The next chapter might come later than usual. I'll soon move to study in Germany for a year, and I'll probably be so busy with getting used to all the new things that I doubt I'll have the time to think about fanfiction for a while.

THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD

Chapter 11

The steady sound of his horse's hooves against the road was almost hypnotic in Gabriel's ears. He kept his eyes glued to the road and didn't speak a word to anyone. The soldiers rode behind him, and nobody had the courage to get too close to the lieutenant now. They all thought he was angry and would lash out at the first person who approached him, but that couldn't have been farther away from the truth.

Gabriel's mind was filled with too much worry for himself to feel angry at anyone at the moment. As relaxing as the rhythm of his horse's steps was, it also reminded him that each step was taking him closer to the barracks and Commander Raymond. He felt an uncomfortable apprehension at the thought of the man and what he would say once he heard the news. His hands were clutching the reins so hard his fingers were numb. He had never before been this afraid of admitting failure.

The thought of Raymond would have been more than enough to make him feel uneasy, but there was also the problem of his shoulder. The pain had subsided somewhat, but he could still feel it throb somewhere deep inside where the wound had been. He wanted to think that it just hadn't healed properly yet and that everything would be fine if he got even more rest, but he knew it couldn't be that simple.

He was forced to forget about his shoulder when he suddenly realised that they had arrived at the barracks. The guards positioned there hurried to open the gates for them and let them in. Even before all men had ridden through, Sergeant Gonzales came running from the main office.

"Lieutenant, why are you back so soon?" he asked.

"Where is the commander?" Gabriel asked.

"He went to the harbour to welcome Don Dias personally."

Gabriel didn't know whether to feel relieved or even more frustrated. As terrified as he was of Raymond's reaction, he wanted to have the whole ordeal over as soon as possible.

"Take your horses away and get cleaned up," he said to the soldiers who were still on horseback, waiting for his orders. Once they were gone, he got down from the saddle. The sudden stab of pain in his shoulder took him by surprise and he nearly stumbled, but he was able to catch his balance just in time.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Gonzales asked.

"That's none of your business," Gabriel said, but his voice didn't hold the usual forceful anger. "Take my horse," he continued and shoved the reins into Gonzales' hands. The sergeant blinked in confusion but didn't dare to object. Gabriel marched past him, not really caring where he was going as long as he could be alone for a minute. He soon found himself outside the main office at the yard where his men often practised their skills with the sword. Now there was nobody there, but the sight of the place still brought a sour taste to Gabriel's mouth.

He ran his fingers through his hair. Just what the hell was he going to do? What could he possibly say to Raymond when he came back with Don Dias? He wasn't supposed to be in this situation! Everything was against him, and there was nothing he could do.

"Dammit!" he snapped and aimed a kick at a small stone at his feet. It flew against the wall of the office, barely missing one of the windows. Gabriel grimaced. He would have wanted to see one of Raymond's precious glass windows shatter, if only because he wanted to break something to feel better.

It was all Zorro's fault. He had done this to him on purpose; he had wanted to see him fall like this. This had to be the man's sick idea of justice. Instead of trying to defeat him in a fair battle, he had acted like the pitiful coward he was and made him – Gabriel closed his eyes and shook his head, not wanting to think about the word that was on his mind. Because it wasn't true. It just –

"Lieutenant, what is going on here?"

Gabriel whirled around to see that Sergeant Gonzales had followed him. The worried expression on the man's face only fuelled his anger, and he felt his face burn. That idiot was the last person he wanted to see. And what right did he have to look like that, like he was worried and sorry for him?

"Did something – hey!" Gonzales started, but he was cut off when he suddenly found Gabriel's sword pointed at him.

"Draw your sword. Now."

Gonzales only stared, eyes wide in shock. "Lieutenant, what's this?"

"I said now!" Gabriel barked.

Gonzales fumbled for his sword and unsheathed it hastily. He brought it up into a defensive stance, but hesitation was written all over his face. He retreated to get away from Gabriel's blade and eyed the lieutenant with worry.

Gabriel couldn't wait any longer. He advanced at Gonzales with such force that the sergeant stumbled when he brought up his blade to block the attack. Gabriel didn't mind the pain that spread from his shoulder to the rest of his arm or the prickly feeling in his fingers. He had to test his arm to see how much it could take. Maybe the incident at the woods had been just a mistake. He was rusty after so much rest, so it was possible. Wasn't it?

"Lieutenant, stop! What are you doing?" Gonzales asked. He was having a hard time blocking Gabriel's furious attacks; his face was twisted in struggle, and he had to keep retreating. He had no time to return any of the blows. Gabriel knew he could have easily finished the fight right there by forcing the sword out of Gonzales' hand, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not yet.

"Are you an idiot? Fight back!" he ordered. He paused his attacks for a moment and glared at Gonzales, gasping for breath in anger and strain.

"Why are we doing this?" Gonzales asked. In a hesitant tone, he continued, "One of the men told me what happened. No offence, but I don't think we have time for this. We should prepare for Commander Raymond's -"

"Shut up!" Gabriel snapped. Nobody had the right to tell him what to do, especially not that fool! He growled as he brought his blade up for another attack and aimed a slash at Gonzales' side. The sergeant yelped in alarm as he blocked it just in time.

"Someone is going to get hurt! Let's stop this!" Gonzales said.

Gabriel didn't bother to reply. If Gonzales said anything else, he didn't hear it. Everything was a blur to him, and he could hear his blood roar in his ears. He couldn't think straight; all he knew was that he had to prove that there was nothing wrong with him.

Gonzales blocked his next attack. Even in his daze, Gabriel could see the sudden determined gleam in the sergeant's eyes. Instead of retreating, Gonzales forced Gabriel's sword to his right and managed to stop the lieutenant's attack. Gabriel's shoulder blazed up with sharp pain, and there was a sudden clang to his right. He clutched at his shoulder and turned to look.

It was his sword. Dumbfounded, Gabriel turned his eyes to his empty hand. He hadn't even felt the sword be knocked off.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant! I didn't mean to do that!" Gonzales explained, wide-eyed with shock.

Gabriel grabbed his right wrist, both of his hands trembling. Fear mixed with his anger when the full realization dawned on him. He couldn't hide from the truth anymore. Something was wrong with his arm. It wasn't just stiff; he barely had any control over his fingers whenever the arm was twisted into certain positions. Pain was throbbing inside his shoulder and spreading down to his fingertips with every heartbeat.

"I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe… maybe you were just careless. We can try again later," Gonzales suggested.

"So that you can make a fool of me again? No! I've had enough of that for today!" Gabriel yelled.

"But maybe -"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it!"

Gonzales sighed miserably and put his sword back into its sheath. He was looking at Gabriel with sudden pity in his eyes, but he was wise enough to remain silent. Gabriel suddenly felt like he couldn't breathe. It was obvious Gonzales had guessed what was wrong with him, and somehow having someone else know of his vulnerability was almost as bad as the actual injury.

"Go away," he said weakly.

"But sir…"

"Didn't you hear? I told you to -"

There was the sound of someone clearing his throat, and both Gabriel and Gonzales turned to look. A soldier had stopped to stand a safe distance away from them. He looked like he would have rather been anywhere else.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, sir, but the commander asked me to tell you that he would like to see you in his office right now," the man said.

Gabriel thought his blood turned into ice for a moment. "The commander is already back?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," the soldier said. He hesitated for a moment. "And he's not very happy."

Of course he wasn't. Someone had to have told him about the incident with the wheat. Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment, not knowing how to get out of this mess. He had promised Raymond that everything would go according to plan. Imagining the commander's fury chilled him to the bone.

"I'll be there right away," he said, managing to keep his voice confident. He caught a sight of Gonzales' face as he walked past the sergeant. Gonzales was still looking at him with that worried expression. For once Gabriel wasn't annoyed by it; this time he was so nervous that having someone on his side almost felt encouraging.

His heart pounding in his chest, he tried to come up with a good excuse as he walked into the main office, up the stairs and towards Raymond's office. He barely noticed the pain in his shoulder from his feverish panic. He reached the double doors far sooner than he wanted. He still had no idea what he could say to the commander.

Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Feeling like he was about to step before a firing squad, Gabriel pushed the door open and entered Raymond's office. The commander was standing behind his desk, his hands clasped behind his back, facing the door. His eyes were slit, and Gabriel saw anger flash in them as he stepped in. He realised that if Raymond had been watching out the window a moment ago, he had seen Gonzales defeat him.

"Lieutenant, I am very much hoping that what the men have told me isn't true," Raymond said.

Gabriel opened his mouth to reply, but he had nothing to say. He simply couldn't bring himself to admit that he had failed this badly.

"I see," Raymond said. He turned to look at the man who was standing on the left side of the room. He was a tall and dark-haired with a few deep lines marring his face. His expression was absolutely furious, and it looked like he was having a hard time standing still. "Don Dias, I regret to say that it seems the worst really has happened," Raymond said.

"Unbelievable! I thought everything was going according to plan! How could this happen?" Dias asked, his voice shaking with anger.

"I would very much like to know that as well," Raymond remarked, turning his eyes back to Gabriel. The lieutenant thought he could feel the commander's angry glare prickle his skin.

"Well?" Raymond urged when Gabriel didn't say anything at first.

Gabriel swallowed. It was for the best to get this over with. "We were taking the wheat through the planned route in the woods. The rebels took us by surprise and were able to get away with everything."

"How?" Raymond barked, suddenly pulling his hands from behind his back and slamming his desk with his horsewhip. "I thought you were a competent officer! You had a dozen armed men with you! How was it possible for anyone to defeat you?"

"It's all my fault, sir. Both sides were unable to use muskets, so we had to resort to swords. The leader of the rebels… He... he was able to defeat me and forced the men to surrender," Gabriel said. It was a small hope, but maybe Raymond would go easier on him if he admitted what had happened. Lying wouldn't help in any case. He didn't know what to say, and Raymond could always ask the men for what had really happened.

"The leader defeated you," Raymond said in a disbelieving voice. "Who was he? Zorro?"

"Zorro wasn't there."

"In other words, there is no excuse for your actions," Raymond said.

"I thought you said this man was one of your best," Dias pointed out.

"I thought so as well. How about it, Lieutenant? Was the leader perhaps the most amazing swordsman to ever show his face in this area?"

Gabriel swallowed. "My shoulder failed me," he admitted, hating every word and how difficult it was to say them.

He saw realisation flash in Raymond's eyes, and a smile suddenly crept on the commander's face. "Oh, I see. It was because you haven't yet recovered from your injury," he said, sounding almost pleasant before he continued in a harsher tone, "Even though you swore to me that you were ready to return to duty and that nothing was wrong!"

"Sir, I -"

"Do you have any idea how much this is going to cost me? Several of our future projects were supposed to be funded with the profits of this operation. Now that you ruined everything in your incompetence, I will have to resort to drastic measures to keep everything working," Raymond said. He kept his voice low to make sure nobody outside the office would hear what he was saying, but it sounded like he had to use all his willpower not to shout. The hand that was clutching the horsewhip was shaking.

"I'm sorry, sir. It won't happen again," Gabriel said.

"That's right. It won't," Raymond said. He turned to look at Don Dias. The man had been listening to their conversation in silence but with fury masking his face. "I'm dreadfully sorry that you were forced to endure the long trip for nothing," he said.

"So am I, but I see none of this is your fault," Dias said.

"It seems I should have chosen the people I trust more carefully," Raymond said venomously, glancing at Gabriel.

"I will stay in town for a few days. Maybe something of interest will come up."

Raymond nodded. "That's more than anyone could expect. We're still going to throw that celebration in your honour so that nobody will suspect anything," he said. "And I hope you won't let my subordinate's incompetence affect your opinion of me. I'm sure there will be other projects for us in the future."

"I'm a businessman, Commander. If I let every setback bring me down, I wouldn't be here. I hear you've made arrangements for the South India Trading Company to set up business in town. That's very interesting," Dias said. The anger on his face melted away at these words and was replaced by a snide smirk.

Raymond responded to the smile. "We can discuss that in private later. I'm sure it would be beneficial for both of us."

Gabriel had allowed himself to relax a little when Raymond's attention had been directed away from him. When the commander suddenly turned back to look at him, fresh anger in his eyes, the lieutenant nearly took a step back in surprise. What was it now? Hadn't they agreed that this wouldn't happen again? Some form of punishment was certainly in order, but he wasn't prepared for the malice he now saw on Raymond's face.

"You said your shoulder failed you, Lieutenant," the commander remarked.

"That's right," Gabriel admitted. "I don't think my injury is properly healed yet."

"Then why did you tell me that it was?"

Gabriel hesitated a moment before answering. "It's… I thought it was," he said. He couldn't tell Raymond that he had suspected something was wrong. The commander would just get angrier at him.

"Then you're even stupider than I thought. You can't even pay attention to your own health!" Raymond snapped, glaring at him in distaste.

"I'm sorry. It's all my fault," Gabriel said, as he always did when Raymond was this angry. There was no point in trying to argue.

"At least you know that much." Raymond started to pat his horsewhip against his palm in slow and gentle movements. "But can you be sure that you will ever be healed?"

"I'm sure I only need a little more rest. Then I can return to duty and -"

"That's what you told me last time!" Raymond snapped.

Now Gabriel couldn't help but take one startled step back. "I'm sor-"

"Enough of that! Your grovelling won't achieve anything! As for your shoulder, I don't care if it's ever going to be back to normal. You lied to me about your state of health and caused me massive financial damage. You risked the life of every man who was with you. Tell me, Lieutenant, do you really think the army has a need for that kind of officers?" Raymond yelled, grasping the whip in his left hand and twisting it in anger.

Gabriel felt a chill go down his spine. "Sir?" he asked.

"Frankly, I am tired of your failures. For months now, everything you have done has ended up in a catastrophe. I see no indication of that changing any time soon, so I don't think there's any reason to keep you in my service," Raymond announced.

"You're… you're cutting me off from your operations?" Gabriel asked in a disbelieving tone. That couldn't be! He had stood faithfully by Raymond's side ever since the beginning. He was the only one the commander could truly trust. He couldn't just –

"No," Raymond said. "I'm permanently removing you from all of your duties in the Spanish Army."

"What?" Gabriel asked. He tried to understand what had just been said to him, but he couldn't even begin to make sense of Raymond's words.

"Was there something you didn't understand?" Raymond asked.

"Sir, I… I don't… What…?"

"Apparently so. I can't say I'm very surprised. Let me make it even clearer for you. As of this moment, you will no longer be serving in the army. What you decide to do once you step out that door is irrelevant to me, but I would appreciate it if you turned over your uniform and boots before you leave the barracks."

"You can't kick me out because of just one failure!" Gabriel snapped, suddenly finding his voice again.

"I'm not. This is the result of numerous pathetic failures. The most recent one merely took the last of my patience. Besides," Raymond said, idly examining the whip in his hands, "I think it's safe to assume that your shoulder is not going to get any better in the near future, if at all. I've seen several men be crippled for life after being shot like that. I'm surprised you're having as little trouble as you are."

Gabriel only stared at Raymond's face, trying to find even the faintest trace of a joke on his features. There wasn't even the hint of a smile, and he suddenly felt like his heart was going to stop. Raymond was being serious. He was really removing him from service.

"You can't do this," he said weakly. There had to be a way to stop this. Raymond couldn't just do what he wanted. Someone would wonder why he had suddenly fired his most trusted lieutenant. Raymond would have to state his reasons for such a rash decision. Surely the governor general would step in and stop this madness!

"I have every reason to do so," Raymond said.

"I'm not the only one who has failed! Nobody has been able to defeat Zorro!" Gabriel argued. If this was Raymond's reasoning, then he would have to get rid of everyone.

"It's about more than that. If I had given your recent task to Jekyll or even Gonzales, I'm sure both of them would have been honest with me about their health. To them, the success of the operation would have been more important than their pride!"

"It wasn't about my -"

"Be quiet! I'm not done yet! Surely you realise that I can't keep you in charge of my operations when you aren't even able to defeat that idiot sergeant in a swordfight! What chance do you have against Zorro or even common rebels?" Raymond continued.

"But, sir, that's no reason to dismiss me entirely. I could still serve in the army," Gabriel said in desperation.

"Maybe, but this is my personal punishment for you."

Gabriel struggled to keep his voice from shaking. "I know too much," he said with much effort. "I could tell the governor general everything about you."

"Oh, really? Do you think I'm stupid? I have more than enough evidence to have you sentenced to death. Should you ever accuse me of anything, I have my ways to make it look like you're the one behind everything. I wouldn't try anything if I were you," Raymond said. "Of course, you're welcome to try."

Gabriel balked at the thought, his mind racing to come up with anything else he could say. It can't go like this, he thought in panic. He didn't deserve this. Raymond had no right to do this to him! There had to be something he could do to make the commander change his mind.

"Sir," he pleaded. "You can't do this to me."

"Yes, I can. Be glad that I'm being merciful and letting you live. Consider it my reward for serving me well in the past," Raymond said.

"Merciful?" Gabriel repeated. This was supposed to be mercy? Raymond was ruining his life, and he dared to call it mercy? That… that bastard!

"You have no right to do this! You can't! I'm going to tell everyone everything about you and what a corrupt bastard you are!" Gabriel yelled, feeling the remains of his self-restraint disappear with the flush of his anger.

Raymond only lifted a brow, not impressed by his outburst. "I already said that you'd be digging your own grave if you did that. But by all means, if you're so stupid that you want to test -" he started, but Gabriel wasn't about to let him finish. He couldn't stand to listen to that dog speak in that infuriatingly snide voice of his any second longer!

His hand fumbled at his left side, but then he remembered that his sword was still outside on the ground. No matter. He didn't need a sword to beat someone. Not even fully aware of what he was doing, he drew back his fist and pounced at the commander. It didn't matter what would happen to him after this; he had to see that smug smirk wiped off Raymond's face.

Raymond moved faster than Gabriel could have ever expected and simply stepped aside so that Gabriel nearly crashed against his desk. He turned around to face the commander, only to find the man's sword pointed straight at his face.

"Don't be stupid," Raymond said, his voice laced with distaste. "One more move like that and I'll have you arrested and charged for incompetence and rebellion." The tip of his sword came closer until it was right at Gabriel's throat. If he made the slightest move, it would draw blood.

Gabriel clenched his fists and tried to even his erratic breathing. The hatred was still clouding his mind, but he wasn't an idiot. Even though his whole body was shaking with anger and desire to hurt and humiliate the commander, he knew he was outmatched and helpless.

"You have to reconsider this," he said. His voice sounded pitiful in his ears. He hated himself for it, but he didn't have a choice. It couldn't go like this.

"I'm done discussing this issue with you," Raymond said. He took his sword away and put it back into the sheath.

"But I-"

"I will give Captain Jekyll instructions about your case. You can come and speak with him tomorrow. You're dismissed."

"Sir, please reconsider this. I'm sure I'll be fit to serve the army again in no time," Gabriel pleaded. He searched Raymond's face for any signs of mercy, but the commander looked like he was made of stone. He was looking at Gabriel with such cold indifference in his eyes that Gabriel didn't think he was even enjoying his plight – and that meant he truly was angry.

Raymond walked to the door. He opened it and stepped outside for a moment to talk to one of the men who were standing guard in the corridor.

"You there. I want you to tell Sergeant Gonzales to get here at once," he said.

"Right away, sir!" the soldier said and hurried down the stairs.

"I will have the sergeant escort you out. I'm sure you appreciate that," Raymond said.

Gabriel's breath was caught in his throat when Raymond's words hit him. That bumbling idiot was let to stay in the army no matter how stupid and incompetent he was. What would he think when he heard that Gabriel had been removed from service? Would he be promoted to a lieutenant to take his place?

"I can make it on my own," he croaked. He couldn't face Gonzales now. It was bad enough the sergeant had defeated – no, caught him by surprise in a swordfight. This was too much.

There was a knock on the door, and Raymond told the person to enter. Gonzales opened the door and stepped in, a hesitant and worried frown on his face.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked, glancing at Gabriel before turning his eyes to Raymond.

"Yes. I want you to escort the former lieutenant away from the barracks. Make sure he leaves," the commander said.

Gonzales only stared at him with his mouth agape. "I'm sorry, sir. I don't think I understand."

"Was I unclear, Sergeant? Take this man out now!" Raymond snapped. He turned to address Don Dias who had been watching all of this in silence. "If you have no objections, I think we're done here. We should move to more comfortable accommodations as soon as I've had a word with the captain."

"With pleasure," Don Dias said. Accompanied by Raymond, he exited the office, leaving Gabriel and Gonzales alone.

"Sir, what's going on?" Gonzales asked hesitantly.

"Like you don't know!" Gabriel snapped. He couldn't bring himself to turn to look at Gonzales. He could feel his whole life crumble before him. Raymond had just treated him like a crippled dog and taken everything from him. Everyone was going to think he was a failure.

"But I don't know! What did the commander mean by that?" Gonzales asked.

"Ask Captain Jekyll if you care!" Gabriel yelled. He turned around and marched to the door, wrenched it open and slammed it shut behind his back. The soldiers he passed on his way stood straighter when they noticed him and saluted, but he didn't even see that. The world was a blur to him and he couldn't focus on anything until he found himself outside the main office.

Suddenly he was at a loss of what to do. The army was his life. He had planned his whole future based on his operations with Raymond, the promotions he'd get and the money he'd earn. He had never even considered that it might not happen. Now that the rug had been pulled from under his feet, he didn't know what to even think.

It can't go like this, he thought with a sudden surge of anger. He refused to accept this! Raymond had no right to treat him this way. Somehow, he'd fix all this and show that arrogant bastard just how wrong he was! He'd dearly regret humiliating him like this.

He heard the door open behind him. When he turned to look, he saw that Gonzales had followed him outside.

"Sir, please tell me what's going on," Gonzales said, sounding almost miserable.

Gabriel grimaced in disgust at the sergeant's presence. That oaf! He had no right to be in the army and wear that uniform when –

"Get the hell away from me!" Gabriel snapped.

"But -"

"Are you deaf or stupid or both? I said I don't want to talk to you!" Gabriel yelled. He couldn't deal with this. He felt exhausted all of a sudden; he hadn't even sat down after returning from the forest with his men. Raymond's words had been like a punch to his face. His shoulder was still burning with pain, and his mind was filled with so much anger and confusion that he could barely think straight.

He needed a drink. Then he would think about this and decide what to do. Without another word at Gonzales, he marched to the stables to get his horse.

Sergeant Gonzales watched in confusion how Gabriel rode out through the gates. He wondered where the lieutenant was going and what had happened between him and Raymond. The commander's orders didn't make any sense, and neither did Gabriel's reaction. It was understandable that the lieutenant would be angry after what had happened in the woods, but this felt more serious. Gonzales had got the feeling he was dealing with a wounded animal.

"Do you know what's going on?" he asked some of the soldiers who were standing guard at the yard.

One of the men shook his head. "I haven't been given any orders."

"Me neither," the other one said.

Gonzales supposed that made sense. Raymond rarely bothered to talk directly to the soldiers when he could avoid it, and the men couldn't have got commands from anyone else yet. He could only hope that whatever had happened in the office wasn't too serious. The anger he had seen in Gabriel's eyes worried him.

He had no idea what to make of the swordfight they had had. He had never seen Gabriel attack anyone senselessly like that. He was quick to anger and it didn't take much to provoke him, but there was always an air of control when he was handling the sword. No matter how furious he was, Gabriel always knew what he was doing with his blade. The blind rage and clumsy attacks weren't like him at all.

Gonzales had thought his heart would stop the moment Gabriel's sword flew from his hands. The lieutenant was far more skilled than him. They had duelled often, and Gonzales had never had even the slightest chance against him. Something had to be very wrong with Gabriel if he made mistakes like that.

With worry gnawing at his insides, Gonzales returned inside the main office. He spotted Captain Jekyll exiting one of the rooms with a grim expression on his face.

"Sir, may I have a word?" he asked.

"I was just about to come to look for you," Jekyll said. He opened the door of the room where he had just come from and gestured for Gonzales to enter. Gonzales tried to read the captain's face as he stepped in and wondered what could be so serious that they had to talk about it behind closed doors.

"Have you already been told what happened today?" Jekyll asked.

Gonzales shook his head. "I heard the men talking about the incident in the woods, but that's all I know."

"I was informed of the rebels' attack as well. What an unfortunate thing to happen," Jekyll said. He turned to glare to his side for a moment. Gonzales noted that he was clenching his fists and that they were shaking. He frowned, his worry deepening. One attack couldn't be enough to make everyone this upset.

"Is something wrong, sir?" he asked.

"Commander Raymond just informed me that he has removed Lieutenant Gabriel from service," Jekyll said.

"What?" Gonzales blurted out. "Why did he do that?"

"Because of his incompetence and inability to protect the king's property from the rebels. The commander also said he has reason to believe that Gabriel's injury will render him unable to continue serving the army."

Gonzales frowned. He had suspected that much, but he hadn't wanted to jump to conclusions. Gabriel had seemed just fine until today. It was no surprise he was upset. His skill with the sword was his greatest pride.

"But it was just one attack. The commander can't do this."

"That's what I said as well, but he wouldn't listen. Losing the wheat to the rebels has made him terribly angry. He said he can no longer close his eyes from Gabriel's defeats to Zorro," Jekyll said.

"But everyone loses to Zorro! The only reason Gabriel loses the most is because he's the most determined to catch him and confronts him every time he gets the chance!" Gonzales argued.

"I know, but the commander wouldn't listen."

"Can he just remove people from service as he pleases? There has to be some rule against this," Gonzales said. Even Commander Raymond couldn't do everything he wanted. He had to answer to the governor general. Doing this to an officer without a fair hearing was outrageous.

"I'm afraid he can. He has been given the right to do whatever he considers necessary to bring Zorro to justice. Removing incompetent men from high positions is one way to achieve this, or so he claims," Jekyll said.

"It makes no sense. I always thought the lieutenant was Raymond's favourite," Gonzales muttered.

Jekyll hummed in thought. "I think there is more behind this than what the commander is telling us. I intend to keep my eyes open and find out what is going on here."

"Do you think that the commander could be involved with something that's… I mean, uh…" Gonzales started but didn't know how to finish. For a while now, he had got the feeling that there was something fishy going on in the army. The way they treated the common people brought a sour taste to his mouth. Regardless of what Raymond and Gabriel said, it didn't look like anything the army did was to help the people of the area.

"Of course not," Jekyll said quickly. "I have complete faith in the honour of all officers here. I just can't agree with the commander's orders this time. It will be hard to carry them out."

"What did he tell you to do?" Gonzales asked.

"It'll be my duty to inform the men of what has happened and make sure the lieutenant follows all proper procedures," Jekyll said. He sighed. "I don't like this. He is far from an incompetent officer."

"Maybe the commander will reconsider this when he's not so angry," Gonzales said.

"I hope so," Jekyll said.

"I saw the lieutenant ride away. Maybe I should go after him," Gonzales suggested. There was no guessing what Gabriel would do when he was this angry and upset. He could end up making things even worse.

"That might be a good idea. I'm giving you the rest of the day off."

A few minutes later, Gonzales was saddling up his horse and wondering where to look for Gabriel. He didn't know the lieutenant very well and had no idea where he would go when he was upset. If their roles were reversed, Gonzales knew he'd go to the closest tavern and eat until he collapsed. That didn't sound like Gabriel, but taverns also served the oldest medicine with which to drench one's problems, so he decided to give it a shot.

He was both relieved and alarmed when he found Gabriel in the third tavern that he tried when he arrived in San Tasco in about half an hour. It was a seedy little establishment usually favoured by passing travellers who didn't have much money. The army had raided it several times in search of rebels, but so far they hadn't found anything.

The owner looked up when Gonzales entered. He seemed to guess what he was looking for because he simply nodded towards the back without a word. When Gonzales turned to look to this direction, he saw Gabriel sitting alone at one of the tables. There were no other customers, and Gonzales guessed they had all fled upon seeing an officer.

He approached the table with some hesitation in his steps. If Gabriel was both angry and drunk, there was no telling what he'd do.

"Lieutenant?" he called out.

There was no reply from Gabriel. He was sitting slumped back in his seat and staring at the bottle in his hands like he wanted to kill it. He didn't even turn to look when Gonzales stopped to stand by the table.

"Let's get out of here, Lieutenant. This isn't a very good place," Gonzales said.

"Am I still a lieutenant?" Gabriel asked, not lifting his eyes from the bottle.

Gonzales tried to think fast to find something to say, but he was drawing a blank. What could he possibly say now that would matter at all?

"It wouldn't be enough for that bastard to just kick me out like an incompetent dog. I'm sure he'll take my rank, too!" Gabriel growled, clenching the neck of the bottle so hard that Gonzales was afraid it might shatter.

"Let's not be hasty. I'm sure the commander was just upset. When he calms down, he'll take back his words," he said. He hesitated for a moment, but then he gathered his courage and sat down on the opposite side of the table.

Gabriel let out a little laugh. It sounded hollow in Gonzales' ears. Now that he was sitting before the lieutenant, he had a better view of his face. He was struck by the emotionless gleam in Gabriel's eyes and how defeated he looked like.

"Raymond will never take back his words," Gabriel said. He took a swig of the bottle. "That damn bastard is too proud. If I could just get my hands on him, I'd snap that neck and make him pay!"

"How much have you been drinking?" Gonzales asked. And what was it if it was having such an effect on him so soon? He grabbed the bottle when Gabriel put it back on the table and examined it in his hands. It was half empty.

"Hey! That's mine!" Gabriel snapped and snatched the bottle back. "You… you can't have it. They took everything from me today, but this is mine," he said, slurring a little with his words.

"This isn't like you! You should get a hold of yourself!" Gonzales snapped. He felt his frustration grow as he watched the half-drunken man before him. Gabriel had every right to be upset, but Gonzales didn't want to see him handling the situation like this. He was always so proud and stubborn. Now it was like he had just given up.

"Go to hell," Gabriel muttered.

"Are you just going to sit here? We have to do something if we want to fix this!" Gonzales insisted. "I already spoke to Jekyll, and he agrees with me. I'm sure the men will -"

Gabriel swung half-heartedly at him with the bottle, but he didn't get even close to hitting him. "Shut up and leave me alone," he said. "There's nothing you can do. That dog always does what he wants. Now that he doesn't need me, he's just going to toss me into the gutter."

"Don't say that. You're a great officer," Gonzales tried to argue.

"I was!" Gabriel snapped, slamming the bottle against the table so that Gonzales jumped. "I was, goddamit, but then that bastard ruined that for me."

"Who?" Gonzales asked.

"Zorro, you idiot! Look what he did to me!" Gabriel let go of the bottle and held his right hand before Gonzales' face. He kept his eyes glued to it as he continued, "I was the best swordsman here, but not anymore. My arm is ruined. What does it matter anymore if I'm in the army or not?"

"Maybe it's not that bad. You should talk to Dr. Timothy first," Gonzales suggested, desperate for anything that would make the lieutenant get a hold of himself. He was used to being yelled at and receiving curses. Watching Gabriel wallow in self-pity made him feel uncertain and uncomfortable at the pit of his stomach.

"I lost to you!" Gabriel barked, his eyes flaring up with anger. "You're the worst swordsman I've ever seen and I couldn't even defeat you!" With a furious wail, he took the bottle and threw it against the wall. It shattered into pieces, and foul-smelling alcohol splashed all over the floor. Gonzales made a face, realising it was no wonder that Gabriel was that out of it.

"I think we should talk about this again when you're feeling better," he said. He decided it wasn't a good idea to take Gabriel back to the barracks. He probably wouldn't want anyone to see him like this, and Raymond had given him the order to leave right away. If they wanted to make the commander change his mind, they had better keep him happy for the time being.

Gabriel just buried his face in his hands and leaned his elbows against the table, not responding. Gonzales hoped he wouldn't cry. That would be awkward, and then he wouldn't know what to do.

"I know," he said. "We'll get you a room here. Nobody has to know what's going on."

Without waiting for Gabriel to say anything, Gonzales hurried to talk to the owner to find out if he had any free rooms. It turned out they were all vacant. The man wasn't very eager to have an army officer under is roof, but he gave in when Gonzales promised to pay double. The sergeant winced as he handed over the money, knowing that he'd have to skip second servings of all of his meals for the following week.

"And not a word of this to anyone or the army will raid this place again. Nobody needs to know that the lieutenant is here," he said sternly to the owner.

"Like I want to advertise that," the man muttered.

Gonzales returned to the table. Gabriel hadn't moved from his pitiful position against it, and he didn't acknowledge Gonzales' presence in any way.

"Come on, Lieutenant. Let's go," Gonzales said. He hesitated for a moment, but when he got no reaction out of the man, he had no choice but to grab him by the arm. Gabriel immediately drew away from him, hissing in pain.

"Stop that! It hurts!" he snapped and turned to glare at him.

Gonzales chastised himself for forgetting so soon and retreated a step. "I'm sorry, sir. Let's just go," he said.

"I'm not going anywhere," Gabriel said. He let his eyes sweep over the table in search of something before he spotted the broken bottle on the floor. He grimaced at it in disappointment and made a half-hearted wave at the owner of the tavern.

"Bring me another one," he said.

"No, you'll feel horrible tomorrow," Gonzales said.

"Who the hell do you think you are to -" Gabriel started, but Gonzales decided that he had had enough. To heck with everything. Someone had to be in control of this situation, and it certainly wasn't Gabriel. Hoping that he wouldn't regret it in a moment, he grabbed the front of Gabriel's uniform and pulled him up on his feet.

Gabriel let out a surprised yelp and stumbled, almost losing his balance and falling back on his seat. The owner of the tavern noticed that Gonzales couldn't handle the situation alone, so he hurried to give him a hand. Together they started leading the lieutenant upstairs. He kept protesting all the way, but it wasn't as bad as Gonzales had feared. He didn't try to fight back, only yelled at them about how he was going to kill them once he was done with Raymond and how he'd show everyone what happened when they messed with him.

"I guess he had a bad day," the owner remarked once they had taken Gabriel to his room and dropped him on the bed.

"You have no idea," Gonzales said with a shake of his head. "But remember -"

"Yes, I know. Not a word to anyone," the owner said. "Don't worry. As long as I get my money, I know how to keep secrets."

"I'm sure," Gonzales said, recalling all the times when they had been certain rebels were meeting at this tavern and how they never found them.

He waited until the owner left before he turned his eyes back to the lieutenant. He was lying sprawled on the bed, his eyes closed.

"Sir, are you awake?" Gonzales asked. There was no reply, so he guessed Gabriel had fallen asleep. That strong alcohol was probably going to his head.

This won't do, he thought with worry. He hoped this was only Gabriel's way of dealing with the first shock of the news and that'd he'd get a hold of himself soon. He didn't know how to deal with a superior who was acting like this.

Feeling a little awkward, he threw a blanket on Gabriel's still form and decided that he would come back the next day. By then, Gabriel should be feeling a little more like himself and they could talk about the situation for real. Gonzales was sure there was a way to make everything work.

It was starting to be something of a struggle to keep the pleasant smile on his face. Raymond turned his eyes down to his wineglass for a moment and tried to find the needed resolve in the surface of the red liquid. Don Dias was quite insufferable company now that he knew he couldn't profit from the man.

"I still don't understand how it could have happened," Don Dias said in exasperation. He had already downed more than his share of wine, and it was starting to show. He no longer bothered to sit straight or keep his voice down.

"I'm afraid I'm quite used to my subordinates' incompetence," Raymond said. "But I did expect more from Gabriel. He has served me well in the past."

Dias laughed. "But not well enough to forgive him this time."

"No. This was too much," Raymond said. It wasn't really the loss of the wheat that bothered him – as terrible as the financial losses were, he could have taken them with gritted teeth. No, it was Gabriel's attitude that condemned him. He had become rebellious during his recovery and had openly disobeyed his orders to help Gonzales. Then he had lied to him about the severity of his injury.

Raymond might have been able to overlook even that. He had tried. He hadn't been fooled by Gabriel's words for one minute. He knew the man well enough to know when he was lying. The whole purpose of the ambush by the road had been to stop the rebels in case they defeated Gabriel. Then Raymond would have confronted Gabriel about his lies and taught him a lesson.

Now he couldn't, and the sting of his men's defeat was almost too severe to ignore. He didn't blame them or himself for not preparing the ambush better. They had thought that Zorro would accompany the rebels and fight Gabriel, not find the ambush on his own. The fault lay therefore entirely in the lieutenant. If he had been more competent, the rebels wouldn't have got the wheat in the first place. And that was the bit that Raymond couldn't forgive. Gabriel's shoulder was clearly ruined. He would never again be the skilled swordsman everyone knew him as. In other words, he was useless.

"I'm not one to drag along dead weight. I will find someone to take Gabriel's place in my service," he continued.

"Won't you have to eliminate him? He knows too much," Don Dias pointed out.

Raymond chuckled. "As I told him, he can't talk. I have more than enough evidence against him." His smirk widened as he glanced at Dias and caught his eyes for a moment. "I never leave my accomplices with the opportunity to betray me."

Dias was silent for a moment too long but covered it quickly by taking a sip of his wine. Raymond supposed that the wisest thing to do would be removing Gabriel from the picture before he caused any trouble, but he was reluctant to do so. The man might prove himself useful later.

"In any case, this leaves you in a vulnerable position. You have nobody as your right hand at the moment," Dias pointed out.

"True, but I have all the time in the world. I wouldn't worry about someone else's problems if I were you," Raymond said.

"What do you mean?" Dias asked, frowning in confusion.

"You didn't arrive in San Tasco alone. Someone was following you. Two people in fact," Raymond said. He very much enjoyed the alarmed look on Don Dias' face, but he decided to let the man out of his misery. "But surely you have nothing to worry. After all, since our operations here failed, they will find no evidence against you."

"That's true," Dias said with a sigh of relief. "But I would very much appreciate it if I could return home without those two after me. They're starting to grow troublesome."

"I'll see what I can do," Raymond said, and they returned to more mundane topics.