other prisoner?”
    The soldier straightened up. “The normal cells, sir.”
    Oh great , thought Demas. If I have to ask where the normal cells are, he will surely find me out.
    He would just have to wing it and pretend he knew where he was going.
    He pushed Barabbas past the guards and they entered the belly of the beast.
    Demas had no idea where they were going.
    They walked down a corridor and heard several soldiers on break playing dice. They passed that room and found themselves in a stairwell. The tower was about six floors tall and they were on the ground level.
    Demas whispered, “What do you think, up or down?”
    “Up,” muttered Barabbas.
    Demas pushed him to take the stairs down. It was a power play at a dangerous moment.
    It was one flight to the bottom. The stairs opened up to a hallway that led up to a guard post with two more soldiers. Demas still could not be sure this was the right way, but the guards saw them now, and they could not step back into the stairwell without drawing suspicion. He had to move forward and look like he knew what he was doing.
    Halfway down the hall, They passed the latrine on the right. Demas smiled to himself remembering the bandit who had gagged at the thought of it .
    When they arrived at the guard post, Demas noticed the bars on the door.
    “Legionaries,” he said with as much assurance as he could muster, “I have another insurgent on orders from Tribune Gallus. Open up.”
    One of the guards, an older gruffy soldier, looked at him funny. He said, “Tribune Gallus is over in Pella. Do you have your papers, sir?”
    Demas had thought Gallus was the local Tribune. Did he transfer or was his just visiting Pella?
    “I expect more respect when you address your superior. Gallus had no time to write up papers. We are on the trail of more insurgents and I need to drop off this prisoner immediately.”
    Barabbas saw the gruffy one slowly place his hand on the hilt of his sword. The other guard did as well. Barabbas tightened, ready to spring.
    The soldier said, “I am sorry, sir, I mean no disrespect. However, we are under orders of the Tribune.”
    They were interrupted by the sound of two soldiers arriving from the stairs. Evidently replacements. Fresh and armed.
    Oh no , thought Demas. He turned back to the gruffy one, who was now smiling.
    The Roman said, “Sir, Gallus is not the Tribune here. Caius is. But you would know that if you were a true centurion.”
    The soldiers both drew their weapons.
    Barabbas moved with lightning speed. He snapped open his shackles. He pulled the dagger from the belt of one of the guards beside him and jammed it into the man’s throat. The guard choked and dropped to the floor.
    The gruff one swung immediately at Demas. Demas dodged the blade and drew his own.
    The soldier yelled to the two men approaching Demas from the rear, “Soldiers! This centurion is an imposter!”
    The other soldiers paused for a moment, surprised by what they just heard.
    Barabbas drew the dead guard’s sword and faced off against the gruff one.
    Demas turned to face the others. For a moment, he was reminded of how he had been attacked by multiple beasts at once in the arena