The plan
The group had talked for most of the night going over every detail of their plan. In essence the plan was to capture the captain and Goab and force the rest of the crew down below and chain them to the oars. They would then offer themselves up to the Carthagians in the desperate hope they would be spared by surrendering one of the greatest galleys in the Roman fleet. It was decided that Mila would refuse to row in the hope that Goab would single her out to punish her publicly on deck.
Soon they were changed over and chained back to their oars. Livia looked into her sister's eyes and smiled, a tear ran down her cheek but she held them back in a show of strength and pride at what her sister would have to endure. “Strike oars” came the command and the drum beat began. The slaves put their backs into it and pulled with all their strength, pushing with their legs and pulling with their arms as they had done many times before. Goab paced up the centre with whip in hand, now and again giving a casual flick on the deck to ensure its presence was known. Mila looked across at her sister and removed her hands from the oar and dropped them by her side. “Crack” the whip was laid on her sweaty back. “Row you bitch!” bellowed Goab “or so help me I will tear the flesh from your back!” “Crack” another taste of the whip tore into her now bloody back. Livia flinched on every blow but she was unable to aid her sister in her pain as this was all part of the plan. More lashes rained down on Mila's back until Goab realised he was wasting his time. “Unchain this bitch” he ordered “Lock her up, I will deal with her when I have a space.” Mila was unchained from her oar and her limp body was dragged to the holding cell and chained to the sides. “Keep rowing you scum, you will be present at her punishment in the morning” screamed Goab.
The slaves rowed into the night and until the sun began to peep above the horizon. Livia and the group were now resting after several hours of toil at the oars. The leader of the group spoke, “they will come for the rowers soon to witness the punishment of Mila, that will be our chance. There will be nobody guarding outside, we will need all our strength to get this door open but we must be strong, for Mila's sake” and he glanced at Livia. They could hear the commotion as the crew ushered the slaves up on deck. With all this noise going on they kicked and pushed at the door, which the guards never locked as no one had ever attempted to escape before. The hinges had been loosened sufficiently for the door to come crashing down with a tremendous thud. The small group ventured out and slowly made their way along to the captains quarters. They slowly opened the door to find the captain in a deep sleep sprawled across a table after a night of drinking. The leader of the group seized his arms and pulled him up. One of the other slaves and grabbed a knife from the table and went to slit his throat. Livia stopped him, “no” she screamed, “we have my sister to think about and besides we need him alive to bargain with.” The slave dropped the knife and slapped the captain around the face and spitting in his eye.
They manhandled him to the open hatch and pushed him through onto the deck, the group quickly followed to restrain him and hold a knife at his throat. Livia was the last through the hatch “Mila Nooooo!” she screamed. Goab had not been true to his word as he had crucified Mila to the vacant mast with iron spikes through her dainty hands and feet. As there was no beam to use he had her hands nailed above her head in a crux simplex style and her feet nailed behind the mast with a single nail through the soles, in this position she was fully exposed. She was twisting and groaning in agony when she caught sight of the group and Livia and gasped, “help me” she pleaded.
The group moved forward with the captain and ordered him to tell his men to lay down their arms or his throat would be slit and they would be guilty of his murder. The crew did as they were told and were quickly over run by the other slaves who took great glee in knocking out a few teeth and kicking them in the groin. “Enough” called the leader of the group, “take them down and chain them to your oars, let's see how they like rowing.” The slaves dragged the defeated crew down below amidst a lot of laughter. “Goab I think we can find something different and more fitting for you.”
Livia and another slave went over to Mila who was hanging very limply from the mast. Livia grabbed some pliers and went behind the mast. She looked at her sister's poor damaged feet and began slowly prissing the long spike out of her bloodied soles. This produced an awful groan and her fragile frame started to shake with the intense pain of the removal. As the spike came free her legs dangled loosely at the sides, fresh blood oozing from the large holes in her feet. Livia held her sister's feet to take some of the weight off her spiked wrists whilst another slave scaled the mast to prise the remaining nail from the delicate body. As the nail came free her sister fell into Livia's waiting arms. Mila was lowered onto the deck and Livia put some water to her lips. Mila looked up at Livia “did I do well?” she stuttered, “You did just fine” responded Livia, “now let's get these wounds cleaned and dressed.”
As they carried the wounded Mila to the hatch Livia saw Goab bound against the side of the galley. She looked into his dark eyes and kicked him hard and low into the groin. He screamed at this intrusion but soon realised that there would be something much more severe for him to endure in the coming days.