Hello, all. Probably best to buckle up for this one. It's going to be a rough ride.

Enjoy!

Linny

Chapter Thirty-Four

The house was quiet. It had been that way for many days. Ever since Bernardo had learned that the attack on Los Angeles was drawing nearer, nothing else seemed to matter. None of them had barely slept or eaten because they were so focused on finalizing their plans.

Lately, all they could do was go through the daily motions that they had become accustomed to and pray that they would not receive word that the time had come. When Diego and Olivia weren't in the canyon for their now daily practice sessions, he and his father would bury themselves in their work around the hacienda.

Don Alejandro kept himself busy by focusing on the important aspects of keeping their hacienda running. He balanced the books and secured his orders for the next three months. He organized his vaqueros and spoke with his caporal about keeping things in working order. He'd even managed a sale of hides at the same time.

They didn't want any of the servants or vaqueros to know that anything was amiss. It was best to act as if it was business as usual. But, Diego had found that he couldn't continue to go through his usual routine of appearing as a lazy layabout to the servants and needed something to do to keep his mind occupied.

Olivia had allowed him to accompany her to the stables where she would spend most of her time. She helped muck out the stalls, refresh their water and grain, and just keep them company by sitting and talking to them. He enjoyed watching her in her element. The woman was born to be around horses. He'd found himself in awe of her a time or two while she was completely lost in the motions of her task. She never took any half-measures with the animals and cared for each one of them as if they were her own.

But, while it was a delightful distraction, they could all still feel the looming threat hanging over their heads. And when all of their options for distraction were exhausted, they would usually all find themselves gathered in the sala. That was where they would sit and wait for the dreaded moment to come.

This particular evening, Olivia and Don Alejandro had somehow ended up facing off against each other in a game of Spanish draughts. She had been sitting at the table, mindlessly fiddling with the pieces on the board when he had silently sat across from her. Neither of them had spoken a word, but there was a silent agreement that passed between them. As he settled in and she refreshed her glass of wine, the first game had been set up and each went through the motions of playing. Neither of them seemed to have a strategy and each round ended up in a draw. That was when they would set it up again until the outcome would become the same.

Diego sat in the chair closest to the fireplace where a modest flame was burning. He'd brought a guitar with him this time if only to keep his hands busy. His mind wouldn't have been able to concentrate on a book, so this had been his best option. He aimlessly strummed a tune on the strings, though he couldn't even be certain if they were in the correct key. It didn't matter because he only continued to play as he stared off into the void.

"This is ridiculous!" Don Alejandro exclaimed in exasperation. He slammed down the game piece he currently had in his fingers, making the others scatter. "I can no longer sit here and just wait for something to happen."

Diego glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, looking at him with irritation. They all knew what was about to happen. Yet another argument.

"And what would you rather us do, Father? Charge into the garrison and let The Chameleon know we are on to his plan? If we acted now, then what do you think would happen? It is not like he and his men would just give up without a fight." His tone held a bit more aggravation than they were all used to hearing, but he was just as anxious as everyone else. And as much as it pained him to just sit there and do nothing, they didn't exactly have a choice. They couldn't just go up against a virtual army; it was just the three of them. That would be a death sentence.

His father huffed in response to his ire but said nothing else in response. It wouldn't do any good anyhow. Diego was right. It would be foolish to rush in and alert El Camaleón that they knew of his plans. More lives than just theirs were on the line. They would need to remain cautious until it was time.

"Us being at odds with one another will do none of us any good," Olivia tried to be the voice of reason. She had been trying to keep Diego and his father from constantly arguing, but when that wouldn't work, she'd found that rationality was her best option. "We all know what is at stake here and what it could mean for the future." Not just their future, but the future of all of California.

Diego's hands stilled on the strings of the guitar which he just left to sit in his lap. He didn't voice his apology to his elder, but his expression made it clear. Don Alejandro's mimicked his in return. Diego then shifted his gaze to Olivia. "Still no word from William?"

She shook her head. "No. Not that I expected to receive any. He was right. It isn't safe to use a courier to write back and forth anymore." All they could do was hope that he would return with help in time.

He bowed his head in defeat and scrubbed at his face with his hands. Usually, as Zorro, he could go in without a plan and solve Los Angeles's problems on the fly. But this time, it was different. "I don't know what to do." He was so tired. He felt so defeated. And frightened. For once, he was completely lost.

"I don't either," she replied. Standing up from her chair, she walked around the table and over to him. Taking hold of his hand, she gave it a firm, reassuring squeeze. "But, no matter what, I will be there by your side every step of the way."

Gazing up at her, he noticed how brave she was trying to be. But, she looked just as scared as he felt. They were headed into a dangerous situation with no concept of how they might come out on the other side. He managed a small smile as he squeezed her hand in return.

While he was unsure of what lay ahead of them, there was one thing that Diego was completely certain of. And that was how much he was falling in love with Olivia. Now was not the time to tell her, of course, but he knew that was going to be the one thing that could drive him to succeed. So that when victory did come, he would be able to celebrate with her in his arms.

"How selfish of me would it be if I asked you to stay safe here where I know you would be out of harm's way?" he asked, knowing full well what her answer would be.

He was surprised when she didn't roll her eyes at him like she normally would. Could she see how scared for her he was? Was she just as scared for him?

"No, you wouldn't be selfish," she reassured him as she took a seat on the stonework in front of the fireplace. Her fingers were still wrapped around his, so she squeezed again. This time, harder; hard enough for her to hurt him. He gasped in pain as fire blossomed in her eyes, showing him what he would be up against if he brought out that subject again. "But you would be very foolish."

Her teasing brought a bit of levity to the moment and it made him snort out a laugh. She always managed to find a way to lift his spirits. And he hoped that she thought the same of him. The heaviness in the room thinned for a brief moment, but it returned a moment later when they heard Don Alejandro mutter: "By the saints," under his breath.

They followed his gaze through the large picture window that looked out toward the main gate. The sun was beginning to set, signaling the end of yet another day of waiting. The sky carried a myriad of colors shifting from yellow to orange to red. This sunset was different, however. This time, Emily had pushed through the main gate and was running for the front door.

It was as if the moment was moving in slow motion in front of their eyes. It felt like an eternity before the door opened and they found her standing there.

Her cheeks were flushed with color and she was panting from being out of breath. Her hair was completely disheveled from her ride and her skirt and blouse were covered with dirt.

Olivia and Diego stood up and stared at her as she tried to catch her breath. Her voice seemed to suddenly escape her before her hands flew into a flurry.

Father and son looked toward Olivia to translate. She looked to be on the verge of tears but immediately pushed them away. "I-It is as Bernardo said. He is planning to attack tonight."

A pit formed in Diego's gut that threatened to swallow him whole. The lantern had been spotted. It was time.

"Where is Bernardo?" Olivia wondered, aloud.

It was Diego who responded to give Emily more time to recover from her arduous ride. "He is with Ramon."

His father frowned in confusion. "How do you know that?"

"I wrote a letter to Ramon inviting him to the hacienda for a late dinner." It wasn't just his father that was now looking at him in confusion. Olivia and Emily were as well. He was quick to explain. "It was a ruse so he could get inside the cuartel. I know one man wouldn't be likely to tip the scales in our favor, but I figured that Ramon could use someone else on his side."

"Let's just say that it had worked and Bernardo was able to join him, do you really think Ramon is still alive? I've seen the sort of destruction left in the wake of The Chameleon. It isn't pretty." They all were aware of what El Camaleon was capable of. He wouldn't hesitate to kill if given the opportunity.

"I do. Allende... Duncan... whoever he is... The man is ruthless, yes. But he also enjoys the pain he inflicts upon others. He'll keep Ramon alive to see the chaos he's released upon Los Angeles and only when he begs for death will he give him what he wants." He was not the first megalomaniac he had been up against, yet they all somehow seemed to want the same things.

"I suppose we should be thankful for small favors, then," she responded sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. She then turned serious as she turned to look at her maid. Approaching her, she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know you're tired, but there is something I need you to do." She reached into the pocket of her skirt and produced a letter. It was already sealed and ready to be delivered. "I need you to ride toward Santa Barbara and find Will."

"Riding toward Santa Barbara could take days," Don Alejandro protested. It was more than one hundred and sixty kilometers. Even the best riders couldn't ride that far in one evening. "Besides that, she doesn't know the terrain and could get lost."

"I know it is a long way, but we need the assistance of the Marshals. Em, you know I wouldn't ask you to do this if it wasn't important." It was so important that she was signing as she was speaking so Emily understood completely.

The servant nodded as she took the letter and tucked it away in her blouse for safekeeping. She then turned toward Don Alejandro, her eyes full of conviction. "I will need a fresh horse."

He nodded with a sigh of resignation. "Of course. I will get one saddled for you as well as me." His eyes darted toward his son as he spoke, just daring him to argue. "Or am I going to hear again how dangerous it is to involve the Dons?"

Feeling properly chastised by his father's scolding stare, Diego shook his head. "No." His father was right. They needed the help of the Dons on top of needing help from the Marshals. If they all united, they just might have a chance to succeed.

"Good. Come, my dear." He led Emily toward the door.

"Father," Diego called to him.

Don Alejandro stopped and turned to look at his only child. Diego didn't say a word. He merely rushed to the man who raised him and hugged him as tight as he could. Don Alejandro did the same. "Keep safe, my son."

"You as well." He tried to hide the emotion in his voice, but it still managed to eke out. He fought back tears as he watched his father head out into danger.

Olivia allowed her tears to trickle down her cheeks as she hugged Emily farewell and wished her luck. She was wiping them away when the door closed behind the departing party. Finally, she and Diego were all that was left in the room.

Diego's hand found its way to the small of her back, where he just let it sit and hoped that it offered her some comfort. "We should go," he softly spoke a moment later.

She nodded and calmed herself with a deep breath while he let her toward the cabinet and opened the doors. Giving the inner shelf a push, he allowed her to walk through first before he followed and shut it behind them.

They split up to change into their hood and mask, respectively. They met up a few moments later at the top of the stone staircase. His rapier was already strapped to his side and he held out hers for her to take. She did so silently as they both mentally prepared themselves for what was to come. She slipped two daggers into her boots and attached a bunch more to the belt on her waist.

With that, they were ready.

She began to head down the stairs, but he reached out and stopped her. She had lifted her mask so that it covered the lower half of her face and her hood was firmly in place. All he could see was the cool depths of her eyes staring back at her in confusion.

"Olivia," he opened his mouth the say something, but he couldn't find the right words. "I... I just..." He blew out a breath as he lost the ability to speak. Her eyes were so big and soulful that she took his breath away. "No matter what happens," she spoke slowly once he found his voice again, "... just... come back to me."

Again, he was thinking about how he had fallen in love with her and how much it would pain him to lose her. Yet, this wasn't a declaration of love, exactly. Though, perhaps it could be a reason for the two of them to come home safely.

She had been in the middle of putting her gloves on but paused when he'd said her name. Pulling her fingers free, she reached up to cradle his cheek in her warm palm. He felt himself leaning into its comforting heat as she tried to brush away with worry lines that had formed around his mouth. "I will," she softly promised. "If only you promise to do the same."

He spotted the tears shining on her lashes, but she blinked them away. He heard her give a sniffle behind her mask. He could only nod as she wrapped his arms around her slender form and pulled her close. He held her tight as he tried to keep the two of them connected in some small way. If they were together, then the nightmare would end.

But, she was lying. And so was he. It was a promise that neither of them could make. And they were both well aware of it. This was about to be a battle that either of them—or even both of them—could lose. They had just found one another and it was possible that they were about to lose each other in the end.

It just didn't seem fair.

"You could change your mind and stay here. I won't think any less of you," he tried to joke, but he was serious. He was prepared to tie her to a chair if that meant she would be safe.

"I wouldn't think any less of you, either," she retorted with a small laugh.

He felt his body begin to shake with what he hoped she believed to be laughter. In reality, it was absolute fear. Trying to keep it in check, he pressed his face into the top of her head and breathed in her familiar floral scent.

She eased out of his arms and slipped her hand into her black cowhide gloves. She took that time to pull in a deep steadying breath; as did he. She then reached out toward him as if to shake his hand. "Until the end?"

Diego fought to calm his tremors as he took hold of that hand and held it firmly in his own. "Until the end."

Zorro rode into the plaza on horseback but was met with an army standing at the ready. Even with La Sombra valiantly fighting alongside him, there was no way they could reclaim the cuartel without the help of an army of their own. The Dons had not yet arrived and El Camaleon's men were more prepared than they had expected.

Chaos had taken over the pueblo. Bodies were lining the streets. Fires had broken out in numerous storefronts. People were screaming for their loved ones who had become unfortunate casualties of such senseless violence. From the look of it, some men had tried to bravely fight against these oppressors, only to be struck down in the heat of battle.

They fought their way toward the gate. The Shadow jumped from her horse at a group that had lined up in front of the cuartel gates, preventing them from entering. Five men brandished their swords at her, but she never once had to unsheathe her weapon. She dodged each blade as it was swung at her. Backing herself up, she was trying to lead her assailants away from the garrison, but another group came up from behind her. These men were armed with muskets.

Zorro used his whip to disarm them as he swooped in on Tornado. The long, flexible tip wrapped around the barrel of the center musket. With a heave of his arm, two of the three guns fired into the air.

The sound of them firing brought more men to the center of the plaza. One dozen. Two dozen. They all poured in as if they had been waiting for the riders in black to appear. Another two dozen poured out of the encompassing buildings, surrounding them.

This wasn't going to work. They were greatly outnumbered.

"Retreat!" he called to her as he used his whip again to keep her current foes at bay.

She gave two short whistles and Wraith ran toward her. She didn't even wait for the animal to stop before she grabbed onto the saddle horn and jumped into the stirrup.

Zorro was just behind her as she rode a safe enough distance outside of the city. They paused when they found that they weren't going to be followed. He cursed as he dismounted underneath the darkness of a shady tree and leaned heavily against the trunk. "This is bad."

"Did you recognize a few of those men we were fighting?" She lowered her mask to lightly touch a split on her lower lip. She had been fighting against a man twice her size and received it when he'd been able to land a lucky punch. "They were the men we were helping the soldiers round up last week. Ramon had thrown them all in jail."

He nodded. "It makes sense. How else was Allende going to arm a group this size so quickly? It was probably his plan from the beginning." He felt anger rising inside of him so he punched the trunk of the tree to relieve himself of it. All it left him with was a set of bruised knuckles. "We need to get inside the cuartel."

"How do you propose we do that? Even if I was able to distract the men in front of the cuartel, it would be impossible to defend yourself against all of the men inside," she argued.

She was right, of course. They were outmanned and outgunned. But he suddenly got an idea. He began to pace as he thought it through. "I've been able to sneak into the Comandante's quarters before," he remembered.

It was when his old rival from University had come to California to steal the army payroll. Ramon Castillo; he'd believed that he could prove that Diego was Zorro so he arranged a bet with half of the pueblo. A ploy had been arranged for Zorro to think the tavern had been robbed. And, when Zorro swooped in to stop it, the soldiers would move in to capture him. And when they did and pulled off his mask, then Castillo would prove to them all that Diego and Zorro were one-and-the-same.

He and his father had convinced Sergeant Garcia to lock him in the commanding officer's quarters to prove that he wasn't. From there, Bernardo had helped him sneak out and then back in without being seen.

"If I can get to the roof, I can do it again."

He could feel her eyes on him as he moved back and forth under that tree, his plan forming inside his mind. She didn't seem to be able to follow his line of thought but seemed to have faith in him. "I can draw their fire while you do that. That is if I can distract them long enough."

He stopped pacing and met her gaze. This plan was extremely foolish for both of them. But the only way they would succeed was if they worked together. It didn't mean that he had to like the fact that she was going to be putting her life in grave danger. Still, she knew what she had signed up for.

"I know you will do everything in your power to stop this, mi alma."

She frowned in confusion at his term of endearment. That was the first time he had called her that, but he hoped it wouldn't be the last. "Mi alma? What does that mean?"

He shook his head as if it didn't matter. But it did. It meant a lot. If they both came out of this alive, he would tell her then. "It is not important." Holding out a hand toward her, he silently urged her toward him. As usual, she was drawn to him, yet her gaze remained skeptical.

"It sounded important."

He removed one of his gloves as she met him underneath that tree and gently took hold of her chin. His thin gently reached out to touch the cut on her lip. She flinched slightly in response but didn't pull away. He hated to see her flesh marred with such marks but knew there was nothing he could do or say to persuade her to leave this all to him.

Instead, he took a moment for himself and allowed his brain to commit her features to memory. If he was to meet his end on this battlefield, then he wanted to have a clear memory of the woman who held his heart. "Just know that it is how I will always think of you."

She looked like she wanted to cry at his words. "Diego, I..." she wanted to tell him something, but he wouldn't allow her. This was still not the time for declarations of love. This was simply one last moment that they could be together as themselves before facing off against the darkness.

"Shh," he shushed her softly before capturing her mouth in a tender kiss. It was what he had wanted to do before leaving the hacienda, but he just hadn't been able to bring himself to do it. This time, though, he had to. This time, it could truly be the last time they saw one another. "Nothing else matters but this very moment." His hand crept to the back of her hood as he pressed his forehead against hers and shut his eyes to savor this single moment in time.

A sob escaped her. He opened his eyes to see that she'd begun to cry. Neither of them said anything after that. Their lips only met once more.

They poured every single one of their fears into that kiss as if that was the last time they were ever going to see one another. They added their regret for taking so long to find one another; their hope for seeing a new dawn come morning; and a dream for the future they could share.

Together.

After separating from Diego, with tears still stinging the backs of her eyes, Olivia rode up to the back wall of the cuartel. Her heart ached at the fact that she had to break away from him. She'd wanted to fight alongside him; to help him reclaim his home. But he'd come up with a plan and it was the best one they had.

Her lips still burned from his kiss. She had poured every ounce of love for Diego she had into that kiss. And she did love him. She had loved him already for so long; she just hadn't wanted to admit it to herself. But the moment that she'd realized it, it had felt like a brick had been thrown at her head. No man had ever made her feel that way. It was new and exciting, but also terrifying. Especially with what they were now up against.

Death was inevitable at times of war and it was highly likely that one—or even both—of them could fail and fall at the hands of their enemies. She had never really feared death before. After her parents had died, she had become different. She had found herself in the shadowy depths of darkness with no way of escape.

Until she met Diego. He had become the pinprick of light that would bring her back to herself.

And she could end up losing it.

It wasn't fair!

More tears flooded her eyes and she pushed them away as she focused on her task. Surprisingly, the back wall of the cuartel seemed to be unguarded. But she wasn't a fool. While this group of men wasn't completely trained, they weren't idiots either. For all she knew, they could be luring her into a sense of false security and this was all a ploy to trap her.

Keeping that in mind, she continued to stick to the shadows until she found a place to climb up. Urging Wraith to remain still, she cautiously climbed on top of her saddle. Maintaining her balance, she climbed up onto the posts sticking out of the wall like she had so many times before.

Peering over the edge of the roof, she quickly ducked back down when she spotted the number of men who were posted up on the stable roof. There were far too many for her to fight off without drawing the attention of everyone else. She needed to get to a higher point to gain an advantage and work her way farther down.

With a wave of her arm, she urged Wraith to hide. Then, on light feet, she used the posts sticking out of the wall to silently travel toward the barracks. Its roof was the highest in the entire garrison.

She climbed and climbed until she reached the top. Two men had been posted up there; both carried guns. One had slung his weapon upon his shoulder as he paced from one side to the other, but never toward the back wall. The other had perched himself on the edge of the roof, his feet dangling below him while he cradled his weapon in his lap.

She waited until the first had turned away from the left side of the building before quickly climbing up and approaching him from behind. She knocked him over the head with the butt of her own pistol and he fell into a heap at her feet. The other was none the wiser as she rolled his companion off of the side of the building where, to his luck, a large pile of hay had been stacked. He would live, though he would likely end up with a few broken bones.

She picked up the musket of the man she had already disposed of and tested its weight in her hands. It was certainly heavy enough to do a great deal of damage. As she crept up behind her next target, she took in just how eerily quiet the garrison felt. Yes, she could still hear the ruckus happening in the plaza, but with the number of men standing guard inside these gates, it was as if they were waiting for something.

It took her a moment to realize what they could be waiting for. But it was this moment. They were waiting for her and Zorro to make their move. As she used the gun to cut off the other man's air supply, she sent up a silent prayer to whoever was listening that their plan would succeed.

A heavy weight settled against her legs as her victim fell unconscious. She knelt down beside him to make certain that he was still breathing and was pleased when she found that he was.

She then peered across the garrison to the roof of the Comandante's office. She watched as Zorro took out the men posted up there as well and silently waited for her signal.

Taking in a deep, calming breath, she pulled out her pistol again. She felt the heavy weight of it in her hand and told herself that there was no going back now.

Releasing her breath, she stood tall as she lifted her arm into the air. Sending up one final prayer, she squeezed the trigger.