Leo left his native Sicily in 1806 to serve in the British Army in the Mediterranean island of Malta. All he had then were dreams and ambitions of youth. He wanted to become a professional soldier to be able to serve his country. Based at Fort Ricasoli, he forged new friendships and fell in love with Lisa, a village girl from Kalkara. But his hopes, his dreams and his ambitions turned into a terrifying ordeal and a desperate struggle to stay alive.