Read Online Pompeii's Ghosts (A James Acton Thriller, #9) by J Robert Kennedy - Free Book Online

center of
which was more gold than Costa had ever seen before.
    His jaw
dropped and he immediately began to picture what just one of those bars could
do for his family.
    Or
two.
    It would
change their lives. They could buy their freedom, perhaps open a shop in Rome
itself. The dreams were almost overwhelming and he found he had tunnel vision,
his eyes seeing nothing but the gold, his ears closed to the sounds around him.
It took a tug of his tunic to snap him from the fantasy, a slave offering him
water. He drank gratefully, several cupsful, then looked to his master,
Valerius, who was embracing Plinius.
    “Thank
the gods you have arrived!” cried Valerius. “I had feared you wouldn’t come.”
    Plinius
smiled, still holding the younger Valerius by the arms. “Never doubt that I
would be foolish enough to do that which brave men would fear,” he replied with
a wink. He turned to the growing pile of gold. “I see you have begun.”
    “As soon
as your ships were spotted, I gave the order. It may only save minutes, but
minutes may be all we have.”
    Plinius
nodded. “I noticed men on the roof?”
    “To keep
the ash off. If it gets too heavy this entire room will collapse and we along
with the Emperor’s gold will be trapped here.”
    “A wise
precaution. And your family?”
    “I’ve
sent them ahead. Hopefully they will find refuge south of the city.”
    Plinius
squeezed his second’s shoulder. “I’ve given my nephew and sister similar orders
should the need arise. I’m certain the gods will watch over both our families.”
He stepped back and looked at the exhausted guard as they handed bars of gold
to each other, the human chain slowly transferring the treasure from the
chambers below. “This will take some time,” observed Plinius. “As more ships
arrive we will begin the transfer in earnest. For now, I suggest we relax. Have
some food and drink, some good conversation. It will calm the nerves. I have
ten good men with me.” Plinius turned to one of his men. “Have your men relieve
those on the roof and the path. Switch every fifteen minutes. Let me know as
soon as the first ship arrives.”
    The man
slapped his fist against his chest and disappeared outside, past the cloths
trying to preserve some semblance of calm inside. Valerius turned to Costa.
“Have food and drink brought, enough for everyone including the servants, then
wash yourself up. Also, prepare an area for our soldiers to sleep. They can
barely walk and need their rest.”
    Costa
bowed and rushed toward the kitchen, thankfully in the still standing north
wing of the house, his eyes having to tear themselves away from the pile of
gold in the center of the room. He couldn’t believe how obsessed he was with
it, and it wasn’t until he had left the room that he realized the grip it held
on him even now. Having never seen that much wealth in one place before, he
felt almost overwhelmed with how much just a tiny portion of what his master
possessed could change his life for the better, and began to feel a tightness
in his chest as a rage of jealousy overtook him.
    He
gripped a nearby doorway as the entire house shook, a woman’s scream from the
kitchen area beyond snapping him from his shameful thoughts. Shaking his head
and voicing a silent apology to his master for his unforgiveable lapse, he
rushed to the kitchen to see if anyone was hurt. All he found was a young
female slave whimpering in a corner. He ushered her from her hiding place and
passed on his master’s orders.
    “Food
and drink for everyone, including yourself. Just keep bringing it out to the
main dining area. Get whoever remains to help you.”
    The
woman nodded, grateful it seemed to have something to occupy her mind. A
creaking sound overhead had their eyes darting to the ceiling, Costa’s heart
picking up several beats as he saw the extensive cracking. He rushed from the
room, spotting two slaves and redirecting them to the kitchen as he left to
prepare the room for