I've got some bad news. As of late, I haven't been feeling very inspired to write this story, so I'm going to take a break and write about a completely different series for a while. I've concentrated on Zorro for over a year now, and I feel like I need something else for a moment.

However, there won't be an outright hiatus. Chapters 31-36 are already finished, so I will post one every three or four weeks. Hopefully I'll be back before I run out of stuff to post. And I promise that I won't abandon this story. I've come too far to give up now.

THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD

Chapter 30

They arrived at the Prideaux estate, and Bernard ran inside to tell Lolita and her parents what had happened. They came running outside and helped them to take Emilia's grandfather up to one of the guestrooms.

"Is he alright? What's wrong with him?" Emilia asked as she was ushered out of the room by the servants of the house.

"He'll be fine. He has just lost a lot of blood, but he'll live if the wound gets treated," Gonzales said.

"Oh, my poor grandfather!" Emilia wept and threw herself against his chest.

"Don't cry. It's... everything will work out," he said awkwardly and gave her back a few pats.

"He's right," Bernard said brightly. "He'll be back on his feet in no time!"

"But what if those men come to look for him here? What am I going to do then?" Emilia asked.

Gonzales felt his heart sink to his stomach. He had already forgotten that it was his duty to have Benito arrested and inform the people at the casino of that. He had no idea how he could bring himself to do that, not now when Emilia was looking at him with tears in her eyes.

"They have no idea that either one of you is here. You can stay as long as you need to," Don Carlos said.

"That's very kind of you. I don't know how I could thank you," Emilia said.

"It's no problem. I've lost so much money at the casino that I'm more than happy to cause some harm to Dalton. And who could leave such a pretty girl like you in trouble?" Carlos replied, earning a murderous glare from his wife.

Gonzales cleared his throat. "I should probably return to town or they'll be wondering where I am," he said. He tried to think of something comforting he could say to Emilia, but his mind was empty. He might just as well go with the truth.

"I'm going to have to come back later to ask your grandfather some questions. I hate doing this, but he's still the main suspect of the robbery," he said.

"I know," Emilia said, lowering her eyes. "But I'm grateful that you didn't have him arrested right away. You might get into trouble for letting him stay here."

I probably will, Gonzales thought, but he forced a smile on his face. "It's nothing. I'm always in trouble."

Gonzales wanted to visit the Prideaux estate the next day, but Diego dropped by in town to tell him that Benito hadn't woken up yet. They agreed that it might look suspicious if Gonzales visited Lolita's family, so the sergeant grudgingly decided to stay in town and pretend that nothing had happened.

"It's going to be easier than I thought," he said to Diego. "Dalton still hasn't reported the robbery, so I don't think anyone but us knows about it yet."

"That's strange. Why would he do that? It's as if he has something to hide," Diego said with a frown.

"I'm getting a little suspicious, too," Gonzales said.

Diego shrugged. "I'm sure we'll find out soon enough."

"Come and let me know as soon as Benito wakes up. I need to talk to him," Gonzales said.

Diego promised to do so and said he would be returning home. Gonzales watched him go, wondering if carrying Benito the previous day had been too hard on him. Diego was clearly avoiding using his right arm, as if it just moving it was painful.

"He really should get used to some work," Gonzales muttered.

He did his best to concentrate on his duties, but his mind kept going back to Emilia. He wished she'd come to town so that he could talk to her, but he knew how selfish that was. Of course she had to remain by her grandfather's side and keep hiding from Dalton's men. She probably had no time to even think of anything else.

"I hope Benito will wake up soon," he muttered. Then he could go and visit Emilia. But wait, then he would have to ask her grandfather about the robbery, and Emilia would be upset and sad. It was so difficult to choose what to wish for!

He was so busy thinking about this dilemma that he bumped into someone who was standing in the middle of the road.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" he blurted out.

"That's alright. I shouldn't stop to look at the sky like this anyway," the man said.

"Hey, I know you!" Gonzales said. This was Pablo, the man who sometimes came to town with Gabriel. He hadn't talked to him much, but he liked him. Pablo was always in a good mood and ready to exchange a few friendly words.

Pablo chuckled. "I'm glad you do. Most people don't pay me any attention. I think my company overshadows me," he said.

"Is Gabriel here, too?" Gonzales asked.

"He's running some errands, but he should be here any minute," Pablo said.

"Good. I need to tell him something," Gonzales said. He guessed it was alright to talk about Emilia with Gabriel. He wouldn't reveal her location to anyone in the army or at the casino; Gonzales was sure of it.

"What do you think of the sky?" Pablo asked.

"The sky?" Gonzales repeated. He turned to look up. "It's... blue."

"I think it's going to rain soon," Pablo said.

Gonzales laughed. "Rain? We don't get a lot of rain here, especially not this time of the year."

"No, I'm sure there's a storm coming. If the people here aren't used to a lot of rain, there might be trouble," Pablo mused with a shake of his head.

"I'll believe that when I see it," Gonzales said.

That's when he noticed Gabriel walking towards them. Gonzales waved a greeting. Gabriel didn't return it, but he didn't look like he was ready to murder someone, so Gonzales supposed he was in a good mood.

"Did you get everything?" Pablo asked.

"Yes, we can pick up the order next week," Gabriel replied.

"Then we can return home," Pablo said.

"Wait! I have something urgent to tell you first!" Gonzales said.

"What is it?" Gabriel asked.

Gonzales glanced around before leaning closer. "It's supposed to be a secret. I can't let the wrong people know about it."

"Can I know about it?" Pablo asked.

Gonzales considered it. "I suppose so," he finally said.

"Great! Then let's go! I know a good place," Pablo said. He caught them both by the arm and started dragging them towards his favourite tavern.

"It's a little early," Gabriel pointed out.

"For you, maybe. Order some milk," Pablo said.

It being morning, the tavern was nearly empty when they entered. A few men were sitting around, but they seemed more interested in their conversation than their wine.

Pablo ordered one third of a bottle, but both Gabriel and Gonzales refused to join him,

"I'm on duty," Gonzales said.

"You have no excuse," Pablo said to Gabriel.

"I don't need one," Gabriel said a little stiffly.

"Anyway, what's this urgent secret information?" Pablo asked.

"Well," Gonzales started, already regretting it that he had got himself into this. "It's about this woman I met..."

"Oh," Gabriel said.

"Oh!" Pablo said.

"I hope this one hasn't been kidnapped because of her mysterious ring," Gabriel said.

"No, she's being threatened by people who claim her grandfather stole money from the casino," Gonzales said.

Gabriel's eyes shifted to Pablo's wine.

"That's horrible! What are you going to do?" Pablo asked.

"Right now she's safe, but my duties as an officer require me to interrogate her and her grandfather. But I don't really want to," Gonzales said with a sigh.

"When did this happen? I was in town yesterday and I didn't hear of it," Pablo said.

"The people at the casino haven't officially contacted the army yet. That's why this is all a secret," Gonzales explained.

"Then I have two questions for you," Gabriel said. "One, if this isn't official, how is it your duty to do anything? Two, why are you telling us all of this?"

Pablo snorted and threw up his hands. "Isn't that obvious? He has fallen for the woman and is torn between love and duty. Any man needs support in such a situation."

"I've done my share of supporting others with Basilio. This one is all yours," Gabriel said.

"How can you say that? If you knew what Emilia is like, you would understand," Gonzales said.

"Yes, don't be like that," Pablo added.

Gabriel crossed his arms on his chest. "If you had risked your life to help him save the love of his life only so that he could send her off with another man, you wouldn't be so excited."

"But Emilia is different! I know she's the one I'm going to marry!" Gonzales blurted out.

His hand flew to his mouth, and he could have kicked himself. How stupid he was, saying something like that when he didn't even know her. He doubted she would want to marry him; he was just a fat sergeant nobody took seriously. Just thinking about asking for her hand made him feel foolish.

"Great, then we can have two weddings in the near future. Young Basilio is getting married next week, you know that?" Pablo said enthusiastically.

"Oh, I had no idea. Congratulate him for me," Gonzales said. He could only recall meeting the lad once and very shortly, but he had seemed like an alright man.

"I will, and congratulations to you in advance, Sergeant. I'm sure you'll get this Emilia," Pablo said.

"I wish I had your confidence," Gonzales muttered.

"Does she know that you're in the army?" Gabriel asked.

"Yes, and she seems very impressed by it," Gonzales said.

"It's a start," Gabriel said.

"I know. At least I don't have to lie to her about it," Gonzales said. "I just wish I knew how to impress her even more."

"That's simple. Just prove that her grandfather is innocent and she'll fall in love with you right away," Pablo said.

Gabriel got up and glared down at the two of them. "You can stay here and gossip like women, but I have more important things to do."

"Oh," Gonzales said in disappointment. He had been expecting a little more support from Gabriel. Maybe he'd introduce Emilia to him next time to make him understand.

Pablo stood up as well, but he gave Gonzales a hearty pat to the shoulder.

"Good luck."

Gonzales didn't feel like sitting alone at the tavern, so he decided to go back to the town square. Maybe Diego or Bernard would come there to give him news about Emilia's grandfather.

Emilia was sitting by her grandfather's bed and watching him sleep. Lolita had been there earlier to change the bandages on his wound. Emilia had tried to help, but she wasn't very good at practical things. All her life, her grandfather had encouraged her to practise her magic tricks, so she had never learnt to cook, mend clothes or take care of the sick like a proper woman should. She regretted that now, having to watch helplessly how her grandfather's life was in the hands of others.

"Please get well soon," she whispered. She couldn't imagine her life without him.

The silence in the room was making her nervous. Those men who were after her grandfather would no doubt find them eventually. Then Lolita and her family would be in danger, too. All Emilia wanted was for her grandfather to get well soon so that they could leave this dreadful town behind. They had faced nothing but misfortune during their stay.

No, that wasn't fair. Emilia got up and walked to watch out the window. She had met that nice sergeant who had been so helpful. In her experience, soldiers were often crude and didn't care to help poor people like her. It was such a surprise that Gonzales was so friendly to her. He was probably even risking his position by protecting her grandfather.

No other soldier would let him recover first without arresting him, she thought fondly. Such kindness made her feel more welcome in this town.

There was a moan from the bed, and she whirled around. Her grandfather was stirring and trying feebly to sit up.

"Grandfather! You shouldn't move," she said and hurried to his side. She took his hand, which calmed him down a little, and he lay back on the bed.

"Emilia? What -" he asked, but Emilia hushed him into silence.

"You shouldn't talk. Here, drink first," she said and offered him some water.

He drank greedily, and Emilia worried that he might choke in his hurry. When he was done, Benito gave the glass back to her. It was comforting to hold something in her hands, so she didn't put it on the nightstand.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"It could be worse. It's just my shoulder that -" Benito started and pressed his hand on his shoulder, but he never got to finish from the pain that flashed through him. Emilia called out to him, but he chuckled through his grimace and assured her that he was fine.

"I've been through worse in my life. It's not the first time someone shoots at me," he said.

"Don't joke about it! You could have died! Then I would be all alone," Emilia said. The thought was enough to break her heart. Her grandfather was the only one she had, the only person that remained stable in a life of moving around and having no home.

"Sorry," Benito said with a sigh. Then he turned to take a look at the room. "Where are we? I can't remember the last time I saw such a fancy place."

"We're staying with a few kind people who offered to help us."

"And here I thought there were only bad people in this town. I would like to meet these new friends of yours as soon as possible. If I feel I can trust them, I need to tell them something important. It's about the casino."

Emilia shook her head. "That can wait. You need to rest more."

"No, that's really not -"

"Go back to sleep, grandfather! You have fever from the wound," Emilia insisted.

Benito looked like he wanted to argue, but he must have seen the fierce look in Emilia's eyes. He leaned back on the pillows and let out a sigh of defeat.

"If it makes you happy."

"I'll go and tell the others you're feeling better. You can talk to them when you wake up again," Emilia said.

She remained by the bed until she saw the steady rhythm of her grandfather's chest and was sure he wasn't only pretending to sleep for her sake. He could be terribly stubborn at times, and it was only getting worse as he grew older.

Now that he had woken up, Emilia felt like everything was going to be alright. She gave one last gentle look at her grandfather before leaving the room in search of Lolita.

Gabriel didn't know what to think of Gonzales' predicament. He couldn't say he was surprised that he was in trouble again – after all, Gonzales was quick to fall for a pretty face and having him show interest in any woman was the beginning of an embarrassing disaster. However, the sheer amount of trouble he always got himself into was baffling.

"You weren't very nice to the sergeant," Pablo said from his side.

"He was being an idiot."

"He's in love."

"Same thing."

Pablo sighed and shook his head. "With that attitude, you're never getting married. Women like men who are romantic."

"I don't want to talk about this," Gabriel said, gritting his teeth. The closer Basilio and Lupe's wedding day got, the worse Pablo's obsession with women became. Maybe he was starting to feel like his time was running out.

Thankfully there was a distraction before Pablo could come up with a reply. Gabriel spotted Pepita walking by the side of the rode to the direction of the estate. She had to be on her way to see her mother.

It was a while since Gabriel had last seen Pepita at the estate. For a while, the girl had dropped by almost every day to talk to him and tell him outlandish stories, but that had stopped without a warning or explanation. At first he had welcomed the change as a break from her constant blabbering, but after a while he had started to wonder what had happened to her.

"Isn't that Pepita? We should give her a ride," Pablo said.

Gabriel stopped the wagon by the girl's side. He expected her to greet them with a grin and jump to join them, but instead she shot a murderous glare in his direction. She didn't even stop walking.

"Where are you going? You don't have to walk," Gabriel called out after her.

"Go away!" Pepita snapped. "I don't talk to people like you."

"Sounds like you've done something to the little lady," Pablo said.

"I haven't done anything," Gabriel said defensively.

"You're a liar! You said you liked my stories, but you just wanted me to tell you about Zorro! You want to kill him! You're the most horrible man I've ever met!" Pepita yelled. Her voice broke, and she turned away so that they wouldn't see her cry.

Gabriel didn't know what to say. He hadn't expected Pepita to ever realise his true motives. She was only a stupid girl, so he was sure she hadn't found out on her own. Someone in town must have told her, and Gabriel had a very good idea who it might have been.

Well, that was the end of that attempt to get information about Zorro. He hadn't really expected it to work, but he found himself somewhat disappointed by this outcome. The atmosphere at the estate might grow a little strained if Pepita told her mother and the other remaining workers what had happened.

"Did you?" Pablo asked, and Gabriel turned to look at him in surprise.

"What? Yes, I asked her to tell me about her adventure with Zorro," he said. Admitting it made him feel a little uncomfortable, but he couldn't understand why. He hadn't done anything wrong.

"So that you could use that information to attack her hero?" Pablo asked, disapproval evident in his voice.

"Her hero is a wanted outlaw!" Gabriel said.

"Since when is it necessary to make a little girl cry when you want to capture a bandit?"

"Shut up," Gabriel growled, but there was truth in Pablo's words, even if in a different way than the man thought. Gabriel had never been above using children to get what he wanted, but he had always had some sort of solid plan. Now he didn't. He was just bullying this girl.

"You aren't very good with children, you know that?" Pablo remarked. He didn't stop to wait for an answer but hopped off the wagon and went to kneel before Pepita.

"Hey, don't cry. There's nothing wrong. Who told you that Gabriel was a liar?" he asked. When Pepita refused to answer, he continued, "Alright, you don't have to say that. It's not as bad as that person thinks. Sure, Gabriel is an oaf most of the time, but he doesn't want to hurt you. I'm sure he enjoyed all of your stories even if he cared the most about Zorro."

"But he wants to kill Zorro. My friend said so," Pepita said between her sniffles.

"Remember, he's an oaf. And do you really think he could do anything to Zorro?" Pablo asked.

Pepita laughed a little, and Pablo ruffled her hair.

"No, nobody can defeat Zorro," the girl said.

"That's the spirit. And now you're coming with us to the estate. We can't let you walk all the way alone," Pablo said. He lifted Pepita into his arms and helped her climb onto the wagon.

Gabriel remained silent for the rest of the trip and listened to the happy chatter between Pablo and Pepita. Even though the girl was in a better mood, he didn't think she'd ever trust him again.

At least I don't have to listen to her insane stories anymore, he mused, but he couldn't quite banish the discomfort he felt.

When he was sure that nobody would notice, Gonzales used the sleeve of his uniform to wipe his forehead. He was waiting outside the guestroom where Benito was. Emilia and the others were inside. For a while now, Gonzales had been meaning to knock on the door, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

She'll hate me if I question her grandfather, he thought. And even if she didn't, she would be scared and hurt. He didn't want to do that to her; he couldn't do that to her. Should he just turn and leave when he still had the chance? But no, Don Diego knew that he was here, and what would he think of him if he fled like a coward?

"It's so complicated to be in love," Gonzales muttered.

The door opened, and he nearly lost his balance and fell downstairs in shock.

"Sergeant? What are you doing here all alone?" Lolita asked.

"Me? Oh, nothing!" Gonzales said once. Then he realised what a stupid answer it was. "No, I mean, I'm here to have a word with Emilia's – I mean, Mr. Lapenti."

Lolita shot an amused look at him, and Gonzales was certain that she could see right through him. Blasted women.

"Then you should go right in. He's been awake for a while. I'll be back soon and bring something to drink with me," Lolita said.

"Right," Gonzales said. Now he could no longer escape. It was better to just go in and face his destiny like a man.

When he stepped into the room, he saw Benito lying on the bed with Emilia sitting by his side. Both looked up when he entered.

"Sergeant," Emilia greeted him. She was clutching her hands together nervously, but she was trying to smile. That had to be a good thing.

"I'm so sorry to bother you like this," Gonzales said.

"Don't worry, Sergeant. You're only doing your duty, and I'm more than happy to solve this matter and prove my innocence," Benito said.

"Good," Gonzales said. The friendly smile on Benito's face made him want to squirm. He didn't quite believe in the man's innocence, which made this happy welcome difficult to stomach.

"Emilia told me that you haven't arrested me yet because you wanted to let me get some of my strength back first. I'm in your debt. I hope you won't be in trouble because of your good-heartedness," Benito said.

"It's nothing. I'm just happy to help," Gonzales said. He cleared his throat and tried to look more serious. "And now I really must get to the point. What exactly is your connection to the casino in town?"

Benito's face darkened at the question. "When I and Emilia arrived from Spain, I tried working as a street performer. I'm especially good at card tricks. Somehow word of that reached Mr. Dalton, and he offered me work at his casino. I thought I'd be entertaining the guests with my tricks, but I was wrong."

"Then what did he want?" Gonzales asked.

"He wanted me to use my skills at the tables," Benito said.

"What?" Gonzales blurted out. "He wanted you to trick his customers? That can't be!" Dalton had been nothing but friendly and honest throughout the time they had known each other. He was one of the few influential people in San Tasco who respected him as an officer. Gonzales didn't want to believe that he could be so dishonest.

"But it's the truth. When I refused, he ordered his men to kill me. I was able to flee to the wilderness, but I was badly injured. That's where you found me," Benito said.

"Or maybe you stole money from the casino and then fled and were wounded," Gonzales suggested.

"No! My grandfather would never do that!" Emilia cut in.

Gonzales felt like hiding under the bed. How upset and sad she sounded, and it was all because of him.

"Emilia, calm down. The sergeant is only doing his job. Of course he shouldn't just take my word for it," Benito said in a stern voice.

"But, grandfather..."

"Don't argue with me. Things don't always go like you want them to," Benito said.

Gonzales didn't know if the old man's words should have made him feel better about what he had to do. If yes, they failed. He felt more like the villain of the story than ever before.

"Emilia, you should go and help Lolita in the kitchen. It's probably for the best if the Sergeant and I discuss this alone," Benito suggested.

It was clear Emilia didn't like the idea, but she didn't object. She cast a careful look at Gonzales as she passed him on her way to the door. Gonzales did his best to appear reassuring and make her believe that he wouldn't be too hard on her grandfather, but he had no idea if she understood him.

"I apologize for my granddaughter. She's not mature enough to understand these matters," Benito said once they were alone.

"She has every right to be upset," Gonzales said. Then, he gathered his courage and took a deep breath. "Emilia is a very sweet girl. I don't want to do anything to hurt her, so this is difficult for me, too."

"It sounds like you've got to know her well while I wasn't there," Benito remarked.

"We only know each other in passing," Gonzales said at once, not sure if there was an accusation hidden in the old man's words.

He quickly changed the subject and started asking Benito more detailed questions about the casino and his involvement with Dalton.

Emilia had barely made it to the bottom of the stairs when Lolita came from the kitchen, holding a tray with something to drink.

"My grandfather wants to talk to the sergeant alone," Emilia explained.

"Oh, then these will have to wait," Lolita said. She started taking the drinks back to the kitchen, and Emilia decided to follow her. She had been doing some chores there earlier so that she could give these people at least something in return for their kindness. She regretted it that she was so clumsy at everything; she was probably just in the way.

She watched Lolita waltz around the kitchen with surprising grace for someone of her social status. It was like she knew how to do everything.

"Don't worry about your grandfather. I'm sure Gonzales won't arrest him," Lolita said.

"I hope so, too, but what else can he do? Even if he believes him, Gonzales can't make the decision alone," Emilia said. She had heard stories of the heartless commander who ruled the area. She was frightened, both for her grandfather and Gonzales if the delay with the arrest ever became known.

"Captain Jekyll will surely back him up," Lolita said. She paused, as if hesitating with her words. "And I think Gonzales will do everything he can to help you. He seems to like you."

"He has been so kind to me," Emilia admitted.

Lolita paused in the middle of her work and turned to look at her. She had a thoughtful frown on her face, and Emilia could tell she wanted to talk about something.

"I don't know if I should get involved in this," Lolita said.

"What do you mean?" Emilia asked. "If you're worried that the army -"

"No, it's not that. I mean you and Gonzales," Lolita said.

"I'm not sure I understand," Emilia said. Had she done something wrong? She was a little too informal and open sometimes, but she hadn't thought it would bother Gonzales. Soldiers usually had a good sense of humour about that.

"Maybe you haven't noticed it since you don't know him as well as I do, but I think he's developing feelings for you," Lolita said.

"What?" Emilia asked. Then she couldn't help but laugh. "That's absurd!" She thought about her encounters with the sergeant. Lolita had to be mistaken. Men had given her attention before, and she was more than familiar with those comments, gestures and looks. Gonzales had been a gentleman; Emilia was sure he didn't want anything from her.

The gentle and somewhat sad expression in Lolita's eyes made her grow serious. Could she really mean it? Should she be afraid?

"Don't worry. Gonzales would never do anything to hurt you. I'm actually more worried about you hurting him. He always takes everything to heart. He'll be crushed if you don't return his feelings," Lolita said.

"But I hardly know him," Emilia said in bafflement. How could she know what she felt about him? They had met only a few days ago. "And he doesn't know me either."

"You've treated him with kindness and never made fun of him. He's not used to that, especially not around women," Lolita said.

"So, it's mere infatuation," Emilia said.

"I didn't mean -"

"It's alright," Emilia said. "I'm used to it. It happens all the time. The men see a pretty, young street performer who is so different and exotic from the women in their villages. Many of them ask me to stay with them. I've even got proposals, but I know it wouldn't last long. I'm not the kind of woman anyone would like to have as a wife. I can't do anything practical and know very little about real life. I probably wouldn't even know how to be a mother."

She couldn't help but feel sad at her words. It was a truth she had always known, but it didn't stop her from longing for something that wasn't meant for her. To have a stable home and family who were always there had to be the most wonderful feeling in the world.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything," Lolita said.

"No, it's alright," Emilia said. She would have liked to think that Gonzales was different and that he would be the one to offer her the safety she wanted, but she knew it was selfish. A man like him had a future in the army. He needed to marry someone who fit into that future, not a poor girl like her.

"But don't put yourself down like that. You're a wonderful person, and one day you'll find just the right person for you," Lolita said.

"I hope so," Emilia said. It was difficult to remain pessimistic when Lolita was smiling so encouragingly at her. Besides, she had to be strong for her grandfather.

Both women looked up when there was a sudden crash and a surprised yell from upstairs. They took a brief, worried glance at each other before hurrying through the door and to the stairs to see what was going on.

Gonzales hadn't known what to expect when the door had been banged open without any warning, but it certainly hadn't been three masked men with swords in their hands. He was momentarily too stunned to act, but then his fingers flew to the handle of his blade.

"Don't be a hero, Sergeant. You can't defeat the three of us," the man leading the group drawled.

"What do you want? If it's money -" Gonzales started, but he was cut off by a chortle from the man.

"We're here to settle a score. Don't get involved and we'll let you live."

Gonzales turned to look at Benito. The old man had grown pale and was shaking, and Gonzales knew that he'd never be able to run for it. He was in too much shock, and his injury didn't help.

They must be here to kill him, the sergeant realised.

"Are you working for Dalton?" he asked. He knew it was a dangerous question, but he had to know if his faith in the man had been misplaced.

The three men looked at each other in surprise.

"Well, well. Looks like we can't let you go after all," the leader said.

Gonzales felt like an idiot. Dalton had tricked him. He was the most incompetent officer in the world! A few words of praise and he believed every lie without a question. However, now was not the time to feel sorry for himself. He had an innocent man to protect.

Then a horrible thought crossed his mind.

"What have you done with Lolita and Emilia?" he asked. He'd never forgive himself if these men had hurt them while he was chatting upstairs.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the leading man asked with a smirk.

That was all that Gonzales was willing to hear. He drew out his sword and took a position between the men and Benito so that he could protect the man. He had no illusions about his sword fighting skills, so he doubted he would last long against three opponents. His only hope was winning time and maybe hurting them so that help would arrive – surely someone in the house had noticed what was going on.

"You aren't getting through me," he said.

"We'll see," the leading man said as he and his companions advanced.

Surprisingly, the battle was halted before anyone had even lifted their blade. The window was pushed open, and two black-clad figures jumped into the room. Gonzales' heart skipped a beat, and he was filled with new hope.

"Zorro!" he called out.

"It looks like you could use a hand here, Sergeant," Zorro said. The smile on his face vanished when he turned his attention to the masked men. "As for you, you should be ashamed of yourselves. First you target an old man and then try to kill him when he's helpless. I will not tolerate such cowardly actions."

Zorro's appearance had made the three men back towards the door, but these words sparked new spirit in them. The leader gestured for one of his companions to get Benito while he and the remaining man would take on Zorro.

The bedroom wasn't the best place for a duel, but they made use of the little space they had. Gonzales was glad to notice that his opponent wasn't very skilled, so he had no trouble keeping him away from Benito.

He blocked the man's attack and sent him stumbling backwards. Gonzales used this chance to steal a glance at Zorro, expecting him to have defeated his two opponents with ease. However, to his surprise it looked like Zorro was in trouble. He had such difficulty with defence that he hadn't yet managed to make a single attack himself.

"Ha, are you really the infamous Zorro?" the leader of the crooks asked.

Gonzales was beginning to wonder about it as well. The boy who accompanied Zorro seemed worried, too, but Gonzales didn't have any more time to ponder the situation. His opponent got his balance back, and the sergeant had his hands full once more.

A loud crash and a surprised yell momentarily caught his attention, but he didn't have the time to turn around to see what was going on. It gave him more determination, however, and with a few more slashes of his sword he managed to disarm his opponent.

"Zorro, are you -" he started to ask as he could finally turn around, but the scene he saw made him grow silent.

The second henchman was sprawled on the ground, unconscious. That wasn't the surprising fact. Anyone who fought Zorro had to be prepared for that. The part that made Gonzales' thoughts freeze for a moment was that it wasn't Zorro who had delivered the final blow.

Lolita was standing by the fallen man. She was holding the remains of a vase in her trembling hands, but Gonzales couldn't guess if she was shaking out of anger or fear.

"There," Lolita said and brushed some of her hair behind her shoulder. "We thought you looked like you needed help."

That's when Gonzales turned to look at the door. Emilia was there, but unlike Lolita, she hadn't found the courage to step into the room. She was clutching the door frame and looked like she might faint any moment.

The poor thing, Gonzales thought. This was no place for someone as delicate as her.

"It looks like you're now outnumbered," Zorro announced to the remaining man.

"That doesn't mean I've lost!" the man said, but his voice no longer held the threat and confidence from before.

The remaining battle wasn't much of a sight. The bandit had grown nervous and frightened when his companions had fallen. Zorro didn't show his usual finesse with the blade either. In fact, Gonzales thought his movements were clumsy and uncontrolled, as if he had trouble holding the sword.

It must be the injury, he suddenly realised. Placid had shot Zorro, and wounds like that didn't heal right away.

After a while, the outlaw defeated his opponent and pressed his sword at his throat.

"And now take off that mask. That should clear this matter once and for all," Zorro said.

The man brought his hands up to his mask and removed it from his face. Gonzales couldn't hold back a surprised gasp. It was Dalton himself! Even when he had become convinced of the man's guilt, he hadn't expected him to do his dirty work with his own hands.

"How dare you trick me like that? You almost made me arrest an innocent man," he said.

"You were the only one in the army stupid enough to believe everything I said," Dalton said. Despite the fact that Zorro's sword was still at his throat, he managed a crooked grin.

Gonzales gritted his teeth, feeling his face grow red with anger and embarrassment. He supposed he deserved the insult. He had been eating from Dalton's hand like a complete fool.

"Your trickery ends here. You will no longer cheat the honest people of this town and steal their money," Zorro said. He put his sword back into its sheath and turned to Little Zorro. "Tie them up. Then we can leave the sergeant to handle the rest."

"Sure thing!" the boy said. He produced rope from the bag he was carrying and proceeded to tie up the men.

"Thank you, Zorro. You saved us again," Lolita said.

"This time there wasn't much saving to be done. Both you and the sergeant didn't seem to have that much trouble dealing with these villains yourselves," Zorro pointed out. He grinned at Lolita as he said these words. She replied to the smile, but Gonzales thought she didn't look as flustered as usual. In fact, he might have called her smile a little awkward.

It was then that he remembered Emilia. She was no longer by the door but had run to her grandfather. He was holding her close and let her cry against him. Gonzales wished that he could have been the one to comfort her, but he had other duties.

"I will have to inform Captain Jekyll of this right away," he said. He was about to thank Zorro for everything, but he noticed that the outlaw and his sidekick had already left through the window, just as quickly as they had arrived.

Everyone's eyes were now on him, and he felt a little self-conscious. He made the quick decision to move the captured men to the main hall. An old man's sickroom was no place for captured bandits. At first he was concerned about how he'd make the men go downstairs, but it turned out that Lolita had it all covered. She could be frightening when she wanted to, and she quieted every objection with a sharp snap.

"I don't feel comfortable leaving you three here with these men," Gonzales said once they were downstairs.

"We'll be fine. Roberto and a few other men should be back from town any minute now," Lolita said. She shot an angry glance at the captured men. "And if they try something, they'll have to face me."

Gonzales got the sudden feeling that the men would have rather fought Zorro a second time.

Gabriel looked up when something wet hit him on the forehead. He wasn't the only one; everybody stopped what they were doing and turned to stare at the sky in wonder as droplets of water started falling down.

"What the -" he asked, not quite able to believe what was happening.

"I told you it was going to rain," Pablo said. He went back to work, but the others spent another moment staring at the darkening sky.