The vaqueros watching the de la Vega herd felt the rumble, and narrowly avoided a mini stampede as the cattle took fright. Luke glanced at Pablo with concern, only just holding his horse under control.
"What the hell was that?" One of the men said, glancing around for the source of the problem. "Earthquake?"
"Certainly not this far south," Pablo said, softly. His eyes grew thoughtful. "Sounded like an explosion."
"An explosion? What is the alcalde playing at now? At this rate we are lucky the cattle only scattered again, that could have caused serious damage," Luke said frowning.
A rider raced over to them, desperate to talk to Pablo. They urged him to rest as he stumbled over words that didn't seem to make sense. He took a few gulps from his canteen, before he could think straight enough to talk.
"Some madman has kidnapped Don Diego. Threatened to blow him up if Zorro didn't turn himself in," the cowboy said. "The pueblo is full of crazy talk, but I wouldn't put it past the alcalde to encourage something like that."
Pablo stared hard at Luke for a moment. "Tony? You're in charge. Come on, let's see what we can do."
Pablo turned back to the messenger. "Do you know where that explosion came from?"
The man paled a little, putting two and two together a little late. "South of here, near that old cabin with the mine shaft...You don't think…?"
"Let's hope not, Giorgio," Pablo said softly.
Zzz
Toronado had escaped before the entrance completely fell. Fear made him rear on his hind legs for a moment, before he bolted, heading for the comfort of his cave and Felipe.
As their horses climbed the ridge, the two men caught a glimpse of the black stallion.
"Riderless, did you see?" Pablo said softly. Luke nodded. They made no move to stop the horse, knowing his reputation for speed and aggression. It didn't bode well for their hero. For Zorro to have fallen from his horse meant that something had happened to the man.
Scanning the environment for potential risks, Luke breathed in the smell of explosives in the air, musty and sulfuric. It was very strong. He couldn't even see where the cabin had stood. His surroundings were eerie and quiet. No sound reached his ears, all the animals and birds had fled.
"There are tracks here," Pablo was saying. "Toronado? There was a horse here, a man and a woman."
"How long ago?"
"By the looks of Toronado, not long at all," the older man said. He pointed towards a pile of rocks where dust was still rising. "That used to be a cave."
Luke felt like his breath had been sucked out of his body. He swallowed awkwardly.
"They would have taken shelter in there?"
"Not the wisest of moves, but if there was no other way to escape the explosion? I would settle for that as a last resort."
"Well," Luke said, giving himself a shake. "We'd better do something to help."
"Exactly," Pablo agreed.
Zzz
Victoria opened her eyes, blinking in the pitch darkness. Zorro had landed on top of her, or had he jumped to protect her? Of course he had. He was a dead weight on top of her, pinning her to the cave floor. She thought for a moment that he was dead, and her heart almost stopped. She closed her eyes, and sighed, trying to stop the panic rising in herself.
There it was, a soft puff of air against her cheek. He was breathing at least. She relaxed a little. It was strange - she had always felt so safe in those strong arms, but now they trapped her in place. She reached out to touch him in the dark, following his arms to his shoulders and then across to his face.
Her fingers made contact with warm, sticky, thick liquid. She gasped, tracing the source up to the edge of the mask and beyond. Dampness pooled under the silk... he was bleeding. His head was bleeding. Don't panic, she told herself. She was the only one who could help him. She had to keep her head, she had to keep thinking.
"Zorro?" She whispered, breathing in dust. She coughed a little, and ran her fingers over his face gently. His breathing was soft and steady, but his eyes were closed. He made no movement at her voice. "Zorro."
She eased him awkwardly off herself, at least his torso. He was heavy and non responsive. She wasn't that gentle, it was more a bodily shove that she immediately regretted. If she couldn't move, neither of them would get out of there, she reasoned.
"You need to wake up now," she told him. She hated the dark. It had always frightened her, not that she'd ever admit it. He was alive, she told herself. He was alive and that was all that mattered right now. "Zorro."
This time there was an answering groan. Soft and weak, but it was something. She reached for his gloved hand, and squeezed it hard.
"Zorro. You need to wake up now."
"Victoria...I have to save Victoria," he murmured. She wasn't sure if he was completely awake, but it was a welcome sign.
"Shh, I'm fine. You saved me," Victoria assured him. "You need to stay awake now. Please. We need to get out of here."
His hand went from limp and relaxed to a steel like grip in moments. She made a little squeak, and his grasp relaxed a little.
"Sorry…"
"It's so dark," Victoria whispered, her voice shaking. Now he was awake she could rely on someone else for a moment. "How do we get out of here?"
"You always were afraid of the dark…" Zorro's voice seemed different somehow. Weaker perhaps, but not really. Like another person's voice, like he had forgotten to deepen it. Like he had forgotten to play a part in a play. Why did her thoughts go to plays?
"Did you really save Diego?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Zorro said, firmly. "I don't lie to you, Victoria."
"No." Victoria's thoughts went to the mask, and she drew in a deep breath. It wasn't the time to talk about things like that.
"If Diego was dead, how would you feel?"
"He is important to me," Victoria said softly. "Aside from you, he is my closest friend. If not for you…" She shrugged. It wasn't really her place to think about courtship, but she would have welcomed Diego's attention at one stage.
"Well, he is as safe as I am," Zorro said, a little cryptically. Victoria sighed again.
The man was a walking mystery. Must he always talk in riddles? He caught his breath in the darkness, and Victoria heard it.
"Are you very hurt?" She said softly. "I know your head is bleeding."
"I think it is mainly that," he said softly. "We need to concentrate on getting out of here alive. We can talk about Diego afterwards."
"Yes," Victoria murmured. Mainly that? "What else is hurting?"
"My left shoulder, but since I am right handed, I think I will be alright for a while."
He shifted himself into a seated position, moving a little away from her.
Victoria felt very alone. The darkness seemed to reach out and touch her, creeping closer moment by moment. She hugged herself, squeezing her eyes tight.
She felt a hand find her shoulder. "I am sorry. This is my fault, Victoria, and if I could explain you would see that."
"I am afraid," she said, with a choked back sob. "I don't even know why."
He drew her closer, awkwardly. One of his arms was limp, and she worried about him as she snuggled close to the right side of his chest. His right arm went around her, and she could hear his heartbeat. Strong, steady and real against the fears in the dark.
"I am here. There is no need to be afraid."
Zzz
Even as Zorro said that, he knew there were many reasons to be afraid. Not that Victoria needed to worry about them. She smelled of dirt and sulfur. The explosive dust had travelled a long way. His thoughts went to his horse, but he knew that the stallion's survival instinct would override every ounce of loyalty. Toronado was safe enough.
Zorro glanced around at his surroundings, to no avail. It was dark as ink. Any movement would have to be careful and plans would have to be made by feel. He wondered if air was still flowing in their part of the cave, or if they could suffocate in the dark. He dropped his head a little, closing his eyes against the ache in his head. Victoria's hair smelt of roses, and she melted a little more into him for protection and comfort.
He felt useless. He couldn't protect her, not from suffocation. If they were to suffocate, she would succumb first, leaving him behind. Fear filled his heart, and he swallowed the panic down. She was relying on him, as she always did. That gave him strength any other time. Why didn't it now?