Julius snorted angrily. “After everything we have achieved, do you think I’m dropping it all now? Those are our men out in the woods, waiting for the word to start coming in. Do you think we should just leave them and take ship for Rome? No honor in that, Peli, none at all. You go home if you want. I’m not holding any of you here, but if you do go, I will share your ransoms out amongst them when we find and beat Celsus.”

Pelitas chuckled at the angry words from the younger man. “You think we can do it? Honestly? You got us this far and I’d never have believed that if I hadn’t been there to see you handle those settlements. If you say we go on, then I’ll see it through.”

“It can be done,” Julius said firmly. “We need to get on board a merchant ship and take it out to sea. Away from the coast, we’ll try to make ourselves as tempting as possible. We know the pirates work this coast; they’ll take our bait. At least our men look like Roman legionaries, even if some are poor quality. We can put the good fighters in the front and bluff it through.”

“I’m staying to the end,” Prax said. “I need my ransom back to enjoy my retirement.”

Gaditicus nodded in silence, lost in thought. Julius turned to the youngest of the officers and the one he had known the longest.

“What about you, Suetonius? Are you for home?”

Suetonius drummed his fingers on the wooden table. He had known this moment would come right from the start and had vowed then that he would take the first chance to go back. Of all of them, his family could easily stand the loss of his ransom, but the thought of returning in failure was a bitter draught. Rome had many young officers and the future did not look as bright as it had when he first stood on the decks of Accipiter. His father had expected quick promotion for his son, and when that hadn’t happened, the senator had simply stopped asking. Now to have him back in the family estate with nothing but defeat in his record would be hard on all of them.

An idea formed in his mind as they watched him, and he struggled to keep any sign of it from showing. There was a way for him to return to the city in triumph if he was careful. Deliciously, it would involve the destruction of Julius, as well.

“Suetonius?” Julius repeated.

“I’m in,” he replied firmly, already planning.

“Excellent. We need you, Tonius,” Julius replied.

Suetonius kept his face still, though he seethed inwardly. None of them thought much of him, he knew, but his father would approve of what he was about to do, for the good of Rome.