Chapter 9

Alejandro and Victoria sat slumped together on a bench outside of the cabin, while two of Mendoza's lancers prepared Diego's body for the ride home. Don Alejandro was grateful that the soldiers had taken a few minutes to construct a travois, at Mendoza's instructions. He didn't think he could have stood to see his son's body draped over a horse's back like so many bodies were transported. Obviously, Mendoza felt the same about his friend.

"Don Alejandro, Senorita Escalante," Mendoza knelt in front of them and spoke softly. "I think we're ready to leave. We'll be going past the field where the battle was. Some of my men are still there. So are the banditos' horses. You can ride a couple of them the rest of the way home. You'll have to ride double with some of my men until we get there, though."

"Gracias, Sergeant." Alejandro's voice was flat, emotionless. When he looked up to meet Mendoza's eyes, though, his lips tightened and his expression hardened.

"Mendoza, Diego died because Ignacio de Soto hired a bunch of known killers to hunt down Zorro, and he gave them free rein to do whatever they wanted to do to get the information they needed. When we get back to Los Angeles, I'm calling him out."

The sergeant frowned, and stood up. "I knew the Alcalde had hired some bounty hunters to search for Zorro, but I didn't know their names until yesterday, when we found out you were missing. Don Alejandro, believe me, the alcalde did NOT know these men were wanted killers. He wasn't in Los Angeles yet when they were terrorizing the pueblo six years ago. He truly thought they were legitimate bounty hunters. As soon as I told him what kind of men they were, and he realized that he had put your lives into such danger, he ordered out search patrols. We've been hunting for you nonstop since then."

"That doesn't change the fact that ultimately, he's the one responsible for Diego's death." Mendoza had never heard Don Alejandro de la Vega's voice so full of hatred for anyone before. "I'm going to kill him."

"Uh, Don Alejandro, I'm afraid you can't…."

"Don't try to stop me, Sergeant!" Alejandro's eyes were flashing and his fists were clenched so tightly his nails were almost cutting into his palms.

"That's not what I meant, Senor!"

Mendoza stood at attention and took a deep breath before continuing. "The alcalde was leading the patrol this morning when we met the Ramiro gang. He was caught in the crossfire during the fight. Don Alejandro, Alcalde de Soto is already dead. That is why we have to detour past the battle site. By now, the soldiers who remained there will have the banditos' bodies buried, and the alcalde's body ready to take home."

Mendoza reached out and gripped Don Alejandro's shoulder. "The alcalde wanted Zorro captured or dead, Senor, and he would have done almost anything to accomplish that. But I saw the look on his face when he found out what kind of men he'd hired to do that job. He had no idea they were the kind of men who enjoy inflicting pain for fun, or that they already had a personal grudge against your family.

"No matter how guilty he was of starting this, he did not expect or want it to end in Diego's death. And he died trying to prevent that outcome."

Don Alejandro's eyes had widened at the news that the alcalde was dead. He stood quietly, staring at Mendoza for several seconds as the hatred in his expression gradually calmed to a profound sadness. He bowed his head, nodded slightly, then turned on his heel and headed for the horses. Victoria, seemingly in shock, tears again streaming down her face, followed with Mendoza's arm supporting her. Surely she isn't crying for the alcalde, now!

The ride home was long and slow. Due to the bodies being transported, they had to travel at a walk for the entire trip. Mendoza suggested that he, Don Alejandro, Senorita Victoria, and a couple of the lancers ride on ahead, but both Alejandro and Victoria refused to leave Diego.

The ride was also extremely quiet. Victoria hadn't spoken a word for over three hours. Alejandro was worried about her. She seemed to be in a daze, which was understandable, but there was something else going on, too. She kept looking at him very strangely. Two or three times she acted as if she was going to say something to him, but stopped herself.

"Victoria, are you ok? If you want, we can ask Sergeant Mendoza to stop for a break."

"No, Don Alejandro. Thank you, but I just want to get home. I…I just can't believe…." She pulled her mount to a stop, facing Diego's father. "I've been thinking about Diego, and how little attention I really paid to him over the years. He's…he was…always there for me whenever I needed a friend. Any time I had something bothering me, I'd turn around, and he'd be there, noticing, ready to talk or just to listen. He never made any advances to me. Dios! He'd rarely even look me in the face for more than a few seconds at a time. I teased him all the time about being so timid and shy. I knew he was attracted to me, but I never realized how much, and I see now how difficult it must have been for him to….

"He loved me so much more than I realized, Don Alejandro. He was always doing something for me, always watching over me, and I never even thought twice about it. He was just…Diego. Now that I know…." She stopped, her shoulders drooping, her whole face haunted as she peered at Don Alejandro.

"Zorro…Zorro always told me he was afraid to let me see his face, and not just because of the danger involved in knowing his identity. Can you imagine Zorro admitting to being afraid of anything? He always said he was afraid I was so in love with the masked hero that I'd never be able to love the ordinary man behind the mask.

"I laughed at him for being afraid, Don Alejandro. I told him I'd love him, whoever he was behind that mask.

"You know, Zorro once told me I should marry someone else: 'someone safe, like Diego'. I laughed at that idea, too. I understand, now, why he was so afraid.

"I was so in love with Zorro, the brave, dashing, romantic hero, that I never let myself even consider Diego as a potential suitor, even though I knew he would have jumped at the chance if I'd given him the slightest hope of success."

Don Alejandro suddenly realized that the lancers' horses were disappearing around a bend in the road. He reached over and squeezed Victoria's hand, then waved for her to ride on. They kicked their horses into a canter for a minute until they caught up with the soldiers. Alejandro used this time to consider his reply.

When they had caught up to the others and pulled their horses back to a walk, Alejandro spoke.

"Victoria, I think there are very few men who would ever have the courage to attempt to win Zorro's sweetheart away from him. I certainly can't picture Diego doing it. As for Zorro's own fears…."

Don Alejandro let a small, wry hint of a smile cross his features. "I'm afraid we're all guilty of thinking of Zorro as somewhat more than human. I don't believe anyone else would ever describe the man who wears Zorro's mask as 'ordinary', but if I were Zorro, well….

"A man in love can usually recognize a rival for his beloved's affection, even if no one else notices. You've known Diego all your life. Zorro is aware of that, and aware that you and Diego are…." He paused, swallowed, and corrected himself, "were…close friends for most of that time. I suspect he has spent a lot of hours, and probably had a lot of nightmares, too, about telling you who he is behind that mask, and having you react to him the same way he saw you reacting to his 'ordinary' rival.

"As much as I would have loved having you as a daughter-in-law, Victoria, I can admit that if I had thought you had to make a choice between Diego and El Zorro, I would not have bet on my son's chances at winning your heart."

O Dios! I guess that wasn't the right thing to say. She's crying again! She must be absolutely devastated by Diego's death. Oh, Son, if only you had let her know how you felt about her.

Mierda! She's giving me that look again. I wish to goodness I knew what it meant!

"You really had no idea what Diego was doing, did you, Don Alejandro?"

"Doing? Doing with WHAT?" Alejandro shoved his hand through his hair in frustration, leaving it sticking out in all directions. "Victoria, this is the second time you've insinuated that Diego was doing something I know nothing about. I know that, before he died, there was something bothering him. He was afraid of something he might have said when he was feverish. He tried to apologize for lying to me about it, but he never said what it was! I have a lot of trouble believing my son was lying to me about anything…well, obviously, he never told me he was in love with you…but surely that's not what he was talking about. Would you please tell me what is going on? Obviously, you know more about it than I do!"

He watched Victoria bite her lip, look down, then back up at him. She glanced ahead for a second, straightened in her saddle, then turned back to him.

"I hope you'll understand everything before the evening is over, Don Alejandro. If it helps at all, I didn't know either. And I still don't know it all. Right now, though, I think we have a more pressing problem." She pointed ahead to the upcoming curve in the road. "We're almost back to the hacienda."

O Dios! Felipe! Santa Maria, Madre de Dios, please help me.

As the road curved around the outcropping of rocks that had hidden the hacienda from view, Alejandro saw a slender figure dart out the gate, running full speed toward them. He took a deep breath, crossed himself, kicked his horse into a canter and rode to meet his adopted grandson. As they drew closer together, he could see Felipe's anxiety as he looked past Don Alejandro, searching for his father's figure on one of the horses, flinching as he saw the body of the alcalde draped over one of them, then paling at the sight of the travois with another blanket-wrapped body on it.

Alejandro reined his horse to a stop and stiffly dismounted. Still holding the horse's reins in one hand, he continued to walk toward Felipe. Felipe skidded to a stop, his eyes widening and his face going dead white as he took in Don Alejandro's bleak, tear-streaked countenance. Alejandro dropped the reins, and reached out trembling hands to take Felipe by the shoulders and draw him into a hug, but Felipe backed away, shaking his head.

As Alejandro reached for him again, Felipe's stricken gaze turned toward him, and he almost fell into his grandfather's arms. Alejandro listened to the young man's heartbroken sobs, then froze as he realized he was hearing something else along with the sobs.

"NOOOOOOOO!"