Chapter 4: Ken becomes Zorro
(Rita rides over to the de la Vega hacienda accompanied by Captain Garcia's troop)
Ken: Hey, Ms. White! (Rides up to them)
Captain Garcia: Well, this is it, Ms. White, the De La Vega rancho. The de la Vegas were the Wealthiest landowners in Spanish California. Ken's late grandfather, Don Diego, and my grandfather were both very good friends.
Ken: That's right. My grandfather's been gone for a few years, but my grandmother's still looking after the rancho.
Rita: I hope your grandmother will allow us to run the telegraph line through her land as you said.
Ken: I'm sure she will.
Captain Garcia: Well, my men and I better head back to the fort. Good day, you 2.
Ken: Good day, Demetrio.
Rita: Captain.
Captain Garcia: To the rear by 2s, ho! (Rides down the hill with his men following behind as Ken and Rita ride up to the gate as an elderly peon enters through the gate)
Joaquin: Welcome home, Senor Ken!
Ken: Joaquin, it's good to see you! (Shakes the elder peon's hand) How's my grandmother, have you been taking care of her?
Joaquin: We have tried, Senor Ken.
Ken: Joaquin, this is Rita White. She and her father run the Telegraph Line I'm working for. Show her to the patio. (Walks into the gate)
Joaquin: Si, Patron.
Ken: (Walks into the patio of the hacienda and sees his grandmother sitting under the large tree and she sees him and walks over) Grandma. (They both hug each other)
Dona Anna Maria: Ken, my child. It fills my heart to see you again. Your grandfather and I send a boy to the East and a man returns. Dear, I have many things to tell you, but-(Sees Rita making her entrance) Who is this?
Ken: Grandma, this is Rita White, she and her father are the ones who hired me as an engineer for their telegraph line. Miss White, my grandmother, Dona Anna Maria de la Vega.
Rita: How do you do, Senora de la Vega?
Dona Anna Maria: Charmed, I'm sure, senorita.
Ken: Grandma. (Whispers in her ear) Where's Moccasin?
Dona Anna Maria: Oh. (Whispers in his ear) He's in the old cave. You know how to get there. (Turns to Joaquin) Joaquin, bring some refreshments for our guest, por favor.
Joaquin: Si, Senora.
Ken: If you'll excuse me, Ms. White, I have some things to do upstairs. (Heads upstairs to his old bedroom)
Dona Anna Maria: (Sits down with Rita) Ken reminds me a lot of his grandfather. I'm sure Diego would have loved meeting you, my dear.
Rita: He never mentioned anything of how he spent his time here.
Dona Anna Maria: Well, Ken's parents, my daughter and her American husband, were killed by bandits when he was very young and my husband and I took him in shortly after. He and his grandfather were so close. He also told me about how some of the land should work as a route for the line. I only hope your telegraph would be able to help out in bringing law and order back to Los Angeles.
Rita: What do you mean?
Dona Anna Maria: Well, have you heard of the masked bandito who called himself El Zorro, The Fox?
Rita: The champion of the people. He seems to be a sort of Robin Hood to the people of Old California.
Dona Anna Maria: Si, he was. Right now, I just hope for him to return and help all of the people around here. The rancheros are being taxed out of existence. Those who cannot pay are imprisoned. Outlaws and renegade Indians have somehow driven out the settlers.
Rita: George Crane told me about that. I don't know if you had heard, but my father had been wounded during an Indian attack on our way here, and even worse, he had been arrested for treason.
Dona Anna Maria: I have heard about that, but I am sure it will all work out for you and your father in the end, my dear.
Rita: Gracias, Senora de la Vega. (Cuts to Ken standing outside his bedroom door hearing everything)
Ken: I plan to do something about it for you. (He walks into the bedroom and puts his hand on the left corner of the fireplace, where a door opens like magic revealing a secret passage and he goes into a small room leading to a staircase, which he climbs down into holding a lantern he had lit up when he entered the room, as Ken wonders through the passageway, we listen to his thoughts of an event from his childhood)
Voice of Don Diego: There's something I have been wanting to show you, Ken.
Voice of Ken as a young boy: What is it, Grandpa?
Voice of Don Diego: This is something I discovered quite by accident when I was just about your age. (Ken continues going through the passage until he enters a cave where a black stallion is eating hay in his stall, he walks around until a gunshot echoes with the bullet hitting the wall above his head, he jumps and draws his 6-gun and another man comes out from behind the horse's stall holding a rifle laughing)
Ken: Moccasin!
Moccasin: Hey, amigo! (Continues laughing as they shake hands)
Ken: Am I glad to see you! I came as soon as I could.
Moccasin: It's great to be together again.
Ken: It's been a long time, Moccasin. This cave holds many memories. (Looks at the wall and finds an antique rapier) My grandpa's sword. (Draws it and fences with Moccasin, who loses his own sword)
Moccasin: Touche. (As Moccasin puts the sword in its scabbard, Ken notices the black horse in the stall)
Ken: Even that horse looks familiar. Surely, it couldn't be Tornado.
Moccasin: (Laughs) No. He's descended from Tornado. Just like you are descended from the great and noble Don Diego de la Vega. He would be proud to see his grandson ride in defense of his homeland.
Ken: That's why I came back, Moccasin. To avenge the murders of innocent people, find the renegades who wrecked my home.
Moccasin: And mine.
Ken: Who are they?
Moccasin: There are many bandits here, Ken. Your grandmother and I have wrote you all we know. There's only 1 thing I kept from you.
Ken: What's that? (Moccasin turns around and pulls out a black shirt, pants, cape and hat from an old trunk)
Moccasin: Your grandpa, Don Diego, wore this to become known and feared among tyrants and bandits as El Zorro, The Fox.
Ken: And your grandpa, Bernardo, helped him. (Moccasin nods in agreement) It was he who saddled Tornado in this cave each time it's necessary for Zorro to ride.
Moccasin: In that stall stands another Tornado, ready and waiting for you.
Ken: (Looks at the Zorro mask and makes a decision) You know something? I'll ride as my grandfather rode. I'll become the living Ghost of Zorro and drive these renegades from the land. We'll work together, Moccasin, just as our grandfathers did. Wait here until Zorro needs you.
Moccasin: Buenos Suerte, Amigo, good luck.
Ken: Adios, Moccasin. (Comes back to the bedroom, then hears the door knocking and answers to see his grandmother) Grandma, what is it?
Dona Anna Maria: It's Senorita White, dear. A messenger came by with disturbing news. Her father is about to be hanged for treason.
Ken: What?
Dona Anna Maria: Rita was so upset, she had gone back to her camp and arm up her construction crew to stop the execution.
Ken: When's it supposed to be?
Dona Anna Maria: First thing tomorrow morning.
Ken: Follow me. (They both walk towards the passageway entrance as Ken touches the same spot as before, cuts to Moccasin seeing them as he drops a rake to add more hay into Tornado's trough and Ken begins changing his clothes) Moccasin, it's necessary for Zorro to ride. Mr. White's going to be hanged for treason in the morning, and his daughter is going to arm her men to try to stop them.
Moccasin: They might be killed if they do!
Ken: Quickly, saddle Tornado! (Cuts to Ken fully dressed in his grandfather's Zorro disguise as he puts on the mask while looking at a mirror)
Dona Anna Maria: (Walks up as her grandson turns around) For a moment, I thought I was looking at your grandfather.
Zorro: (Pulls her into a hug) I know I'm gonna make him proud.
Dona Anna Maria: Good luck, Senor Zorro. (Ken climbs onto Tornado while Moccasin hands him the reins)
Moccasin: I'll meet you in town with an extra horse for Senor White. Vamos, Tornado!
Zorro: Hyah! (The masked man and horse ride through the hills, cuts back to Los Angeles as Captain Garcia and his troop enter and Colonel Martin exits his office)
Colonel Martin: Captain Garcia.
Captain Garcia: (Salutes the Colonel) Yes, sir.
Colonel Martin: Bar the gate and dismiss the guard, leave 1 patrol saddle. After final inspection, report to me.
Captain Garcia: Very good, sir. (Salutes again and walks to the gate as the Colonel salutes back and looks at Mr. White at his cell in the guardhouse wearing chains on his wrists) Bar the gate. (Colonel Martin then walk into his office where Crane and Kilgore are waiting)
Kilgore: How long must we wait?
Mr. Crane: Half an hour or so. By then, everyone will be asleep.
Colonel Martin: Suppose something goes wrong?
Mr. Crane: Oh, you act like a woman than an Army officer. What could go wrong? (The Colonel is about to pace till Crane stops him) And stop pacing about. You'll make us nervous.
Colonel Martin: Here, you 2 wait in my quarters till Garcia reports.
Kilgore: Fine, and don't worry!
(Zorro rides up along the fort's wall with an extra horse for Mr. White, then climbs up over the wall and over the stable roof to see Captain Garcia making his inspection, then Zorro sneaks down into the stable and loosens the saddles on the horses, cuts to Captain Garcia entering Colonel Martin's office and salutes)
Captain Garcia: All prisoners accounted for, Colonel.
Colonel Martin: Is the prisoner, White, secure? He's a dangerous man, Captain, one of much cunning.
Captain Garcia: I, myself, have just examine his cell.
Colonel Martin: Excellent! I'll mention you in this report, Garcia!
Captain Garcia: Thank you, Colonel!
Colonel Martin: You may turn in now, Captain, and relieve your keys on the desk.
Captain Garcia: (Salutes before leaving the office for his quarters) Thank you, sir! (Cuts to Zorro as he sneaks up to Mr. White's cell)
Zorro: (Whispering) Senor White.
Mr. White: (Notices Zorro, whispering) Who are you?
Zorro: A friend. I've come to help you.
Mr. White: How can you help me? I'm chained like an animal.
Zorro: Who has the keys?
Mr. White: Captain Garcia.
Zorro: Then, I will relieve him of them. (Cuts to Kilgore, Crane, and Colonel Martin in Kilgore's office)
Mr. Crane: Now, in a a little while, Kilgore will take the keys and release the prisoner.
Colonel Martin: What if he suspects something?
Kilgore: You're an Army officer. When I remove the chains, I'll tell him there's been a mistake. When we cross the courtyard, I'll give the alarm.
Mr. Cranes: (Reveals a 6-gun) And I'll be waiting right here. You should put that in your report. "Fugitive shot while attempting to escape." (Cuts to Captain Garcia in his living quarters pulling his boots off as Zorro sneaks in)
Captain Garcia: (Singing) La-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la (Grunts as he pulls his boot off)
La-la-(Stops as he feels the tip of Zorro's sword on his back)
Zorro: The slightest sound will be your last.
Captain Garcia: What do you want from me?
Zorro: The keys.
Captain Garcia: Keys?
Zorro: The cell door and the prisoner's chains.
Captain Garcia: Colonel Martin has the keys. I gave them to him no more than 5 minutes ago.
Zorro: Get up. Go to the corner. (The captain does what he's told and once he's in the corner, Zorro puts a large sack over his head and points the captain's saber at his back)
Captain Garcia: You're not gonna kill me, are you?
Zorro: Not unless you move. I'll be standing right behind you. (The captain nods as Zorro sneaks out of his quarters, as Zorro's about to come up to the door to Colonel Martin's office, he hides as the door opens with Kilgore exiting and walking across to Mr. White's cell)
Kilgore: I have good news for you, Mr. White. I've come to set you free.
Mr. White: (Stands up as Kilgore takes the chains off his wrists) Why are you releasing me now? You're the one who signed the complaint against me.
Kilgore: The Colonel just discovered that the charges against you are false.
Zorro: (Comes up to Kilgore with his sword out) Gracias, Senor Kilgore, you have most kindly solved the problem for us. (Kilgore is about to call out before Zorro points his sword further) I advise you to make no outcry. Senor White, I don't trust this man. Chain him to the bars. (Cuts to Colonel Martin and Crane waiting in the Colonel's office, then back to Zorro, Mr. White and Kilgore at the guardhouse) Now, close his mouth. (Mr. White then pulls out a bandana in Kilgore's coat pocket and wraps it around his mouth to gag him, goes back to Crane and Colonel Martin still waiting and back to Zorro, Mr. White, and Kilgore) Now, it's best to take our leave over the wall. There's a horse by the tree.
Mr. White: Senor, who are you?
Zorro: A friend of the people. Perhaps you've heard of me doing this. (Turns to the cell wall and carves a "Z" with his sword)
Mr. White: Zorro.
Zorro: At your service, Senor White. Come, let's go. (Puts his sword back in its scabbard and they exit the cell as Crane and Colonel Martin are still waiting in the Colonel's office)
Colonel Martin: I don't like this. (Opens the door with Crane following and they see Zorro and Mr. White) A masked man! (Crane draws his gun and fires, but misses)
Zorro: Escape while you can! (Draws his sword as Colonel Martin does the same and they both start fencing)
Colonel Martin: Captain Garcia! (Cuts to Captain Garcia still in the corner) Garcia! (Back to Zorro and Colonel Martin fencing)
Zorro: Yeah!
Colonel Martin: Captain Garcia! (Captain Garcia hears the Colonel calling for him and stumbles slightly into the cabinet in his quarters, stops and puts his hands up)
Captain Garcia: Hey, who turned out the lights? (Tries to feel around the room before finally removing the sack and quickly grabs his saber, cuts back to Colonel Martin and Zorro still fencing until the masked man ducks and the Colonel's sword gets stuck in the door leading to a storage room)
Zorro: (Grabs Crane and moves next to the Colonel and points his sword at the Colonel's chest and locks them up with Kilgore) Beautiful coupe to the wall. You must show me that again, Colonel. Now, would you and Senor Crane please get inside the cell?
Captain Garcia: (Runs over) Bugler, call "To Arms!" Colonel Martin is in danger! (Turns a corner to see Zorro and they both start fencing)
Colonel Martin: (Removes Kilgore's gag) Who is that masked terrorist?!
Kilgore: I don't know, but I've heard of him. He calls himself "Zorro." Look! (Gestures towards the "Z" on the wall)
Colonel Martin: Zorro? The Fox! (Zorro and Captain Garcia continue fencing till the captain drops his saber) Garcia, you idiot, pick up your saber and fight!
Captain Garcia: (Gets backed up by Zorro as the masked man laughs mischievously) No, no, wait a minute, Mister.
Colonel Martin: Bugler, call "To Arms!" (The bugler calls "To Arms" as the other officers and enlisted men exit their quarters as Zorro backs Captain Garcia towards the water well)
Captain Garcia: Please, Mister, no, no.
Colonel Martin: Fight! (Captain Garcia screams as he falls into the well) Get your horses, you fools, they must not escape!
Captain Garcia: (Pops out of the well) To horse! To horse!
Colonel Martin: After them! (As the troops are about to leave on their horses, they fall off due to Zorro loosening their saddles earlier)
Captain Garcia: Open the gates! (Screaming as he falls into the well again, and Colonel Martin groans with his head on his forehead, cuts to Zorro meeting Mr. White in a grove of trees)
Zorro: Are you all right, Senor White?
Mr. White: I am. (They then hear hoofbeats, and look up to see some Indians riding by) That's the same band that wounded me. They must be heading towards our base camp.
Zorro: Come on! (They both ride away, cuts to Rita in her tent loading a repeater)
Rita: I hope we'll get there in time to prevent my father's hanging. (Exits her tent as Hodge runs over)
Hodge: Indians! Indians!
Rita: Get your rifles, men!
Hodge: What about your father, Ms. White?
Rita: We'll have to see after we fight them off. (The Indians stop a couple hundred yards from the camp and then charge while making war cries riding around the camp as they and the telegraph crew shoot at each other with repeaters and bows and arrows as Zorro and Mr. White continue riding)
Hodge: (Sees Zorro and Mr. White) Ms. White, there's your father with a masked man! (Zorro and Mr. White then ride in) I wonder who it is.
Rita: I don't know, but he's on our side. (Mr. White fires a couple shots with his 6-gun while Zorro cracks his bullwhip throwing a brave off his horse, Zorro then fights a brave in a wagon containing gunpowder, as the brave is run through by Zorro's sword, he accidentally starts up the powder from a torch in his other hand, Zorro then jumps out of the wagon just in time before it blows up, he sees the Indians riding away and he whistles for Tornado)
Mr. White: (Rides over to Rita and Hodge and climbs off his horse) Rita!
Rita: Dad! (They hug each other) Oh, I heard about you being hanged and wanted to bring the men to the fort and rescue you, but the Indians got here.
Mr. White: Well, you can't take the law into your own hands, but I did have a little help escaping from the fort.
Zorro: (Rides over) I'm sorry about what's happened, but at least it drove off the Indians.
Rita: We're very grateful. Who are you?
Zorro: You may call me Zorro.
Hodge: Zorro? I've heard stories built around that name, but it happened before my time. And yours.
Zorro: Perhaps. But our enemies will soon learn that Zorro will never die. Senor White, it will not be safe for you here. You must go see the Governor in Sacramento. I'm sure he'll see that justice is upheld.
Mr. White: I will. I don't know who you are, Senor Zorro, but I owe you my life. I'll never forget this.
Zorro: (Draws his sword and carves a "Z" on the damaged wagon) Adios! (Rides up to the hill, Tornado rears as his rider waves to the telegraph crew and they wave back as Zorro disappears over the hill, then Captain Garcia and his troop are putting up wanted posters at the hotel across from the fort, the trooper who puts it up then turns to his commanding officer)
Trooper: Captain, we've been putting these posters up since dawn, but there's one thing I don't understand.
Captain Garcia: What do you not understand?
Trooper: The posters. What do they say?
Captain Garcia: Read it, you fool.
Trooper: I can't read.
Captain Garcia: Now, you know why you're a trooper and I'm a captain. It says, "Reward of $500 for the arrest of the traitor, John White. And also, $1000 will be paid for the capture, dead or alive, of the masked outlaw who calls himself Zorro."
Trooper: Oh, so that's what it says! Who's Zorro, Captain?
Captain Garcia: Well, if I knew who he is without his mask, I'd collect the reward! I'm glad that's done. (He then leads his men back to the fort walking their horses)
Trooper: (Runs up to Captain Garcia with another poster) Captain, there's still 1 more.
Captain Garcia: Why didn't you say so before, idiot?
Trooper: You didn't ask me, sir.
Captain Garcia: Well, put it on the fort wall. Lieutenant, rest the men up and then we must go through the hills to look for Zorro again.
Lieutenant Matheson: Yes, sir. (Cuts back to Colonel Martin's office at the fort where he's meeting with Crane and Kilgore)
Colonel Martin: Zorro, back after all these years. It's almost hard to believe.
Mr. Crane: Regardless, Rita White doesn't know anything about this Zorro hombre. Colonel, you find him. Tell him I'm the only law in Los Angeles and it's going to stay that way. If Zorro wants to hang around here, he'll have to see me.
Colonel Martin: I'll look him up.
Kilgore: Did Mason and Ms. White tell you what they plan to do next?
Mr. Crane: it seems Pioneer Telegraph can't go ahead until Rita White's registered a new map with a new route from the Land Commissioner in St. Joe, and that's their next move.
Kilgore: (Puffs out smoke from his cigar) If we grab the map before she gets to St. Joe, we can find the route they intend to use, and tie up the land ahead of them. That the idea?
Mr. Crane: Generally speaking, yes, but it's not quite that simple. Mason doesn't want Rita to make the trip alone and he doesn't want to use his men for an escort, afraid that the supplies and equipment will be destroyed while they're away.
Colonel Martin: So?
Mr. Crane: And that's where their old friend, Crane, came in. I suggested to Mason that he'd ride up to Santa Susana Pass since Captain Garcia and his troop are to pass through there tomorrow while looking for Zorro and Mr. White. They'd be glad to furnish an escort to help out the telegraph.
Kilgore: Now, wait a minute, Crane, if you think I'm going to buck the United States Cavalry, you're crazy!
Colonel Martin: That goes for me, too! If Washington finds out, I may face a court-martial!
Mr. Crane: That won't be necessary. Where's Yellow Hawk?
Kilgore: He's waiting out on North Ridge. (Puts some ashes from his cigar into the fireplace and strokes the fire with a stick trying to form a smoke signal, cuts to one of Kilgore and Crane's henchman with the Indian renegade, Yellow Hawk, as the Indian looks into a telescope reading Kilgore's smoke signal)
Yellow Hawk: Mason...heading...north. Stop...him...for...few...hours. (Hands the telescope to the henchman)
Henchman: That oughta be easy. Let's ride. (Fades into the next chapter)
A/N: Ken already knew his grandfather, Don Diego, was Zorro since he told Ken the story when he was a boy as he will explain to Rita in a future chapter. From how Colonel Martin and Kilgore were surprised about Zorro ruining their plans, I wonder how they and Crane would put to next. Guess we'll have to see.