Diego entered the house, making his way towards the kitchen. "Maria? Maria? Is there anybody here?" He shouted, then stopped in his tracks as he opened the door and found himself face-to-face with a baffled Mendoza, a chicken wing in his hands.
The lancer looked at him with wide eyes and they were both silent for a few moments.
"Buen provecho, Sergeant!" Diego uttered, inwardly wondering where Perez was.
"Gracias, Don Diego!" The man said sadly.
"May I ask what are you doing here? And where is everyone?"
"I… I am here to arrest you!" Mendoza answered standing up.
"Arrest me?"
"I'm sorry, Don Diego, but it's the Alcalde's order. Perez and I have been instructed to remain at the hacienda and arrest you on the spot upon your return."
"I see… and why, may I ask?" The caballero inquired, feigning confusion.
"He… He said you had joined the rebels and there's a price on your head. Is that true, Don Diego?"
"Well… Yes and no Sergeant. Well… the order of those facts might differ slightly. But is that all he told you?"
"Si, Don Diego." The man said resigned at hearing the caballero's confession, taking out some rope and staring doubtfully at it.
"Before you do your duty, may I ask why the house seems to be empty? Where are all the servants and Felipe?" Diego inquired.
"In jail. The Alcalde had them all arrested the very night he arrived back. He says they are all your accomplices and plans to hang them. He intends to hang you, as well, Don Diego… He said it was not very probable that you returned here, but we should keep watch just in case you do… or if your father returns."
"Let me guess, Sergeant! He's also to be taken to jail."
"Si… Si, Don Diego, but…"
"And how did our esteemed Alcalde justify arresting my father?"
"He said he's a traitor by association… Because… Because he raised one…" Mendoza answered.
"I see. So, although he knows he's innocent, he's still planning to imprison and, most likely, execute him. Ignacio will never learn, will he?" The caballero muttered.
"Don Diego, please leave, por Dios! I will not tell anyone you've been here, just hurry and leave Los Angeles. I don't want to hang you!" Mendoza begged the caballero.
Diego grinned at his friends. "I don't want you to hang me either, Sergeant, just as I don't want any –"
Their discussion was interrupted by Perez, who made his way into the kitchen, this time carrying a small basket of dried meats and cheeses he had taken from the hacienda's pantry.
The man took a good look at Diego and seemed, for a while, to be doubting what to do with the basket in his arms, then slowly put it down and just stood there, staring. "Don Diego… Shouldn't we arrest him, Sergeant?" He asked his superior.
"Yes, Perez… But…".
"Sergeant, would this make any difference in your view?" The caballero asked producing the pardon the Governor had signed.
The lancer took the rolled out document and opened it to read it.
"The Governor offered you a pardon? That means I don't have to hang you!" Mendoza happily said. "Unfortunately, I still have to hang the rest…" He then added sadly.
"I doubt that, Sergeant! After all, if I was declared innocent, why would they still be considered guilty of anything?"
"That is true, Don Diego… But you know the Alcalde. Once he makes a decision…" Mendoza uttered. "And he was pretty decided to hang you and all the others. If only Zorro was still alive! He'd surely change the Alcalde's mind."
"Indeed, Sergeant…" Diego confirmed pensively. "But, perhaps, if we go to the pueblo together, I might be able to make the Alcalde see reason!"
"That would be good, Don Diego!" Mendoza uttered. "But I'm not sure you'll be able to convince him."
"Ignacio is an intelligent man. He surely won't go against the will of the Governor. If he finds out I was pardoned, he will surely change his mind." The caballero pointed out. "And I need to do something to save my son and the people working for my family."
"Si, Don Diego," the Sergeant agreed, "but wouldn't it be better if only I went to the pueblo alone while you remained here with Perez? I could tell the Alcalde that you have been pardoned…"
"The only thing that would achieve would be to get you in trouble. If you have orders to arrest me and you go back to the pueblo with news of my return but without me, De Soto will not only refuse to listen to you, but he might put you in one of the cells, together with Felipe and our men."
"That is also true, Don Diego." Mendoza uttered pensively. "But if we go together and he doesn't listen to you, I might have to hang you!"
"That won't happen, Sergeant! You'll see!" The caballero assured him and the two men reluctantly agree to accompany him to Los Angeles.
ZZZ
Ignacio de Soto was in his office when Sepulveda hurried inside to inform him that Sergeant Mendoza and Corporal Perez were coming to the pueblo with Don Diego de la Vega. The Alcalde almost jumped up at hearing those words and hurried to exist to the plaza, then frowned at seeing that the caballero was not tied up as he had expected.
A small crowd of curious bystanders gathered before the tavern as soon as the news spread that the De la Vega heir had returned.
The caballero dismounted calmly and headed towards his former schoolmate. "Ignacio, I demand that you release my son, as well as our vaqueros and servants!" He said instead of 'hello'.
"Demand? You can't demand anything, De la Vega! You are under arrest!" The white-haired man replied with a wide grin.
"But, Alcalde, he has an official pardon signed by the Governor!" Mendoza informed him.
"A pardon?" De Soto puffed. "What pardon?"
"This one!" Diego replied, offering him the document bearing the high ranking official's signature and seal.
De Soto read it with wide eyes, then ripped it apart to everyone's dismay. "You were gravely mistaken if you thought this piece of paper would save your life!"
"But… But Alcalde, that was an official pardon…" Mendoza uttered in disbelief.
"That pardon only applies to the accusation of him having joined the rebels. I heard Don Alejandro made a very convincing case in his son's favor." De Soto uttered, addressing Mendoza. "But I doubt he told the Governor the truth about your previous illegal activities, Señor." He then stated, as his attention turned towards the caballero. "See, Sergeant, I'm not arresting Don Diego for being a rebel. I'm arresting him for being Zorro!"
"Zorro?" Mendoza exclaimed, his confusion mirrored by those around him and the people watching the events unfold.
"Me? Zorro? Ignacio, we both know that's quite a stretch…" Diego answered with a disbelieving grin.
"You can't fool me anymore, De la Vega! I am no longer blind! I can see you for who you truly are, Señor!" Ignacio said self-confidently.
"Can you?" The caballero wondered.
"Alcalde, but Zorro died over three months ago, remember?" Mendoza asked in an attempt to save his friend.
"That was just another trick, Sergeant! Were you tired of your masquerade, Señor, and thought you could fool everyone into believing you were dead so that you could escape justice for your crimes?" De Soto again addressed his former schoolmate. "Well, your plan failed! And you will pay with your life!"
"You are committing a mistake, Ignacio." Diego pointed out.
De Soto chuckled maliciously. "You were the one to commit a mistake this time. The day you left Los Angeles to prevent the taverness from marrying Lieutenant Ortiz, you sealed your fate. Now, Mendoza, arrest him and prepare the gallows! Today we rid Los Angeles of this fiend!" De Soto ordered.
The Sergeant reluctantly obeyed and accompanied his friend to the jail, nobody even wondering why Diego wasn't posing any resistance, since no one, except the Alcalde, believed that the De la Vega heir was indeed Los Angeles' masked defender.
ZZZ
In the meantime, Don Alejandro, dressed as a monk, had made his way towards the pueblo's church. Padre Benitez was just about to retire for his siesta when the disguised caballero entered through the building's back door and headed towards him.
"I am Padre Benitez, Brother. What brings you to Los Angeles?" The man inquired.
"I am here to ask you for a favor, Padre!" Don Alejandro uttered and the other man easily recognized his voice, looking at him in surprise.
"Don Alejandro?" The padre asked in disbelief as the face of the man was foreign to him. When the don nodded, he glanced around to make sure they were not being observed, then signed for the caballero to accompany him to his quarters. "We can talk here without the fear of being overheard." He said.
"My son is about to be arrested by the Alcalde." The don stated. "It is all part of his plan, but I need your help to save him."
"Don Diego returned? I see… And… how can I help?" The padre asked.
"All I need you to do is tell your men that I am a padre from Capistrano and I brought you an urgent order to head that way, leaving me in charge, then leave the pueblo. I'll do the rest." Don Alejandro uttered.
"You ask me to lie."
"I ask you to help me save my son's life."
Padre Benitez nodded pensively. "Stay here," he said as he went to inform his men that a messenger had arrived and he was due to leave for a few days.
ZZZ
The people were just re-entering the tavern, all discussing the surprising events having just taken place in the plaza when two newcomers entered the establishment. They were both slender and wore big beards which somewhat clashed with their caballero suits. People granted them little attention, not even Pilar recognizing her employer disguised as one of the two men to whom she hurriedly served lunch. De Soto didn't even notice them as he entered the tavern a while later, demanding to be served a bottle of champagne, and refusing to listen to the pleas of those present there as many dons gathered around him in an effort to make him change his mind about hanging the young De la Vega without any conclusive proof of guilt.
