He wasn't at all what Victoria remembered. She recognized him as the same man, but he had been brought low. His immaculate starched uniform had been traded for shabby civilian clothes. He'd grown a long beard which was peppered with grey and looked as if he'd aged twenty years.

But she'd never forget that voice.

"I'm so happy you recognized me, Senorita Escalante," he smiled cruelly. "It makes this so much easier."

Lilly looked at Victoria inquisitively, but the senorita could only give her a grave look. Palomarez turned his gaze to Lilly. Juan shifted from foot to foot nervously, keeping behind the Colonel as if to try and evade the man's notice.

"Ah, you are Lady Lillian Pumphrey," he looked her over. "It's true what they say about you, but if you've fallen for Wright you should be careful; he's not known for his fidelity."

Victoria looked over at Lilly and wasn't surprised to see that perhaps the lady had met the first man she didn't have the inclination to charm.

"Why are we here? What are you keeping us for?" Victoria spoke from her seat on the floor. Her head was still pounding.

"What else, senorita?" if it was possible his smile grew more evil. "Revenge."

Lilly spoke for the first time since the men had entered, "Revenge on Major Wright? You're a walking dead man!"

Palomarez only laughed. "Just as I've heard, beauty AND spirit, with two females of that persuasion, perhaps this will be more fun than I anticipated."

"Alcalde, forgive me if I don't readily believe your change of heart." Zorro was the first to break the awkward silence that had followed de Soto's pronouncement. "What brought this on?"

De Soto looked at his enemy with annoyance. The thought of explaining his actions to the fox was a bitter pill to swallow. But everyone was looking at him, especially the man he now recognized as Major Ward Wright.

"I wanted to rid the pueblo of you, Zorro, once and for all. I had read all of the previous alcalde Luis Ramon's reports, trying to think of ways to get to you, and came upon his account of the visit of Colonel Palomarez," He waited for a reaction.

Only Felipe reacted with surprise, if Zorro shared that emotion he did not show it only standing stone faced and iron jawed. Wright looked confused as if trying to recall the name and looked over at Sgt. Fitzgerald, who shrugged.

"I wrote to him and we came to an agreement, he would help capture Zorro, we'd turn you over to the crown and then we'd both be back in Madrid's good favor. Ever since he failed in his mission to capture you he's been in disgrace. Discharged and discredited.

"That's why the second time he came here, he lied about going to Spain. All he had were a few men loyal to him, but not the king's backing. He told me he wanted to be reinstated to his former rank.

"I believed him. I never wanted anyone killed, honestly. Not you, not Victoria and certainly not Lady Lilly," he stopped there. He wasn't about to reveal how his heart had softened and he'd fallen hard for the Englishwoman. They didn't need to know that.

Wright looked over at Zorro.

"Well!" De Soto was suddenly impatient. "Aren't you going to go save them? Isn't that what you Heroes do?"

Wright sighed, "We're going to need a plan." Zorro nodded in agreement.

For the second time that night, Claire was surprised at how easy it was to remain unnoticed. Perhaps, it shouldn't surprise her as she had spent most of her life perfecting it as if it were an art. She'd easily slipped out of the cart and was now sneaking about the villain's camp. She didn't take any notice of the contents of the cart, strangely enough bricks, but immediately went in search of her mistress.

It was an old ruin of some kind, probably a mission. There was a high wall that was amazingly intact, or as she looked more closely recently repaired. The wall surrounded a building with much fewer repairs, in fact parts seemed to have been torn down to reinforce the wall. Now she knew what the bricks were for.

Before she went for Lilly, she decided she must find and secure an escape route.

A concerned Don Alejandro tried to calm Lord Pumphrey. Pump was pacing the de la Vega library and muttering furiously.

"I know, Pump," Alejandro started again. "You want to go out there, again, but really there's nothing more to be done. The alcalde has men patrolling looking for them. You and I were out half the night already and Zorro and Major Wright…"

"Don't say his name to me. I'm still not convinced this wasn't his doing. If you say this 'Zorro' is to be trusted I believe you, but that…thug." He shook his head angrily. "It's not to be borne!"

Alejandro wisely stayed silent, though he was inclined to think well of the major, if only from the few meetings they'd had. He'd saved Victoria after all, and stood up to de Soto when he'd tried to flog Pedro.

"And…I'm sorry, Alejandro, but your son...going straight to bed? How can he sleep?"

"I know," the don groaned thinking about how quickly Diego had declined to join them on their ride out to find what they could. He'd thought maybe his actions this last week had finally prodded Victoria and his son together, but though Diego showed concern, was clearly concerned, he'd yawned and said nothing could be done until the morning. It didn't sit well with Alejandro.

"I don't think I'll ever sleep again." Pump sat down and suddenly looked twice his age. He truly loved his daughter and the strain of her abduction weighed heavy on him, and he didn't have the little piece of mind that carried Alejandro through…Zorro.

After the Colonel's departure, Lilly continued the pacing that was so annoying to Victoria. However, now there were no complaints.

"You knew him? Who is he?" the Englishwoman asked without even looking toward her companion.

"An evil tyrant of a man, he came to our pueblo twice. Both times with a plan to oppress the people and capture Zorro." Victoria's head was beginning to improve and she was glad of it.

"And what did you call him?"

"Palomarez, he's a colonel."

"A colonel, so he must have met Wright in the army," she laughed a little, but without humor. "With a difference in tone, this could be a farce. Fate has a strange sense of the ridiculous."

Without warning the oak door opened a crack. Lilly was struck dumb at the sight of such a beloved face.

"Claire," she breathed.

Claire slipped into the room, closing the door behind her.

Both occupants were staring at her as if she'd grown a second head.

"How?" Lilly whispered.

Claire could have giggled, would have, if the occasion weren't so dire.

"This place is strangely unmanned for the siege that seems to be forthcoming," she did smile this time. "I only counted one guard, and he's asleep, let's go."

"Victoria, can you…"

Before the question was finished she was on her feet. The promise of freedom instantly became the world's fastest cure.