About half of the scenes with Zorro, Bernard and Pepita are from episode 26, Pepita the Liar. I usually like to skip scenes that happen the same way as in the series, but I'm planning to use Pepita in the story later, so I felt that she needed some time in the spotlight to come off as a genuine character.
Updates will probably be a little slower for a while because I'm busy working on something right now.
THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD
Chapter 18
Gabriel didn't get any sleep that night. He was exhausted after the incident at the mines, so he didn't trust himself to go to bed for a couple of hours. He didn't know if he'd be able to get up again at dawn, and the last thing he wanted was to be late.
Pablo had told him that Don Augusto had bought the estate from an elderly man whose only son had moved to Spain. The estate had been in the man's family for generations, but without a willing heir he had been unable to sustain the glory of the past. He had put all his effort into taking care of the fields with a small group of servants, and the house and the surrounding buildings had mostly gone ignored. That explained the worn-out look of the house and why everything was in need of repairs. In the end, the old man had decided to sell everything and join his son in Spain for the remaining years of his life.
There was a well near the house, and Gabriel went to get some water to wash his face. As he was doing so, he heard one of the side doors open. He didn't bother to turn around to see who it was.
"Good morning," Pablo said as he came to join him by the well. He let out a mighty yawn and grabbed the bucket to splash some cold water on his face. He shivered and shook his head in disgust. "I hate getting up in the morning. I barely got any sleep last night," he complained and yawned again.
"Nobody got any sleep," Gabriel pointed out.
"Maybe, but you don't look tired at all. That's so unfair," Pablo remarked.
"I'm used to this," Gabriel said. He recalled the many times he and the soldiers had returned to the barracks empty-handed after spending hours looking for Zorro in the wilderness.
"Oh, right. Well, some of us aren't soldiers," Pablo said. He stretched his arms and sighed in defeat. "I guess I'll just have to make it somehow."
"When will the workers arrive?" Gabriel asked.
Pablo turned to look up to the sky. "In less than an hour, I'd say. They'll work through the morning when it's not that hot and have a break around midday. You shouldn't make them work too hard in the afternoon if it gets really hot. We have enough time to harvest all the grapes because the grapevines in the eastern fields have a much later veraison," he said.
"Right," Gabriel said, though he had very little idea what Pablo was talking about. He decided he didn't even care. As long as the workers picked enough grapes every day, he wasn't interested in anything else.
They both turned around when they heard the main door to the house being opened. Don Augusto stepped outside, followed by two men, Eduardo and Basilio. Gabriel hadn't really talked to either one of them. Eduardo was much older than him and seemed to be a quiet, serious type of man. Basilio was a lot younger, barely old enough to have the right to call himself a man.
"Good morning," Augusto said to them. Even he looked a little tired after the previous night's events, but it easily disappeared under his solemn expression.
"Good morning, sir," Gabriel said.
"It looks like it's going to be a great day," Augusto said, eyeing the sky with his hands in his pockets. "I just hope the workers arrive here on time. Some of them might have family members who were injured in last night's accident. They have my sympathy, but they agreed to come here, and I expect them to keep their word."
"I'm sure there's no reason to worry. The people here seem trustworthy," Pablo said.
Augusto snorted. "You trust people too easily. You shouldn't forget that everyone is only looking out for themselves. If you give them an excuse, they will try to take advantage of you."
"Of course," Pablo said at once.
"Now, I think it's high time we get started for today. I'm going to travel to Santa Isabella tomorrow, so Eduardo and I will be busy making the arrangements for that. Pablo and Basilio, you know what I want you to do."
"Of course," they both said and hurried off to start their work.
"Eduardo, you go ahead to my office and start preparing the paperwork. I'll be there later," Augusto said. The man nodded and returned to the house, leaving Gabriel and Augusto alone outside.
"Well," Augusto said as he removed his hands from his pockets and crossed them on his chest. "Do you think you're ready for today?"
"Yes, sir," Gabriel replied.
"You don't have to call me that. We aren't in the army," Augusto remarked.
"I'm sorry. Old habits die hard," Gabriel said.
"No matter. Maybe it's a good thing. The workers will stay in line if you treat them like soldiers," Augusto mused.
"I'm not sure I understand why all this is necessary. They're getting paid, and I don't think they'd come here if they didn't want to work," Gabriel said. For a while now, he had been confused by Augusto's attitude towards the workers. It wasn't like Gabriel had a very high opinion of the locals either, but he had lived in San Tasco long enough to know that most of them were hard-working and honest.
"It's exactly like I told Pablo. You can't trust people. Those who are less fortunate are always jealous of those who have more and will try to take advantage of us. I want you to keep a stern eye on everyone. I will not tolerate any slacking off, complaining or stealing on my land. If you notice anything other than complete obedience, you must fire the person in question at once. Is that clear?" Augusto said, his voice harsh and cold.
"Of course," Gabriel said. It would be his pleasure.
"Naturally, I expect the same from you. When I come back from my trip, I don't want to hear that there have been any problems," Augusto continued.
"There's no need to worry."
Augusto nodded. "I hope so. I've heard some unpleasant stories about you."
Gabriel tried to think fast to come up with a good lie. He should have guessed that Augusto would eventually hear what everyone thought of him and what he had been involved with in the army. "Well, the locals' opinion of the army isn't -" he started, but Augusto cut him off.
"Excuses don't interest me, but neither do rumours. All I care about is my own judgement, so I'm giving you this one chance. It's what I give to everyone. Fail me once, and you're out of here," he said.
"Yes," Gabriel said.
"In that case, I think it's high time for the workers to start getting here."
They stood at the front yard and waited. Augusto didn't speak again, and Gabriel didn't try to start a conversation either. He wasn't yet sure what he thought of his employer. Augusto reminded him a little of Raymond in many ways; he was fully aware of the power he had, and there was a ruthless edge to everything he said. His attitude towards those who didn't share his wealth and position was almost condescending. At the same time, Gabriel was certain that Augusto would never find pleasure in cruelty like Raymond did.
He thought about Augusto's warning. Until now, Gabriel had been too occupied by his problems and the relief of having at least some of them solved to seriously think much farther ahead. It occurred to him that he was again in a position of power that he could use to his advantage. It wasn't the same as being a lieutenant, but he was sure interesting opportunities would present themselves later. He'd just have to be careful before he tried anything, or he might lose what little he had gained so far.
A little bit later, the workers started to arrive. They came in groups, probably having met each other on the road. Most of them were men, but there were a few women among them as well. Everyone was chatting in good spirits, but that came to an abrupt halt when someone in the group noticed Gabriel and alerted the others.
"Well, what is it?" Augusto asked when everyone stopped and refused to come closer. When nobody said anything, he continued in a loud and stern voice, "If someone doesn't want to work here, they can say so now and go home."
One man stepped forward. "It's not that. We just want to know what he is doing here," he said and pointed at Gabriel.
"I have hired Mr. Gabriel to be your foreman," Augusto replied.
Gabriel gritted his teeth at the uncomfortable feeling of not hearing his rank before his name. Whatever triumph he could have felt at the workers' helpless faces was sullied.
"What? You can't do that!"
"Do you have any idea who this man is?"
"He will make our days torture!"
Augusto turned to look at Gabriel. "Well, are you going to let them talk back to us like that?"
"Of course not," Gabriel said. He took a step forward and addressed the workers with his sternest expression. "You idlers! If you have a problem with the way things are run here, all you have to do is leave! As long as you're here, you will follow every order that you're given! Is that clear?"
He was glad to notice how the people shied away before his loud voice. It made him feel a little better. He didn't need a uniform to intimidate these people.
There was despair on the workers' faces, but all they could was nod and slump their shoulders in defeat.
"Good," Augusto said with a nod. "Now that we understand each other, there are a few things I need to tell you."
Don Augusto proceeded to inform the workers of exactly what they would be doing, which field they would start on, how much everyone was expected to achieve every day and when they were allowed to rest. His orders were so strict that they surprised even Gabriel a little. He realised that he would truly have to treat the workers like soldiers if he wanted them to do everything like Augusto expected. It would be troublesome, he knew. Peasants had none of the discipline that was required of soldiers.
And if he couldn't keep the workers in line, it would reflect badly on him. He couldn't help but wonder if it would have been just easier to leave San Tasco and find something simpler to do.
Pepita bit her lip as she wandered down the empty street. Her hands were clutching her doll, and she kept her eyes on the dusty ground. The taunts of that stupid sergeant and the other children were echoing in her ears. They were all idiots! She was telling the truth. She knew what had happened, but they didn't believe her.
Despite what everyone always said, she was not a liar. She didn't tell anyone lies on purpose. It was just that she had so much fun coming up with stories in her head that she sometimes forgot what was real and what not. Didn't anyone else understand how wonderful it was to experience adventures and travel to foreign lands so easily? In her head, she could do anything, and it was always more interesting than the real world.
Papa would believe me, she thought sadly. He had always had time for her stories, and he had always known which parts were true and which she had added. Sometimes he had even made the stories better by giving her more ideas.
What should she do now? That nice Mr. Adans was ruined, and only she knew who had done it. If nobody believed her, then the horrible crooks would never be caught.
"Hello," someone suddenly said. When she looked up, she saw a boy approaching. "You're Pepita, right? I've been looking for you everywhere."
"And who are you?" Pepita asked. The boy was smiling at her, but she didn't dare trust him. Maybe he would just laugh at her, too, and call her a liar.
"I'm Bernard. I just heard what you said."
"And what did I say?" Pepita asked. Something about this boy just wasn't right. His smile was too knowing, too cheeky.
"Oh, just that Zorro is your friend. I thought you could introduce me to him," Bernard said, crossing his arms behind his head and turning to look up into the air. Somehow, this felt far more insulting than any of the taunts of the other children. Pepita could feel hot tears sting her eyes. At least the others had the guts to tell her exactly what they thought, but this stupid Bernard was hiding his mockery behind friendliness.
"Hey, what is it?" Bernard asked, as if he had just now noticed how upset she was.
"You think just like the others! That I only tell lies! I hate you!" she screamed at him, ignoring his startled expression.
"Hey, wait," Bernard called after her, but Pepita didn't stop.
"Leave me alone!" she snapped and marched off. Once she was safely behind a corner, she could no longer hold back the angry tears. They were all so mean to her! She hated everyone in this town! She wanted to go back home, and she wanted her papa back!
"Now, now. Why are you crying, little one?"
Pepita felt her heart jump into her throat when she heard the snide voice. When she looked up, she saw three men towering over her with smirks on their faces. They were dressed in fine suits, and she immediately recognised one of them as the man who had threatened Mr. Adans and talked about how they had blown up his mine.
Oh, no! What did they want from her? Pepita held her doll tighter and tried to back away, but it was like her feet had frozen. She could only stare at the men.
"What is it? Don't you want to tell us why you're crying? Could it have something to do with what you just told the sergeant?" the man leading the group asked.
Pepita stumbled backwards and lost her balance when one of the men stepped closer.
"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked. The cruelly amused look in his eyes made her breath get caught in Pepita's throat. "Let me help you. You don't have to be afraid of us. We won't hurt you."
Pepita thought about what the people in her stories usually did in these situations. She grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at the man's face. Feeling clumsy and slow, she got up on her feet and hurried behind the corner. She could hear the men call out after her, and she knew that she had to get away. She had no idea where she was going; she had suddenly lost all her sense of direction and had no idea which way would take her back to more crowded streets. She barely even noticed Bernard as she ran past him.
She chose alleys by random and ran as fast as she could, but she knew the men would catch her soon. She could already hear them getting closer. After yet another turn, she stopped to lean against a tree and catch her breath. It was hopeless. She couldn't go on any longer. She was so tired she couldn't even cry.
Suddenly, a rope fell from the tree. When she looked up, she saw Bernard up there.
"Hurry! Grab the rope! I'll pull you up," he said.
Pepita didn't understand, but she did as he told her. As soon as she had her hands around the end of the rope, Bernard jumped down from the tree. His weight easily pulled her up where she was protected by the leaves of the tree. Too stunned to properly realise what had happened, she held onto a thick branch and listened to what was going on below her.
The men asked Bernard if he had seen a girl run by. He replied yes and pointed them to the completely wrong direction. Once the men were gone, he turned to look up at her with that same cheeky smile on his face.
"See, I lied, too," he said. "But men like that must lie a lot more than us."
"They blew up Mr. Adans' mine," Pepita said. Maybe she had judged Bernard too fast. Somehow she had the feeling that she could trust him. Before she even knew it, she was telling him everything she knew about the incident.
Diego kept a jovial smile on his face as he held his glass of wine and observed the people around him. To be honest, he hadn't been up for yet another party, but his father had insisted that he should come. Diego had eventually agreed, though not for the reasons his father had listed. It was true that welcoming the South India Trading Company to the area was the most important event of the year, but Diego was more interested in the rumours he had heard.
As Zorro, he had hid in the shadows and spied on a group of former mine owners. The men had been complaining amongst each other about the low price Kapital's company had paid for their mines and how aggressive his men had seemed. Diego's suspicions had immediately flared up, especially after he had discovered that Adans had refused to sell his mine to the company right before the explosion had happened. He hoped it was just a coincidence, but it wouldn't hurt to take a closer look at the company and what kind of business they were really running.
He spotted Lolita among the guests, and for a moment his smile became genuine. She looked stunning in her orange dress. She had spent the whole day helping the families who had had loved ones injured in the explosion, but there was no exhaustion visible on her face. When her conversation with some of her friends ended, she turned around and noticed him.
"Oh, hello, Diego," she said and approached him. "I didn't know you and your father were already here."
"We just arrived."
"Have you seen Lapaz here?" Lolita asked.
"Lapaz? What do you need him for?" Diego asked, suddenly feeling like his heart had dropped to his stomach.
"Some of the men who got hurt in the accident can't provide for their families for a while. I've been thinking that I'd ask some of the landowners to donate a little so that they won't be in too much trouble."
"That's a wonderful idea. I'll tell my father about it. We'd love to help."
"No, Diego. You've done enough. Your father has helped so many people already. We couldn't possibly ask for more."
Diego tried to ignore how she hadn't mentioned him at all. "We're still better off than most people in San Tasco. Of course we'll help."
"Then I'll talk to your father about it," Lolita said. She noticed something behind Diego's shoulder and frowned. "Hey, isn't that Rafael?"
Diego turned around. Yes, Lolita was right. Rafael had come to the party alone because his father was too busy preparing everything for his business trip to Santa Isabella.
"It looks like nobody remembered to tell him to avoid the army," he muttered. Rafael was currently talking to Raymond. Based on the look on the commander's face, he wasn't very impressed by the young man.
Lolita gave Diego a shove to his back. "I think you should go and save him."
"What? Why me?"
"Because even if he is a complete jerk, even he doesn't deserve to get into trouble with the army. And I still have to find Lapaz, but you have nothing important to do here. So go," Lolita said.
Diego groaned, but he supposed Lolita had a point. Rafael's cluelessness and lack of manners would get him on Raymond's most hated people list in no time if he didn't do something to stop it. He could just hope that he wouldn't arrive too late.
"Uh, good evening," he said as he approached the two, not really sure how to talk to Raymond. It was easier when he was Zorro.
"Oh, Diego! Fancy seeing you here. I was just telling the commander about my father's opinion of the army," Rafael said.
"Oh," Diego said in relief. That had to be a safe topic. From what he had understood, Don Augusto had perfect trust in the army and what they were doing. Even Rafael couldn't possibly mess this one up.
"It has been quite enlightening so far," Raymond said in an icy tone. "So, tell me. Apart from thinking that every officer and soldier positioned here was sent here because of incompetence and to get them as far away from Spain as possible, what else does your father have to say?"
"What?" Diego blurted out and did a double take. What nonsense was this? Don Augusto would never say anything like that! He grabbed Rafael's arm. "Your father can't think that. There must be some kind of misunderstanding."
Rafael shook his head. "No, everything I've said is true."
"It can't be," Diego said. And even if it was, surely Rafael wouldn't be stupid enough to go and say this to the commander. He glanced at Raymond and shivered at the coldness in his eyes. He wasn't even smirking, which just made Diego more worried. Raymond had to be beyond furious.
"Of course it is. That's the reason my father hired that stupid lieutenant. He thinks everyone who has been treated badly by the army is a friend," Rafael said.
Raymond's brows shot up in curiosity. "Oh? Do you mean Gabriel is working on your lands?"
"Yes, he's our new foreman in charge of the wine fields."
"Most interesting," Raymond said. Diego hoped that the news of Gabriel would amuse him enough to forget about what Rafael had said.
"I'm sorry to leave you, Commander, but I just thought of something really important that Rafael and I have to do. Bye!" he said and started dragging Rafael away from Raymond as fast as he could.
"Diego, what are you doing? I was having such a good time," Rafael complained and tried to struggle against him, but Diego refused to let go.
"What were you thinking? You can't say things like that to the commander!"
"Why not? It's the truth," Rafael argued.
"You should be careful around him. Commander Raymond is a dangerous man, and you shouldn't make an enemy out of him."
"If he has a problem with the way my father thinks, he can talk to him. It's not like he can do much else. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion," Rafael said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"Not in San Tasco," Diego said. He took a careful glance around to make sure nobody was listening. "The situation here isn't as rosy as it looks like. The army controls everything. You shouldn't provoke Raymond or he might cause you trouble."
"I'll let my father deal with such things," Rafael replied, and Diego realised that no matter what he said, he wouldn't get through to him. He sighed in frustration and wondered how anyone could be that dense.
He turned to look at where he had last seen Lolita, but she was nowhere in sight anymore. Diego didn't really feel like spending any more time with Rafael, but thankfully that was when Mr. Kapital decided to give a speech about the future of his company and how he was planning to turn San Tasco into the centre of all trade in California. Rafael wasn't one bit interested in that, so he hurried away to look for more wine.
"He's going to be in so much trouble one day," Diego muttered once he was finally alone again. Then he caught movement from the corner of his eye. It looked like… Bernard was dashing from under one table to the other.
"Bernard, what are you doing? Why are you hiding under the table?" Diego asked when the boy hurried under the nearest one.
"I'll explain later. I've got to tell you something important," the boy said. "You probably won't believe me, but -"
"Do you know where they got the money to build this wonderful building?" Diego asked.
"I don't care! You've got to -"
"From the mines, probably," Diego said. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. No matter how successful the South India Trading Company was, it just wasn't plausible that they'd be able to build massive headquarters like this without already having some business in San Tasco. That they had paid so little for the mines they had bought explained it perfectly. Now he just needed the proof that they were forcing the owners to sell.
"What?" Bernard asked, taking a peek from under the table.
"I'll have to look into this later. But what was it that you wanted to talk about?" Diego asked.
"Exactly what you just told me! I met this girl who says she heard men from this company threatening Mr. Adans when he didn't want to sell his mine. And that very night, there was that accident. Isn't that a little suspicious?" Bernard replied.
"More than just a little," Diego said. "Where is the girl now?"
Bernard nodded to his right. "She's waiting under another table."
"Good. I want you to go back to her. You two should go back home. You'll be safe there while I look into this matter," Diego said.
Bernard's face fell. "But Diego -!" he tried to argue, but Diego wouldn't even let him finish.
"Remember what we agreed? If things are as I suspect, this could get very dangerous. Besides, someone needs to look after the girl. If what she says is true, the company might want to get her out of the way. She shouldn't let herself be seen here," Diego said.
"Fine," Bernard muttered, but Diego could hear how disappointed he was. He was, too. He would have a lonely road ahead of him if he kept Bernard out of the majority of Zorro's adventures.
He saw Bernard's head disappear under the table and hoped that the boy would do as he had been told. Diego spent a moment wondering what his next step should be. As long as he didn't know which mine the company was next interested in, there wasn't much he could do. He had seen some of the men who still hadn't sold their mines earlier at the party, and he decided it would be for the best to have a word with them.
When Bernard came back under the table where he had left Pepita, he noticed that she was no longer in sight. Only Figaro was still there, and he also noticed a doll that he couldn't remember seeing before.
"I told her to wait," he muttered with a frown. Where could she have got to and why?
He took the doll and slipped it under his shirt. Maybe it belonged to Pepita. He checked from under the nearby tables, but she wasn't there either. He could only hope that she hadn't got herself into trouble.
"Figaro, can you tell me where Pepita went?" he asked the dog.
Figaro replied with a woof and immediately hurried away from under the table. Bernard followed, and soon enough they had come to the front doors. He opened them and poked his head out. It was dark outside, and he couldn't see anything. Thankfully, Figaro knew exactly where he was going and led him to where all the guests had left their carriages. Bernard spotted Pepita crouching next to one of them, staring intently at something.
"Pepita, I was looking for you everywhere," he said as he hurried to her side.
Pepita hissed at him to be silent and pointed to the direction where she was looking. "Look, there they are," she said. Bernard didn't have to ask whom she meant. There were two well-dressed men climbing into a carriage. He recognised them as the men who had chased Pepita earlier and who she claimed had threatened Mr. Adans.
"Let's go and take a look at that mine for the last time before we buy it," one of the men said.
"We've got to tell Diego," Bernard whispered. He clenched his fists in frustration. He wanted to help so badly. It wasn't right that Diego had to do everything alone. He could understand why Diego didn't want him involved, but he was convinced that it was still the wrong thing to do. Diego kept talking about how he didn't want Bernard to get hurt and how it was easier for him when he didn't have to worry about him, but he was forgetting something very important. Bernard worried just as much when he knew that Diego was fighting alone. If something happened to him, he'd feel just as guilty as Diego would in his place.
He was awakened from his thoughts when he heard a quiet scratch behind them. He grabbed Pepita's arm to make her stand still.
"Don't turn to look, but there's someone behind us," he whispered into her ear. She nodded wordlessly. Bernard took a quick look around to find anything he could as a weapon. He spotted a hammer on the ground and took it, pressing his lips into a tight line in the hopes that it would be enough.
Determined to surprise their assailant, he whirled around and raised the hammer, but the man behind them was faster. Bernard barely had the time to see him blowing something to their direction before everything went dark.
Pepita frowned in confusion at how stuffy her head felt. Opening her eyes was so tiring that it was almost painful, but she knew she had to force herself to get up. There were voices coming from her right. She realised one of them belonged to the horrible man who had threatened Mr. Adans. The other voice was Bernard, and based on his angry tone, things couldn't be that good.
When she opened her eyes, it took her a moment to understand why it was so dark and where they were. She was lying on the floor of some mine shaft, surrounded by barrels, sacks and debris. The column behind her was biting into the skin of her bound hands, and she straightened her back to get away from the pain.
A shadow was cast over her, and she gasped when she saw one of the men approaching her. What was he going to do to her?
Suddenly, there was a swish and surprised yells from everyone. At first Pepita couldn't make out what was going on, but then she felt someone cut the ropes around her. When she looked up, her breath got caught in her throat. It was Zorro! The hero of her dreams had come to save her! He was just like in all the stories she made up in her head, so tall and handsome and magnificent.
"Thank you, Zorro!" she said, but her joy was short-lived.
One of the men grabbed Bernard and pulled him into the elevator with him. Before anyone could do anything, they were already on their way back to the surface. To make it even worse, the man threw a bomb down at them.
"Oh, no!" Pepita yelped. She didn't stop to think before she acted and made a mad dash towards the bomb. Her fingers brushed against it, and she momentarily had time to think that it was heavier than it looked like as she pushed it over the edge into the dark depths of the mine shaft. For a short while, nothing happened, but then there was an explosion that shook the whole mine and sent debris and dust falling all over them. Pepita clenched her eyes shut and screamed, more out of fear than hurt.
She heard Zorro kneel by her side. "Did you hurt yourself?" he asked.
"It's not that bad. You should help Bernard. He's my friend and the only one who believed me," Pepita said as she tried to get up from the floor.
Zorro was smiling at her. "Believe me, Pepita, he wasn't the only one."
"Oh, you know my name," Pepita said in surprise. How amazing! Who would have thought?
"Yes, but now I must save Bernard," Zorro said. He took a hold of the rope attached to the elevator that was still going up.
Pepita remained kneeling on the floor and watched how Zorro disappeared into the darkness. She suddenly felt alone and afraid in the empty mine shaft, but she knew Zorro had to hurry. She sat up and moved away from the edge of the shaft. The floorboards creaked under her, and she froze for a second, thinking that they might have been damaged in the explosion and could collapse. The thought of plunging into the depths made her shiver, and she drew her knees up to her chest.
Movement from her right startled her and made her heart jump into her throat. All the men Zorro had defeated were still down there. Maybe they weren't all unconscious after all. Maybe one was sneaking up on her!
After one terrifying second, she saw that it was just Figaro. She hadn't even realised that the dog had followed them into the mine.
"Come here," she called out and took the dog into her arms. Figaro gave her hand a lick and snuggled closer. His presence made Pepita feel a lot better, and she kept scratching him between the ears as she waited for Zorro to come back.
"I wish I could have a dog like you. Someone to keep me company. Mama is always so busy," she said to Figaro. He was so cute and warm, and he had the gentlest eyes Pepita had ever seen. She was sure that he understood every word she said. Maybe he was a magical dog. Or a wizard who was only pretending to be a dog.
"Papa always had time for me. He was the only one who liked my stories and knew that I wasn't lying," she continued. He had been busy, too, but somehow he had always found the time to take her on his knee and listen to what she had done during the day. He had always listened to her, not just pretended to like so many other adults. More than that, he had wanted her to tell him about the treasure she had found with her doll or the bandits they had chased off. It had always made him smile.
"But he's gone," she said and stopped petting Figaro for a moment. "He worked too hard, and he got sick."
Pepita fell into silence. She missed her father, but she tried not to show it. She didn't want to make her mother worried. Pepita knew how hard she worked so that they could have a good life in San Tasco.
Figaro poked her hand with his nose, and she started scratching him again.
"But I'm sure he's looking after me. I don't think he's an angel because he was so big and his wings wouldn't carry him, but I'm sure he's there," she said. She frowned and gave Figaro a quizzical look. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
Figaro said nothing, but Pepita was sure she could read the answer in his eyes. "No? You're a good dog. Bernard is so lucky to have you," she said. And Figaro was lucky to have Bernard, she supposed. She hoped the boy would want to be her friend after this was all over.
She was startled when the elevator suddenly started moving again. She bit her lip and wondered who was coming down. She hoped it was Zorro, but maybe that man had won and was now coming down to finish the job with her. She held Figaro tighter in her arms and hoped that he could bite hard.
"Hello, Pepita!" she heard Bernard call out even before the elevator was at her level.
"Bernard! Are you alright?"
The cheeky grin on his face was enough of an answer.
"There's nothing to worry about now. We have enough proof that the South India Trading Company hasn't been honest with the mine owners, so this should put an end to that business here," Zorro said.
They took the unconscious men back to the surface and tied them up. Zorro promised he'd take Pepita home to her mother. Pepita could hardly believe it. She was allowed to ride Zorro's horse! As they were leaving, they spotted the owner of the mine coming towards them. Pepita thought he looked awfully tired and ready to fall off his horse.
"What's going on here?" he asked when he spotted the bound men.
"They're men from the South India Trading Company. They tried to blow up your mine," Zorro explained.
"Huh?" the owner said and blinked as he tried to process this. His eyes widened when his tired brain finally finished its work. "Just what did you think you were doing? Are you insane? This is going to cost you a lot!"
They left the owner to deal with the aftermath of the situation. Pepita waved him a happy goodbye, glad that everything had ended well. She had had a great time. This adventure had been so much more exciting than any of the stories she could have come up with in her head. But maybe she could still add a few details, just to make it even better. She felt her heart clench as she thought how happy her father would have been to hear about this.
But she couldn't feel sad for long. The sun was just starting to rise and paint the horizon with bright yellow and blue. Figaro was still in her arms, and she was riding the most famous horse in San Tasco with Zorro and Bernard. She was so happy to be with them that she felt a little disappointed when they arrived at her small house in the outskirts of the town.
The door was slammed open even before they stopped at the yard, and her mother ran outside.
"Pepita!" she called out.
"Mama, you won't believe what -" Pepita started, but she was cut off when her mother wrenched her from the horse and pulled her into her arms. She tried to struggle against her, but her mother simply wouldn't let go.
"Where have you been? I've been looking for you all night," her mother said. Finally, she let her go and took a step back to look at her. "And what have you done to yourself? You're all dirty, and you smell of gunpowder."
"Don't be upset with your daughter, madam. She was a great help. You should be proud of her," Zorro said, making Pepita and her mother turn to look at him. Pepita thought he looked amazing on his white horse and with the rising sun behind him.
"But aren't you the bandit who fights against the army?" Pepita's mother asked, sounding doubtful all of a sudden.
Pepita frowned at her mother. "Mama, Zorro is a hero! He helps everyone," she scolded her.
"I have no idea what's going on anymore," Anita muttered, rubbing her forehead with her hands.
"You have nothing to worry about. Everything is fine," Zorro said. He turned his horse around so that he could take Bernard home next.
"Don't forget Figaro," Pepita said and ran over to them to give the dog to Bernard. Letting go of the dog made her a little sad, but she knew she could never ask to keep him.
"Thanks," Bernard said as he took his pet.
"Bye. I had a great time," Pepita said.
Bernard smiled. "Me, too. I'll see you later, alright?" he said, and these words made Pepita feel happier than anything she had experienced during their adventure. She couldn't stop smiling as she waved goodbye to Bernard, Figaro and Zorro.
She turned around, and the smile fell from her face when she saw that her mother was crying.
"Mama, what's wrong?" she asked.
"I was so worried about you. I thought something had happened to you," her mother said, trying to dry her tears and get herself together.
Pepita frowned as she realised that she hadn't spared her mother a single thought that night. She had had too much fun adventuring with Bernard. It had been reckless of her, and now she had made her mother upset. She had stayed up the whole night worrying about her. She'd probably have a terrible time when she went to work.
"Don't cry, mama. I'm fine," she said. She took her mother's hand and started to lead her into the house.
"I know, but… Pepita, what even happened? Where were you last night?" her mother asked.
"I'll tell you about it later. You should go to bed now," Pepita said.
Anita shook her head. "I can't. I have to go to work or they'll fire me."
"They'll understand if you tell them it was all my fault," Pepita said.
"No, I can't do that. My employer is really strict, and the foreman in the fields is that lieutenant," Anita explained.
"Who?" Pepita asked.
Her mother frowned at her. "You should pay a little more attention to what's going on around you. The whole town was talking about him for a while."
Pepita waited if she would explain what was going on, but her mother just sighed and went to the small corner that functioned as their kitchen. She rummaged around until she found a piece of bread and some dried fruit.
"Here, eat this and go to bed. I'll be back in the evening," Anita said.
"But, mama -" Pepita tried to complain, but one stern glare from her mother was enough to silence her.
"Not one word out of you. Don't think that I'm not upset about how you disappeared for so long. I expect to hear a very good explanation when I get back," her mother said. "A real explanation," she added after a while.
Pepita frowned. She had the feeling that her mother would never believe her when she told her what had happened.
Diego sat up and rubbed his eyes. Sunlight was pouring in through the curtains of his room, and he had to slit his eyes against it. It had to be well past noon, and for once he didn't mind his role of a lazy coward. The sun had already been up when he and Bernard had come home, and then they had had to take care of Viento and all the equipment. Everything had to be ready in case he had to wear the cape the next night.
He had only had some six hours of sleep, which wasn't anywhere near enough after the ordeal of the previous night. His body was aching all over, but he forced himself out of bed and downstairs to see if he could have lunch for breakfast. As he walked past Bernard's room, he took a peek inside and saw the boy was still asleep.
Diego closed the door as quietly as he could. Bernard deserved some more sleep. It had been a busy night for him, too. Diego had wanted to keep Bernard out of the whole thing, but he supposed he couldn't blame the boy this time. It wasn't like he and Pepita had got kidnapped on purpose. And he had to admit that Bernard had done remarkably well. When he had gone up to save him, his heart beating in fright for his friend, he had found Bernard untied and standing over the unconscious body of the last enemy.
The memory of it made Diego chuckle. It reminded him of the many times when Bernard had helped him out as Little Zorro. Bernard had always brought some joy into even the most serious of missions. He would miss that.
He found his father sitting in the dining room. The don looked up from the papers he was reading and gave Diego a long look. Diego replied to it with a smile and pulled himself a chair.
"Good morning, father."
"It's hardly a morning anymore," Alejandro said.
"Oh, well. Then I guess I'll have to have lunch instead of breakfast."
"Lunch has already been served, too," Alejandro said. He turned his eyes back to his papers. Diego kept searching his face for any signs of stress or worry. One night, he had gone to look at the wheat that the rebels had hidden on their land. It was in a safe place, and he doubted the army would ever find it, even if they somehow got to idea to look for it there. Still, he was sure his father was troubled by partaking in such activities.
"Father, I've been thinking."
"What is it?" Alejandro asked.
"Lolita talked to me at the party last night. She said they're collecting money to help the families who were involved in the accident," Diego said.
Alejandro nodded. "I know about that. I already promised her we'd help, too."
"Are you sure? You've been helping so many people that -"
"I know what I'm doing. Someone has to help those in need," Alejandro said, and Diego didn't miss the harsher edge in his tone. "Adans sold his mine so that he could pay the families of the workers who were injured, but it's not enough. It's up to the rest of us to help them next."
"Yes, it was about that that I wanted to talk about," Diego said. When his father didn't say anything, he continued, "Now that we know that the accident was caused by men from the South India Trading Company -"
"Where did you hear that?" Alejandro asked.
"What? But that's what everyone is talking about, isn't it? Zorro stopped the men from destroying another mine just last night," Diego said.
"And how could you know about that? I thought you were in bed until just now," Alejandro said.
Diego was momentarily stunned into silence. What a slip of the tongue! Was he really so tired that he forgot even the most basic carefulness?
"I… I think I woke up a few hours ago and came to have a drink. I probably heard you talk about it with someone," he said swiftly.
"I did discuss the matter with Maria," Alejandro said thoughtfully.
"Then it must have been that! Anyway, I was so tired that I couldn't be bothered to speak up then, but now I have a good idea," Diego said.
"And what's that?"
"Well, now that it has been proven that the South India Trading Company caused the accident, surely they will have to pay for all the damage? I know it will probably be a long time before they do it, so why don't we get the money together right now so that Mr. Adans can get his mine back? He can pay us back later," Diego suggested.
"We already tried that. He refused all help and left with his family," Alejandro pointed out.
"Yes, but that was when he thought the accident was his fault. Someone has to go and tell him the truth," Diego said.
"You're right, of course," Alejandro said. He rubbed his chin for a moment. "I'll talk to the others and send someone after Adans right away. I know where he was planning to move, so this matter should be solved soon."
"That's good. I thought from the start that Adans didn't deserve such a fate," Diego said.
"Me, too. I'm glad to see you've been thinking about how to help him," Alejandro said.
"But of course. Just because I can't fight doesn't mean I'm not interested in helping others," Diego said, and he was glad to see his father smile at him.