DIFFERENT SHADES OF JUSTICE
Chapter 10
"Looks like your woman in town is keeping you busy at night, Sergeant."
Teo turned to look at Gabriel. The lieutenant was glaring down at him with a displeased frown on his face, but since it was his default expression, it was hard to tell if he was really angry or not.
"I'm sorry, sir," Teo said. He knew he looked terrible. Almost every night, his dreams were haunted by memories of the people he had hurt. It wasn't just the people in Spain anymore. Now there were faces from San Tasco in the crowd, accusing him of stealing from them and striking them down when he should have been there to help them. The men he had had flogged hadn't died, thankfully, but they were there, too.
The worst was of course how Diego kept looking at him with eyes full of hate and betrayal. His accusations of how Teo had broken their promise and sullied his honour hurt Teo more than anything else he could imagine. And yet it was almost a disappointment when he woke up; he knew that the moment when Diego would discover the truth was still ahead.
"You should pay a little more attention to your duties," Gabriel said.
"Yes, sir," Teo said, though he didn't know what he could have done better. The only thing he constantly failed at was defeating Zorro. Since Gabriel wasn't any better at it himself, he was hardly in the position to complain.
Not much had changed in the past few days after the incident at the town square. Teo did his best to play his role as a selfish and greedy officer. To the people, he showed only his cruel side. With Raymond and Gabriel, he did his best to convince them that he was loyal and just as ruthless as them. Raymond seemed to believe him for he had started to talk to Teo like to an accomplice. Teo was sure there were still things that Raymond didn't share with him, but he was ready to bet that the commander didn't share everything with Gabriel either.
The lieutenant was a different case. He didn't bother to hide his dislike for him, but Teo had no idea if it was because he didn't trust him or because he had defeated him on his first day. He had made sure to lose every time Gabriel challenged him after that, but that hadn't helped so far.
Then there was Diego. Teo had spoken to him only briefly after what happened – Diego had cornered him in the street one day after Teo had missed their nightly meetings twice. Teo had expected Diego's anger, but the worry had been a surprise. Diego had made him promise that he'd come to their next meeting so that they could talk. Despite his nervousness, Teo was planning to keep his word. He couldn't run from that moment forever.
"The commander said he'll be expecting you in his office after you return from patrol tomorrow," Gabriel said.
"Do you know what he wants?" Teo asked. That was a little unusual. If Raymond had something to say to him, why couldn't he say it right now?
"No," Gabriel said, and his angry voice revealed just how much that annoyed him. Teo was barely able to hide his smirk. Maybe he was becoming so useful in Raymond's eyes that Gabriel felt his position was threatened.
There was nothing special going on that day. For now Teo had no duties, but he was expected to be patrolling the streets in the evening and at night. It was the perfect opportunity to slip away and look for Diego in case Raymond was about to share some plans with him.
"Is everything about tomorrow proceeding as planned?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes, sir. The men know what is expected of them," Teo replied.
Gabriel nodded. "Good. And be careful. Gonzales will accompany you. He has been close with Jekyll as of late, and the last thing we need is either one of them to suspect anything."
"Of course, sir," Teo said. He knew that wasn't going to be a problem. Gonzales was easy to trick. It wasn't that the other sergeant was stupid, though that was what Raymond and Gabriel thought. Teo had seen the clever spark in Gonzales' eyes more than once and knew that he was capable of more than anyone expected. The problem was that he had so much faith in his superiors that the idea that they might be up to no good simply didn't enter his mind. If someone were to give him the nudge at the right time, Gonzales could turn out to be a lot of trouble for their plans.
Jekyll was very similar, but the two officers had one major difference. Gonzales believed in his superiors because he was such a good person with so much faith in humanity. Jekyll believed in them simply because he believed in the army and the rightfulness of its rule.
The following day, Teo would be taking over the patrols outside San Tasco so that Jekyll could be moved to other duties. Raymond had said he wanted to get the captain out of the way before he and his friends in the South India Trading Company started setting their bigger plans into motion. That would keep Gabriel busy as well, so it was up to Teo and Gonzales to keep looking for the rebels that Zorro had released some weeks ago.
If Diego hadn't told him that the rebels were still in the area and making plans to fight the army, he would have thought that the search was entirely futile. As it was, he was glad the rebels were so good at hiding that he didn't have to fight them.
"Rico is a good man," Diego had said. "He and his friends will surely strike against the army as soon as they have enough resources and a good plan."
Gabriel didn't look at all impressed by Teo's assurance. "Zorro has been strangely active lately. If he shows up, don't hesitate to shoot him."
"If he shows up, I'll bring his body back to the barracks with me, sir," Teo promised.
"We'll see about that," Gabriel said, and Teo didn't like the amused smirk that briefly appeared on his lips.
The patrol had finished exactly like Teo had planned. They didn't find the rebels and returned to the barracks to be told that they were utter failures and a shame to the army. Teo had known to expect it, but it still wasn't a delightful experience after a day spent riding.
"It's hardly our fault the rebels weren't kind enough to show themselves," Gonzales muttered once Gabriel was finished yelling at them and had left.
"I'm starting to look forward to going on patrol with him because then he at least won't get to yell about things that aren't in our control."
"Oh, believe me. He'll find plenty of reasons to yell even then," Gonzales said. He stretched his back and said he was going to have a glass of wine before retiring for the next. He invited Teo to join him, and Teo almost accepted, but then he decided that he had better see if Raymond was still in his office and report to him.
"I would wait until morning," Gonzales said.
"I was given orders that I should be there. Besides, I'm still numb from Gabriel yelling at me, so it's easier to take the commander's scathing remarks now than tomorrow," Teo said. That, and he might get some new, interesting orders.
"I'll save you some wine in case you need it," Gonzales said in sympathy.
When Teo entered the main building and went upstairs, he noticed that the door to Raymond's office was slightly ajar. He frowned; Raymond liked everything done with precision. Teo's first thought was that the commander wasn't in his office at all and that someone had sneaked in, but then he heard voices coming from inside.
"Sir, I'm not sure if this is a wise things to do. There are too many risks," Gabriel said.
"I'm well aware of the risks, Lieutenant, but if everything goes like I've planned, our reward will be worth it," Raymond said.
Teo froze where he was, afraid to breathe. This could be exactly what he had been hoping to hear for a long time. If he knew about Raymond's true plans, he and Diego could set up a trap for the commander.
"But getting the governor general out of the way is going to be dangerous. If even one thing goes wrong -" Gabriel started, but Raymond cut him off.
"Nothing will go wrong. I have everything planned to perfection. All that we still need to determine is whether we can trust Sergeant Angelo."
Gabriel must have let his opinion show on his face because Raymond chuckled dryly and continued, "I know you don't trust him. I have my suspicions, too, but my next orders for him should show his true colours to us."
"What are you planning, sir?"
"Don't be impatient, Lieutenant. I will tell you everything in due time."
Teo had a hard time deciding what to do. He had been ordered to see Raymond in his office after returning from patrol, but if he knocked on the door now, the commander would be suspicious of how much he had heard.
I will come back alter, he decided as he turned away. Raymond would probably be angry at him for being late, but it didn't matter. Winning his trust was too essential for Teo's plans.
"If I were an enemy, you would be a dead man now."
Teo whirled around, startled by Diego's voice. It was a dark night with the clouds covering the moon every few minutes, so he had trouble recognising his friend's features.
"Oh, it's you. I didn't hear you at all."
"I noticed that, and I wasn't even trying to be careful," Diego said. "Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing. I'm just a little tired."
"You don't look too good," Diego said. It made Teo wonder if his friend truly had the eyes of a fox.
"You wouldn't believe what a slave driver Raymond can be," Teo said with a chuckle, but he could tell that Diego didn't share his amusement.
"I'm worried about you. I can see that you aren't well. We should end this," Diego said.
"No. This has led to so much good. Zorro has been able to help the people more than ever before. Almost all of the army's attempts to exploit them have been ruined," Teo said.
"I'm starting to think it's not worth it. You can't take this forever. And what happened at the town square was inexcusable. What if -" Diego started, but Teo cut him off.
"It all ended well, didn't it?" he asked impatiently.
"You had innocent men flogged!" Diego snapped.
"You know there was no choice. I couldn't disobey my orders. It all came as a surprise to me, too. I had no time to inform you."
"What if I hadn't been at the town square? Would you have made every man go through that?" Diego asked.
"What choice did I have? I'm not a civilian, Diego!" Teo said.
"You could become one! Leave the army, Teo. This is too much. I don't want to watch you commit such acts of cruelty. It makes me..." Diego started, but he trailed off.
"It makes you what? See me as an enemy?" Teo challenged. Though his arm was healing well, he thought he could suddenly feel the burn of the wound Diego had given him.
"Of course not," Diego said in equal irritation. "It's just that I worry about you."
"Then stop it!" Teo snarled. "Really, Diego. I'm a grown man, and I know what I'm doing. Would you stop treating me like an idiot?"
He half hoped that Diego would grow angry. He felt so frustrated with his friend, but scathing words weren't enough to solve the tension. He wanted to punch Diego, not because it would have solved anything but because it would have made him feel better. He wanted to rage at someone, and he was mortified to realise how much he wanted that someone to be Diego.
Fortunately, Diego had always been the calmer one of them. He said nothing more and chose to sat down on one of the boulders that were surrounding them. Teo forced himself to draw a deep breath and calm down. None of this was Diego's fault.
"I overheard Raymond and Gabriel's discussion tonight. They're planning to assassinate the governor general," he said once he felt he was in control again.
"What? But that's insane! Even Raymond wouldn't dare to do something like that," Diego said.
"He said he had an excellent plan, but I don't know what it is. Raymond doesn't trust me enough yet."
"And that's a good thing. I shudder to think what you would have to do to earn his full trust."
Teo opened his mouth to say that Raymond was considering placing his trust on him after the next day's patrol, but he decided against it. He and Diego didn't have the time to start another argument. Besides, he didn't have to tell Diego about every little thing that happened. He could do things alone.
"But it's going to be a problem. We have to find out more about the plan so that we can save the governor general," he said.
"He's coming to San Tasco in two weeks to inspect the troops. I'm sure that's when Raymond will strike."
"He can't do it in public. I'm sure he will wait until they have retired to the governor general's mansion."
"Or he will plant a killer with a musket somewhere. It wouldn't be the first time Raymond does that," Diego said.
There were countless ways Raymond could kill the governor general. Poison. Making something scare his horse. Pushing him from the window. Killing the man himself and claiming an unknown murderer had done it. Teo and Diego couldn't even begin to form a rescue plan when they didn't know anything more.
"I will do my best to find out what the commander is planning," Teo said. "But this wasn't the only piece of news I have."
"What else?" Diego asked.
"In two days, Gabriel is going to take some men and go collect wheat from the farmers," Teo said.
"Again? But they have already paid their taxes," Diego said.
"I know, but apparently that wasn't enough. I'm not going to be there this time, so it's going to be an easy fight for you," Teo said.
They spent a few more moments discussing their plans, but then it was time for them to part ways.
There was a lot of ruckus at the barracks two days later. Raymond had given Teo the orders to take a few men and go on patrol in the mountains again. Teo wasn't overly worried about that even though he didn't have the time to tell Diego of it. The chances that they would find the rebels were slim even if he were to put actual effort into it.
It wasn't just his group that was getting ready. Gabriel and his men were to depart to fulfil their task soon. Teo couldn't help but feel some smug satisfaction as he watched Gabriel bark orders at the soldiers. He wouldn't be that confident for much longer.
The two groups left the barracks together, led by Gabriel. When they had ridden for about half an hour, the lieutenant took his men and chose the road leading west. Teo and the rest continued towards the mountains.
Nothing happened for a few hours. The road was deserted because this route had fallen out of use when a better road had been built a few years ago. Now it was only used by those who had some business in the mountains, and since there weren't many such people, their group didn't meet anyone.
This would be a good place for the rebels to hide, Teo mused.
He was barely finished with that thought when the sound of a gunshot startled them all. Teo pulled at the reins to keep his horse under control and scanned the area. The shot had come from their left, probably from behind the boulders that littered the side of the mountain.
"Off your horses! Take cover!" Teo barked at the men. They were in plain sight and an easy target. It was a surprise the first shot hadn't killed any of them.
The soldiers wasted no time at dismounting their horses and diving behind every cover they could find. Thankfully, that part of the road was surrounded by boulders and bushes, so it would be difficult for their enemy to get them if they didn't move. If they had ridden only a few minutes further, there would have been no cover for them.
Two strokes of luck, Teo thought. He hoped they'd get a third one.
"Does everyone have a musket?" he asked of the soldiers.
"Yes, sir. We're all ready," the nearest soldier said.
Teo turned his head to take a look at his men. There were six of them, each one of them with years of experience in the army. He knew he could trust them and that he didn't have to worry about them. If given the chance, they could easily defeat this enemy and –
He gritted his teeth when he realised that they were probably fighting against the rebels. He didn't want to kill or catch them, but if he didn't take this battle seriously, he would endanger the lives of himself and his men. It was a risk he didn't want to take. Furthermore, it wouldn't have been right to give the men orders that could lead to their deaths.
"If possible, aim at arms and legs. We want to take them alive," he said.
"Yes, sir."
Teo took a peek over the boulder behind which he was hiding. He could see movement some distance away from them, but he couldn't understand what was going on. The rebels, or whoever their enemy was, had also taken cover behind boulders. Instead of remaining still, however, they seemed to be in the middle of a struggle of some sort.
Teo dared to straighten his form in order to have a better look. A gunshot rang out, and there was a pained yell, but it didn't come from anyone in the army.
"What's going on, sir?" one of the soldiers asked.
"They're fighting amongst themselves," Teo said.
"Then it's our chance, sir!"
Teo turned to look at the soldiers and their eager and hopeful faces. He realised that the only thing he could do was to order them to arrest their enemy. No excuse in the world could justify letting them go.
"Two of you go that way. You two stay here. The rest of us will surprise them from that side," he ordered.
They didn't have to worry about the rebels noticing them. Their struggle had turned into a battle. When Teo got closer, he saw that four men were wrestling on the ground while two others watched in confusion, having entirely forgotten the situation they were in.
What the hell got to them, he wondered, but there was no time to dwell on it. Their group reached the rebels, and the soldiers pointed their muskets at them. The only ones who noticed their arrival were the two men who weren't involved in the fight, but they were too stunned to say anything.
"Stop right now!" Teo snapped at the men who were still at each other. He had to repeat his order before his words had any effect, but finally the men stopped and turned to look at him. They all had bruises and were bleeding, but it was the anger on the faces of two of them that struck Teo the most.
"Dammit! Now look what you've done!" one of the men snapped.
"Oh, Rico," one of the addressed men said in a snide voice. Based on the bewildered look on Rico's face, he was just as surprised as Teo was.
"What?" Rico asked.
"Everything went exactly like we wanted to," the man said. He got up on his feet and brushed some dust off his trousers like he had no worry in the world.
"Don't move, you scoundrel," a soldier snapped at him.
"I wouldn't take that tone with me," the man said. He turned to look towards the road, and a grin spread on his face. He lifted his arm to wave at someone.
When Teo turned to look, he needed a few seconds to make sure he wasn't seeing things. More soldiers were approaching on the road, and right in the lead was Lieutenant Gabriel.
"What's he doing here?" he asked out loud. Gabriel was supposed to be stealing wheat from the farmers and fighting Zorro.
"Well, done, Sergeant!" Gabriel said as soon as he reached them.
"Sir, I don't understand," he said.
"You've finally found the rebels we've been looking for. The commander is going to be very pleased with you," Gabriel said. The smug smirk on his face made Teo sick to his stomach.
"But what are you doing here, sir? I thought you had assignments elsewhere."
"There was a change of plans, and we decided to follow you. The rebels could have given you trouble," Gabriel said. He turned to eye the defeated men. The bruises on Rico's face and how his left eye was swelling shut seemed to improve the lieutenant's already bright mood for his smile grew even wider.
"But I see you handled it all without us. And that's thanks to our friends," he continued.
Gabriel's words made everyone turn to look at the two men who had been fighting with Rico and the others.
"They betrayed the others," Teo said as realisation hit him. That was why the men had been fighting! These two had fired the first shot on purpose to draw the army's attention to them and had then stopped their friends from defending themselves.
"Tomas! Is this true?" Rico asked, anger breaking his voice.
"Yes," Tomas replied. "And don't look that surprised. I'm sick of this, Rico. I'm tired of hiding in the wilderness and living every day with the fear of being found and arrested. I want to have a normal life."
"Nobody can have a normal life for as long as the army is in power! You should know that!" Rico said.
"With the money the army is going to pay us, we can have any kind of life we want to," Tomas said.
"Enough talk. We aren't here to tell our life stories to each other," Gabriel interrupted. He pointed at the closest soldiers. "Gather everyone by those boulders."
"What are you going to do, sir?" Teo asked as the soldiers hurried to fulfil the orders.
Gabriel chuckled. "What do you think? We're going to shoot all of them."
"What? But sir! We don't have the right to do that! These men deserve a fair trial!" Teo said.
He wasn't the only one who seemed to think this. Several of the soldiers were staring at Gabriel with hesitation, and shock was written all over the faces of the rebels. Rico was the only one who didn't look surprised.
"These men don't deserve anything. They have caused enormous damage to the army, and they've escaped from prison once already. We won't let a single one of them leave this spot alive," Gabriel said.
"But, sir. We can't -" Teo started, but Gabriel cut him off.
"Those two, too," he said and pointed at Tomas and his accomplice.
"What? But we had a deal!" Tomas blurted out.
"The army doesn't make deals with rebels," Gabriel said with a sneer. This was met by a snort from Rico, which made Gabriel's smirk waver a little, but Teo had no time to wonder whether there was any history between the two men.
"Wait! You can't do this!" Tomas complained, but his protests went ignored. The soldiers who had arrived with Gabriel were quick to follow the lieutenant's orders and forced the rebels to form a straight line.
"Sir, I must object," Teo tried again. He had to clench his hands into fists to stop them from shaking. He couldn't just stand here and watch these men be murdered. Even real criminals didn't deserve it. Diego had said how brave these men were and how much good they had done –
Teo's thought was cut off when he suddenly realised that he had no idea what had happened to Diego. Had he faced Gabriel? If yes, why was the lieutenant here and in such a good mood? It was impossible that he could have won, wasn't it?
"Do you want the honours, Sergeant?" Gabriel asked.
"What?"
Gabriel shoved a musket into his hands. "You're the one who found them. It's only right that you shoot their leader."
Teo moved his eyes to Rico. The man was young, probably his age, but even now he stood straight and refused to turn away before the soldiers' glares. Teo was ashamed to meet his eyes, so he moved his gaze to the musket in his hands. He had never before realised how heavy such a weapon was.
Teo gritted his teeth with indecision. He knew he should have thrown the musket away and denounced Gabriel's orders already, but he couldn't. He had come this far to win Raymond's trust, and he was so close to it. If he didn't follow Gabriel's orders now, it had all been for nothing.
He had sworn he wouldn't kill innocent people again, but... If he didn't do this, he wouldn't learn more about the plot to kill the governor general. What if he was murdered because Teo was hesitating now? Wasn't his life more important than those of these rebels?
If I kill these men, I will have the chance to destroy Raymond and save so many others, Teo thought. If he didn't kill them, he would ruin everything and not even save them – Gabriel would just order the soldiers to shoot them.
Teo raised the musket. His hands were numb, so he fumbled when he tried to find the trigger.
"Go ahead and shoot me. My blood will be remembered, and someone will take my place," Rico said.
"And here I thought you wouldn't be a man enough to do it," Gabriel said smugly.
"Don't underestimate me, sir. I know where my priorities are," Teo said.
Rico was standing beside the others rebels, some of whom were trembling with fright or had closed their eyes. Nobody was begging for mercy. Rico's words and example had silenced even the two men who had betrayed the others.
Teo's aim was perfect. He just had to pull the trigger.
There was a gunshot, and for one horrible moment Teo was certain that he had shot Rico. He didn't at first feel the pain in his hands or that he had dropped the musket, but once he did, he realised that all of the rebels were still standing.
He heard Gabriel call out something, but he was so distracted by the panicked beating of his heart that he didn't notice what was going on before the rebels let out overjoyed cheers. Everyone was looking upwards on the road. When Teo turned to look, he saw Zorro on his white horse and with a pistol in his hand.
"It's Zorro! Get him!" Gabriel yelled.
All of the soldiers turned their attention from the rebels to Zorro. They fired simultaneously, but somehow Zorro was able to avoid being hit. He reached them in no time, and his sword was already out before he jumped off his horse.
"This is low even for you, Lieutenant," Zorro said as he clashed swords with Gabriel.
"What then? I'm only doing my duty as a servant of the Crown," Gabriel said, his smile never leaving his face.
"You have no right to execute these men without a trial, and you know it!"
"Who needs to know? They won't complain once they're dead, and my men know better than to talk. As for you, you aren't going to be any more talkative than the rebels," Gabriel said.
At that exact moment, Zorro struck Gabriel's blade from his hand. There was uncharacteristic anger behind his attack, and it was a wonder he didn't break the lieutenant's wrist.
"Sometimes it's better to talk less and act more," Zorro remarked. He pressed the tip of his blade at Gabriel's throat, and for a second Teo was sure that he was going to kill him. Gabriel recognised Zorro's anger, too, and wisely didn't say anything.
"Sergeant, order the men to put away their weapons or the lieutenant dies. After that you will let Rico and the others take your horses. Nobody will move before they have made it past the horizon," Zorro said.
"You heard what he said!" Teo yelled at the soldiers.
The men dropped their muskets. They watched helplessly as the rebels went to take their horses and mounted them – even the two who had betrayed the others. Teo wasn't sure what Rico would do to them later, but for now it was wise for them to follow their old comrades.
Once the rebels were gone, Zorro removed his sword from Gabriel's throat and sheathed it. His eyes were blazing with anger as he addressed the man, "I hope this will be the last time I have to stop you from committing such atrocious crimes, Lieutenant."
"Don't think you can get away with this," Gabriel snarled.
Zorro said nothing more as he mounted his horse. It was like he was too angry to even speak to them anymore. He turned Viento around and struck his heels at the horse's sides. The soldiers hurried to pick up their muskets and fired at the fleeing outlaw, but as usual, they missed.
"Dammit! Where did you learn to shoot, you idiots?" Gabriel yelled.
"Our last training was with you, sir," one of the soldiers dared to say, and he was rewarded for it with a string of curses from the lieutenant.
Teo let out a sigh and sat down on the closest boulder. He pressed his hands against his knees to stop their sudden shaking. God. It had been so close. He had nearly killed innocent people again. A wave of nausea washed over him, and he had to close his eyes and swallow the bile in his throat.
If it hadn't been for Diego... If Diego hadn't come to stop him...
"Sergeant, what is the matter with you?"
Teo looked up when he heard Gabriel's harsh voice. The lieutenant was towering over him with a furious frown on his face.
"I'm sorry, sir," he said.
"You had better be! You had the perfect chance to shoot the rebels and you didn't!" Gabriel yelled.
Teo lowered his eyes to his hands, full of shame and regret. The whole day had been a disaster. He was glad no blood had been spilled, but now his chances of winning Raymond's trust were ruined. The commander would never look favourably upon him again, especially once Gabriel was through telling him how Teo had hesitated with his orders.
"Sir, I don't understand. Why are you here? I thought you were going to collect wheat from the farmers," he said.
"We did, but Zorro stopped us. We decided to follow you and see if you'd need help. By the time we got here, you had found the rebels," Gabriel said.
Gabriel gave everyone the order to start the journey back to the barracks. They only had a few horses left, so most of them had to walk.
Teo forced his legs to carry him to the road. It was a stroke of luck that Zorro had arrived when he had. Otherwise... No, he didn't want to think about it.