Chapter 1:
Sergeant Mendoza was sitting in the office of the alcalde due to the absence of the alcalde. A messenger walked in carrying two wanted posters.
"Are you the alcalde?" The messenger asked he hadn't come to Los Angeles before so he didn't know.
"I am the acting alcalde yes, what can I do for you?" Mendoza said looking up from his administration.
"These two must be found as soon as possible, they have escaped prison, they are wanted for murdering a priest and two women after raping the two women.
Mendoza opened the wanted posters,
"Juan Roberto wanted dead or alive, 3000 pesos. 3000 pesos? That is half the reward for catching Zorro!" Mendoza said before opening the second poster, "Carlo Presto, wanted dead or alive also 3000 pesos. I will make sure that everybody knows about them. They better think twice about coming to Los Angeles or they will be captured by me!" Mendoza said with confidence.
The messenger nodded, "Well, I am going to see if the tavern still has a room for me because there is a nasty storm coming."
Mendoza smiled, "That is a good idea, we have an excellent tavern here in our pueblo."
Meanwhile miles away from Los Angeles, two riders were riding towards the pueblo the Los Angeles.
"Is it wise to ride in the direction of Los Angeles, the town protected by the fox of the night?" Carlo asked a little afraid that rumors about the fox were true. His buddy was a good swordsman but nobody had ever out bested the fox.
"I don't fear a man who hides behind the mask. In Los Angeles, we can get rich, one of the wealthiest families live in that pueblo so if we kill the De La Vega's we don't have to kill anymore, we will be rich enough to flee the country.
Carlo nodded but he was still afraid that this wasn't going to end well for them.
"But first we need some shelter for the storm, there is a windmill not so far from here. We can stay there and continue our travel in the morning." Juan said before he steered his horse towards the windmill.
It was only a ten-minute ride towards the windmill.
"Look Carlo we are in luck, we have some stranded riders. We can earn some extra bucks before we get the jackpot." Juan said when he stopped next to the horses. It was only then that he noticed the mark on the horses.
"Carlo, do you know this mark?" Juan asked trying to calm down the nervous horses.
"Aren't those De La Vega horses?" Carlo asked curiously
"Yes, my friend," Juan said stroking the horse trying to calm it down.
Diego and Victoria had arrived at an old windmill. They were sitting around the fire Diego had made.
"Thank you for making this fire, Diego. You surprised me today, you know." Victoria smiled but she didn't get a reaction. It was like Diego was living in his little world again. Something she hated about Diego and still there was something that made her love the man. Something in her heart longed for a life with Diego but she knew he was picky on the woman of his class so she made herself no illusions.
She was in love with two men that alone was confusing but they were unreachable in there own way. So she chose to love Zorro.
It was silent for a few minutes until Victoria broke the silence. She had to know why Diego kept the side she saw today hidden for everyone.
"Diego? Can I ask you something?" Victoria asked curiously.
Diego, who was staring at the flames of the fire, trying to ignore what his feelings were telling him, that there was no better time for telling her his secret, only the fear of her reaction held him back.
He was afraid that with one look in her eyes he would be lost, not even thinking about the fact that they were alone here.
"You can ask me anything, Victoria, you know that," Diego said softly not moving his eyes from the dancing fire.
"Why do you never stand up as you did back there in Santa Paula?" Victoria asked a little agitated.
Diego sighed he feared that she would ask that question but what could he say that he needed to be a coward to be a hero at night? That his life depended on being as helpless as possible?
He was about the answer her when the horses started to neigh, Diego knew that it couldn't be the storm because he trained those horses himself. He needed horses that knew everything Toronado knew, you never knew that Toronado would get badly hurt in the fight.
"The horses! I am going to look that everything is alright with them." Diego said rising from his place on the bench.
"Diego De La Vega, you are avoiding my question, the horses are probably afraid of the storm," Victoria said a little angrily
"I am going to see if I can calm them down again, see if they are properly tied up." Diego didn't wait for a reaction from Victoria. He knew his horses far too well
Juan was startled when he heard the door of the windmill, "Come on let's hide Carlo, someone is coming."
They both stood behind the shelter where the horses were standing. They were tied up properly so that couldn't be the reason for them to react the way they did.
Something made him look down. He crouched beside some human tracks.
"These aren't my tracks nor Victoria's?" Diego whispered to himself it was only then that he noticed the two black horses standing next to the horses they were riding.
He stood up, his mind immediately to the woman who was alone in the windmill, "Shit, Victoria!" he cursed under his breath.
He made his way towards the windmill again and ran inside when suddenly everything went black.
TBC