“What’s that sound?” Dean asked.
“Yeah, what is that?” Greg asked.
“It almost sounds like cheering? You know, like at a football game,” Marco said.
“What the hell? Did we take a wrong turn and go someplace else?” Thad asked no one in particular.
“I don’t think so, we kinda backtracked our way out,” Marco said. Thad saw several torches and thought it was weird. He figured there was no electricity down this far down.
“Where did the torches come from?” Greg asked.
“Hell if I know,” Thad said and then stopped. Ahead, he saw a man walk past the lights and he was wearing what looked like a toga or ratty looking sheet. The others stood behind him and said nothing.
“What in the hell?” Marco said finally. Then they heard the roar again and Thad thought it was definitely people cheering. He turned and looked at the others, their faces in heavy shadow.
“Look,” Dean hissed softly and all the men watched as a cage was pushed by several men in ragged loincloths. Inside the cage was a lion. What the in the hell is a lion doing down in these tunnels? Thad wondered.
“Uh, guys, what the fuck is going on? You know, why is there a freaking lion in a cage and why are those guys pushing it?” Greg asked. Thad looked at Greg, he rarely cursed.
Another man walked past and he held chains and pulled a line of thin pathetic men, naked. Another man followed with a short whip, swinging it and the crack of it reached the men. They heard the cry of the man who’d felt it and the sound of it jolted through Thad’s body. A prickling of unease swept through him and he swallowed. His hand came up to his mouth to hold back the vomit that threatened to erupt. Heat began to rush through his body and the adrenaline was kicked up once more. He felt the sting of tears and fear began to circle around his brainstem.
“I hate to say this, but I’m thinking we’re really screwed, guys,” Thad said in a low shaking voice.
“What? What’s the matter?” Marco asked.
Thad turned to look at each of the men, his friends and his heart squeezed. His hand went to his mouth again and this time, it was to hold back the scream that was slamming against his teeth. This was something so unreal, so unthinkable that he had a difficult time uttering the words. He had to be wrong. He just had to be mistaken. His mind rebelled at the thought and a hysterical laugh bubbled up in his throat and warred with the scream that was trying to get out. His hands were like ice and he shook them, trying to get the blood back into them. He rubbed at his arms; the gooseflesh bumped up. His body knew what was going on; his brain just didn’t want to admit it.
“I think we stepped through some kind of time temporal shifting thing. I think we’ve gone back in time and I think we’re in the time of the gladiators.”
II
“What the flying fuck?” Dean choked.
Thad felt a sense of unreal shock and fear vibrate through his body. Another rumble from above and then they heard the trumpet of several elephants as the noise reach them. An urgent sense of needing to piss overwhelmed Thad and he stepped back, running into Marco. He could feel the other man’s body tremble and understood that he wasn’t alone in what he felt. He turned and looked at his friend, his best friend and he saw fear in those eyes. That frightened him more, because Marco was as brave a Marine as any he had met.
“Marco, what in the hell are we going to do? What’s happened?” he asked but he knew the answer.
“I…I don’t know. Something must have happened during that earthquake,” Marco whispered. He was barely discernible in the dim light.
“We should bail and go back the way we came,” Dean said, his voice shaking badly.
“Yeah, let’s just go back the way we came,” Greg agreed and Thad felt him pulling on his arm.
“Go where Greg? Seriously, go where? We can try, but I don’t think we’re gonna get out of here,” Thad said.
“We should try,” Marco suggested.
“I think so too,” Dean said.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right, what have we got to lose? If we get caught though, we need to lose our ID cards. Is anyone wearing a necklace with a religious symbol on it?” Thad said, his heart still racing and the blood pounding behind his eyes. If any of them were found out to be a Christian or something, they would die a horrible death, if what he saw on TV was right. He just didn’t know.
“No, but why?” Greg asked.
“Hermono, depending on when we are, they slaughtered Christians,” Marco said.
“All I have is a ring and that doesn’t have any markings on it,” Dean said.
“Okay, get your IDs out and keep them in your hands. If we can’t make it out of here, we need to lose them. I don’t think we can explain our photographs to these people,” Thad said and could just make out everyone digging in their pockets.
“I’ve got my credit cards,” Marco said.
“Maybe take those out as well, toss them if we get caught,” Dean suggested.
Thad’s hands were shaking badly as he clutched his ID card. The edge of the laminate cut into his palm. Was he dreaming? Was this some kind of psychotic break? He almost wished it was.
“Okay, let’s move away from here, back the way we came,” Thad said quietly and he turned with the men. Keeping his arm extended, he walked slowly, his heart hammering hard
