Chapter 12

Present day.

Ignacio tossed in his bed as he remembered how self-centred he was in thinking that he would restore order to Los Angeles and its outlying district within three months. It had been two years since he arrived and all hope of returning to Madrid a hero, was dead. Sanchez had severed all ties with him, so had many others. They had left him to rot in the small dusty pueblo.

In his arrogance, he had totally underestimated his enemy and despite his strong military background, he had not been able to capture the outlaw. This Zorro was cunning, smart and he didn't play by the ordinary rules of engagement, he had the support of the people and no matter what inducements or punishments he could think of, no-one turned the outlaw in. Zorro seemed to appear out of no-where on that half wild horse of his and disappear before his lancers could take aim with their muskets.

Ignacio shook his head in dismay at the thought of his idle lancers. He admitted that he was at fault for not completing their training, he should have been harsher with them and yet he didn't know why he had dropped the instructions. If he had the ability, he would have replaced the entire garrison with fresh troops but that was impossible so he had to work with what he had.

Ignacio sighed loudly and rose tiredly from his bed once more. It was time to get up anyway. He washed and dressed just as a lancer knocked on his door and entered with his commandante's breakfast.

"Gracias trooper." Ignacio said absently.

The lancer nodded and placed the tray on the table and left.

As he ate his breakfast, Ignacio heard a commotion outside his quarters. He crossed the room, opened the door and called out. "What's going on Sergeant?"

Mendoza walked up to his commanding officer. "A messenger has come from Monterey with a letter for you Alcalde." He handed over the letter.

Ignacio noticed the seal of the Governor and felt the blood drain from his face.

"Alcalde?" Mendoza said concern reflected in his voice.

"Thank you Sergeant. Don't you have any work to do?"

Mendoza nodded. "Si Alcalde."

"Then get to it man."

"Si Alcalde."

Ignacio closed the door without waiting to see if the good Sergeant obeyed him.

Later that morning the de la Vegas were inside Victoria's tavern when they heard hammering coming from outside. "Ohhh, I hate when they use my tavern as a notice board." She huffed as she went outside to see what the lancers were putting up.

Diego hid his smile as he and the other patrons followed her.

"Sergeant, what's going on?" Don Alejandro asked.

"Ah Don Alejandro, it's a truce." Mendoza replied with a smile.

Diego frowned. "A truce?"

"Si Don Diego. The Alcalde wants a truce with Zorro, he wants to speak with him."

"It's a trap, there's no reason for the Alcalde to speak with Zorro." Victoria said heatedly.

Mendoza shook his head. "No, no senorita. The Alcalde will give Zorro twenty four hours to come to him."

"Victoria's right, it sounds like a trap." Don Alejandro stated.

"I don't believe so, Don Alejandro. The Alcalde just wants to talk."

"Talk about what?" Victoria asked.

Mendoza shrugged. "He didn't tell me." he turned to his lancers. "Come on men, we have several more notices to put up. Adios Senorita, senors."

"Adios Sergeant."

They watched him go and Victoria was called back inside her tavern

"Are you going to see him Diego?" Don Alejandro whispered to his son.

Diego nodded. "Yes, I will."

"Even though it could be a trap as Victoria says."

"Yes father, I must not let an opportunity pass to resolve our conflict peaceable." Diego confirmed.

Don Alejandro sighed. "Be careful Diego, I don't want to lose another son."

Diego placed his hand on his father's shoulder as they walked back inside the tavern. "I promise to be careful father."

Later that night, Ignacio was in his office packing his belongings when he heard a slight rustle behind him. "Ah Zorro, I'm pleased that you decided to come." he said and turned to face his opponent.

Zorro grinned and bowed slightly. "Always at your service Alcalde."

Ignacio chuckled. "Not always though, hey Zorro." he replied as he crossed the room to the table that held a decanter of wine. "Glass of Madeira?" he asked as he poured himself a glass.

Zorro's eyes widened in surprise at De Soto's graciousness and wondered what was going in on that mind of his. "Gracias Alcalde but I will have to decline. I'm sure you understand."

Ignacio snorted. "Si, of course but you don't mind if I have a glass do you?"

"Of course not Alcalde." Zorro replied calmly as he watched his rival with alertness, waiting for the trap to be sprung.

Ignacio turned and saw how tense Zorro was and smiled. "Relax Zorro, I didn't ask you here to arrest you."

"Why did you?" he replied as he forced himself to relax and he leant against the wall nonchalantly.

"For a start, your identity."

Zorro chuckled. "If you think that I will tell you that, then you are surely mistaken."

Ignacio grinned. "I never thought you would but I already know who you are. Diego de la Vega."

Zorro managed to keep his features relaxed at hearing his name, he wasn't sure if de Soto was playing a game or whether he actually knew. "Do you really think Don Diego is me? Perhaps you have had one too many glasses of wine." he smiled assuredly.

Ignacio laughed. "Perhaps I have but I do know your name, Diego."

The two men looked at each other appraisingly before Zorro spoke up. "What makes you believe that I could be Don Diego?"

Ignacio sighed as he placed his glass on the table and noticed Zorro's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword. "Easy Diego, if I wanted to arrest you, I would have done it before now." he smiled when Zorro's hand remained where it was. "Over the last several weeks, I've had time to think about a lot of things, to think about what I have heard, when I...I shot the emissary to save your life..."

"You mean the life of Don Diego and his father." Zorro interrupted with a grin.

Ignacio smiled back. "Have it your way then. When I shot Risendo to save the life of Diego, I remembered afterwards some strange words that the emissary was about to say. I'm sure you remember that."

Zorro grinned wickedly. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Ignacio shook his head. "Shall I refresh your memory then. I heard Risendo say just before he died, that he was going to kill not only Diego but also...? Unfortunately he died before he could finish his words. What do you think he meant?"

Zorro shrugged. "He could have meant anything, the emissary was a man separated from reality."

Ignacio nodded. "Yes he was but the more I thought about those words the more it made sense. He was going to kill not only Diego but also Zorro."

Zorro laughed. "If you believe that, then you are more crazier than I thought."

Ignacio laughed with him. "Believe what you want, but I know it's true and so do you. But you have nothing to fear. I have no intention of taking the life of another of Don Alejandro sons, especially since you have save my life several times now."

There was a moment of silence between the two men, each weighing up the other. Each knew the truth, even if Zorro wasn't going to admit to it.

Ignacio sighed. "Have you any regrets about your life Diego?" he asked softly as he sat on the edge of his desk, cradling his glass of wine in his hand.

Zorro was astounded, he had never known de Soto to be so reflective on life, especially his own. Perhaps he was looking at a man who had changed so dramatically over the last couple of weeks, to be the complete opposite of what he once was. He decided to be honest as he could be. "A few regrets Ignacio." he confirmed.

Ignacio nodded. "I've had more than a few regrets. More than I would like actually." he took a sip of wine. "When Risendo arrived I thought it would be the answer to my prayers. I knew of his reputation for getting things done and I had hoped that he would help me to finally capture you."

"But it didn't work out that way." Zorro added.

"No it didn't. But he made me realise what type of monster he had become, in pursuit of his objectives without regard for anyone or anything. I saw his hatred, saw his arrogance and selfishness and I saw myself becoming that same monster." he paused to gather his thoughts.

Zorro was stunned by this revelation and he began to feel hope for the first time since he donned the mask, that his crusade against tyranny might be coming to an end. He prayed it would be, for he had longed for the battle to be over, so that he could live his own life with the woman he loved.

Ignacio continued. "I saw how I had treated people in the past, saw that my own ambitions made me selfish and arrogant. I saw what it had done to Risendo and it scared me. Is this what I am? Am I a monster too?" he asked.

"Ignacio, you're not..." Zorro started to say.

"No Diego. I know what I am and I have found that I don't like it." he took another sip of wine. "Have you ever felt fear Diego, I mean real fear? Fear that you were about to die and you could not do anything about it." he asked quietly.

Ignacio's words struck a nerve with Zorro, as the recent memory of being buried alive in Diablo Canyon came to mind. He had felt horror as he tried to escape the trap of his unknown brother had set for him but he had not been fast enough and had been caught in the explosion. When he had regained consciousness and realised that he was buried under rubble, he had felt terrified that he would not be able to dig his way out and that he would die a slow and agonising death. And he would have if it hadn't been for Toronado.

Ignacio was watching his rival intently and nodded slowly. "I see that you have." he said understandingly.

Zorro nodded, no words were needed between these two men.

"Did that change you?" Ignacio wanted to know.

Zorro let out his breath that he didn't realise he was holding. This meeting was definitely not what he had expected when he had accepted the truce. His close call with death had changed him. It made him realise that he could no longer lie to his father or to Victoria. Life was too precious to waste. "Yes it did." he admitted.

Ignacio nodded. "So it was with me. When Risendo tied me to those wagons, I knew without a doubt that he would go through with my execution and I would die a horrible and painful death. I saw that no-one came to my assistance except for Mendoza. His loyalty won't go unrewarded." he finished off his glass of wine and poured himself another drink. He shook his head as he turned back. "I felt real fear that day, that I would have done anything to save my own skin, even leaving my loyal sergeant behind to face the wrath of the emissary" he snorted. "What kind of man does that? Only a cowardly one." he placed his glass on his table a little too hard, as the wine splashed over the wood.

Zorro remained silent throughout his rival's narrative, somehow he knew that Ignacio simply needed to talk and he felt strangely honoured that his old university colleague would open up to him. He realised that there was no-one else that Ignacio could talk with, he had no friends or even family in California, so he had turned to his archrival to help ease his soul.

Ignacio wasn't aware of Zorro's insight into his actions as he tried to make sense of what he had been feeling over the last several weeks. "It took Risendo and his hatred of you, of everyone, to make me realise what I had become, of the kind of life that lay ahead of me." he sighed and shook his head. "But it won't matter for much longer."

Zorro frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ignacio spread his arms out. "Did you notice that I am packing?"

"Well yes, now that you mention it. Are you going somewhere Ignacio?"

He snorted. "You could say that. I received a letter from the Governor today. I'm being sent back to Madrid to explain why I killed the King's Emissary and there can be only one outcome to that. My death."

"You can't be serious, surely they wouldn't demand your life. I mean you saved my...I mean Don Alejandro and his son's life."

"You can't even admit now that you are Diego can you?" Ignacio sighed. "Yes, they can demand my execution. I did take the life of Risendo and nothing can change that. I am to leave tomorrow afternoon on the stage to San Diego." he finished his glass of wine. "I asked you here to tell you this, to tell you that it is over, your fight for justice and peace is finally over. For no matter who replaces me as Alcalde, it couldn't be any worse than I have been."

Zorro couldn't find the words to express his feelings. He knew without a doubt that his old university colleague was telling him the truth and he didn't want to build up his hopes of removing his mask forever. "I thought the same when Ramone died, that we would get a better leader..."

"And yet you got me instead. Well I will make sure that the next man appointed will be the one this pueblo deserves."

"Ignacio, I always believed that you had the makings of a good leader."

"Gracias Diego." he said humbly. "Now go and marry that tavern wench of yours." he smiled.

Zorro smiled back. "If she will have me."

"Doesn't she know? After all these years!" he replied incredulously.

"No, she doesn't." he shook his head.

Ignacio narrowed his eyes shrewdly. "Don't tell me that the great Zorro is afraid of a woman?" he chuckled when he saw his adversary squirm, it was something he never thought he would ever see. "You ARE afraid of her, aren't you?"

Zorro chuckled. "Well you know what her temper is like and when she finds out who I am...well..." he shrugged.

Ignacio laughed out loud. "Si, I do but you should know that you have nothing to fear from the good senorita. For I know that she loves you Diego."

Zorro frowned. "How do you know that?"

Ignacio felt pleased that he could tell his rival something he didn't know. "The senorita has shown jealousy over you on a number of occasions, especially the time when you had Senorita Herrera as a house guest. Victoria was quite jealous."

"You can't be serious." he couldn't believe what he had said.

"I'm very serious, Diego. She has feelings for you. For both of you." he chuckled again as Zorro stared opened mouth at him. "I would love to be there when you tell her but alas I cannot."

Zorro nodded. "Gracias Ignacio, I think." he moved to go, he had been too long in the office as it was and didn't want any lancer to catch him unawares.

Ignacio saw the movement and held out his hand. "I wish you luck Diego."

Zorro smiled. "And to you Ignacio. Don't give up hope."

The truth of the secret was acknowledged between the two men but not spoken aloud, as they shook hands for the last time.