Chapter 4
Following the plan Zorro had laid out, the soldiers managed to overcome the bandits and get them out of their hiding places. While some soldiers secured what remained of the cuartel and the alcalde's office, another group of soldiers under the command of Mendoza attacked the tavern as the bandits' last outpost.
While Victoria and Alicia retreated fearfully to the tavern wall, soldiers stormed the tavern from both entrances while Zorro climbed in from the roof as he had done many times before.
"Zorro!" Victoria cried out, relieved, as he graciously swung himself from the chandelier. Zorro nodded shortly in her direction before his attention was occupied by the bandits' leader.
Alarmed by the commotion, Pablo Sanchez emerged from the upper room and challenged Zorro with a sword he grabbed from one of his fallen comrades.
"You will not kill me as you did my brother when he laid siege to your pueblo, but instead I will kill you!" Sanchez shouted.
"I thought I had seen your face before, Sanchez," Zorro replied. "This will be the last time you show your face here in this pueblo!"
Zorro was too tired to engage in longer swordplay. In a few quick moves he disarmed the man, making him drop the sword to the ground. Just as he was about to knock him out, Zorro saw someone standing on the stairs. It was Paula who had come out of the room while they were fighting. She was holding one of the double-barreled pistols Sanchez had stolen from the alcalde, pointing it straight at Sanchez.
"He forced me, and I couldn't do anything," she said in desperate voice, "but he will pay for it." Before anyone could make a move, she fired at Sanchez, who fell to the ground instantly, clutching his hand to his breast where the bullet had hit him.
"No!" someone shouted, and in the resulting silence the second shot seemed all the louder as Paula put the pistol to her own breast and pulled the trigger. Zorro tried to prevent her from pulling the trigger, but only made it in time to catch her body as she fell from the stairs. After he lay her on the floor, he looked up into Victoria's shocked face as he slowly shook his head to answer her unspoken question.
Alicia was sobbing, "Can I go home now?" When no one objected, she fled the tavern.
Zorro rose to his feet again, shielding Victoria with his body from the gruesome sight of her friend lying dead on the floor.
"I'm sorry," he said remorsefully, "I was too late. That shouldn't have happened, but I just couldn't get here earlier. I'm so sorry." For once his concern for Victoria took precedence over everything else. "What happened here? Did they harm you, Victoria?"
Victoria tried to keep her composure, but he could see that she had a very hard time. "It was very bad, but they didn't touch me. They wanted to, but you came in time," she said, biting her lip.
"Thank God for that, at least one good news for today," he said, breathing out relieved. With a slight gesture he opened up his arms for her to step into his embrace, but she refused, shaking her head.
"Not now," she whispered. It was neither the time nor the place to show weakness. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop crying if she allowed him to comfort her now. "I'm here for you when you need me," he replied quietly.
Realizing she didn't want to break down in front of the soldiers, Zorro simply stepped behind her and put an arm around her back to support her nonetheless. Victoria leaned back into his strong arm for a moment gaining strength from him, thanking him with a small smile. Then she pulled herself up again, standing a little straighter than before and retreated to the kitchen, as Zorro turned his attention to his surroundings again. The soldiers took care of the remaining bandits and bound them, before leading them out of the tavern.
In the corner of the tavern, Don Pedro lay dead next to Alejandro and two other caballeros receiving treatment from Dr. Hernandez, who had been called after the soldiers had secured the tavern.
"How are they?" Zorro stepped to the doctor, concerned for his father who was unconscious on the floor.
"There is nothing I can do for Don Pedro. Don Alonzo and Don Esteban are in a severe condition, I'm not sure if they will make it. I know you care for Don Alejandro who has always supported you, but I can relieve you, although he is unconscious due to his blood loss, his condition is stable and as long as his leg doesn't get infected, he will recover soon."
"Thank you, Doctor Hernandez. I know you're doing your best."
"If you will excuse me now, Zorro, I must go over to the church to see if I am needed there. Then I'll send one of the boys from the mission over to their haciendas to have these men transported home."
"I met Don Diego and Felipe today on their way to San Pedro, but they should return soon. I'll take care that the De la Vegas are informed." Zorro replied.
After Mendoza's men delivered the bandits from the tavern to the jail, his soldiers carried the bodies of the dead from the plaza over to the church.
"Mendoza, is everything under control again?" he inquired the sergeant.
"Si, Señor Zorro, thanks to you. We'd never have been able to overcome these bandits so quickly without your help and who knows what else they'd have done." Mendoza looked down sadly where the bloodstains were still visible on the wooden floor.
"I want your men to clean the blood from the floor," Zorro ordered. "That is no work for women. Victoria has been through enough today."
"That is very considerate of you, Zorro. I'll have one of my men fetch a bucket at once. How is Señorita Victoria coping with it?"
"I haven't had the time to talk to her, but I will check on her now. You won't need me anymore and I must be gone before the soldiers from Santa Barbara arrive and shoot me since they have not been informed of our truce. Please excuse me now." Zorro saluted before he retreated to the kitchen to talk to Victoria.