Victoria had spent less time with Diego over the last couple of days, as he seemed more himself than he had since the cave in, so she returned home to her tavern. Busying herself in her kitchen once more, she felt restless and alone, for the first time she had run the tavern.
She shook her head and concentrated on the chilli in the pot over the fire. It wasn't the time to ruin her reputation as a good cook, just because her head was in the clouds. Was that what love did to people? She knew she loved Diego, and had done for years. Zorro was a passionate distraction, her love wrapped in black silk. How had she not seen that?
She cooked the food for the serving girls, knowing that her daydreaming would not help her serving skills. Someone had to get the food done for the customers, and the girls were not as good at that as she was. Satisfaction came with the ease and familiarity of her chores and the scents of the delicious results were wonderful.
How much longer she had to spend in her tavern she had no idea. She wanted to be with Diego, and he was a don. This life she had lived as an independent woman in a world of men was shortly to end, she realised. She would become a donna, and live with Diego in his hacienda far away from this existence. She would bear the children she wished for, but this life of self reliance, and self direction would be long gone. It would be the price she would have to pay for love. Maybe they would have to wait a long time before anything could be done, maybe it would never happen.
Diego was recovering, and she could sense a new determination in her friend. In the man she loved. He was still determined to be a man of action, even though he hadn't said anything to her at all. She knew that much about the man she loved. Marriage had to wait. She sighed, her mind divided by her desires.
Zzz
Alejandro arrived in the pueblo to meet with his four friends, accompanied by Pablo and Luke. He had left Diego at home, trusting that he would stay there. Diego had seemed a little drained and tired, retiring to bed for the day. Alejandro recognised the bad temper barely hidden from him, but he was glad he hadn't told his son very much.
He marched into the alcalde's office and demanded to see him.
"Don Alejandro, he isn't here. He is leading the patrol on the outskirts of town," Sergeant Mendoza said, glancing up from behind the desk, where he was hastily leaving, a guilty look on his face.
"I thought that was part of your duties," Alejandro said. "Why are you left behind?"
"I've been assigned stable cleaning duties," Mendoza said. "Just about to start that."
"Well go to it. I'm sure worse will come if you neglect it," Alejandro said with a slight smile. "What did you do wrong this time?"
"I spoke up about the whipping of young Joachim."
"Joachim? The alcalde dared lay a hand on the child?"
"Si, the boy is half witted, but he did insult the alcalde."
"Zorro would not have stood for that," Adriano said softly. "He wouldn't have let the man touch that boy."
"No, he would not have let that happen," Sebastian said. "That settles it. Zorro is dead."
"What about the plan?" Marcos said. "De Soto was meant to be here, in the office."
"Senores, can I be of assistance?" Mendoza said, his voice shaking slightly.
Roderigo sighed with annoyance. "No Sergeant, get to your stable duty."
Mendoza scampered away, leaving the office empty apart from the four dons.
"Is there any point in detaining the alcalde? Could we just force him to stand down for someone reasonable to replace him? If we get an alcalde approved before De Soto leaves Los Angeles, they might leave us to ourselves. All these ideas of fighting, we could do something just with the force of numbers, without bloodshed," Adriano said softly.
"Changing the plan now is just going to lead to confusion," Sebastian said.
Zzz
Diego was alerted to his father's absence by Felipe. The teenager looked deathly afraid, which startled Diego from his studying. He put down the book about local insects with a grimace.
"I need to stop them. I wish I was completely better, I would have picked up on this properly if I was," he said. He placed a hand on Felipe's shoulder. "These last few weeks must have been hard for you. I will make it up to you, my friend."
Felipe gave him a half grin, and dashed off to the secret entrance to Toronado's stable.
The stallion was saddled before Diego reached them, and as he reached for his black suit, his hand met air. He stared at the empty stand in disbelief. His sabre was where it was meant to be, so that was equally as strange.
"Father would have taken the weapon as well," Diego said slowly. "Well…"
Felipe glanced at the empty stand with surprise. He gestured something with hurried movements.
"It was there in the early morning," Diego said. "When you fed Toronado. After my father had left…"
Diego walked around the small space with concern. "There are tracks in the dust, but we have both disturbed them...No, here is a clear footprint...Neither of our boots made this."
Diego's thoughts raced. He had given his spare suit to Miguel. There was no other suit available. Whoever had prevented him from riding out as Zorro had beaten him in this instance.
"Whoever this was, when I catch up with them, they will have a lot of explaining to do," Diego growled, his temper wearing thin. "This was not my father, and that print is not a woman's boot mark. So not Victoria."
Someone had infiltrated his secret den, and he was not pleased.
Zzz
A group of bandits rode into the pueblo, shooting in the air to announce their arrival. Alejandro stepped outside the alcalde's office, with his friends close behind.
"Well, Zorro is not going to deal with these men. The alcalde and the majority of his lancers are outside the town," Sebastian said softly. "If these men mean trouble they will be unopposed."
"Unopposed? If they mean trouble, I for one will oppose them," Marcos said with determination.
"Buenos dias, senores," Alejandro said, stepping down into the plaza.
Victoria had darted out of her tavern, as soon as she had heard the gunshots. She glanced towards Alejandro with concern.
"Senor, I trust you are the local alcalde," the head bandit said, from where he sat in the saddle.
"Yes," Alejandro lied. "What can I do for you?"
The men chuckled. "Stand back and let us have full reign of the pueblo and we will be soon gone."
"I don't believe I can allow that," Alejandro said firmly. Mendoza had joined him after hearing the gunshots, definitely glad of the distraction from his duties.
"No? From what I've heard about this pueblo I was convinced it was heavily fortified with a large garrison," the man said. "And yet I see no one except a fat sergeant."
"I must insist that you leave the way you came," Alejandro said, his hand instinctively resting on his sword hilt.
The head bandit chuckled. He raised a pistol, pointing it directly at Alejandro.
"Well I must insist that we won't," he said, and fired. Alejandro was already taking cover and readying his own weapon.
Sebastian, Adriano, Roderigo and Marcos were already about to open fire on the bandits when a familiar black stallion and a man dressed in black arrived in the plaza.
Taking stock of the situation, Zorro joined the men, sending Toronado off.
"What are you doing here?" Alejandro said, grabbing at the man. "You aren't…"
"I am fine, Don Alejandro," Zorro said, releasing himself from the don's grip.
"We were worried about you," Sebastian said, giving him a once over glance. "Several incidents have occured…"
"Unfortunately I was out of the area for several days," Zorro said softly. "That is soon to be rectified."
"Indeed," Marcos said with feeling. "Zorro...You have forgotten your sword."
Alejandro glanced down at the man's belt, and his eyes widened. Two pistols had replaced the sabre, and several thoughts gathered in Alejandro's mind.
He met Zorro's eyes, and dark chocolate eyes met his. Not Diego...he relaxed a little, but wondered just the same.
Several shots rang out around them, and Zorro returned fire, hitting two men. They fell from their horses lifeless, and the remaining men struggled to control their mounts as they reared and lunged.
"How many do you count, senores?"
"About five or six men," Sebastian murmured, concentrating on loading his own pistols. They watched as two men turned and raced off, heading for the road leading out of town.
"So three or four now," Adriano said, lifting his own pair of pistols. "The odds are a little better."
"Senor, I can promise you amnesty if you leave now," Alejandro said, his voice ringing out.
"This is personal, Alcalde," the man responded, and let out another shot towards the don.
"He's not a great shot," Adriano said, with a chuckle.
"It won't do to underestimate the man, Don Adriano," Zorro said gravely. "Watch yourselves, ricochets can still be deadly."
"You are handy with the gun," Marcos commented, letting off two shots towards the men. "Maybe the days of the sword are gone."
"Maybe, maybe not," Zorro said with a slight smile. He watched the men slightly organise themselves behind cover.
"Not completely stupid then," Alejandro said, acknowledging their opponents strategy.
"These last couple value their lives, but not as highly as their friends who left," Zorro said.
"The tavern is open territory," Alejandro said softly. "Hostages and victims…"
"I'll handle it," Zorro said, as he slunk away, keeping to cover as the other men opened fire again.