I decided to change Jekyll's rank into a captain because my brief research shows that colonel is a higher rank than commander, at least in present time. Jekyll was called both a captain and a colonel in the German dub, so there was probably some confusion either in the series itself or in the German translation. In any case, he should have a lower rank than Raymond.
THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD
Chapter 17
The door made a slight squeak as Gabriel pushed it open and stepped inside the small house. Or hut, as he preferred to call it. It was nothing more than one room with a small window, but at least it was sturdy. The roof looked to be in decent condition. The hut was made of the same white stone as all other buildings at the estate. When Gabriel walked to the window, he had a clear view to the wine fields.
When he removed his hand from the windowsill, it was covered in dust. He grimaced as he brushed it off, but he supposed he shouldn't complain. Just an hour ago, he had thought he would have to sleep in the woods. Now he at least had a roof over his head.
Don Augusto had offered him this cottage on his land, right by the wine fields and a good distance away from the main house. He said it would be better for him to stay close so that he'd be available at all times in case of an emergency.
He turned around when he heard someone enter. It was Pablo, one of the men who had brought him to the Alvarez estate. The man frowned as he gave the hut a thoughtful look.
"It's a little shabby, but I'm sure it'll look great in no time," he said.
Gabriel just nodded. He found he was actually looking forward to cleaning the hut and doing some repairs. It would never be as fancy as his room at the barracks, but it was still his. He hadn't done or owned much after he had been removed from service. It felt like an eternity ago. Now he finally had something productive to do.
He couldn't help but let out a dry snort at how low he had fallen. He had been a proud lieutenant with a brilliant future ahead of him, and now he was happy to start cleaning a dreadful shack.
"Hey, at least it's all yours. I have to share with Basilio," Pablo remarked, misunderstanding his reaction.
"I'm not ungrateful. I'm just not sure what to think about finding myself in this position," Gabriel said.
"It must be quite a change," Pablo said. Gabriel already knew that Augusto had filled Pablo and his other close men in on who he was and what he would be doing at the estate. At first he had expected to receive the same loathing everyone in San Tasco had expressed, but Pablo and the others were new to the area and completely neutral towards him.
"Yes," Gabriel said. He didn't want to discuss his time in the army with any of his new acquaintances. Thinking about what had happened to him still made him angry – at best. At worst, he felt panic at the thought of not knowing what lay ahead for him. His life had been so simple and certain when he had been serving in the army. Now he found that it was only the thought of revenge against Zorro and Raymond that helped to ease the pressure in his chest.
Pablo seemed to guess what he was thinking because he changed the subject. "Do you want to take a walk through the fields? We can talk more about the work here."
"Sure," Gabriel said. He wasn't quite sure what he had got himself into. As degrading as it might have been, it would have been easier to take some simple, manual job that wouldn't require much. He was sure he could keep the workers in line just fine, but if he ever had to make any decisions about how to take care of the fields or what to do with the grapes, he wouldn't have the slightest idea what to do.
"I'm a little surprised Don Augusto decided to hire me. He doesn't know anything about me," he said a little later when they were walking among the vines in the fields. The scent of grapes filled the air.
"I'm not. He has always been impulsive, and he was meaning to hire someone to look after the workers anyway. His opinion of the people in the colonies isn't very high," Pablo said.
"So why did he come here?"
"Because of Rafael. He hopes that life here, far away from Spain, will force him to finally grow up and become a real man," Pablo said.
Gabriel frowned in thought. He didn't have much faith in Augusto's plan working. Rafael looked like he was beyond help at this point. He could only wonder how a man like Augusto had let his son grow up that way in the first place. He almost asked about it, but then he decided that he didn't want to appear too nosy. It was better to be careful when he didn't yet know the people of the estate. Once he learnt more about them, then he could decide which actions to take to make his position the best he could.
Fortunately, Pablo didn't have any qualms about telling him more. He bent down to pick up some grapes and popped a few into his mouth. He offered Gabriel some as well before he continued.
"I've been working for Don Augusto for ten years, but I hardly know Rafael. He always stayed with his mother in Madrid while his father was away on business," he said. He frowned thoughtfully as he kept eating the grapes. "He seemed to be doing really well with his studies, but when Augusto went to talk to him after his wife died, it turned out that Rafael was failing all of his classes. His mother probably lied about his grades because she was afraid of what her husband would say."
"All of this still seems excessive to me," Gabriel remarked. He couldn't believe that someone would travel all the way to the other side of the world just to teach his son a lesson.
"It's not just because of Rafael," Pablo said, as if reading his thoughts. "Don Augusto is interested in doing business with some of his acquaintances here. He'll probably travel away soon and leave Rafael in charge of everything at the estate here."
Gabriel wasn't looking forward to that. Based on the sour expression on Pablo's face, neither was he. They would all have to follow the orders of a wimpy idiot who had no interest or skills in taking care of an estate. At least Pablo and the others could try to avoid him and concentrate on their work, but Gabriel would have to tolerate Rafael's company and try to push him towards the right direction.
"We'll all need a lot of patience with him," Pablo said with a shake of his head. "But let's not worry about all the problems he'll cause before we have to face them. Let's talk about something more pleasant while we're still sane."
Pablo started to tell him in more detail what they were supposed to do at the estate. Pablo and Basilio would spend most of their time in the farthest corner of the land, building a fence around the fields. They would gradually move their work closer to the house where it wasn't as necessary to protect the grapes. That left Gabriel mostly alone with the workers in the fields.
"It's easy work, all things considered," Pablo said. "Don Augusto may have his doubts, but I don't think these people need to be ordered to do their work."
Gabriel agreed. It wasn't that part that had him bothered, but as Pablo had said, there was no point in worrying about Rafael before the young man actually caused some trouble. Gabriel could only hope he'd be able to keep him in line without having to hit him again. He usually got soldiers to do whatever he wanted just by yelling at them, but Rafael was technically his employer and had no reason to obey him if he didn't want to.
Pablo went on about the wine and how Augusto wanted to sell it in some cities by the coast, but that didn't interest Gabriel very much. It turned out that his responsibilities ended after the grapes had been picked and that he wouldn't have to have anything to do with actually making wine if he didn't want to. Pablo said he'd be more than happy to teach him at least the basics. Gabriel replied that he'd consider it. To be honest, so much had happened in such a short time that he couldn't bring himself to be the least bit interested in something like that. He had more than enough to digest already.
"I guess we were lucky to get at least one local working here," Pablo said as he crossed his hands behind his back.
"Is everyone here from Spain?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes, but there aren't that many of us in the first place. When Don Augusto leaves, it'll be just Rafael, me, Eduardo, his wife Carla, Basilio and you living at the estate," Pablo said. He surprised Gabriel with a hearty pat to the back. "You'll have to show me around later, alright? I want to get to know all the best places and women."
Gabriel suddenly thought of Lolita. He usually liked to be around her and try to impress her any way he could, but for the past two weeks the thought of her hadn't even crossed his mind. The satisfaction of having a job suddenly lost some of its shine. He was almost afraid of meeting her again. He was no longer a lieutenant, and his name and reputation were in ruins. He would never be able to offer her the kind of life she deserved; now she would never want him. The realisation of that was almost as painful as knowing that he would never again hold his own against Zorro in a sword fight.
Pablo frowned as he noticed the look on his face. "What did I say?"
"Nothing," Gabriel said. "It's just a little overwhelming to think that I'm staying in San Tasco after all."
"Oh, I see. It must be a great relief for you. Now you don't have to leave all your friends," Pablo said.
Gabriel just nodded and tried to ignore how tired Pablo's words suddenly made him feel. Nobody in San Tasco, with the exception of Gonzales, would be happy to see him stay. He could already imagine the shock and anger on everyone's face when the workers arrived the next day and saw who they would be working under. It shouldn't have bothered him, but he was starting to grow frustrated with the feeling of being so universally loathed. It had been the same when he had been in the army, but at least then he had had the respect and company of the soldiers and other officers. Now he was all alone, and the weight of everyone hating him was more difficult to carry than he had ever realised.
Again he had to remind himself that it didn't matter. Revenge on Zorro and Raymond was all that was important now. He could deal with anything as long as he reached that one goal. Besides, things could have been worse. At least he now had work and a place to stay at. As far as he was concerned, he had already been to the bottom and things could only improve from now on.
"Hey, is there someone here? Come out!"
Gabriel woke up to urgent shouting and banging against the door. It was pitch black, and for a moment he could do nothing but blink in confusion and wonder where he was and what the hell was going on. He staggered to his feet and fumbled his way to where the banging was coming from. When he pushed the door open, he was surprised to see a soldier standing there with a lantern.
The soldier looked just as shocked to see him. For a moment, they only stared at each other, not knowing what to do or say.
"Well, what is it?" Gabriel asked in irritation. Just what damn reason could this idiot have to come yelling at the Alvarez estate at this time of the night? For a while he was certain he was still asleep because it just didn't make any sense.
The soldier jumped at the angry tone in his voice and nearly dropped the lantern. "Sir! …I mean, no... There has been an accident at the mines! We need all the help we can get!" he said hurriedly.
"What?" Gabriel asked, trying to process all that.
"There was an explosion!"
"Was anyone killed?"
"We don't know. One of the workers came to alert the army, and we're only now on our way there."
Gabriel took a look around. He could see some lights at the main house where more soldiers were no doubt alerting the others. The worry and urgency he saw on the face of the soldier before him was contagious. All his earlier irritation forgotten, he rushed back inside to grab his shirt. He and the soldier, whom he now recognised as Carrido, hurried over to the others at the main house.
"We just moved here. We don't have many supplies," Don Augusto was just saying to the other soldiers.
"We have brought those from the barracks. We just need as many men as possible to help rescue the workers," the soldier replied.
Augusto nodded. "Then you shouldn't waste your time here any longer. We'll all come with you."
It turned out they didn't have enough horses for everyone. Augusto made a quick decision and told Pablo and Gabriel to go with the soldiers while the rest of them would follow in a carriage. He said it was better that way because Gabriel knew the soldiers.
Before he had time to think things through, Gabriel found himself on horseback and on his way to the mountains where the mine was. He barely remembered the explosion or the trapped workers – the shouts, the sound of the horses' hooves on the road and the exciting rush of emotions gave him a soothing sense of familiarity. It was like he was wearing his uniform again, like he was back home.
There was complete chaos when they arrived at the mine. Word had already reached the families of the workers who lived in the area. Everyone was gathered at the entrance to the mine, demanding to be let in. Two poor soldiers were doing their best at keeping everyone at bay, but even their muskets didn't scare the people.
"My husband is inside! Let me in!" some woman was wailing. She was being held back by an older man who had visible trouble stopping her from charging into the collapsed tunnel. Tears were streaming down her face, and her words turned into desperate crying when the man wouldn't let her go.
"Yes, let us in! We have to save them!" another man by her side added.
"It's too dangerous. We have to wait for more help," the taller of the soldiers tried to argue.
"Who cares? They could die while we wait!"
"You're just afraid to do anything!"
"The army never helps us!"
Everyone grew silent when they noticed them arrive. Relief flashed on the face of the two soldiers by the entrance when they saw more of their comrades, but the people were staring at them warily. Mistrust was written all over their features, but it wasn't all. There was also hope that they had come to help and fear that they'd turn their backs on them in their time of need.
Pablo got down from his horse and turned to look at Gabriel. "What should we do?"
"How should I -" Gabriel started, but then he noticed that it wasn't just Pablo or the people who were staring at him. The soldiers were, too. All of them remained frozen on their spots. Gabriel felt sudden anger surge through him. He was gone for a short while, and everyone was already even more incompetent than before.
"Hey!" he snapped. "What are you just standing there, you idiots? Get moving!"
"But what should we do?" one of the soldiers asked.
For a brief moment, Gabriel had no idea. He didn't know anything about mines or how to rescue anyone in a situation like this without getting everyone killed. However, if there was one thing he knew how to do, it was lying. If he didn't act like he knew exactly what he was doing, everyone would succumb back to yelling and making stupid decisions.
"You two!" he said to the soldiers by the entrance. "How badly has the tunnel collapsed?"
"We don't know. Nobody has been in there yet," one of the soldiers replied.
"Then go inside and take a look! And take a lantern, not a torch, you fool! If there's gunpowder, we don't need another explosion," Gabriel instructed. He scanned the area in the light of everyone's lanterns and torches to see if there was anything useful. The soldiers who were already there had arrived with a wagon, and someone had had the sense to bring a couple of logs with them. Gabriel had heard they were sometimes used to support unstable tunnels.
He turned to address the people who were all standing in silence and staring at the entrance, waiting for the soldier to come back outside. "Does anyone here work in the mine?" Gabriel asked.
"I do," one of the men said and stepped forward.
"Do you know how to support the ceiling with these so that the tunnel won't collapse if more people go in?" Gabriel asked.
"I've never done it, but I think it should be -"
"Yes or no?"
"Well, yes, but -"
"Then do it and stop wasting everyone's time!" Gabriel yelled. The poor man nearly jumped out of his skin, but he was quick to gather some of his friends and start moving the logs towards the entrance.
Just then, the soldier came back.
"It's horrible! Everyone is trapped in the mineshaft! There are so many wounded!" he blurted out, his eyes wide and glimmering in the light of his lantern. His words had the same effect as if someone had used dynamite to blow up a dam. Everyone rushed to him, begging him to tell them more.
"Is my husband still alive?"
"Oh, please let me go see my sons!"
"Paco! My Paco, what has happened to him?"
Even some of the soldiers lost their senses and joined the panicked group. Gabriel just stared at them, his anger rising. Just what was it with these idiots? Was he the only one who didn't turn into a pathetic waste of space when a few people got hurt?
"If you want to see someone come back out alive, get working!" he barked.
The soldiers hurried to help with carrying the logs into the tunnel. Everyone moved away from the entrance to make room for them, but for most part the people remained huddled together. Their faces were masked by fright. Gabriel frowned in irritation. When the first victims came out, these people would just panic and get in the way. It would have been easier if they hadn't been at the mine at all, but he knew he could never make them leave.
"Shouldn't Captain Jekyll be here?" he asked one of the soldiers who were helping carry the final log into the tunnel.
"He's patrolling the countryside with some of the men. He probably doesn't even know what happened," the man replied.
"Then who's leading you?" Gabriel wanted to know.
"Sergeant Gonzales. He went to get more help with some of the men. They should be here any minute now."
"Did he give you any instructions?"
The soldier shook his head. "He just said we should do all we can to help. Everyone was in such a hurry that there was no time."
"Alright, we're done!" one of the soldiers suddenly yelled from the entrance. Many of the people made a desperate dash towards it, screaming out names of their loved ones, but one exclamation from Gabriel made them stop in their tracks.
"Not everyone at once!" he snarled.
One man in the group turned to glare at him with hateful eyes. "But our friends and -" he started, but Gabriel wasn't in the mood to listen to any more whining. He pointed his finger at the women in the group and gestured for them to go to the wagon the army had brought.
"What do you think you can do for them if you run in there? Let the others bring them outside and try to treat their wounds. Everything you need is in the wagon," he said. He kept his voice stern but resisted the urge to yell. As much as the irrational behaviour of the people annoyed him, he could understand where it was coming from. The fastest method to get them out of the way was to let them do something useful.
He turned to talk to the men without another word to the women. "The rest of us will form pairs and bring out the wounded one by one. Start with those who're unconscious but alive. Those who are well enough to scream and talk aren't in immediate danger," he said. He waited to see if anyone would object, but to his surprise, everyone did exactly as he said. In no time, the first group went inside the mine.
Gabriel kept a wary eye on the ceiling as he entered with Pablo. The tunnel looked safe, but he couldn't help but feel nervous. They were lucky that it hadn't collapsed in the explosion, but if there was another one, he was sure the destruction would be far more severe. He briefly thought about how satisfactory it would be to just leave and see the shock on everyone's face when the only one who could keep things organized turned his back on them. Maybe then they'd regret the way they'd been treating him lately. He knew he'd love it.
However, what he loved even more was the sense of accomplishment that came from giving orders to the soldiers and seeing them follow them. It wasn't just that he liked to be in charge. Even though he no longer had a rank, the soldiers still trusted him enough to risk their lives carrying out his orders. For the first time in weeks, he felt important and competent. For a moment, he was sure even killing Zorro wouldn't bring him such satisfaction.
From the corner of his eye, Gabriel saw Pablo clench his jaws. He supposed that a farmer like him wasn't used to so much destruction. Gabriel didn't share his nervousness. He had seen the aftermath of battles, and he doubted this would compare to the injuries and death there.
"How many men were working here tonight?" he asked one of the others.
"I'm not sure. Almost thirty, I think," the man replied.
Just then, they reached the first wounded. Two men were lying with their backs against the wall. Both were bruised and bleeding, but it didn't look like their wounds were serious at all. When they saw them arrive, one of them straightened himself with a groan.
"Don't move. We'll get you out in no time," Pablo said.
The man shook his head. "I'm fine, but there are many men trapped in the mineshaft. Help them first."
Gabriel went to take a closer look at the shaft. It was pitch black down there, and even with the help of his lantern, he couldn't see the bottom. There was a lift made of a wooden construction, some rope and an iron carriage. To their luck, the carriage was up rather than down with the injured.
"Does this work?" Gabriel asked, eyeing the lift with suspicion. It could have been damaged in the explosion.
"Yes, it was up here when the accident happened. We had just come up," one of the injured men said.
They had already wasted enough time. Gabriel ordered four of the men to take the injured outside so that they wouldn't be in the way later. Two soldiers were instructed to take the lift down to the mineshaft and see what things were like there. If possible, they should bring at least one wounded man back up with them.
The rest of them, an equal amount of soldiers and civilians, watched how the soldiers disappeared into the darkness until only the light of their lantern could be seen. Nobody spoke; the creaking of the lift's rope was the only sound penetrating the blackness. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the lift stopped.
"Why is nothing happening?" one of the men asked nervously.
"Because they're busy," Gabriel remarked.
"I'm sure they'll come back up as soon as they can," one of the soldiers said. He offered the other man an encouraging smile.
"My brother is down there. I just… I don't know what to do if he's badly hurt," the man said.
"Don't worry. We'll all do our best," another soldier said.
Gabriel watched the soldiers interact with the others. Everyone seemed to have forgotten their resentment for each other and that on any other day the soldiers would have been abusing their power and tormenting the people. The urgency of the situation had affected even him, and he realised he was waiting for the lift to come back with the same unsettled feeling at the pit of his stomach as everyone else.
They all held their breath when the rope started creaking again and the lift came back up. The two soldiers were supporting a badly bleeding and unconscious man between them.
"What does it look like down there?" Gabriel asked.
"It's terrible. The mineshaft is in ruins. Everyone is injured, but we didn't see anyone dead," one of the soldiers said.
"Damn. It's going to take forever before everyone is up here," Gabriel snarled. The lift could only carry four people. Even if nobody was dead now, someone might die just because it took too long before they could be saved. He decided that a change of plans was in order.
He motioned for the soldiers to get closer and let the injured man lean on him. He winced at the sudden weight on his right shoulder and wished he had had the sense to offer them his left side.
"Choose two more men and go back down. I'll get the women here with the supplies so that they can treat everyone with serious injuries before we bring them up," he said.
Pablo came to help him with the injured man, and together they managed to take him outside. As soon as they emerged from the tunnel, a middle-aged woman let out a wail and hurried over to them. Gabriel and Pablo barely had the time to lay the man down on the ground before the woman was by his side, calling out his name and begging for him to wake up.
"Half of you, get all the supplies you can carry and go to the tunnel. Pablo will show you the way to the lift. You need to go down to the mineshaft to treat everyone's wounds while they wait for their turn to get back up," Gabriel instructed. He looked at the apprehensive expressions on the women's faces and wondered if they'd be too afraid to do that.
"How bad is it? Is anyone dead?" one of the women asked.
"No, but someone will be if you don't hurry!" Gabriel snapped.
This got the women moving. They were quick to decide who would go into the mine and who would stay behind to look after the injured once they started bringing more of them outside. They didn't need any more orders to get things done, and as Gabriel watched their swift work, he couldn't help but think that they were being far more effective in an emergency than most of his soldiers could have been.
He was planning to go back inside with Pablo and half of the women, but then the sound of more people arriving on horseback could be heard. Gabriel immediately spotted Gonzales leading the group.
Gonzales stopped his horse right next to him. "What's going on? How are things and -" he started in a hurry, but he fell into surprised silence as he recognised Gabriel. "You? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"What does it look like? I'm trying to get things organized because nobody else was doing it," Gabriel said.
"But how did you even get here?" Gonzales asked, but he shook his head to himself before Gabriel could answer. "But there's no time for that. How bad is the situation?"
Gabriel explained what was going on and what they were doing to help the injured workers. The sense of accomplishment started to fade as he realised that now that Gonzales had arrived, he no longer had any reason to oversee any of the work. The sergeant was officially the correct person to be in charge of everything. Gabriel's role was nothing grander than being one of the civilians.
Gonzales didn't seem to realise the effect his arrival had on Gabriel. He turned back to look at the men who had arrived with him and told them to go and help the others. He was swift to give orders and didn't seem hesitant or confused even for a moment. Despite his disappointment at his lack of importance, Gabriel couldn't help but marvel at how competent Gonzales had become in such a short time.
Or maybe he had been like that all along. Maybe he just hadn't had the chance to prove his worth until now.
As he went back to work, he noticed Diego and Lolita among the people who had arrived with Gonzales. Diego paid him no attention, but Lolita sent a dark glare to his direction when their eyes locked. He suddenly felt very reluctant to talk to her.
A little later, when things weren't so hectic anymore and when all the men with the most serious injuries had been taken care of, Gonzales came to talk to Gabriel. "It looks like everything is going smoothly, considering the circumstances," he observed.
"You just have to give everyone clear orders and get people to work," Gabriel mused.
Gonzales nodded in agreement. "It was really a stroke of luck that you were here," he said. "I should have got here sooner. There's no excuse for taking so long."
Gabriel's first reaction was to say that Gonzales was right and that he was an idiot, but then he noticed how miserable and guilty he was looking. The last thing the sergeant needed was an insult.
"I wouldn't have been here if you hadn't sent the men to Don Augusto's estate," said. He frowned and nodded towards the others who were treating the injuries of the last men to be brought outside. For them, it was mostly bruises, some burns and small cuts. "And if you hadn't taken the time to get more help, there wouldn't have been enough people to look after the injured."
"Yes, maybe you're right," Gonzales said, his face brightening considerably at Gabriel's words.
It was like the day had lasted forever. So many things had happened. For a moment, everyone had worked as one and forgotten about their mutual resentment for each other, but that was over now. The soldiers had retreated and were gathered together, and the people were starting to shoot wary glances to their direction. Gabriel didn't feel like he was part of either group. The only one whose company felt natural was Gonzales.
Gonzales shook his head with a sigh as he watched the people around them. "This was such a horrible accident."
Gabriel nodded. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Diego and Lolita walking towards them. To his surprise, Diego hadn't been at all like the usual whiny coward. He had gone straight to work without a complaint and hadn't shied away even from the most terrible injuries. It was a lot more than what could be said of Rafael who had arrived with the others from the estate and hadn't done anything useful.
"Do you already have any idea what could have caused this?" Diego asked.
"No, but we will definitely investigate this," Gonzales said sternly. "It's possible that the necessary safety measures were ignored. That might have caused the explosion."
"I can't believe that Mr. Adans would do that. He cares too much about the people who work for him," Lolita said.
"Maybe so, but someone could have still made a mistake somewhere," Gonzales said.
Diego nodded. "Maybe, but what's important is that nobody died. Mr. Adans promised that he'll make up to all of those who were injured."
"He'll be ruined if he does that. There are too many wounded," Gabriel said dismissively. Accident or not, it was stupid to expect the owner of the mine to pay for everyone's damage.
"So, you think it's fair to just fire someone after they've been wounded doing their work?" Lolita asked. The implications of her words weren't lost to Gabriel, and for a moment he was too stunned to even grow furious at Lolita's insolence.
"That was completely different!" he snarled. Just who did she think she was to talk to him like that? Hadn't everything he had done tonight been exactly what she had always wanted? The least she could have done was to show some appreciation for his help, but all she offered him was more snide words and contempt in her eyes.
"It's the exact same thing. Any decent person would have some compassion for these people, but I can't see you showing any," Lolita said.
"Haven't I spent the whole night helping everyone?" Gabriel asked. What was her problem? He hadn't done anything that she usually objected to.
"Yes, but it doesn't change any of the horrible things you've done in the past or that you don't regret any of them," Lolita said. Her voice was laced with venom, and Gabriel was left with nothing he could say to her. He had never been too bothered by the things she said to him because he knew he'd win her over one day, but the hatred on her face now was so pure that he knew no sweet words or gentlemanly gestures would soften it.
Had she always looked at him like that? Had he just been too blinded by his rank and success to notice?
"I'm too tired to argue with you. I'll talk to you again when you're in a better mood," he said. He would have to get going anyway. Most of the wounded people were being taken to their homes, and there was no reason for him to stay. The army would be taking care of the aftermath.
"Hey, Gabriel!" Pablo yelled at him from where they had left their horses. "I'm going back. Are you coming?"
"I'll be there in a minute," Gabriel said.
"Who was that?" Diego asked.
"Pablo Montana. He works for Don Augusto," Gabriel replied.
"Oh. Is he a friend of yours?" Diego wanted to know.
"I work for Don Augusto as well," Gabriel said. He couldn't help but cringe at these words. He knew he had nothing to be ashamed of, but it tasted so bitter to admit that he had been reduced to this.
"What?" Diego blurted out, looking both surprised and oddly worried for some reason.
"But that's great! I knew things would work out! I'm really happy for you," Gonzales exclaimed.
"I'll tell you about it later," Gabriel said. He went to get his horse, and soon enough he and Pablo were on their way back to the estate. All the others had already returned there. It was only a couple of hours before dawn, and it would be a long day for all of them.
"That was a real mess, but I'm glad nobody died," Pablo said as he stifled a yawn. "Does this kind of thing happen often here?"
"There are accidents all the time, but this is the first time it was this bad," Gabriel replied.
"I'd hate to work in the mines. It's too dangerous to my liking," Pablo said.
Gabriel frowned as he thought about his attempt to find work at the mines. He had been very close to being a victim of the explosion as well. Then everything truly would have been ruined and he would have had to turn to his family's help to support himself during his recovery. He couldn't help but feel grateful at that he had been lucky enough to get work that wouldn't hinder any of his plans – not that he had many.
Despite his burning thirst to see Zorro and Raymond fall before him, he didn't really know how to accomplish that. He was no match for Zorro anymore, and he doubted he would have too many chances to face him anyway. The outlaw would be busy with the army. Their paths wouldn't cross too often.
Raymond was an even more difficult case. Attacking him in any way was dangerous and would no doubt lead to his arrest. Besides, Raymond wasn't like Zorro. He deserved worse than just being killed. Gabriel wanted to see Raymond broken and humiliated. He wanted the commander to realise that it had been a grave mistake to remove him from service; he wanted Raymond to beg for mercy at his feet. The easiest way to accomplish that was of course bringing all of Raymond's crimes to light, but Gabriel knew he would never do that. There was too much evidence that proved he had helped the commander. As much as it infuriated him, for now it served his best interests that Raymond remained in power.
"Hey, are you listening?" Pablo asked, and Gabriel realised he had been too consumed by his thoughts to notice anything that was happening.
"I was thinking about something. What did you say?" he replied.
"I just said that I couldn't help but notice how that woman was glaring at you all the time. What was her name again?" Pablo asked.
"You mean Lolita?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes, that was it. What was wrong with her? Is she an old sweetheart or something?" Pablo wanted to know.
"She's…" Gabriel started, but he realised he had no idea what to say. She wasn't a friend. She wasn't an enemy. He wanted her more than he had ever wanted anyone, but he couldn't say that. Then he'd have to admit that all his attempts to charm her had failed.
"Alright, forget I even asked," Pablo said. He quickly changed the subject and said, "I'm impressed by how you handled the situation when everyone was so confused. I could have never done the same."
Gabriel only nodded. The praise didn't do much to make him feel better. It just reminded him of that he was no longer in the army and couldn't pursue a career in the only thing he was truly good at. When he had been giving orders to the soldiers, for a moment it had felt like he was back serving as a lieutenant. It was the first time he had felt whole since he had had to leave the army.
Diego glanced at Lolita who was holding the reins. She had insisted that she wanted to do it and that she wasn't at all tired. He had believed her. The fire that was burning in her eyes told him how angry she was. It was better to let her drive their carriage because it gave her something productive to do.
"Why are you in such a bad mood?" he asked. They were already half-way back home, and Lolita had barely spoken a word since they had left the site of the accident. He had tried to think back to everything that had happened, but he couldn't recall anything that could have upset her like this.
"Can't you guess?" Lolita asked, turning to glare at him.
Diego knew there was only one man who could make Lolita that furious, but for once he didn't understand her. "Gabriel didn't do anything wrong tonight. If anything, he was a great help," he pointed out.
The line of Lolita's mouth grew thinner as she pressed her lips together in anger. "I know, but that doesn't change anything," she said. She was clutching the reins in her hands so hard that they were shaking. Diego knew better than to say anything, so he chose to wait until Lolita wanted to continue.
"Don't get me wrong, Diego. I'm grateful for his help. Someone might have died if he hadn't been there to keep things under control," Lolita finally said with a sigh. "But that doesn't change the things he has done. It makes me so angry to think that he's just going to get away with it."
"What do you mean?" Diego asked.
"Don't you get it? Gabriel committed horrible crimes when he was in the army. I always thought that one day Zorro would win and that everyone who took part in tormenting the people would stand before justice. But look at him. He's walking free, and now he even has a job. It's just not fair! Why isn't Zorro doing anything?" Lolita ranted, frustration making her voice thick.
"I'm sure Zorro is keeping an eye on him," Diego said. He thought back to the night when he had saved Gabriel from being killed the angry mob. In many ways, it would have been poetic justice to just stand back and watch it happen, but he knew he could have never done it. Zorro fought for justice, not revenge. Besides, it would serve no purpose to kill Gabriel. He had valuable information about Raymond's crimes. It would prove to be useful if he could just make him talk.
"But that's not enough! Gabriel shouldn't be let walk free!" Lolita snapped.
"I think I know what Zorro is thinking," Diego said. "We all know what Gabriel has done, but Zorro has no concrete evidence against him. The same goes for Raymond. The world outside San Tasco sees Zorro as a common bandit. Even if he were to confront Raymond openly, it wouldn't lead to anything. Raymond needs to be caught in the act so that he can't talk his way out of it."
"Maybe," Lolita grumbled. She was still frowning in displeasure, but Diego knew she understood his point. "But what is wrong with Don Augusto? Why does he let a man like that work for him?" Lolita continued.
"Maybe he doesn't know who Gabriel is," Diego suggested. He was a little worried about this turn of events as well. Augusto hadn't seen what Gabriel was capable of, and he might not believe them even if they told him. Associating with the former lieutenant would make Augusto a hated man in the area, and that was the least of the problems Gabriel could cause.
On the other hand, it was convenient for him that Gabriel remained in San Tasco. He needed to keep an eye on him to make sure he didn't try to hurt anyone. And as Lolita had said, it wasn't right if he got away with his actions.
"I wouldn't worry if I were you," Diego said. "I'm sure that Gabriel will get exactly what he deserves one day."