January 23rd, 1821/ Day 2

The first ray of sun hit his face like a punch. Diego woke up instantly, after an entire night of sleeping comfortably in his bed. With no bandits to chase and no wrongdoings by the Alcalde in almost a month, it seemed as if he was finally granted a chance to have a normal life. The kind of life that allows...

"That was a… vivid nightmare!" He murmured, checking his chest in search of an invisible wound, wondering if he was really still alive. Thank God it was not real! I must have fallen asleep at siesta and was probably more tired than I had thought. He told himself.

He got off his bed and checked what time it was, surprised to see it was barely six in the morning. He went to his closet and, after considering putting on one of his blue suits, he settled for a green one instead. He then headed for the kitchen to ask Maria for his breakfast to be served in the patio.

He drank his coffee and ate an omelet while reading the second half of Prometheus Unbound, by Shelly. By the time his father and Felipe joined him, he was about to finish his book.

"Good morning, Diego!" His father greeted, still surprised to see his son up so early in the morning, despite it being a scene that tended to repeat itself for over three weeks.

"Good morning, Father!" Diego replied. "Do you, by any chance, know if Felipe is up, yet?" Didn't I asked the same thing yesterday? He wondered as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

"Felipe? Yes, I saw him heading towards the library. What is it with you two and your fascination for that room, Diego? If I didn't know better, I could swear the boy is actually your son!"

"He is my son, Father. I have adopted him. And may I point out that a clever remark is only clever the first time, while the second time is mere repetition?" Diego replied.

"You know what I meant, Diego. And I assure you that I am not yet old enough to repeat myself." Replied Don Alejandro, confused about the point his son was trying to make.

"If you say so, Father" Diego accepted with a smirk and, noticing his adopted son entering the courtyard, he instinctively poured him a cup of coffee. "Good morning, Felipe! Did you sleep well?" He asked.

Felipe signaled that he had had a nightmare but he was ready for a new day.

"Another nightmare? You seem to have them a lot lately." He concluded, sure that his son had told him about having a nightmare the morning before.

"Is that one of your new books, Diego?" His father decided to let curiosity get the best of him.

"The same I was reading yesterday, Father" He answered. "I have just finished it."

"Already? Have you slept at all, Diego, or have you been reading all night again?" Don Alejandro asked. "I saw you bought over 30 new books on your visit to the port, yesterday. Yet, I must admit I was expecting you to stay up later reading them for a while, so I am only surprised you woke up so early today. Or have you not slept at all, yet?"

"I did sleep, Father. And I did not bought it yesterday, but the day before." Diego replied with a smile.

"No!" Protested Don Alejandro. "I am quite sure we had spent that day together and you did not buy any books"

"Father, I believe I know when I bought them." Diego answered.

"So do I, Son! Yesterday, in San Pedro". Don Alejandro informed him.

"I distinctly remember having read the first half of this book yesterday, when I was waiting for you and Felipe to join me for breakfast," Diego told him, sure he was right.

"No, you were reading something else, Diego! A book with red covers". Don Alejandro insisted.

"The Conquer of Gaule, you mean? By Caesar? No, I am pretty sure that's what I was re-reading the day before". Diego replied, wondering why was his father so determined to contradict him.

Giving up, Don Alejandro focused on his breakfast, turning the conversation on issues regarding the work needed to be done at the ranch. Diego became rather suspicious at the old don reiterating the same tasks he had mentioned the day before, but was already tired of pointing out to his father that he was repeating himself for some reason. A touch of senility? I certainly hope not! Diego thought before informing the old don that he would go to Los Angeles to print the Guardian.

"Isn't the paper due tomorrow?" Don Alejandro asked.

"I always publish it on Wednesdays, Father! You know that!" Diego retorted.

"Yes! So it is due tomorrow, since tomorrow is Wednesday!" His father agreed with his own previous statement.

"I really don't know what is it with you today, Father!" Diego stated, convinced it was Wednesday, 24th of January. "But I don't think I will stay and find out. Felipe, shall we?" He asked his son, while standing up and saying goodbye to Don Alejandro.

It was a quarter to 9 when they arrived in Los Angeles, heading directly for the tavern.

"Buenos dias, Senores!" Victoria greeted them as they neared the bar.

"Good morning, Victoria" Diego replied, happy to see her alive and well after what he thought had been just a vivid nightmare.

"Would you two like some lemonade? Victoria asked. "It is already very hot outside and Pilar is just preparing a new jar. Nice and fresh for my favorite customers!"

"I thought I was your favorite customer, Senorita Escalante." Sergeant Mendoza uttered from a table near the door, which he was sharing with the Alcalde.

"You certainly are my most faithful customer, Sergeant!" She replied with a charming smile. "Don Alejandro is not coming, Diego?" She asked, turning towards her favorite customer.

"No. He is catching up with some bookkeeping this morning." He answered, suddenly realizing they had a similar conversation the day before. How odd.

"You know, Don Diego," De Soto opened the conversation, just as Victoria brought the jar of fresh lemonade and two glasses "I always found that the best morning drink for true men is a nice glass of Port. Don't you agree, Sergeant?"

"Port is very nice, mi Alcalde!" Mendoza answered, more than happy to be consulted, and feeling certain he had the correct answer.

"To each his own, Alcalde!" Diego answered with a strong sensation of déjà vu.

"That is true." Accepted De Soto. "After all, men do come in all shapes and sizes. But don't worry, Diego! I am sure some fencing lessons..."

" ...from Sergeant Mendoza might go a long way to getting me started in the right direction and, since you are feeling rather generous, you might even throw in some lessons with yourself." Diego continued in a mechanical tone, as if he was quoting from memory.

"Yes...I...I was going to say just that!" Answered De Soto in astonishment, wondering how had the caballero just read his mind.

"I appreciate the offer, Ignacio." Diego replied. "But I don't believe I would make the right student for your talents".

"Suit yourself, Diego!" De Soto showed himself a little offended. "I just tried to be generous. Senorita, how long do we have to wait for our breakfast?" He continued, looking towards Victoria.

Something is very wrong here! Decided Diego, suddenly turning pale.

*What is wrong?* Felipe signed, seeing the blood draining from his father's face.

"I don't know! I just have a strange sensation that I had already lived this day, and it doesn't end well." He answered.

"Are you going to finish your work for tomorrow's edition of The Guardian, Diego?" Victoria inquired. "I hoped you would come in early, since I might want to make a few changes to my advise column". She whispered.

"Tomorrow's edition?" Diego questioned, suddenly realizing it might be him who was wrong about the date. "Yes, of course. Tomorrow is ...Wednesday?" He continued, not sure himself if that was a question or not.

"Yes, Diego! Of course tomorrow is Wednesday since today is Tuesday." She replied, barely containing a judgmental smile and headed back towards the kitchen to get her advice column, oblivious to her friend's awkward blank stare.

"Felipe" He uttered as she was a few steps away. "I had the strangest dream last night and, now, everything people say and do... is just like it was in my dream. Well, almost. But I do have a very bad feeling about this."

"Here it is, Diego!" Victoria handed him a sheet of paper, which he took instinctively but without paying any attention to it.

"I believe it is time for us to head to The Guardian." He said, his right hand firmly holding the paper but his eyes looking straight through a wall. "Thank you for the lemonade, Victoria! We will see you at lunchtime!" He added, silently getting up and heading towards the door, not even bothering to salute anyone.

"Si, Diego! Would you like any particular dish?" She asked as she realized something was clearly wrong with her friend.

"Anything will do fine, Victoria". He replied absent-mindedly, just as he exited the tavern.

He entered the office without a word, his adopted son following him, and sat at his desk while the younger man was looking at him in confusion.

"I am not so sure it was a dream, Felipe." He eventually told him, then started replying to his son's signals. "What was it about? It was about today. We went home after lunch, but I returned to the pueblo in order to talk to Victoria during the siesta. As Zorro. And, as I got here, she and some other people were being dragged out of the tavern, taken hostages by some outlaws. They shot her and she was lying there, dead in a pool of blood, and I could do nothing to prevent it."

Felipe signaled that it was just a bad dream.

"I had thought that, too. I dismissed it this morning as a nightmare brought upon by some deeply rooted fears I might have about not always being there for Victoria. But then, this morning, my father started saying the same things he said yesterday – not yesterday but in my dream -, and so did De Soto and Mendoza. It was like I was reliving my morning. There is something more here, and I know, deep down, that I need to protect Victoria." He concluded, while resting his head on his hands.

Felipe signaled a Z.

"I am not sure Zorro would be of much help, Felipe, and I would rather not leave Victoria alone this afternoon. I will try to come up with an excuse for her to leave the tavern, but I am not sure I can make her listen. I need a very good excuse. And I must make sure the lancers don't fire on the bandits. It is what started that whole mess in the first place. At least it was, in my...dream..."

Decided to have Victoria leave the tavern, just to make sure she was safe, Diego forged a note from his father, asking her to come to the hacienda at once. They then went for lunch at the tavern and, pretending he needed to send Felipe to the hacienda, Diego remained there, making small-talk with Mendoza.

The youngest De la Vega mounted his horse, headed north and, after getting a 10-minutes break by a stream, returned at full speed with the message for the taverness. Reading the note, she wasted no time and, after saddling her mare, she headed for the hacienda.

Meanwhile, Diego was keeping his eyes open. There were seven suspicious men sat at a table situated in a corner of the tavern. All the other patrons were people he knew.

"Do you know those men, Sergeant?" He asked, turning his gaze towards the new arrivals, as his friend was about to retire for the siesta.

"No, Don Diego!" He answered. "I am not even sure they paid the travelers' tax. Perhaps I should make sure of that."

"They look rather dangerous, Sergeant!" Diego decided to warn him. "And there are seven of them. Wouldn't it be better to have more lancers here, just in case of trouble?"

"Trouble, Don Diego? No, I don't think there will be any trouble with them! And I am an officer of the Royal Army! No one would dare raise a finger on me!" Mendoza replied, briefly standing up and heading towards the table, determined to finish the business fast and go to his quarters for a rest.

Diego did not stop him, since he was not sure as to how to do that exactly. I had a bad dream was certainly not a good argument. He just motioned to Felipe to head for the kitchen exit and stood up pretending to go to the bar. Moments later, however, as the thugs noticed Mendoza was heading towards them, at a sign from their leader, they all stood up and pointed their guns towards the Sergeant and, randomly, towards other patrons.

"If you don't want to die" the leader told Pilar, Victoria's helper, "you will give me all the money in this place, at once! Do you understand, woman?" He added while moving his gun between her and Diego who was standing close to her, next to the bar.

"Do what he asked, Pilar!" Diego counseled calmly while raising his hands. " Senores," he then added, addressing the bandits "no one needs to get hurt! We will do as you say!"

"Of course you will, if you know what's good for you!" The leader replied.

"Manuel!" A voice came from the kitchen. "Look what we have here!" He added, as he was pushing Felipe through the curtains, a gun held at his back. "He was trying to leave through the back door."

"He's my servant." Said Diego, his voice no longer calm, but assertive. "I had just sent him on an errand."

"Really?" Asked the leader, mockingly. "Well, senor, I am afraid he is no longer an errand boy. He is now our hostage!" Having a look around as the other members of the gang were finishing collecting all the money from the tavern and the remaining people, he made a sign for them to take two men and Pilar. "Have you taken all the money?" He asked his men.

"It is all here!" One answered.

"Over a thousand pesos!" Another one exclaimed.

"Good. Now, Sergeant, you will go through that door and make sure the lancers and your alcalde stay quietly in the cuartel while we make our way out of the pueblo or the hostages die! Are we understood?" He asked with a smug in Diego's direction.

"How do we know you will let them go?" The tall caballero questioned.

"You don't." The man replied. "But it's not like the town's coward will do anything about it, isn't it so, Senor De la Vega?" He laughed at saying his name.

Diego decided it was better not to add anything and just stood there, trying to reassure his son it would all be alright. Felipe, on his part, was not too afraid, since he knew his father was already cooking up some plan to free him. So he smiled back at him, trying to convey the message that he trusted Zorro would save him, as he had done so many times before.

"Shouldn't we take him, as well?" Asked one of the bandits, pointing his gun at Diego. "We could ask for a ransom. His old man will pay!"

"No." Manuel answered. "He is a caballero. They will come after him. We don't need complications. Plus, he might be a coward, but with his stature, he will pose us some moving difficulties".

"Felipe is also a member of my family, Senor." Diego informed him, hoping they might let his son go.

"Didn't you say he was a servant?" Manuel questioned.

"I lied. He is my adopted son." Diego answered.

"Really? In that case, amigo, I will consider asking for a ransom for him." Manuel challenged with no intention of letting go of the young man, while Diego cursed his previous decision to say he was but a servant. "Antonio, get the horses!"

As he gave the order, they exited to the empty plaza and, taking a look at Mendoza who had barricaded the gates of the cuartel, and was now guarding the entrance to the Alcalde's office, they mounted their horses, taking their prisoners with them.

Diego watched as they were leaving the pueblo, thankful there was no confrontation and no reason for the men to kill the prisoners. He headed for his mount, considering his options to save them, when he heard four gunshots. He froze for a minute, looking towards the cuartel, convinced he was going to see the lancers aimlessly shooting after the bandits, but, as no one was there, he turned his head towards the entrance of the pueblo and saw that the bandits had stopped there long enough to shoot their hostages and discard their bodies, before making their escape.

Diego's hands fell from the saddlehorn and, unable to take his eyes away from what he knew to be the body of Felipe lying down, unresponsive, he headed towards him, first walking, then, beginning to run, until he slid next to him in the dirt. He reached to check if he was alive but stopped the moment he noticed the bleeding wound in the young man's head. For what seemed like a lifetime, Diego just remained there, unable to react at the sight of his dead son.

"I am so sorry, Don Diego" Mendoza uttered some five minutes later, at reaching to put a hand on his shoulder, thus making him regain some sense of reality.

Diego looked at him, then looked again at his adopted son's body and, raising to his feet, heading towards Esperanza, whom he rode towards the hacienda.

When he arrived home, Victoria and his father were taking their goodbyes in front of the main gate. His eyes blank, as in a trance, Diego ignored them and headed straight for the library, not even concerning himself with anyone that might see him opening the sliding panel. He, thus, did not notice Don Alejandro, Victoria, and one of their servants following and seeing him walk through to the hidden passage.

Once in the cave, he put on his black clothes, mounted Tornado, and headed out, determined to punish the bandits.

He rode towards the pueblo, not paying attention to De Soto, Mendoza and the lancers, who made no attempt against him. He spotted the tracks left by the eight men as they escaped, and followed them for about six miles, before arriving at a farmhouse.

From a distance, the place seemed deserted, were it not for the horses tied up behind the small house. The bandits were all inside, laughing and dividing the money.

"We should have kept the De la Vega, Manuel" Counseled one of the bandits.

"Why? What do you think they can do to us, Carlos?" The leader answered.

"I was just thinking we might have gotten a ransom first, and kill him afterwards!"

"What ransom? Do you think they would have paid for a servant?"

"But the man said it was his son and I heard that he had adopted him"

"If we would have kept him, it would have made it easier for the lancers to track us! He was extra weight, nothing more".

Zorro heard the conversation, feeling his blood pulsating through his head. He was angry. Never fight in anger! He heard the voice of his sword master as a random thought through his head. Doing his best to calm down, he took out his lash and his sword, making his way through the main door.

All he heard next was a frenzy of bullets, metal against metal, and the sound of his lash. By the time it was all over, he was the only one left standing in a room filled with corpses. No other man was alive.

Looking at them, he realized that he had crossed the one line he had promised himself never to cross. The one line separating him from the men he had, for so long, pursued and brought to justice. He was no longer different, but just like them, and he deserved to be brought to justice, as well.

Slowly mounting Tornado, he headed home.

As the cave entrance opened and Tornado made his way to the main hall, Zorro saw his father and Victoria incredulously looking at him. He stared at them for a minute, confused, not sure if they were or not supposed to be there, then climbed down and led Tornado to his stall, taking off the saddle and brushing him.

"I am afraid Felipe will no longer be taking care of you, my friend" He uttered painfully, his tears making the mask unbearable.

Raising his head, he took off the black cloth, unaware of the shocked expressions on his father's and Victoria's faces.

"Felipe is dead. And I am a murderer." He proclaimed a few inutes later, finally able to turn a grief-stricken face towards them. "It is all over now." He added sliding down, his back to a pole.

"What in the world is this, Don Alejandro?" De Soto asked at entering the cave through the sliding panel no one had remembered to close, followed by Mendoza. He looked around a few seconds and remained motionless at the sight of Diego, dressed as Zorro, sobbing on the ground, next to Tornado.

"I have failed today, Father". Diego whispered as Don Alejandro headed towards him and put his arms around his son, trying his best to console him to no avail.

Raising his head, Diego saw De Soto and the Sergeant watching him dumbstruck.

"They are all dead." He said. "You will find them in the former Alvear farmhouse, five miles east of here".

It took a while for the two men to understand what he was saying, as well as to come to terms with the reveal.

"Send the lancers for them, Sergeant!" Asked De Soto. "I am afraid I will have to arrest you, Diego!" He added, turning towards his former colleague.

"That's alright, Ignacio" He answered, making an effort to stand up. "I think I have to go now, Father." He told the old man as he was trying to relinquish his embrace.

"You are all I have left, Son! You are not going anywhere!" The old man replied sobbing, fighting to keep hold of him.

Diego wiped a tear from his father's right cheek and kissed him on the forehead, then freed himself from his embrace and slowly made his way towards the woman he loved.

"I don't think I will be able to keep those promises I made, Victoria." He told her, as she buried her head in his chest.

"Why have you never told me, Diego?" She asked, heartbroken.

"All I have ever wanted was for you and my father to be safe. It's why I never told anyone. Take care of him for me, my love!" He added, referring to his father, as he caressed her cheek and left her embrace to head for De Soto, who simply followed him out through the sliding pannel.

He never saw the faces of the lancers as he mounted Esperanza, heading towards the cuartel. He did not know which men locked him in the jail cell, and had no idea about what was happening outside, where people had started gathering in the plaza to demand his release. He neither heard, nor saw anything, just went to sleep, looking forward to his execution.

To be continued …