Another Chapter! Oh, i love this story! I'm trying to figure a way for Zorro/Diego to fall in love with California, any ideas?

And also I don't own Zorro, haven't the slightest clue who does but i would like to know.

Chapter 7-

Zorro mounted Tornado and rode out of the cave. He had a job to do. The first thing was to talk to the man who he and Bernardo had found sitting in the alley when they had followed the boy's directions.

-Z-

Cal watched her guard pace back and forth in front of the door. She was grateful that the guard changed, she couldn't stand that man touching her. The man stopped pacing and stood intensely still. His eyes flickered then he quickly slipped to the door, opened it, and disappeared into the night. Cal sat nervously in her chair listening to the slightest noise. All was quiet. Cal tested the rope that tied her hand together. Suddenly she remembered the dagger she had in her sleeve. She twisted her wrist, trying to slip the dagger out of her cuff. Cal was amazed that it hadn't fallen out or her kidnappers hadn't found it while they tied her hands together.

She finally pulled the jeweled handle out of her sleeve. Cal quickly set to work sawing the ropes apart. Her heart beat quickly as her hands finally fell apart. She pulled her hands around to the front of the chair and rubbed her wrists. A noise outside the door made her look up. Cal stuffed the knife back in her sleeve and looped the rope around her wrists, holding her hands together behind her back. Two masked men entered the shack, both holding rifles.

"Why did you leave her unguarded?" One man asked the other. The other man, who was a great deal shorter shrugged.

"I heard something." He explained. The taller man sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You don't leave the girl, no matter what!" He said. He looked over at Cal, who was pretending to be asleep.

The two men sat down at the table that sat in the middle of the floor. One of then pulled out a deck of cards. Cal let herself drift into a semi-deep sleep, she would need to be well rested if she was going to escape.

-Z-

Zorro pushed the window open softly. He saw the sleeping form of the man he sought laying under a woven blanket. Zorro drew his sword and pricked the blanket gently.

"Senor." He whispered. "Senor!" The lump of blankets turned and a man stuck his head out of the top.

"Who?" The man murmured sleepily. Zorro added a little pressure with the sharp tip of his sword.

"It is El Zorro, wake up." He ordered. The man jerked up into a sitting position, wide awake.

"El Zorro!?" The man cried out.

"Silencio!" Zorro said. "Don Diego de la Vega asked you about a young lady this afternoon, what did you tell him?" The man shook his head.

"Nothing Zorro, lo prometo." The man said vehemently. Zorro grinned.

"Why not?" He asked. The man stared at Zorro.

"What?" He asked, surprised.

"Why didn't you tell him anything?" Zorro repeated. The man's mouth dropped open.

"He'd kill me!" The man protested.

"Who would kill you?" Zorro asked. The man shook his head and looked scared.

"Fine." Zorro said. "Where did the men take the young lady?" The man bit his lower lip.

"Where!?" Zorro questioned, adding pressure to his sword.

"They went toward the valley." The man blabbed.

"Which valley?" Zorro asked. The man pointed toward the darkness outside of his window.

"Valle de la oscuridad." The man said. Zorro thought for a moment.

"Alright." He said. Zorro saluted the man and jumped through the window.

-Z-

He was back. Cal watched him discreetly as he paced in front of the door. Cal glanced over to the window. She thought she had seen something, a shadow.

She was right! She saw Zorro watching through the window. He caught her eye and nodded toward her guard. She nodded almost imperceptibly.

"May I have a drink of water please?" Cal asked her guard. The man looked at her over the bandanna that covered his face and his eyes took on a strange gleam.

"Claro que si cariño" He said walking over to where she sat. Cal saw Zorro leave the window and sneak toward the door. The man bent down in front of her. He took her face in his hands. Cal couldn't bite him again because he held her too tight.

"You know," He said. "I could make your stay here a lot more pleasant." Cal glared at him.

-Z-

Zorro heard Cal ask for a drink of water. He smiled because he knew she was doing it to give him an opportunity to enter the shack. Zorro began to leave the window but something made him stop. He watched as Cal's guard lean down in front of her. He watched as the man took her face in his hands. Zorro smiled as she spit in his face. His smile faded and his blood began to boil when the man laughed, pulled his mask off and leaned down to kiss Cal.

-Z-

Cal felt his breath on her face as the man got closer. She finally began to panic. She felt for her dagger and pulled it out of her sleeve. As he leaned in to kiss her Cal shook off the ropes that she had looped around her wrists and plunged the dagger into his upper arm. The man reeled back and let out an ear piercing scream. Cal covered her mouth with her hand as she looked at the blood that dripped from the wound. When she looked up Zorro stood in the doorway. He looked from the man who was bleeding freely from the stab wound to the girl who stood in the middle of the room completely alone.

-Z-

How'd you like it? Please review and tell me!

Spanish/English

Lo prometo- I promise

Valle de la oscuridad- Valley of darkness

Claro que si carino- Of course my dear