Watch Your Back

by William V Weeks

“Good day, young man. Aren’t you up rather early this morning?”

  “I’m always up this time of day, Rabbi. Why do you ask?”

  “I asked because I don’t see you at the synagogue anymore, so I worry for your soul. Isn’t your name, Dan?”

  “It is, but I didn’t think you remembered me, sir.”

  Kiva placed his hand on Dan’s shoulder. “It’s been too long, and you’re a grown man now. You may call me, Kiva.”

  “I remember you, but may I ask why you are up this early?”

  Kiva smiled a twinkle in his eye. “Ah, I’m on my way to meet with the two young fellows protected by Herod’s soldiers. I plan to pray with them.”

  “Why do they need protecting?”

  “The soldiers detained them for not following directions and resisting arrest, but later the guards learned one of them had something to do with a murder a few weeks ago. Did you know Masa and Kush?”

  “I didn’t know them. Where are the soldiers housing their prisoners?”

  “They have them in the tower at the moment, but I’m told the troops plan to move them to an abandoned building on the main road near the well.”

  Dan studied the Kiva’s face for a moment. “Why move them? Aren’t they safe at their current location?”

  “Oh, you would think so, Dan, but I wasn’t asked to give my advice. They might fear some of the local residents will try to kill them, or a few friends of theirs will arrive by boat and attempt a rescue.”

  A confused expression covered Dan’s face. “Why would anybody fret over those two? Won’t their parents beg for mercy or pay a ransom for their release?”

  “Aren’t they friends of yours? You could pay a fee for their release, so they’re set free.”

  Dan let out a nervous laugh. “Me? Why would my friends be in prison, Kiva? You must be confusing me with someone else.” The young man turned and headed toward the north gate. “Greetings, Rabbi.”

  Kiva smiled and shook his head. He didn’t have the heart to tell Dan the soldiers knew of his association with Zamir. It’s time to find Tallis and let him know he’d delivered the message. The Rabbi prayed as he walked, asking for forgiveness for his dishonesty. He enjoyed talking with Dan and watching the lad as he tried to act surprised. He’s in more trouble than he realizes.

  Paroh limped toward the fortress. This morning he wanted to meet with Kaleb, asking for help finding permanent employment. Since his accident, money was in short supply. Today he believed his wounds had recovered enough to work as an assistant of some kind. After meeting with his former Centurion, Paroh would begin working on the task Tallis asked him to do, track down Acaph and Mered. The pair may show up at the fortress.

  The distance between Paroh’s house and the fort was a mere fourteen blocks. Walking helped his legs grow stronger. More so since the former soldier began spying for Tallis. One block away from the fort, Paroh saw a familiar face. “Good morning, sir. What a pleasure to see you again.” Nikolaos stared at the man hobbling toward him. Don’t you remember me? My name is Paroh.”

  “Of course, I do. I’m pleased to see you’re recovering from your wounds.”

  “I’m doing much better, thank you. With God’s grace, I’m healthy enough to return to work.”

  “Good for you, Paroh. I wish you well.”

  Paroh continued toward his destination. He wanted to look back over his shoulder but didn’t dare. Nikolaos might think he was spying on them. Why would the Commander of Herod’s Army be speaking with Mered and Acaph? Paroh picked up his pace. He didn’t want them to figure out what he was up to. If they did, he and his family could find themselves in danger. Why would Nikolaos meet with two deserters?

  At Paroh’s request, Dodi spent her morning sitting near the well, water jug in hand, watching people go in and out of the blacksmith’s shop. She felt sorry for the former soldier and his family as they struggled to get back on their feet. Dodi knew Paroh didn’t receive a pension from Herod, but she didn’t inherit much money after her father died either, and her mother decided to return to her father’s household, as the family fell apart. Today, Dodi questioned her decision to remain in Tiberias. Praise God, she’d managed to stay in the house where she’d lived before her father died. When her money runs out, life will become more complicated, and working for Tallis won’t last forever. I need to find a job, but women don’t work outside their home.

  Dodi’s friends all managed to marry. Her father wanted to match his daughter up with a friend’s son. She would like such an arrangement, but one morning her father collapsed in their courtyard, and her prospects dimmed. Then Tallis came along and gave her hope. Today, she felt important, not that she wasn’t important before her father’s death, but God is good. He will provide.

  A voice called her name and caught Dodi by surprise.

  “I haven’t seen you for a long time. How have you been?” Dodi turned and looked at the man nearing the well. “Don’t you remember me? I’m Zamir. My family used to live near you before we moved to Magdala.”

  Of course, she remembered him, but over time, memories fade. He’d changed. Dodi had too. “It’s good to see you again, Zamir.”

  “I was sorry to hear your father died. So did mine, but my future is secure. What are you doing now?”

  “I’m getting ready to fill my water jug.”

  “So I see, but I meant, how is your life going? I’ll bet you’re married by now.”

  Dodi’s eyes dropped as she frowned. “No. The arrangement fell apart when my father died.” Zamir didn’t need to know the details.

  “I’m sorry. How do you manage to survive?”

  How can I explain my situation to him? I can’t tell Zamir one of Herod’s soldiers hired me to spy on people, including him. “I still have a little money my mother gave me before she left. What about you, Zamir? How are you surviving?”

  The young man puffed out his chest. “Much better than you are. I spend my time, how can I describe it, organizing people. Yes, I help people achieve their dreams and goals. What goals do you have, Dodi?”

  How do I respond? “My dreams left the day father passed away, but I bet you have exciting and pleasant dreams, and, I suppose, you have the resources to make them come true.”

  Zamir’s nose rose as he looked down at Dodi. “I dream all the time. I have high aspirations for myself, and I trust all my dreams will come true.”

  A wry smile crossed Dodi’s face. Keep him talking. He may slip and reveal some information I can share with Tallis. “What’s your greatest wish, Zamir?”

  “I want to give less money to Herod’s government and the Romans. The Tetrarch taxes everything I own and sell, and leaves me with next to nothing.” Zamir swung his hand in front of her, like a reaper with a sickle. “Then the Romans come along and steal most of the rest. I don’t believe I’ll ever get ahead, but you, Dodi, don’t need to fret over such things as taxes. Life is so much simpler for you.”

  Would he trade places with me? Dodi filed the thought away in the back of her mind. “Simpler may not be the correct word, Zamir. One day someone will throw me out on the street for not paying on the house where I live, and I don’t need to fret over what I’ll eat most days because there isn’t any food. So why worry? Tomorrow my future husband will come along and save me from my sorrows.”

  Zamir smiled. “I’m sorry to hear your story, Dodi, but I’m glad I didn’t end up like you. I don’t know where I would be today if I hadn’t inherited my father’s wealth.”

  Dodi glared at the arrogant man standing near her. Does he provide for his mother or other family members? She could see Zamir throwing them out on the street to fend for themselves. If I had the strength, I’d toss him in the well.

  Zamir’s eyes lit up. “Say, Dodi, why don’t you visit my estate one day? It’s on the main highway before you reach Magdala. Ask for me when you knock on the courtyard door. I can hire you as a maid in my household, and help you find living accommodations in town. You could sell your
family home, and life would become much easier for you.”

  “I need some time to consider your offer, Zamir, but I must fill my jug and return home. I enjoyed talking with you.”

  “I look forward to seeing you again. Sometimes you can find me visiting the blacksmith’s shop down the hill.”

  Dodi thought of saying, “I know,” but held her tongue not wanting to blow her cover. She didn’t know if she could work for Zamir. It would be difficult to get information to Tallis if she moved to Magdala. “Goodbye, Zamir.” It took three buckets of water to fill Dodi’s jug. Zamir stood and watched her before turning and heading down the street toward the north gate.

  “Dan, what brings you to my shop this early in the morning?”

  “I need to speak with Hilarion. It’s urgent.”

  “He’s out back trying to find a piece of metal for me. Feel free to go see him.” Dan’s always dropping by my shop wanting to talk with my brother. Why didn’t I put my foot down and end these visits? I’m going out back and pretend to look for something so I can overhear their conversation. Why didn’t Dan get a job and stay away from my shop? Zosimos didn’t have the heart to fire his brother. Nobody else will hire Hilarion. What will mother say? He can’t move in with Ya-el and me. Could he find work someplace else? Somewhere in Upper Galilee or Jerusalem. Hilarion and Dan stopped talking when Zosimos came toward them. I’ll take this bar back inside, so they don’t get suspicious.

  At the beginning of the sixth hour, Tallis and his soldiers relocated their prisoners to an empty building near the well in the center of Hammath. Several people observed the transfer. Earlier in the morning, before sunrise, the Triplicarious had asked Kiva to help him by speaking with Dan. The Rabbi reported back, saying the young man had left town, heading toward Tiberias after their conversation.

  Dan had made good time traveling to Tiberias and back as the lad returned to witness the relocation of Deron and Label to their new home. Now, the question remained. Would Dan make another trip to Tiberias, or send someone else?

  With the gates secured for the night, Gad and Tallis met outside the tower door. None of the soldiers had seen any boats floating offshore for the second night in a row. Did Zamir have other things on his mind?

  “I’ll check on our captives throughout the night. Our friends may want to talk some more since they’ve had the entire day to sit and think.”

  “You don’t need to, Gad. I have a few of Priam’s men guarding the prisoners tonight. I want you and your troops to secure both gates and the waterfront.”

  “Good. I’ll watch our town from my rooftop while my troops patrol as usual. I expect everything will remain calm unless our enemies return.”

  “I don’t believe anyone will bother us tonight, but sound the alarm if you need help. Bazak and two of his soldiers will travel with me to Magdala an hour after nightfall.”

  “Now I know why you’re not in uniform, Tallis.”

  “I’ll meet with you at sunrise.”

  An hour after darkness covered the land, one large fishing vessel pushed off from the dock in Hammath, heading north across the still waters of the lake. The usual north wind chose not to blow, allowing the craft to glide over the smooth surface toward their destination. Torchlights reflected off the city buildings in Tiberias as they passed in the night. Continuing on to Magdala, Tallis realized he’d never ridden in a boat after dark before. Tonight’s journey would cover less than six miles in each direction, and they made better time than expected. Nosh operated the tiller while Bazak and Tallis enjoyed the view and focused on their mission.

  Nosh had orders to locate a suitable location to come ashore so anyone traveling along the highway wouldn’t see them during their mission. Someplace close to Zamir’s estate south of Magdala. Tallis and Bazak planned to survey the area and find the safest and quickest way to enter the compound. Neither soldier had spent much time in this part of Galilee, although both men had passed through the region when they visited Capernaum two years prior while on a training exercise.

  The boat captain whispered to his sailors, and they stopped rowing as the vessel approached the shoreline. Tallis and Bazak searched the waters for boulders capable of penetrating the hull as the craft glided forward and landed in an area with several large bushes and a few trees between the water and the main highway running south from Tiberias to Capernaum and beyond to Damascus. How did Nosh find this spot? The area met their needs, and Tallis asked the fishermen to remain with the craft while he and his soldiers explored the area. If they heard a horn blast, the sailors would come to their aid.

  A new moon served as a blessing and a curse to the soldiers. Nosh tied the bow to a tree while the four soldiers leaped to the shore, ducking behind the nearest shrub, trying to get a bearing of the landscape. From their current location, it was too dark to recognize any structures.

  “Those must be the lights of Magdala off to our right, Tallis.”

  “If you’re right, Bazak, Zamir’s estate should be to our left. I don’t hear anyone coming toward us from either direction. We need to move fast. You and your men follow me.” Four shadows dashed from their hiding place to the highway, heading south, and trying not to draw attention to themselves, they slowed to a walk. A minute later, the team noticed a torchlight ahead on their right, coming from inside the estate walls. Drawing near, the outline of a large compound came into view.

  “This must be Zamir’s place. Only a rich man could afford to live here.”

  “What makes you think so, Bazak?”

  “The smooth white walls give the structure away. Do you know anyone who lives in a house with whitewashed plastered walls? Tiberias contains several structures with similar construction. Basalt blocks or stones make up the walls of the other buildings. This compound is different. Here, in the middle of nowhere, we have this magnificent white structure. It’s beautiful, Tallis. The walls must stand seven to eight cubits high. We’ll need a tall ladder to reach the top and peer inside.”

  “I see a gate up ahead. Keep a watchful eye for anyone on guard.” Tallis raised his hand. The team froze in place. “The area looks clear, Bazak. I want you to check the gate.”

  Tallis moved toward his destination and peered through the crack between the gate doors. The interior courtyard appeared empty. Placing a hand on each door, he pushed, then turned and returned to the others. “I don’t think they’re barred. There’s too much give. There is a lock, but I can pick it with my knife.”

  “Not now. We don’t know how many men would greet us once we entered the compound.” Tallis led his team to the estate’s southeast corner and turned the corner, before leaning against the south wall. Bazak received orders to take one of the soldiers with him and work their way around the entire exterior of the structure. The Triplicarious and the remaining man would try and locate the caretaker’s residence and check for other outbuildings on the property. “We’ll return in ten minutes.”

  Tallis’s team located the caretaker’s place along with a stable and several outbuildings near the southwest corner of Zamir’s home. They decided not to explore the property lying south of the compound. Instead, the two of them returned to their previous spot near the corner, next to the highway to wait for their colleagues to return.

  A few minutes later, Bazak’s team reappeared. “We found three crates along the north wall, Tallis. The two of us stacked the boxes before I climbed up and scaled the wall. I crossed a flat rooftop. The courtyard is long and narrow with rooms built against the exterior walls except for the east wall. I spotted one man, who looked like a guard sitting on the ground, outside of one of the rooms on the other side of the south wall. They might house Benson inside one on them near the guard’s position. The sentry appeared to be asleep, but I’m sure this is Zamir’s estate.”

  “Good work, Bazak. I agree with you. This has to belong to Zamir. Let’s get back to the boat. We can talk later. I don’t want anyone to see us sneaking around in the dark.”

  Nosh
and his crew had untied and turned the vessel around, prepared to push off upon the soldier’s return. Two soldiers climbed into the boat while Tallis and Bazak lowered their shoulders and helped shove the craft away from the shore. They climbed in as the fishermen began rowing toward deeper water.

  The boat’s captain pulled the tiller, and the rudder changed their course from east to south as the men rowed faster. A few minutes later another fisherman raised the sail, as a stiff breeze began to blow. The wind filled the sails, propelling them toward home. Tallis considered the mission a success. They’d located Zamir’s estate and the possible hiding spot of their fellow soldier. Security, there wasn’t much. Breaching the wall wouldn’t challenge them upon their return to rescue Benson.

  Chapter 23