WDZSequel to Doubloon Trouble. If you haven't read Doubloon Trouble yet, I strongly suggest you do so first. I don't own any of the WDZ characters, I merely use them for my stories.

A former soldier is leaving a bloody trail from San Diego northbound. His motive? Revenge. Can Zorro stop his mission or will he fall victim to the soldier's silent weapon?

My thanks go out to Icywaters again for doing such a wonderful job with the beta!

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Death Feud

Calisto Sola was very pleased with himself. He had finally succeeded, after years of trial and error, to manufacture a colorless, almost odorless fluid that was very powerful. Powerful in an evil way since it would allow him to take revenge on the institution that humiliated him so badly all those years back, when he had been a young man with his sight set onto a glamorous military career.

He had been a brilliant, strategic mind, utterly invaluable for any type of military operation. Only the fact that he wasn't a blessed man with the blade had prevented him from becoming anything more than a corporal. Being merely a corporal would never do. Who would ever listen to a corporal on a battlefield? He had disputed the unwillingness of the higher-ranking officers to promote him and earned himself a dismissal from the military service. But now he would be able to take revenge. His time had come.

To Calisto Sola, it didn't matter that none of the commanding officers in the area had been around at his time. It wasn't a grudge towards a specific person he held. His grudge was against any soldier ranking higher than a corporal. The first real test on the San Diego garrison had run satisfactory. He had fashioned a device that could spray fluids as a fine mist in a specific direction. The fluid in question was his own invention and its power rendered anyone who inhaled enough of it in one breath unconscious for at least twenty minutes.

Taking out the unsuspecting lancers one by one, he had found it an easy task to act out his revenge. He relieved all higher-ranking officers of their medals and any other valuables that were kept in the garrison. Then he had stripped the commandante of all his clothes and tied him to the front of the garrison gate, a note nailed to his torso.

Admittedly, nailing the note into the ribcage had almost made Calisto ill, but he had managed to control himself and was positive the queasiness would diminish more and more the further his quest went on. The note itself held a warning addressed to the governor, who, all those years back, had refused to hear him plead his case after his dismissal. Satisfied with his handiwork in San Diego, he headed for his next stop, Santa Ana. Thereafter, he planned to make his way north via Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo to Monterey. By then, the governor should be eager to meet his compensation claims, as Calisto preferred to call it.

***ZzZ***

Soledad Fabregás was sitting in the patio of her and her brother's hacienda. The weather was lovely and she enjoyed relaxing outside now that the renovations had finally been concluded. Raúl, her older brother, came strolling down the steps and, seeing her, went to join her.

"Ah, it's good to see you, mi hermana," he called and, pulling another chair close to hers, straddled it backwards. Soledad smirked. In some ways, men always stayed the little boys they once were.

"You do see me all the time, Raúl. Qué pasa?" she inquired. Raúl couldn't help but grin. His sister knew him too well.

"I have decided to go back to Mexico, to ask Don Guillermo for Graciana's hand. I would love to bring her here for good," Raúl replied, seriously. Lifting his gaze, he saw his sister's eyes light up. He was aware of the fact that Soledad and Graciana had become good friends, and he reeled in the smile that was tugging on her lips.

"Good for you, my brother," Soledad smiled. "So I will stay here and see that our efforts to build up our own rancho don't go sour."

"I'm sure Diego will love helping you out," Raúl smirked. He was well aware of the looks that his sister and his friend exchanged when they thought nobody was paying attention. Soledad noticed the smirk on her brother's face and blushed slightly.

"Are you sure you want him around me when you can't play watch dog?" she countered, regaining her confidence.

"Oh, I trust him. He's not the type to take advantage of a situation. Maybe if he were still as bold and roguish as back in the day..." Raúl trailed off when his sister broke out in a snorting laughter. "What?" he asked, unable to keep his irritation down. Soledad sobered enough to reply.

"Oh boy, you really have to start looking further than the edge of your plate, my brother," she teased. Raúl's irritation only sparked.

"What on earth is that supposed to mean?"

"Lo siento, Raúl. But that you'll have to figure out for yourself. So, you mean to say you trust Diego more than your own sister, eh?"

"I... no," Raúl retorted vehemently. Upon seeing his sister's amused face, he shook his head and joined her laughter. "I surrender, Soledad. You're a real vixen at twisting words around."

Soledad smirked. "So... a perfect match for the fox?"

"The f... Zorro? What does this have to do with our favourite bandit?" Raúl's forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"Ah, nada. I was merely joking around," Soledad quickly assured him. "So, have you talked to Diego about your plans yet?"

"Si, last night. He volunteered to help you out whenever the need should arise. He also promised to check on you on a daily basis. Wait... let me finish," he said, holding out a hand to stop the protest Soledad was about to voice, her mouth already open. "I know you are more than capable of looking after yourself. Also, you've got Juanita and Jolita around to help, as well as our two vaqueros, but we've only been back here such a short time and things might not entirely be the way we remember them, so it can't hurt to have someone who's been here almost all his life making sure you're alright."

Soledad nodded, realising it was her brother's concern for her wellbeing and safety that prompted his actions. She knew her brother loved her and she was all the family he had left now that their parents had both passed away. And anyway, she loved being in Diego's company. The attraction she had already felt as an eight-year-old certainly gained in strength over the last few weeks, and her discovery of his secret had cemented her feelings.

"So, when do you plan to leave?" she asked Raúl.

"Tomorrow morning," he announced. "I will have Tomás accompany me, whereas Fabiano and Pepé will stay to see to our herd." Soledad smiled at the thought of the small stock of cattle they had acquired. Raúl had bought two bulls from Don Alejandro as well as five cows from Don Nacho Torres. If they were lucky, come spring they would have their first self-bred calves tumbling about.

***ZzZ***

Diego de la Vega was half-sitting on the small table in his secret room, busy inspecting Zorro's sword for probable faults. Running his fingers softly along the blade, he felt a few minor indentions, like those that occurred when blades clashed during swordplay. Yet none of them were of any concern. Bernardo took such good care of his - and Zorro's - possessions, he never had to worry about ending up facing defeat due to a broken sword.

Granted, it had happened once or twice, but that had been due to bad luck. Bernardo would never let him ride with a damaged rapier if he could help it. As Diego was still busy going over Zorro's gear, Bernardo came rushing up the secret staircase. Diego looked up and frowned at the concerned look on his mozo's face.

"What's wrong, my friend?" Diego greeted his mozo, who immediately began signing frantically. "Whoa, Bernardo, you're flying here. I can't follow," he promoted, rising to replace the rapier into the scabbard and putting it back on its place. Bernardo sighed and started his sign avalanche over, more slowly this time.

"There was a messenger here? - No? - Oh, at the cuartel?" Bernardo nodded. He had accompanied Diego's father on a small errand in the pueblo. "He brought bad news from... San Diego? ... there was a hold-up? - Oh, the San Diego garrison was ambushed?" Bernardo nodded eagerly. "All the soldiers were killed?" Diego gasped, but then noticed the exasperated shake of Bernardo's head.

"So they weren't killed, but... asleep? Oh, unconscious." Bernardo nodded, signing on. "Nobody knows what happened, but all the gold was gone? - One soldier had been tied up on display? Oh, the commandante? - He was without clothes?" Diego raised his eyebrows when Bernardo confirmed his interpretations.

"You know, my friend, that all sounds very odd. I think I will have to ask Sergeant Garcia about it, say, over a glass of wine?" Diego winked at his servant, his eyes sparkling mischievously.

Bernardo laughed, silently. It was out of question that the good sergeant would deny his friend's invitation to free wine. Garcia would get all the wine he wanted whereas Diego would get all the information he sought. An agreeable arrangement indeed.

Walking up to the peephole into Diego's room, Bernardo made sure nobody was around. Then he turned the heavy handle and the secret door swung open. Ever the proper servant, Bernardo gestured for Diego to walk through first. Diego grinned and bowed at Bernardo and then walked past him, the shorter man following in his wake.