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 4
Rafael returned to the cabin annoyed, finding his other brothers waiting for him anxiously, hoping to get away with the money. However, they didn't expect their older brother to return empty-handed.
''Where´s the money, Rafael?'' Ramirez asked.
''The old man is a fool. He refused to give us the money if we don´t give him living proof,'' Rafael barked. ''I hate when we have to be polite!''
''And regardless of what you want to give him, I hope my family doesn't give you a dime.'' Diego snapped with a smile.
''You are trying our patience, de la Vega.'' Raimundo pointed a knife at him, but Ramon held his arm.
''Hermanos, hermanos, we don´t need any of that,'' Ramon calmed him down. ''If the old man wants something, let's give him anything to make him give us the money.''
''What you suggest, Ramon?'' Raimundo asked impatiently.
''Let us think, shall we?'' He smiled.
For a few minutes, the four bandits surrounded Diego, staring at him as if they were hungry vultures. In turn, the young gentleman just stared back at them.
''He has pretty hands,'' Ramon pointed out, taking off Zorro´s gloves. ''If I were his father, I would recognize them in an instant.''
''You're suggesting chop off his hands?'' Rafael asked.
''No, I wouldn't destroy such a pretty thing. Maybe a finger or two would be enough.''
Hearing that, Diego paled and the smile suddenly turned into an expression of horror. He felt sick and his heart raced in his chest. Unconsciously, he began to turn in his chair, trying to escape, in a desperate act.
''Rafael, get that cloth, let's use it as a gag. Ramirez, make him stop moving in this chair...'' Raimundo gave orders, as Ramirez held Diego´s shoulders, preventing him from moving further.
''What are you doing… no…'' Diego tried to yell, but Rafael shoved the cloth in his mouth.
''Ramon, help me here, could you force his fingers open por favor?'' Raimundo said, ignoring the screams and starting to do his job.
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Unconvinced that Diego had really been kidnapped, Anna Maria decided to go to the pueblo in order to meet him at the tavern. Apparently to no avail. The tavern was full as usual, but no sign of the young Senor de la Vega.
''Senorita Escalante, may I ask if you have seen Don Diego?'' Anna Maria asked.
''I haven´t seen him in days, why?'' Victoria asked quickly.
''I heard he was in the pueblo. I thought he could have come here.''
''Well, the last time I saw him, was when he came to ask for a guacamole to go, not after that,'' Victoria replied. Anna Maria just nodded, with a heavy heart.
For almost two whole hours, Anna Maria rode through Los Angeles, looking for Diego. Not finding him anywhere, she decided to return to the hacienda with Sergeant Garcia. Seeing the lady alone, he'd decided to accompany her as a precaution. As they approached, the Sargent and the girl spotted a mysterious man placing a box and an envelope in front of the gate, before getting on his horse and galloping away.
''Who is he?'' asked Garcia. Suddenly, Anna Maria felt her chest tighten.
''He brought the proof,'' she whispered. Picking up the box, they entered the property.
''Anna Maria, where have you been?'' asked Don Gregorio angrily.
''Perdon father, I just wanted to get some air,'' she lied and Garcia handed the box to Don Alejandro, who paled while holding it.
''Alejandro?'' Don Gregorio called to his friend who was looking at the box with a heavy heart as if waiting for bad news. Still, trying to have courage, although his hands were shaking a lot, he opened the box, letting out an exclamation of horror.
''Santa Maria!'' Alejandro screamed, throwing the box to the floor, knocking a severed thumb out of it. Seeing the scene, Anna Maria fainted in the arms of a desperate Bernardo. Sergeant Garcia felt sick and ran to the patio, almost tripping over the cat, Amiro. Don Alejandro, dizzy at the sight of the severed finger, sat on the sofa, paled and had trouble breathing. The only one who tried to stand his ground was Don Gregorio, who calmly read the note.
''Here's the proof you asked for, if you want the rest of your son alive, take forty-five thousand pesos to the crossroads by midnight tonight.''
''It's all my fault...'' Alejandro heard himself sobbing. ''If I had just given the money... my poor son, my little boy...'' he sobbed.
''Alejandro, think for a minute. The bandits could have taken any finger to use as a trap...'' Gregorio began, trying to calm his friend down.
''Father!'' Anna Maria reprimanded her father for the comment.
''I was going to say, we know who we're dealing with, so for Diego's sake, I don't think we should waste any more time,'' he said. Alejandro agreed, rushing to the vault to get the right amount of money.
Wasting no time, Alejandro and Gregorio gathered the money and set off for the crossroads, begging Anna Maria to stay on the farm, just to be on the safe side. Upon reaching the crossroads in question, they put the money on the ground and went into hiding, to find out when the bandits would arrive with Diego safe and sound, but that never happened.
As night began to fall, one of the bandits finally arrived alone to get the money and left without saying a word.
''But where´s my son?'' Alejandro growled, furious and worried.
''Maybe those thugs wish to count the money first or they already have taken Diego home. Let's go back to the hacienda my friend, and wait there,'' suggested Gregorio, and even though he was furious, Alejandro decided to obey.
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Once he got the money, Raimundo returned to the hut, where his brothers were waiting for him with joy. The four of them got together to check the amount given by the old farmer. It was enough to clear their names and live a life on the brink of normal.
''Now we need to know what we are going to do with him,'' said Ramon, getting up and walking slowly toward Diego, who, despite the pain, was fighting to stay awake. ''Tell me, Don Diego. What are we going to do with you?'' he asked, placing a hand on the man´s knee.
''You touch me again and I'll tear your head off…'' Diego manages to growl. In response, Ramon´s face turned dark.
''What did you just say?'' he asked, his face inches from Diego´s. With the strength he had left, Diego bent his head sharply, hitting Ramon in the nose. He howled and punched the man so hard, it knocked him out of his chair. "Do you think you're strong enough to try to face us? You can't win against us Muchacho, we are more than you think!'' shouted Ramon, kicking the fallen man.
''He's seen too much,'' Rafael said. ''As we promised, we will deliver him to his father, but first, we need to teach him a lesson.''
''We can do with him what we did with that boy in San Francisco, who dared to be brave.'' suggested Raimundo.
''You're right. Ramirez, come with me, let's get the iron bars.'' Ramon nodded.
Seeing his attackers returning with iron bars, Diego shivered and for the first time since he had been captured, he began to cry, begging for mercy.
''No, please...'' he cried.
In what seemed like an eternity, the gang beat and kicked Diego repeatedly, Ignoring the screams and pleas for mercy. They stomped, kicked and hit each and every part of his body, as if he were a potato wedge, until they left him unconscious and bloody.
''I think it's enough,'' Raimundo gasped, tired, watching the still body in front of him. ''Let's get rid of him and get out of this town, before the police decide to chase after us.''
''I don´t think Garcia would bother to chase us hermano, but I agree, we are done here,'' replied Ramon and they got ready to go.
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In the early hours of the next morning, Victoria Escalante was again opening the doors of her tavern when she spotted four horses arriving. She waited silently and watched as the riders approached the well and dropped a heavy black bundle to the ground, before galloping away from the city gates.
Curiously and cautiously, the tavern owner approached the package. Seeing what was inside, she gave a scream, waking half of the Pueblo.