Diego was sitting on the patio sipping some wine when Don Alejandro burst out of the sala. "What's the matter, father?" Diego asked, noting his father's angry expression. "Those Americanos struck again last night, Diego." Alejandro replied. "Where?" Diego asked, interested in hearing news about Zorro's most recent challenge. "In Santa Barbara they held up a young woman and robbed her father's hacienda." Alejandro sighed, irritated. "Why can't the army catch these men? They've been plundering haciendas for weeks now!" Diego stood up, "Calm down, father. Bernardo and I were planning to go into the pueblo today. We will talk with Sgt. Garcia and see what he knows. In the mean time, why don't you find something to do, to calm down a little?" Diego suggested. "Si, I would like to know exactly how much the army knows about these men." Diego nodded, "Then Bernardo and I will leave now."
~~ ~~
The pueblo was already buzzing with the news of the recent attack as merchants set up their stands in the plaza. Diego and Bernardo road across the plaza and stopped in front of the caurtel. Both men dismounted and tied their horses. "Stay out here and see if you can learn anything else about these men." Diego said quietly. Bernardo nodded. Diego walked into the caurtel and up to Sgt. Garcia's office. "I need to talk with Sgt. Garcia." Diego said to Corporal Reyes, who was standing, or more like sleeping, at the door. The corporal yawned, rubbed his eyes and said "Si, Don Diego," before knocking on the door. "Come in!" Garcia called. Reyes opened the door and said, "Don Diego wants to talk to you, Sergeant."
"Let him in then, let him in!" Garcia ordered. "Si," Reyes replied, then looked at Diego, "You can come in, Don Diego." Diego nodded his thanks to Reyes then stepped into the cool office. Garcia was sitting at the desk, staring intently at a piece of paper. "Well, Hello Don Diego! How are you today?" Garcia asked, offering Diego the seat across from him. Diego sat down and said, "I'm fine Sergeant, gracias. I'd like to ask you something." The Sergeant looked up, "What is it, Don Diego?" He asked. "What can you tell me about the attacks that have been happening, Sergeant?" Diego asked. "Not much, Don Diego. They haven't hurt anyone, but they may get bolder as they attack richer haciendas." Garcia replied, shaking his head. "Who are they? Do we know?" Diego queried. "No, all we know is that they are mostly Americanos, but two men from Monterey joined them." Garcia explained. Diego thought about what Garcia had told him, before standing up "Gracias, Sergeant." He said. Garcia stood up and showed Diego out, before returning to his game of tic-tak-toe.
Diego walked out to the horses and quietly told Bernardo what the Sergeant had said. "Did you learn anything new?" Diego asked. Bernardo shook his head and signed that he had walked around the plaza, but hadn't heard anything. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Diego said as the two mounted their horses and rode away.
Most of the ride back to the hacienda was silent, both Diego and Bernardo having their own thoughts. Diego wanted to find out as much as he could about the men as he could before Zorro had to face them, but he doubted that he would learn very much. Suddenly, Bernardo stopped his horse and dismounted, staring at something in the dead grass a few feet off the road. Diego looked in the direction that Bernardo was walking and saw something blue on the grass. Diego dismounted just as Bernardo reached the blue thing in the grass, Before Diego knew what was happening, he saw Bernardo had been knocked to the ground and a young woman in a blue shirt and black pants was looking at him. "Don't think I'm afraid of you!" She said.