Some parts of the dialogue in this chapter are lifted and translated from the German dub of episode 22, but that's mostly in the scenes in which Brown appears.
I have edited the AN in the first chapter to better label the contents of this story. While this fic won't go into graphic detail about anything, it will eventually include elements that some people might not want to read. If you have any such issues, I advise you to check out the AN just to be sure.
THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD
Chapter 9
Gabriel poked his head out the window after they had been travelling for about twenty minutes. The road they were following led towards the eastern woods at the bottom of the tall mountains that surrounded San Tasco in that direction. There wasn't much of anything there, so they couldn't get any help if they got into trouble. Gabriel wasn't too worried about that. He had dealt with Brown often enough to know that the man wasn't a killer.
"You're getting too close to them. They'll notice us," Gabriel said to Lolita.
"If we don't stay close, we could lose them. There are lots of little crossroads here, and who knows where they're heading to?" Lolita countered.
She was right, of course. Gabriel could only sigh in frustration and return to his place on the cushions.
"How are we doing?" Gonzales asked.
"You'd know if you stopped eating for a minute and looked out the window!"
"I'm sorry. It's just that I always eat when I get nervous," Gonzales said. He stuffed the piece of bread in his fingers into his mouth and set the rest aside by his side.
"If you ate less, maybe you'd be in a better shape to fulfil your duties and wouldn't have to be nervous in the first place," Gabriel pointed out.
Gonzales had filled him in on what had really happened and why he was being accused of stealing. If it had been anyone else, Gabriel would have had trouble believing the story, but with Gonzales as the main character, it made an almost frightening amount of sense. Only he could screw up arresting a thief red-handed so badly that he became the main suspect instead.
Suddenly, there was an alarmed yell from Lolita, and the carriage came to an abrupt halt.
"What now?" Gabriel asked and pushed his head out the window again. He cursed under his breath when he saw Brown's carriage blocking the road.
"I told you we were too close!" he snapped at Lolita.
"It's too late to worry about that now," she said.
"Well, that's odd," Brown said as he stepped down from his carriage. "I have the feeling that you're following us. Is there anything we can do?" A crooked grin was playing on his face, and he took several slow steps closer, his henchman following him.
"No, we weren't following you at all," Lolita said in a hesitant voice as the men approached.
"We're just having a ride in the forest. Surely that's allowed?" Gabriel asked. He pushed the door open and stepped outside.
Brown and the other man froze on their tracks when they noticed him. They glanced briefly at each other in confusion, but Brown quickly found his tongue.
"Ah, Lieutenant. I didn't realise it was you."
"It shouldn't matter who is travelling in the carriage. You have no right to block anyone's way," Gabriel said sternly, standing in his full height and regarding Brown with his most scrutinising glare.
"But of course. We didn't mean to ruin you and the lady's trip," Brown said with a simper. He almost turned away from them, but then something caught his eye and a doubtful frown appeared on his face.
"Is there someone else in the carriage?" he asked.
"Of course not," Gabriel replied.
"Oh? But I'm sure there was someone." Brown snapped his fingers, and his henchman stepped forward towards the carriage.
"Hey, stand back!" Gabriel snapped and tried to stop the man from advancing. The henchman grabbed his shoulders and shoved him aside, much to Gabriel's annoyance and surprise. He was certain that if he had been wearing his uniform, this idiot would have never dared to touch him.
"You were right, sir," the henchman said as he peered inside.
"Let's see," Brown said.
"What makes you think you can do this? I'll let Commander Raymond know about this as soon as we -" Gabriel started, but he was interrupted by an amused chuckle from Brown.
"Really, Lieutenant. You lied to me that there was nobody else in the carriage. I think that gives me reason enough to suspect that you lied about your and the little lady's intentions, too. As an honest businessman, I have every right to see to that there is nothing fishy going on," Brown said. He turned back towards the carriage and took a look inside.
"Well, well. What do we have here? Another lady? It must be the lieutenant's lucky day," he remarked.
"Uh, that's right," Gonzales said in a high voice, and Gabriel could have punched him. He grimaced as it suddenly occurred to him how dangerous to situation really was, at least to him. If Brown recognised Gonzales, he would no doubt deliver him to the army to collect the reward. Then they would never find the real thief. And then it would come to light that Gabriel had been assisting a wanted a criminal. He didn't even want to imagine what Raymond would say to that. He'd been such an idiot. He should have never got involved in this.
"It's not every day one gets to meet women with a moustache," Brown said snidely and motioned for his henchman to enter the carriage.
"Run, Gonzales! Get out of here!" Lolita yelled.
Gonzales shoved the door open and jumped outside, heading towards the thick forest. However, he didn't make it more than a couple of steps before Brown's voice made him stop.
"Not so fast, my friend."
"You don't want anything to happen to her, do you?" the henchman asked, pointing a pistol at Lolita.
Gabriel's hand flew to his side, but then he remembered that he wasn't carrying a sword. He briefly wondered if he could tackle Brown's servant before he had the chance to shoot Lolita, but that was too much of a risk. Maybe he'd attack Brown instead and wrestle him down and then force them to let Lolita go.
However, before he could put any of these plans into motion, Brown turned to address him. "As for you, Lieutenant, I must say I'm surprised. I never thought I'd see you assist a criminal and go against the commander's orders like this."
"It's nothing like that," Gabriel said, one final desperate idea coming to his mind. "Lolita and I captured Gonzales just a moment ago, and we were on our way to collect our reward when you surprised us."
"That's right! We caught him first, so let us go!" Lolita snapped with venom.
Brown chuckled. "A good story, but not good enough. You're going to the opposite direction from the town."
In the course of the next few minutes, Gonzales was tied up and shoved inside the carriage while Lolita and Gabriel watched in frustration. The lieutenant couldn't believe they had been defeated by Brown and his men. His mind was consumed with so much anger at this unfair fact that he couldn't even be bothered to start coming up with excuses for Raymond.
"This was a complete disaster," he said.
"At least we tried," Lolita said.
Brown and his henchman made quick plans. Brown would continue on his way to meet the thief so that they could discuss the price for the stolen gem. His henchman would accompany him for a while in the other carriage and then choose another road that would take him back to town. There he would deliver Gonzales to the army and collect the reward.
"What about him?" the man asked and nodded at Gabriel. "We can't take an officer as a prisoner, can we?"
Brown rubbed his chin in thought. "That's a fair point. Even though he has clearly acted against the commander's orders, it's not a good idea to mess with the army. I think we should just leave him here. He can't stop either one of us on foot."
"Right," the henchman said. He climbed on the perch of the carriage with Gonzales in it and instructed Lolita to come to sit by him. She would serve as a hostage so that Gonzales wouldn't try anything during the trip back to San Tasco.
"Have a nice day, Lieutenant. I'm sure Commander Raymond will be happy to hear about your actions today," Brown said with a smirk on his face as the two carriages started their journeys.
"You're going to regret this!" Gabriel yelled after Brown, taking a few running steps after him, even as he knew how useless it was. He stopped to stand in the middle of the road and stared after the carriage for a moment.
"Dammit!" he cursed. What was he supposed to do now? Brown was right; he'd never reach either party before it was too late, but just standing there wouldn't help either. Maybe it would be a good idea to return to San Tasco as soon as possible and explain his situation. With enough lies and grovelling, he might be able to convince Raymond that he had been trying to capture Gonzales, not help him.
That idea brought a sour taste to his mouth. Any sympathy he might have felt for Gonzales earlier was replaced by worry of what would happen to him now. Raymond would have all the reasons to demote him or kick him out of the army and arrest him. However, Gabriel was sure he wouldn't do it. He was far too important to his plans, and he knew too much. There would be some other kind of punishment, and he wasn't looking forward to finding out what it was.
Or maybe he should follow Brown instead and see if he could find him. If he found the gem and the real thief, nobody could accuse him of a crime. Raymond would still be angry, but at least it wouldn't be so bad.
He decided it would do no good if he just stood there for the rest of the day. He had all the time in the world to go back to town and face Raymond's wrath, but before that he should at least try to find the real thief and solve one of his problems. With that decision made, he started following the road towards the direction where the carriages had gone to.
Some time later, he arrived at a crossroads where the road forked into two. One of them would take him back to San Tasco, and he guessed that was where Brown's henchman had taken Gonzales and Lolita. He hoped the other one wouldn't fork again or he'd probably lose track of Brown.
Just as he was about to follow the road and hope for the best, the sound of hooves against the ground reached his ears. He turned around to see two riders approaching him. Even at a distance, it wasn't difficult to tell who they were.
"Zorro!" Gabriel yelled when the riders got closer. This was the first time he faced the outlaw after his accident, and the mere sight of him was enough to make him bristle. If only he had a sword right now!
"Lieutenant," Zorro greeted him. He and Little Zorro stopped their horses a safe distance away from him.
"You! It's about time I have my revenge! Get down and we'll settle it!" Gabriel challenged.
"There's no time for that. Tell me, Lieutenant, what are you doing here?" Zorro asked.
"And why should I tell you?"
"I have reason to believe that the thief who framed Sergeant Gonzales is somewhere in this area."
Gabriel shrugged. "So what?"
Zorro's glare turned sterner. "Don't you care that your subordinate is being accused of something he didn't do?"
"That isn't of any importance to me," Gabriel said. He knew that if Zorro found the real thief and proved Gonzales' innocence, his problems would be solved too, but that wasn't enough to make him even consider helping him. He'd much rather face Raymond's anger than work together with Zorro in any way.
"I see," Zorro said. Gabriel thought he had heard an edge of disappointment in the masked rebel's voice, and for a moment it looked like Zorro had something more to say. However, he said nothing and chose to turn to address his assistant instead.
"Can the dog show us the way the criminals took?" he asked.
"Of course!" Little Zorro said. Gabriel noticed only now that he was holding a small bulldog in his arms. The boy let the dog down, and the animal immediately ran towards the road that led to San Tasco.
"That's odd," Zorro said.
"What are you trying to say, boy?" Little Zorro asked.
"Do you really expect that this dog can help you?" Gabriel asked with a dismissive snort.
"Hey, he's really clever! Don't you remember when -" Little Zorro started, but Zorro interrupted him before he could get any further.
"Lieutenant, I think you know what is going on. Tell us now," he said.
"I already said that I'm not – hey!" Gabriel started, but he was cut off when Zorro abruptly urged his horse to get closer and pointed the tip of his sword at his throat.
"Even if you're off duty right now, we're still enemies. Tell me what is going on now, or you'll have to take some more leave before you can return to duty," Zorro said. His tone was icy, and he was staring down at Gabriel with such a serious expression that the lieutenant didn't doubt the rebel's words. Gabriel had often wondered if Zorro really would ever go through with his threats, but he hadn't yet had the guts to find out.
"Damn you," he growled.
"Well, how about it? My patience is growing thin, Lieutenant," Zorro said. To underline his words, he gave Gabriel a tiny cut and forced him to back against the rock that stood between the different roads.
"Fine," Gabriel spat. "I was following Brown with Gonzales and Lolita, but he spotted us. Brown took that road, and his goon went back to San Tasco to hand Gonzales and Lolita over to the army," he said, tilting his head towards the road to his left.
"Then what are you doing here?" Zorro asked. He removed his sword and put it back into the sheath, allowing Gabriel to breathe a little more freely.
"Brown isn't stupid enough to capture an officer like me," Gabriel said, his frown deepening as he thought of the man.
Zorro turned to look at his assistant. "We have to get back to town and save Gonzales and Lolita. We can go after Brown and the thief when they're safe," he said.
"Right," Little Zorro agreed. They both turned their horses around and headed towards the road that would take them to San Tasco.
"Thank you for your help, Lieutenant! We'll meet again later," Zorro said and waved as farewell.
"Damn you! I'll get you some other time!" Gabriel yelled after him. He rubbed the prickling cut on his throat and clenched his teeth, wishing more than anything that he had had a sword with him. It didn't matter if his arm still didn't feel quite right; he didn't even care whether he would have defeated Zorro or not. He just wanted to try and strike against that insufferable man with everything he had.
"One day," he promised himself. One day he would push his sword at Zorro's throat and wipe that smirk off his face right before he killed him.
He grimaced as he pondered what to do. It was obvious that Zorro would be going after the real thief once he had saved Gonzales and Lolita. Whatever inspiration Gabriel had had to find Brown and the gem were now gone. He would never work towards the same goal as Zorro, not even if it cost him his life.
If only he had a sword or some other weapon so that he could try to capture Zorro when he came back. As it was, he couldn't go after Brown and indirectly help Zorro, but he couldn't return to San Tasco either before Gonzales' innocence was proven. He spent a while thinking about what to do, but then he decided that he'd just wait there and see what happened. Maybe there would be a chance to defeat Zorro when that blasted man let his guard down.
Nothing happened for over an hour, but then he heard the sound of horses in the distance, coming from the direction of San Tasco. Suspecting it had to be Zorro, Gabriel hurried behind a boulder. Not long after, Zorro and his assistant flashed past him with Gonzales sitting behind Zorro. None of them noticed him, and Gabriel decided to follow them.
To his surprise, it didn't take long before he again heard horses approaching. When he turned around, he saw that it was Captain Jekyll with several soldiers. Jekyll ordered the men to stop when he noticed Gabriel by the road.
"I thought we might find you here, Lieutenant," he said.
"Why is that?"
"The man who captured Gonzales claimed you were assisting the sergeant. I thought it was a little hard to believe, but since you're here, it must be true," Jekyll said.
"Well, you see, sir…" Gabriel started. What kind of excuse would work the best in his favour? He had been so sure that he wouldn't have to defend his position before facing Raymond that he hadn't even considered running into Jekyll who could be just as strict as the commander.
"You there," Jekyll said and pointed his finger at one of the soldiers. "Give your horse to the lieutenant and return to town on foot."
Intrigued, Gabriel mounted the horse and shot a curious glance at the captain. Jekyll ordered the men to continue towards their destination and came to ride by Gabriel's side. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure they were far enough from the soldiers to be able to talk freely.
"I wish you had come to consult me before doing something as reckless as this. I might have been able to do something, but now it's too late to hide anything. I'm sure you know that assisting a wanted criminal is a serious offence, Lieutenant," Jekyll said.
Gabriel felt a chill go down his spine at the thought of what this could mean for him. "I know, sir, but -"
"I believe that Sergeant Gonzales is innocent as well. I don't blame you for what you did, and if it wasn't for Commander Raymond, I would let it slide. As it is, I'm afraid I must report your actions to him, but I'll make it as favourable to you as possible. If we find the real thief, there should be no serious consequences," Jekyll cut him off.
"What?" Gabriel asked.
Jekyll kept his eyes on the road as he replied, "I believe that correct procedures should always be followed, but I also think a superior should always trust his subordinates. It was irresponsible of the commander to decide Gonzales was guilty without even listening to his side of the story. And that's all I'm going to say about this issue for now. We need to concentrate on capturing the real thief."
Gabriel was more than happy to agree with that. He had been fully expecting to get a dressing down from Jekyll, but he had clearly read him wrong. In any case, he was glad to ignore the topic of his unlawful behaviour.
"How did you know the thief is here?" he asked.
"Gonzales kept insisting on that. We're simply following him and Zorro. If they're telling the truth, we'll arrest the real thief. And if not… We can always capture Zorro," Jekyll replied.
"Nothing would make me happier, sir," Gabriel said. He grinned as he felt a rush of excitement at the thought of finally capturing that bastard. They would certainly do it this time. Jekyll had almost ten soldiers with him, and Zorro would no doubt be distracted with fighting Brown and the thief.
The plain mountain area soon ended and they arrived at green fields that were facing the ocean. Just by the cliff, dangerously close to the edge, stood a solitary house surrounded by several trees. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks below the cliff could be heard even from under the galloping of their horses.
Jekyll jumped off his horse and approached the house with several of his men following. Gabriel did the same, but he was more interested in their surroundings. He couldn't see Zorro's horse anywhere, so it was possible the rebel wasn't even around anymore. He was just about to walk to the cliff to take a look there when sounds from inside the house caught his attention.
"But I'm innocent! I didn't know the gem was stolen!" Brown was wailing.
"Out of my way!" Gabriel snapped at the soldiers who were swarming at the door. When he made it through, he saw that Brown and a burly man he had never met before were sitting on the floor with their hands tied behind their backs. Gonzales was standing by them, grinning proudly and managing to look triumphant even with the women's clothes he was wearing.
"Here is all the proof of my innocence!" he declared.
Jekyll allowed himself a brief smile, but he quickly hid it behind a stony face. He motioned for two of the soldiers. "These men are under arrest. We'll take them back to town in their carriage." Next, he turned to face Gonzales again.
"I'm glad this matter has now been thoroughly solved, Sergeant," he said.
"So am I," Gonzales said with a smile.
"Well, this is all nice, but what about Zorro? Where is he?" Gabriel asked.
"Oh, he left already. He said he was here just to help me capture these two criminals," Gonzales explained.
"And you didn't even try to stop him?"
Gonzales blinked in puzzled surprise. "But I…"
Jekyll shook his head. "Lieutenant, it's hardly surprising that the sergeant couldn't stop Zorro on his own, especially when he was unarmed. I think we had better ignore this for now, especially since Zorro did help us find the real culprit," he said.
"Yes, sir," Gabriel grumbled, clenching his fists as he tried to hide his frustration with the situation. He had gone out of his way to help Gonzales, and then that imbecile couldn't even try to capture Zorro for him! The thought hadn't probably even crossed his mind!
But it didn't matter, he decided. He'd be returning to duty next week, and then he would do everything in his power to capture that piece of scum. It was probably for the best that Gonzales hadn't done it. The honour and satisfaction belonged to Gabriel and nobody else.
The day was already turning into evening when Gabriel got the order to come to Raymond's office. He had been dreading that moment ever since they had arrived back in town, and not even helping with interrogating Brown and the thief had got his mind off the dressing down he would no doubt get. He could only hope that Jekyll had managed to soothe Raymond's anger somewhat, but he didn't dare place too much hope on that.
He drew a deep breath before knocking on the thick door. For a moment, there was only silence that made him want to squirm, but finally Raymond told him to enter.
"You wanted to see me, sir," Gabriel said as he stepped into the room.
Raymond was standing behind his desk. His hands were clasped behind his back, and for once he was staring right at Gabriel as he came in. He wasn't smiling; the expression on his face was devoid of any emotion, but his eyes were dark with anger. Gabriel couldn't remember ever seeing Raymond like that. The commander had often been angry with him, but even at the worst moments Gabriel had always detected something almost sweetly malicious and amused about him.
He closed the door and waited, fearing for the worst.
"Lieutenant Gabriel," Raymond started. Even his voice was empty, leaving Gabriel no chance to predict what he might say or do next. He didn't dare react in any way. No matter what he did, it would just give Raymond yet another reason to be displeased with him.
"I can hardly bring myself to believe what Captain Jekyll just told me. I hope he's lying, but since I can't think of a reason for him to do so, I'm forced to accept that you went against my direct orders and decided to assist a wanted criminal," Raymond continued. He shook his head, and his face finally twisted into a furious frown. "But I want to hear it from you personally before I decide what action to take."
"Sir, I... It was -" Gabriel stammered, all of his brilliant excuses and lies suddenly gone from his head. The look in the commander's piercing blue eyes made him freeze and much to his dismay, he couldn't come up with anything that would make him look good.
"Well, Lieutenant? I'm waiting," Raymond said icily.
It was pointless to prolong the torture any more than necessary. Better just get it all over with. "Sir, I found it hard to believe that the sergeant could be guilty. He's simply not competent enough to steal anything, as evidenced by how all of this was just a misunderstanding because he was such a bumbling -" Gabriel started, but he was cut off when Raymond suddenly slammed his hands on his desk.
"My orders are the only thing that matters! If I say that someone is guilty, your responsibility is to arrest him and not question me!" the commander yelled, the sudden volume of his voice startling Gabriel and almost making him take a step back. He knew better than to try argue, so he just pressed his lips into a tight line and braced himself for the vicious dressing-down that was about to come.
"Do you have any idea how stupid it makes me look when my supposedly most loyal officer does something like this behind my back? You're not supposed to think or have opinions about my orders! You only follow them, but apparently even that is too much to ask of a simpleton like you!" Raymond continued. He was leaning over his desk, and his hunched posture momentarily made Gabriel think of a wild beast that might come for his throat at any moment.
"If we want to keep these people under control, we can't let them think there is any discrepancy within the army. Every officer and every soldier is to do exactly as I say. Moreover, I consider it a personal insult that you did something like that. You must have known that it was against my orders!" Raymond went on, hardly stopping to catch his breath.
"Sir, you never gave me any orders, and I'm still off duty, so -" Gabriel dared to chime in, but he instantly regretted it when Raymond didn't even let him finish.
"Are you blind, deaf or stupid?" the commander snapped. "You can't have missed what was going on! The fact that you went to help Gonzales without letting anyone know proves that you knew it was against my orders!"
Raymond straightened his form and clasped his hands behind his back again. "And as for you being off duty, that is no excuse. It gives you no right to partake in criminal activities," he said in a calmer voice. Though he wasn't yelling anymore, his face was still twisted in rage. Gabriel hardly dared to breathe.
"Have I made at least this point clear?" Raymond asked.
"Yes, sir," Gabriel said at once.
Raymond nodded. "Good. Now, do I even want to know why you decided to help Gonzales? And don't try to tell me you thought it was the right thing to do."
"Well, sir..." Gabriel started uncertainly, not knowing what to say. He had been thinking about some nonsense about how Gonzales was his subordinate and how he had to keep his trust, but he knew Raymond would never buy that.
Raymond pursed his lips, letting out a hum. For a moment it looked like his expression might turn into his usual malicious smirk, but he chose to remain serious. "Don't you have anything to say, Lieutenant? Then how about I make a guess? I think you thought I've been treating you unfairly for the past months and decided to rebel against me."
"No, sir. I -"
"Let me finish, Lieutenant. You may be arrogant enough to think you have any right to feel persecuted by my actions, but you're entirely mistaken. You're my subordinate, and that means I can treat you any way I want, fair or not. That you even consider acting against my orders is enough reason for me to give you a severe punishment, but that you actually do it is unfathomable. I could have you stripped of your rank and kicked out of the army for an offence like this," Raymond said.
Gabriel did his best to keep his sudden dread from showing on his face, not wanting to give Raymond the satisfaction of knowing how much his words chilled him. He felt his body tremble under Raymond's stare, and he realised what an idiot he had been. To even think that he could fool the commander had been stupid. Raymond was so vicious and twisted that he probably anticipated every move that his enemies and allies could make.
"I'll give you until the end of this conversation to come up with another excuse. For your sake, I hope it's a good one," Raymond said. He turned his gaze to his desk and picked up a few papers. He spent a moment browsing through them before he turned to look at Gabriel again. There were fewer angry lines on his face, and Gabriel could almost swear the look in his eyes had grown softer. These sudden and unpredictable shifts of mood were one reason he was so wary of the commander. He could never tell what would happen next and if it was even genuine, or if Raymond was merely toying with him.
"We have a few things we have to go through before your return to duty," Raymond said. He didn't wait for Gabriel to acknowledge this but simply continued, "Let's start with the most urgent issue. As you know, Don Dias is arriving here next week. It's only a few days after your return to duty, but I expect you to oversee the security and the transportation of the wheat. It has to be done with utmost care. Choose only men you can trust. Nobody is to find out about our operation."
Gabriel nodded, feeling a little more secure now that they had switched to a different topic. "I already know the right men, sir."
"Good. In that case, I trust I can leave this matter to you. I'll be busy handling the public affairs and presenting Don Dias to the people, so I have no time to take part in the more mundane parts of the operation," Raymond said.
"You can leave it all to me, sir," Gabriel said at once, eager to please and prove that he was still trustworthy.
"I hope so," Raymond said. "It is of greatest importance that we transport the wheat to the location we agreed on and sell it to Don Dias. If this fails, it's going to hinder all of out other operations. You had better be up to the task."
"I know I can do it."
Raymond's brows shot up in curiosity. "Truly? Then you have recovered marvellously fast from your injury," he said in an innocent tone.
"I'm fine, sir," Gabriel said. He would never tell Raymond about the never-ending ache or how difficult it sometimes was to control his hand. It would pass soon; he just needed to get used to using it again. The commander had no need to know and make even more snide remarks at him.
"Then I'll be expecting the usual performance from you, though that's of course not saying much in certain situations," Raymond remarked. He glanced briefly down at his papers, but Gabriel couldn't tell if he actually had something useful written down or if he just wanted to make him feel ignored for a moment. He thought frantically about what he could say once Raymond once again asked him about his motivation to help Gonzales, but he was too nervous to think straight. It was like all his thoughts had been torn to shreds and he had no way to put them back together again.
"I'm sure you know that the South India Trading Company has started building their offices in San Tasco," Raymond remarked, not lifting his eyes from his papers.
"Yes, sir."
"I haven't discussed business with Mr. Kapital yet, but I'm sure he and I can come to an agreement about how to handle things. At the moment there's no need for you to think about the company or their representatives. I'm going to handle all of it. Once the company has finished building their offices, there will be a great celebration to welcome them. Every important person in the area will be there, so we will have to take great measures to organize the security," Raymond said.
Gabriel frowned at being left in the dark with such important matters, but he didn't have the courage to question the commander at the moment. He had some doubts about getting a foreign company involved in their operations. They would gain much more, but it was risky. If this Kapital was as eager to join them as Raymond had let him believe, he would no doubt try to take advantage of them somehow. Then again, Raymond would probably respond to that with a few tricks of his own. Maybe it would be entertaining to see the two of them try to outsmart each other.
"Is there something else, sir?" he asked.
"Don Augusto, a rich landowner from Spain, is due to arrive here with his son in a week or two. He has purchased the wine fields south of town, so we might have to keep an eye on him," Raymond said. The hint of a smile appeared on his face, and he quickly added, "However, that can wait until later. Now I'd be interested in hearing why you decided to help Sergeant Gonzales today. I hope you can offer me a better reason than the one I thought of."
"No offence, sir, but the reason you voiced was entirely wrong," Gabriel said.
"Oh, really?" Raymond asked, now finally letting a smirk creep on his face. "Then do enlighten me, Lieutenant."
"Well, it was like this, sir," Gabriel started, hoping to win some time. Maybe he should say that he had wanted to win Jekyll's trust and the best way to do it was to pretend to be an honest bleeding heart like him. Or that if Gonzales was arrested, someone else would have to take his place as sergeant and the newcomer might not be as easy to fool. Or maybe -
"I'm waiting, Lieutenant," Raymond said with a harsh edge in his voice.
Suddenly, the perfect idea struck him. It was so obvious that he felt like laughing at himself for not realising it sooner.
"It was because of Zorro, sir," Gabriel said. He enjoyed the intrigued look that briefly appeared on Raymond's face and felt confident with himself for the first time during the conversation.
"Zorro? Go on."
"I was certain that Zorro would get involved in this incident and try to help Gonzales. I thought that if I pretended to do the same, I would get a chance to capture him," Gabriel explained.
"You weren't very well prepared for that. You didn't even think to carry a sword," Raymond pointed out.
"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't think things through that well."
"That is hardly surprising."
"Yes, it's all my fault that we didn't capture Zorro today," Gabriel said. Pretending to be sorry and taking the blame always felt like swallowing a handful of sand, but he had long since learnt that it was essential if he wanted to keep the commander happy. Gabriel was certain that Raymond knew he wasn't sincere, but he seemed to get some enjoyment from seeing others grovel at his feet.
Raymond let out an amused chuckle. "You shouldn't waste your time coming up with elaborate plans to capture Zorro. You aren't nearly cunning enough for that. Just do your duty and follow my orders like before."
"Yes, sir."
"If there's nothing else, you're dismissed. Do enjoy your final days of rest so that you'll be in full strength when you return to duty, Lieutenant."
Gabriel saluted and left the office as quickly as he could. Once he was outside, he let out a sigh of relief and swore to himself that he would never again act against Commander Raymond's orders, no matter what.
Sergeant Gonzales couldn't stop smiling as he thought about the day's events. In the morning, it had felt like his life was coming to its end, but now everything was back to normal. He no longer had to hide and wear Maria's old clothes or fear that someone was going to recognise him and betray him to the army.
The thought that the army he had served loyally for years could have been his downfall pained him a little, but he reasoned that it was just Commander Raymond, not the army itself. In fact, there were lots of people in the army who had been on his side. Several of his friends had given him pats to the back and assured him that they had never believed in his guilt. Captain Jekyll had pulled him aside and expressed his joy at that they had finally caught the real thief. Furthermore - and this was the hardest part for him to digest - Lieutenant Gabriel had decided to help him.
It was almost too good to be true. He had always been sure that the lieutenant didn't think much of him. After he had refused to believe his innocence regarding Don José's murder attempt, Gonzales had lost all hope that the two of them could ever understand each other. Now he wasn't so sure anymore.
The door to the main building opened and Gabriel stepped outside. Gonzales was relieved to notice that he didn't look like his whole life had just been crushed.
"Lieutenant!" he called out and hurried to greet Gabriel.
"What do you want?" Gabriel asked.
"What did the commander have to say? I hope he wasn't angry at you."
"That's none of your business," Gabriel said. He walked past Gonzales without even looking at him, but Gonzales didn't even think to feel angry or ignored. He couldn't blame Gabriel for being cranky after Commander Raymond had talked with him.
"Lieutenant, wait," he said and hurried after Gabriel.
"What do you want?" Gabriel's voice had a tired edge to it. It had been a long day for all of them.
"I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me today. You were the only one in the army who was ready to help me," Gonzales said.
"And that was a really stupid thing to do."
Gonzales winced at these words. He could only hope that the commander hadn't been too angry at Gabriel and hadn't decided to punish him. It would ruin his return to duty. Gonzales knew how much Gabriel was looking forward to getting back to work, and the last thing he wanted was that his problems would hinder that.
"I'm sorry if you're in trouble because of this," he said. "I know you took a great personal risk by deciding to help me. I'll never forget that. I'll make it up to you one day." Gonzales had never felt more strongly about anything he had said to the lieutenant, and he hoped Gabriel would notice it, too. After this day, he needed Gabriel to know how much it mattered to him when someone had faith in him.
"And what am I supposed to do with a promise like that from you?" Gabriel asked in irritation.
"I don't know yet, but I promise I'll help you one day when you need it, no matter what," Gonzales said. He felt pride burn inside him at these words, even if Gabriel didn't look very impressed. He would show him that he was worth the trust Gabriel had placed on him. One day, he'd do something for Lieutenant Gabriel and make up for today.
Diego pressed the back of his hand against his mouth to stifle a yawn. The day's incident with Gonzales and the stolen gem was the first time that anything of interest had happened in a while. The army had been almost quiet and tame without Lieutenant Gabriel on duty, so there hadn't been much need for Zorro. He had only had to capture a few bandits who had been terrorising the people, but that was hardly work for him.
I hope I'm not getting rusty, he thought in amusement as another yawn surprised him. Gabriel was returning to duty in less than a week, and then Zorro would have to be at his best again. Then he would also have to pull Bernard aside and tell him that as much as he appreciated his help, he didn't want to get him involved again. It was alright for Bernard to help when they were dealing with minor problems, but the army was too big for the boy to handle. He could only hope Bernard would understand.
Diego walked outside to the porch to take a look at the night sky before going to bed. He couldn't help but smile sadly at the situation. He wanted nothing more than to see the tyranny of the army come to its end so that Zorro could disappear for good. He knew how important the work he did was and he didn't regret the decision to live a double life, but sometimes... These quiet weeks had reminded him of what his life could be like if there was no need for him to wear the mask and the cape. No, then his life would be even better than this. He wouldn't have to pretend to be the kind of son that his father had to be ashamed of.
One day he'd help bring justice to the land. Somehow, he'd find evidence against the army and stop Raymond from committing crimes against the people. Then he could stop the charade and show the world what kind of man he really was.
"Diego, what are you doing out here?"
Diego turned around at his father's voice and put a carefree smile on his face. "Nothing, really. I just came to get a bit of fresh air before going to bed."
"I had the same in mind," Alejandro said. He came to stand by Diego's side and turned to gaze at the starry sky.
While they stood in silence, Diego examined his father's face in the moonlight. Lately, he had noticed that his father looked more tired and worried than before. While they were one of the richest and most important families in the area, Alejandro had always been sympathetic to the plights of those less fortunate. He helped the poor whenever he could and always took their side when the army tried to exploit them. Diego knew that his father was deeply hurt by how powerless he was against the army. It was one of the reasons why he couldn't let his father know the truth about Zorro. Alejandro would no doubt want to help, and Diego couldn't stand the idea of putting his father to such danger.
"You look worried," he observed.
"It's nothing," Alejandro said.
"I know you too well, father. You can tell me what's troubling you." Diego tried not to feel hurt that his father didn't want to share his worries with him. After he spent all his spare time making sure everyone thought he was lazy and a coward, it was no wonder his father didn't always trust him.
Alejandro sighed. "I don't want to bother you with something like this because it doesn't concern you, but... You must have heard about how the army has started collecting wheat from the farmers," he said.
"No, I knew nothing about that," Diego lied swiftly.
"Commander Raymond says there is a need for wheat in Spain, so they're taxing the farmers and taking away what little they have."
"Oh, that's terrible," Diego said, and for once he didn't have to act. "Can we afford to pay that?"
Alejandro snorted in disdain. "Yes, we can. I can't say the same for many other families. Some of them barely have enough to eat as it is."
"Do you think this is a legitimate order from Spain or that Raymond is behind this?" Diego asked. He was sure his father was just as troubled by that as he was. If the order had come from the king, anyone disobeying it would be a real outlaw. At the same time, taking the farmers' wheat and condemning them to starvation wasn't just no matter how you looked at it. He almost hoped that this was yet another of Raymond's schemes so that he could fight for the people with a clear conscience.
"I don't know, but I don't like it," Alejandro said. He spent a moment watching the sky before he turned to look at Diego, indecision in his eyes. "People are whispering that someone is planning to get a few men together and steal the wheat back from the army. It's complete foolishness, but I can't blame them."
Alejandro glanced at Diego from the corner of his eye. "I'll always be loyal to the king, but sometimes I think it's impossible to rule this land fairly from beyond the ocean."
Diego shifted in discomfort at his father's words. Problems like that were too big even for Zorro to handle, and he wasn't sure he wanted to add them to his list of worries.
His father just shook his head with a smile. "I'm sorry if I'm troubling you. I shouldn't talk about such things with you."
"You can talk to me about anything," Diego insisted.
"I think it's time we both go to bed," Alejandro said. "Goodnight, Diego."
Diego stayed outside and watched his father walk back into the house. For a moment he felt like he was choking, and he had to swallow to get rid of the lump in his throat. His chest ached at the resigned look he had seen in his father's eyes. The desire to call him back and just tell the truth to him had never been stronger; he had to clench his jaws almost painfully to stop himself.
He had to remember his priorities. No matter how much it hurt his father to think his son was useless, it was for the best that he didn't know the truth. Once all of this was over and the corrupt officers were gone, Diego would drink with his father and tell him everything. Until that, he would just have to ignore the harm that his lies were doing to everyone.