Before we start, i want to say something: I wan´t to know if i´m improving on my stories, so i would ask everyone to comment and let me know how i´m doing, in order to write better stories in the future.

CHAPTER 2

The next morning, after making sure their guests were still asleep, Diego asked his father to accompany him to the stable so he could tell him what Zorro had done the night before.

''The Four Rs gang is here in Los Angeles? And you faced them alone?'' Don Alejandro looked scared for his son.

''No Father, this time I just gave an ultimatum, I demanded that they leave before sunrise.''

''You risked a lot this time!''

'''We've faced worse people, Papa. I just hope these thugs are afraid of Zorro,'' Diego replied. ''I'll go back to the cabin later to see if they've left.''

''It's okay, I trust you my son, just be careful,'' said Alejandro. ''Now we'd better get back, before Gregorio and Anna Maria realize we're missing,'' he replied as they walked back to the hacienda.

_/_

Meanwhile, back at the Pueblo, Sergeant Garcia waited anxiously in front of the tavern until Victoria let him in. As it turned out, the week before, she had barred him from entering the tavern before lunch, as she was running out of wine at the establishment.

As he waited, a man approached. Despite his dirty clothes, he looked somewhat of a gentleman with his round glasses and a rather effeminate smile. Carefully, he approached the sergeant, looking for something to talk about.

''Buenos dias Sargent, what a hot day today huh?'' he asked.

''Buenos dias senor… yeah, too hot, I'm longing for a glass of wine, but…'' he whined.

''But what? Why don´t we get inside the tavern to have a glass of wine?''

''Well, I wish, but Senorita Victoria forbid me, she said I drank too much.''

"Ah, nonsense, come, I will pay you a glass of wine." The man gave him a friendly smile.

''Oh gracias senor…''

''Ramon. My name is Ramon Rodeo,'' he said. ''Now let's go, Sargent, I want to ask you a question. Maybe you could help me with something.''

''Si, of course!'' exclaimed the Sargent happily and both men walked inside the tavern.

Washed down with good Spanish wine and under Victoria's stern gaze, the sergeant and Ramon chatted pleasantly for hours about the city, the weather, and the wine itself, when Garcia remembered that the stranger needed help and asked what could do for him.

''Well Sargent, I thought to ask… what do you know about Zorro?'' asked Ramon.

''Zorro? He´s an outlaw, well... he calls himself a friend of the people, but he's only been making trouble. Humiliating the soldiers, no one has been able to even capture him and... well, he also sent a lot of unfair people to jail… but why the question, dear friend?''

''Well sergeant, this Zorro happened to show up at my house last night, threatened my brother, and put a Z on his shirt, to humiliate him," replied Ramon sadly, and in response, Garcia frowned.

''How naughty, why would he do that to your brother?''

''I don´t know,'' Ramon confessed. ''But please Sargent, try your best to catch this bandit!''

''We will try, Ramon, no one has ever managed to try to capture Zorro, but me and the army, we can do our best!'' Garcia exclaimed. The tavern door opened and Diego entered the place and went to the counter, asking for a plate of guacamole to go. ''Don Diego, Buenos Dias!''

''Buenos dias Sargent!'' replied the man with a smile which soon faded, when he saw the sergeant's companion looking at him up to down.

''Don Diego, my friend here said Zorro harassed his brother yesterday night, he was asking my help to catch Zorro, do you believe that?'' Garcia smiled excitedly. ''Oh and pardon my manners. Don Diego, this is Ramon Rodeo, Ramon, this is my good friend, Diego De La Vega. Diego, why don´t you stay with us?''

''I apologize, I have business to attend to today, have a good day, gentleman!'' he said and left, not giving attention to this weird man with the Sargent.

_/_

The rest of the day was truly pleasant, in the presence of Anna Maria, Diego forgot a little about his duty in driving the Gang Del Quatro Rs out of Los Angeles. Upon returning to the hacienda, while Don Alejandro and Don Gregorio talked about farms, money, and other affairs, Diego invited Anna Maria to a picnic in the forest, and to his surprise, she loved the idea.

Once in the forest, after a delicious light meal, Diego took his guitar and made a gentle serenade to his beloved. He thought of course to ask her on a date, but knowing Anna Maria, he imagined that it would not be easy and decided to seduce her first with his music.

''You know Anna Maria, I was thinking, with yours and with Don Gregorio permission, I could court you!'' he said quickly.

''Diego!'' Senorita Verdugo blushed. ''I... I don´t know what to say… I mean, I do like you very much but…''

''Oh please, Anna Maria, don´t make crawl to you feet, say you let me court you and…'' he give her somewhat a puppy´s eyes, when suddenly, he noticed a smoke signal from afar, from the mountains, probably from the cabin still inhabited by the bandits. Diego's blood boiled. ''Anna Maria, I think we should go home.''

''What? What a lack of romanticism on your part Diego. One moment you ask me to let you court me and then you want to go home?''

''I apologize Anna Maria, but I think we are in some kind of danger. Let's go home,'' he said bluntly and Anna Maria agreed with annoyance.

_/_

When they returned to the hacienda, while a furious Anna Maria ran to the guest room to think a little, Diego wasted no time in informing his father of the commitment he had and needed to act quickly.

''I understand. Good luck, my son.'' Alejandro stared at his son with a frown and in response, Diego nodded and left as quick as possible.

''Where is he going?'' asked Don Gregorio, as soon as Diego left.

''I asked him to go to Dr. Lopez to get some documents related to the farm and he forgot, this boy...'' Alejandro chuckled slyly.

_/_

With fury in his eyes, Zorro drove Tornado as fast as he could back to the previous night's cabin, in order to face the gang and deliver them to Sergeant Garcia. However, when he finally approached the place, Diego found everything very quiet. Imagining it was a trap, he tried to turn around. Without warning, two arrows hit him in the shoulder, causing him to lose his balance and fall off his horse.

''Get him!'' someone shouted.

''Tornado, go!'' he ushered the horse away from there. Four hands grabbed him.

Naturally, even injured, Zorro tried to get away from his attackers, but without the use of an arm, he was not so lucky, one of the bandits then hit him on the head and he lost consciousness.