Disclaimer: No copyright infringement meant with story. Characters owned by ZPI, not by me. I only wish to borrow them for a little while.
AN: Thank you for returning and thanks for all the favs, follows and reviews for chapter one! And thanks to the guest reviewers, who I can't thank individually, including wanderingcub. Always wonderful to hear from readers; makes it seem like we are not writing in a vacuum.
Previously:
"For such a mild-mannered sop, you sure showed quite a fearsome anger when you thought of this young boy, Felipe is it?" Thackery smiled a thin-lipped smile at Diego. "Don't worry, Diego. We didn't harm him. Well, except for a bump on the head, similar to that which we gave you."
"Hm, too bad we didn't take him with us. He might have proven useful to us," Palomarez said.
"Don't worry, Colonel. If we don't get what we want from Diego, we will either bring his father or the tavern wench here to help persuade him."
Diego felt some of the color leave his face. "What do you mean by that?"
"Just what it sounds like, Diego. We want information from you. And we will do whatever it takes to get it."
Diego sat in silence, attempting to undo his bonds. His captors had left him alone for the first time since he regained consciousness, so he was trying to take advantage of the opportunity. However, they certainly knew how to tie knots, which resulted in Diego not having any success yet at untying them.
His captors had taken an especially large amount of satisfaction in keeping him in ignorance regarding the information they were going to seek from him. Diego had first suspected it had to do whether he was really Zorro, but something told him there was more involved than simple revenge. They then decided they needed to take care of "something" together, so they both left for once.
However, he wasn't alone for more than an hour, unfortunately, and he had not made any headway with the knots. While he hadn't had success with that, he had noticed he hadn't been given the chance to go to the bathroom. It did give him an idea.
"Um, I need to, um, relieve myself," he informed them once they had returned.
Thackery looked down his nose at Diego. "Well. I suppose you felt rather embarrassed about asking about that, didn't you?"
Diego ignored the barb. "Well, are you going to 'allow' me to do so? It is way beyond time."
"I suppose, right Palomarez?"
"Since you tied him up, Thackery, you release him. I will cover him with the revolver. One wrong move, de la Vega, and I will shoot you. You are still good to us even with a hole in you, remember."
Diego waited until Thackery had untied him and watched him rise to a standing position. Without indicating he knew exactly where Palomarez was with the gun, Diego rose, turned swiftly, punched Thackery in the face and threw him at Palomarez. He then ran as fast as he could towards the door. With ordinary bandits, this maneuver would almost always be successful. However, with Palomarez, unfortunately, Diego didn't count on his recovery time being excellent. The bullet which came flying at him barely missed him, going instead into the door frame immediately above his head.
Right when Diego was about to open the door, he was tackled from behind and brought to the floor with a bone-shaking crash. As he attempted to turn his body around to meet the threat, Diego was met with a punch to the jaw which knocked him out the second time in a day.
Sometime later, Diego struggled to consciousness and noted he was still lying on his stomach on the floor, next to the doorway. He struggled to remember what had happened, then his bladder reminded him. With much effort he forced himself to sit up and look around. Both Thackery and Palomarez was standing over him, meeting his gaze with expressionless gazes of their own, loaded revolvers at their sides.
"We thought we'd leave you there until you woke up. In case you want to try again to relieve yourself. Aren't we courteous captors? I didn't want to have to untie you again. Thackery wanted to instead tie you back up and force you to endure whatever might happen, but I didn't want to clean up the mess."
"How kind of you."
"Unless you don't need to go outside, you better behave this time and we'll get this taken care of, shall we?"
They then both drew guns on him. Palomarez motioned Diego to stand up and precede them out the door. Diego sighed, struggled to his feet, and walked down the hallway. He debated his chances of outrunning the guns and making an escape for it, but decided he was now too dizzy for any escape to work at this time.
Diego was led outside around the back of the barn to a small outhouse. The sun seemed exceedingly bright to Diego's sensitive eyes. It felt good to be out in the sunshine for the first time since his capture. He must have spent too much time reflecting, because he got a shove in the back. "No time for lollygagging, de la Vega. Hurry up and do your business. We will both be waiting for you here," Thackery said.
Diego sighed, went in, and tried to relax to make sure his bladder and bowels would empty. Who knew when he would get a chance to do so again? He hurried up, finished, announced he was done and opened the door slowly. Holding his hands up he stepped out of the outhouse.
"That's better, Diego. Now let's hurry back, shall we? No one is around, but I don't want to take any chances either," Thackery said, waving his gun towards the barn.
Diego only felt a little less dizzy than before, and decided that attempting escape would be foolhardy since he did indeed have two guns trained on him this time and his reflexes were slowed. Sighing, he continued into the barn. Thackery waved his revolver toward the spot where Diego had been sitting. Grimacing, Diego walked over there and sat down. He obediently put his hands behind his back and Thackery tied his wrists again, seemingly even tighter than before. He then made quick work at tying Diego's ankles as well.
"What are the two of you really up to? You can't tell me that this all has been just for revenge against Zorro and me?"
Thackery remained kneeling beside Diego, leaned back and fixed a satisfied smile upon Diego. "It's killing you, not knowing, is it, Zorro?"
Adopting once again Diego's "mannerisms" of a higher-pitched voice and dramatic air, Diego sighed in not-so-faked aggravation. "Again, Thackery, I insist you stop having the ridiculous notion that I am Zorro. It is simply preposterous."
"It is, you say?" Palomarez replied, approaching the two men. Thackery stood up and stepped back. "Let's say we are not convinced, de la Vega."
"So I take it you two want to continue playing games and not tell me what you are up to?"
"Let's just say, de la Vega, we will tell you when we need to. When your part in the plan becomes necessary."
~~Z~~Z~~Z~~Z~~Z~~
Previously:
Despite his worry and concern for his missing son, Alejandro noted with interest Victoria paling at the comment. He filed it for future consideration. He noted her slight loss of balance, which she quickly recovered, when she asked, "Diego? Something happened to Diego?"
"Yes, he's missing, and we don't know what happened. I was hoping Felipe could tell us something, but he can't remember."
Victoria blindly reached behind her, found the chair beside the bed vacated by Alejandro, and sat down without registering her movements.
"What…what can we do? Where is Diego?"
"I don't know, Victoria, but we will find him," Don Alejandro said as he put a comforting hand on Victoria's shoulder.
"Victoria, why don't you stay here and rest? You look upset. I am going to ride into the pueblo and get the Alcalde going on a search party for Diego. I'll ride with them to ensure they do a proper job. Unless you wish for me to stay here with you?"
"What, Don Alejandro?" Victoria blinked as she considered Don Alejandro's concerned face. "Oh, that's not necessary. I will let Felipe rest, and I will sit in the salon waiting for your return, if that is all right with you then." She hurriedly added, smiling at the young man, "And I'll be here in case Felipe needs anything while you're gone."
"Of course, my dear."
As Don Alejandro rushed off, Victoria told Felipe to rest and left the room. She walked as though in a haze, and stumbled down the hallway to the salon. She found a comfortable chair in which to rest while she gathered her composure. She was as surprised by her reaction to the news of Diego's disappearance as Don Alejandro apparently was.
Victoria wondered what had gotten her so upset. Surely Diego had been in danger before? Except, not like this. Not knowing what exactly the danger was. That must be what had gotten her so unusually upset. Victoria stared off into space. But why did this feel so much more dangerous to her, then?
And for it to affect her so? Diego was a good friend, nay, her best friend in fact. He had slowly maneuvered his way into her heart over the years. He was always there when she needed someone, needed a strong back, or shoulders to cry on, or someone to come to her aid.
Not to mention, dare she remember them now, those old feelings which still crept upon her now and then? Those so-called adolescent yearnings and attraction she had felt for young Diego before he left for Spain. When he was oh so handsome and so fearless, always the leader of their group. The boy her brothers would tease her about.
Sometimes, late at night when Zorro failed to visit her, she would wonder, if only for a moment, what would have happened if Zorro never had appeared in the pueblo. Would Diego have acted on the attraction which was so apparent when he kissed her hand upon his return from Spain? Would she have encouraged it? Would they be married by now, with several children of their own, making Alejandro one very proud abuelo?
Sitting in the grand salon of the hacienda which might have been hers in a different situation, Victoria shook herself. What silly thoughts I'm having when I should be worried about Diego? I should be thinking what we should do, instead, to find him. She sighed, and forced her mind to begin considering possible scenarios and solutions.
~~Z~~Z~~Z~~Z~~Z~~
"Alcalde, all the evidence points to my son being kidnapped."
"I beg to differ, Don Alejandro. What evidence is truly there? Has there been a ransom note? Why would someone kidnap Don Diego without ransom?" Alcalde Ramon blandly looked up from his desk at Alejandro, meeting the older man's anger without reaction.
"What other explanation is there, Alcalde? Someone hit Felipe on the head and took my son! I demand you start searching for him right now!"
"Why? Spend government resources to look for a wayward son who probably got bored and left, and a servant's assailant who may not even exist? How do we know this isn't a scheme concocted by your servant to get out of trouble for not following Diego to wherever he went?"
"Arg! Alcalde, that is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard you say and you have said many ridiculous things since you've been here." Alejandro firmly planted his hands on the Alcalde's desk, oblivious of the papers on it, invaded the Alcalde's personal space, and said in a deadly low tone, "If you do not immediately set a patrol looking for my son and his assailants, I will personally go to Santa Paula and report this to the Emissary and the Governor. I guarantee your head will roll when I get done."
Attempting to hide his agitation resulting from Alejandro's threat, Ramon said, "All right, if you insist, de la Vega." Straightening his cravat, he yelled, "Mendoza!"
Mendoza rushed into the room. "What is it, Alcalde?"
"Arrange a patrol right now to look for Don Diego. He apparently is missing. Possibly kidnapped. Leave as soon as possible."
"I will accompany you, Sergeant," Alejandro addressed Mendoza, who looked at Ramon for confirmation.
Ramon was about to protest, when Alejandro turned an icy glare on him. Ramon swallowed and said, "Sergeant, Don Alejandro will also accompany you."
Mendoza nodded, saluted, and turned smartly to walk out the door. Don Alejandro coolly nodded to the Alcalde and followed him. Ramon sighed heavily and leaned back into his chair, rubbing his temples to soothe a sudden headache.
AN: Oh yeah, did I promise Diego whump? Oh dear, not in this chapter either. Just a little mental torture while being kept captive. These chapters go way too fast, I think. Hope you found it entertaining, at least a little. Cheer me up and write a review. Always greatly appreciated!