I'm sad to say I removed Jekyll's most awesome scene in the series from this chapter because I just couldn't figure out how to make it believable here. Some other things from the episode did make it to this chapter, however.
THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD
Chapter 34
Lieutenant Serrano thought he was going to be sick if he had to stand in silence in Commander Raymond's office for much longer. He couldn't decide if he felt cold or hot; all he knew that he had difficulties keeping his breathing normal.
"I can't say I'm very pleased with your recent actions," Raymond said.
That was no surprise. What had supposed to be a simple task of arresting a couple of peasants had turned into a slaughter. Admittedly, it was only one man, but that was enough for Serrano. The extra in his pay wasn't enough to make up for killing innocent people.
"You could have easily taken control of the situation and arrested the people we were after, but instead you fled the scene and left the people alone. They were able to tell their version of the story to everyone, and now the whole town talks of how the army murdered an innocent man," Raymond said.
"I'm sorry, sir," Serrano said.
"If you had stayed there and arrested everyone, we could have claimed that this man fought back and that he was shot in self-defence. Now it's going to be more difficult to clean up the mess," Raymond continued.
Serrano gritted his teeth but said nothing. He thought it was far more serious that they had shot someone by accident, but he supposed Raymond had to worry about the big picture.
"You seem upset, Lieutenant. I'm ordering you to have the day off and not get involved in handling this matter. I will take care of everything. When you return to duty tomorrow, I expect you to be able to follow orders as usual."
"But, sir -"
"What is it?"
"This man, sir. We shot him. Surely we have to do something to help his family or apologize. It was our fault, and -"
Raymond stood up from behind his desk, and Serrano swallowed the rest of his words.
"Lieutenant, our sources tell me there were rebels present at that wedding. I have already looked into this man. He has no family in California and there is more than enough reason to believe he was sympathetic to the rebels, if not one of them. It's the army's responsibility to deal with men like him," Raymond said.
"Of course, sir," Serrano said. He wanted to argue against this; the army couldn't just decide who was an enemy with no clear evidence. They couldn't arrest and kill whoever they wanted and then lie that it had been justified.
"But if you insist, the army can take responsibility for this. You were in charge of the operation, so the mistakes of the soldiers might just as well be yours. Do you want an official investigation and to risk your career?" Raymond asked. He had a solemn expression on his face, but his eyes were laughing.
"No, sir," Serrano said quietly. He didn't want justice that badly. One peasant he didn't even know wasn't worth that much to him. Besides, Raymond had said the man was most likely a rebel. If he didn't think too hard about it, he could make himself believe he had deserved it.
"That's what I thought," Raymond said. He kept a thoughtful pause. When he spoke again, his voice was heavy with regret. "This is what I meant when I told you you can't advance in the army without making sacrifices."
"I understand, sir," Serrano said. This was a test of his character, he decided. If he couldn't deal with issues like this, he wasn't meant to rise in ranks and get the power he wanted. He had to prove that he was strong and capable. If he had to harden his heart to the suffering of individuals to do it, so be it.
Gabriel didn't go to Pablo's funeral. He had every intention to do so, but the sight of the chapel made him sick and forced him to turn back. Only two days earlier, it had been full of happy wedding guests. He couldn't bring himself to enter, not when he remembered all too well how they had stepped out in such good spirits.
He didn't go to the estate either. There was too much to remind him of the fact that Pablo was gone. He didn't want to acknowledge that right now, so he kept himself busy by hating Serrano for not leading the soldiers better and Raymond for ordering the raid in the first place. And then there was whoever had told the army that there were rebels at the wedding. He had no idea who that could be, but he would find out soon.
Gabriel opened the door to Gonzales' favourite tavern and marched inside, shoving aside a man who was on his way. Just as he had hoped, he spotted the sergeant sitting at his usual table.
"You have some explaining to do," he said as he approached him.
"I'm sorry about what happened," Gonzales said. "It was a horrible accident, and I don't know what -"
"Shut up. I don't care. There's only thing you can tell me that interests me," Gabriel said.
"What?" Gonzales asked.
"Who was it who told the army there were rebels at the wedding?" Gabriel asked.
Gonzales pressed his lips into a tight line and turned his eyes to the table. "It's confidential. I can't tell you."
"Tell me right now or I'll make you!" Gabriel snapped. Whoever that bastard spreading such lies was, he was going to kill him. He'd deal with Serrano and Raymond later, but for now he could think of nothing else but the burning hate he felt for the man who had arranged for the army to raid the wedding. Everything was his fault!
"But I -" Gonzales said, but Gabriel gave him no time to finish. He grabbed the sergeant by the front of his uniform, pulled him up to his feet and started dragging him outside. The tavern had grown silent, and everyone watched in shock as Gabriel shoved Gonzales out the door.
"What are you doing?" Gonzales asked as picked himself up from the muddy street. He clenched his fists and glared at Gabriel with new determination. "If you want to fight, fine."
"I don't want to fight. I want you to tell me who the informant was," Gabriel said.
"I told you I can't. You should know how it is." Gonzales hesitated before he continued, "I'm sorry about what happened. I know you must feel terrible. But it was an accident."
"It was no accident that the army raided the wedding. There were no rebels. Someone lied to get the army involved," Gabriel said.
"Why would anyone do that?" Gonzales asked.
"That's what I'll find out when I know who it was!"
Gonzales sighed. "I think it would be for the best if you stayed out of this."
"So, it was someone powerful?"
"All I'm saying is that it can't end well. Just forget it."
Gabriel had never wanted to hit Gonzales as much as now. Forget it? The mere suggestion made his blood boil.
"I can't forget it. Pablo was... he was my friend. I have to know who did this to him," he said. He hated the pleading tone of his voice and how tight his throat suddenly felt. He had to know the truth, but with Gonzales he couldn't use violence. He was completely at the sergeant's mercy.
Gonzales was silent for a while. Then he cleared his throat took a look around to make sure they were alone in the rain.
"Well, there are always rumours going around. You didn't hear this from me, alright?" he said.
"I will never tell anyone."
"You may not be so grateful once you hear who it was," Gonzales muttered. "The man you're looking for is not an easy enemy. He works for the South India Trading Company and is close to Kapital. He's that Marcus Abarca who has been harassing Don Lucas."
"What?" Gabriel asked. It had been Abarca?
He suddenly felt like he needed to lean on something or he'd fall over.
"Is something wrong?" Gonzales asked, but Gabriel barely heard him.
"That bastard!" he growled. He had seen an ally in that man; he had taken money from him. Abarca had shown him the way to a better future, but now the mere thought of the man made him tremble with rage – and shame and regret at how easily he had been played for a fool.
"Where is he now?" Gabriel asked.
"I don't know. Maybe at the dam since – hey!" Gonzales started, but he was cut off when Gabriel shoved him aside and marched past him. "What are you going to do?"
Gabriel didn't answer. He barely heard Gonzales' words over the rush of blood in his ears, and he wouldn't have known what to say anyway. He had no idea what he was going to do. All he knew that he was feeling sick and angry, and he doubted it was going to stop any time soon.
Diego did his best to keep his face neutral, though he suspected that nobody would have thought twice about any signs of discomfort he might show. They'd just think he was tired or cold. Nobody would ever suspect that his right arm was giving him so much trouble. Even if they did, they would never guess the source of his pain. The thought of Diego de la Vega being shot while helping rebels escape from prison was too strange for anyone to consider.
His amusement gave him a moment of rest from all the recent problems in his life, but he couldn't avoid thinking about them for too long. He didn't even know where to begin to make things better. His father's patience was running out; he had to come up with something to tell him soon. Preferably something other than the truth.
Half the reason why he was currently at the dam was that he had wanted to get away from the grim atmosphere at home. He felt like his father's eyes were on him no matter what he did. Thankfully Alejandro had urgent business at their estate, so he hadn't accompanied him this time.
"You look a little sick. Maybe you should go home," Lolita said to him. She sounded worried, and for once Diego couldn't detect any irritation in her voice. Just hearing her talk to him like that gave him a little more strength.
"Nonsense," he said with a forced laugh. "I'm doing just fine."
"Well, I'm sure you know what you're doing."
Nothing could have made Diego leave the dam now. Bernard had done some spying for him, and they now knew that Abarca and the others weren't content with waiting for Don Lucas to put together the money he needed. They were going to destroy the dam. Bernard had also heard that the reason why Kapital had hired Abarca in the first place was that he wanted him to assassinate Zorro. Diego's instincts told him that Abarca would try to do both tonight.
If it came to a duel between them, he wasn't sure what would happen. His right arm wasn't in the condition that he could face a skilled opponent without worry. He was hoping he could stay at the dam and try to solve the problem as Diego, but his outfit and Viento were hidden a short distance away in case that failed.
Some time later, they all heard the sound of horses arriving. It was Abarca and a few of his companions. Diego noted that about half of his men weren't with him and wondered what they were up to. He doubted they had simply decided to stay in town.
"What do you people want here? I thought we agreed you'd wait," Lucas said as Abarca and the others climbed on top of the dam.
"That was nothing but a technicality to get the captain off our back. We're tired of waiting and have come to claim the land," Abarca said.
"You don't need to be here to do it! You can do nothing without talking to the notary in town," Lucas said.
"Don't worry. We'll claim the land by breaking this dam and turning these lands into a water reservoir," Abarca said, and the malice in his voice was enough to tell Diego that nobody could solve this problem by talking.
While the others were busy arguing with Abarca, Diego took the first steps to slip away and hurry where he had hidden his costume and sword. However, he didn't make it far before a new voice rose above the fighting of the others.
"There you are, you bastard!"
Diego turned around just in time to see Gabriel march up to the dam and give Abarca a punch that sent him flying to the ground. It was such an unexpected sight that Diego remained standing there, all thoughts of dressing up as Zorro momentarily forgotten.
Abarca's companions pointed their swords at Gabriel, but Abarca waved at them to step back. He wiped the corner of his mouth, wincing a little, and stood up for face his attacker.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"You know that already, and you won't be walking away from here after I'm done with you!" Gabriel yelled.
Abarca snorted dismissively. "I take it our deal is broken. I can't say I'm sorry. You were useless anyway, and we no longer need you."
"What deal? What is he talking about?" Lucas asked.
"Ah, yes," Abarca said, a smile forming on his lips. "The others don't know about that. Do you want to tell them, or should I?"
Gabriel looked troubled for a moment, but then he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small bag. He threw it at Abarca's feet, and coins scattered everywhere.
"There's your money back," he snarled. He turned to face Don Lucas and the others. "He bought me to spread mistrust among you so that there wouldn't be enough men to defend the dam when they came to destroy it."
"But that's -"
"I didn't even think to say no. I believed him right away and didn't care about anyone else. I only thought about the better life I could have," Gabriel went on. He was trembling as he spoke, and his betrayed such anger that Diego would have been worried for everyone's life if he hadn't had the feeling that most of the hate was directed at Gabriel himself.
"I should have never trusted you! I had something much more valuable, and I threw it all away because I was so greedy. I can't have that back again, but there's one thing I can do," Gabriel said. He paused and drew a shaky breath. "I'm going to kill you because it's your fault Pablo is dead."
Diego took a startled step back. He wasn't the only one surprised by Gabriel's words. Angry shouts rose among the crowd, and Lucas went to grab Gabriel's arm.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked.
"He's the one who told the army there were rebels at the wedding. He probably did it because some of your workers attended the wedding and he wanted them arrested and out of the way," Gabriel explained.
"Is that true?" Lucas asked, turning to glare at Abarca in fury.
"My, sounds like there's a snitch in the army. But that doesn't matter. These lands will flood within moments, and then you will have no choice but to hand them over to the South India Trading Company," Abarca said.
"You dog!" Lucas snapped.
Several of the men who were guarding the dam lifted their weapons, which in most cases meant shovels or axes they had brought from home. They didn't cower before the swords of Abarca and his companions; these strangers were threatening their homes and had caused the death of one of their own.
Abarca chuckled and shook his head. "Fight us if you want to. It won't do you any good. By now, our friends have made sure that the dam will be destroyed."
"What do you mean?" Lucas asked in confusion.
"You'll find out soon enough,"Abarca said.
Diego had heard enough. As everyone was shouting at Abarca and demanding an explanation, he slipped away to get his costume and come back before the argument turned into a massacre.
Gabriel was exhausted. Not physically; he was sure he could have killed Abarca with his bare hands. He hadn't meant to say so much or reveal his betrayal in front of everyone, but the arrogance on Abarca's face had made him snap.
Better this way, he supposed. It would have all come out anyway.
He spotted Lolita in the crowd, but he turned his eyes away before she could meet his gaze. He had never before felt so ashamed before her, not even when Zorro had stolen the kiss that should have been his.
This was the end, he thought tiredly. Right now everyone was still too angry at Abarca and worried about the dam to remember what he had done, but the time for that would come soon. He would be just as hated as before, if not more. For the first time he felt that he had deserved it and had no excuses ready.
However, he had no time to dwell on any of that. Someone called out that Zorro had arrived, so he turned to look in the direction of a near-by hill. They were right. Zorro was there, sitting on his white stallion. He was too far away for them to see his face, but Gabriel remembered all too well what Zorro looked like when he faced injustice.
"Perfect," Abarca muttered, his hand caressing the hilt of his sword.
Zorro guided his horse closer and stopped when he was near enough to talk to them.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves. It's bad enough you're trying to steal these lands from their rightful owner, but it's unforgivable that you're using their plight to achieve this. As long as Zorro rides, such atrocities won't be allowed!" he announced, drawing his blade.
"Just as I expected," Abarca said. He jumped down the stairs and turned to look at his friends. "You know what to do."
"You can count on us," one of his companions said.
Abarca nodded, unsheathed his sword and turned around again to face Zorro.
"I'm the best assassin in Spain. I was summoned here to kill you," he said.
"I've already faced several so called best assassins from Spain. Let's see if you're any better than them," Zorro said.
Abarca wasted no more time for words. He attacked, so certain of his skills that he didn't bother to test Zorro's talents but went straight for the kill. Zorro blocked the attack, but he was unable to return the offence and use Abarca's risky moves to find a good opening.
Much like everyone else, Gabriel was drawn to the duel. He realised it was the first time he saw Zorro fight without being his enemy. At first he was flabbergasted by Zorro's clumsy movements and clear lack of skill – had he really lost to this man so often? Then he realised that Zorro was fighting like that because he was hurt; he was clearly having trouble using his right arm.
Serves you right after what you did to me, he thought, but he couldn't feel the satisfaction he expected and wanted. As bitter as the truth was, he knew he couldn't do anything about Abarca, so for the first time in his life, he wanted Zorro to win. It was an unsettling feeling, but at the same time something about it felt so right it was almost a relief.
The battle continued as a series of fast attacks and blocks. It was only the matter of time before the duel would come to an end. Gabriel didn't think the others had realised Zorro was losing. They didn't have his trained eye.
It was only after a while that Gabriel realised they had all forgotten something important. Abarca's friends were nowhere to be seen. The ominous words exchanged between them before the battle couldn't mean anything good.
"Where did they go?" he asked out loud.
"Who?" Lolita asked by his side.
"The men who came with Abarca. They must be up to something," Gabriel said.
"I completely forgot about them," Lolita said. She started looking around as well, but their attention was brought back to the duel when Abarca knocked Zorro's blade out of his hand and pointed the tip of his sword at the outlaw's throat.
"No!" Lolita called out in horror.
"It can't be," Gabriel growled. Even if he was injured, Zorro wasn't supposed to lose to anyone but him!
"Well, it looks like the famous hero isn't quite as good as the legend claims," Abarca said in amusement.
"You proved your point. Let him go," Don Lucas said in a grim voice. Zorro's defeat seemed to have sucked all resistance out of him and everyone else. When Gabriel turned to look at the others, all he saw were disbelieving and resigned faces.
Sudden anger flared up in him. Just because Zorro had lost didn't mean that everything was over! Zorro wasn't the only one who could stand up to these people!
"I'm afraid that won't do. I've been hired to rid this land of this menace, and that's what I'll intend to do," Abarca said. He scraped his sword along the skin of Zorro's throat, not drawing blood but making it clear he could kill him with one swift movement if he so wanted. Then he turned to look at the hillside to his right. "Looks like your efforts were wasted, boys."
At these words, Abarca's companions emerged from their hiding places. They were carrying a large net in their arms.
"What are you waiting for? Finish him," one of them said.
"Not so fast. I have a great idea," Abarca said. He produced a fine pocket watch from under his vest and cast a look at it. Then he motioned towards the dam. "It's almost time. Everything will be over in some ten minutes. Why don't we let Zorro die together with the dam?"
"Wouldn't it be easier to just kill him now and get out of here?" one of his companions asked.
"That would be boring. Now that we have him, let's have a little fun. I want to make these people watch helplessly as their hero and all their hopes die," Abarca said.
"Don't think we're just going to stand here and let you do it!" Lolita blurted out.
"That's right. You're outnumbered," Lucas added. His words were underlined as everyone in the crowd stepped forward with their weapons raised.
Two of Abarca's men produced pistols from under their clothes where they had remained dry and pointed them at Lolita and Lucas.
"One more step and you'll lose them, too," Abarca said.
"Don't do anything stupid," Zorro called out to the people.
"But we can't just -"
"Don't worry about me. I'll manage," Zorro said.
Abarca laughed. "We'll see about that," he said.
Abarca proceeded to give instructions to his companions. Gabriel and the others watched in confusion how they threw their net, which they now saw was made of small metal rings, over Zorro. Once they had the outlaw captured, they started dragging him up the stairs to the dam. Once there, Abarca gave Zorro a kick that send him to the river. The other end of the net was tied around a pole to stop Zorro from escaping.
"What's that supposed to do?" Gabriel asked. The net wasn't very tight; it gave Zorro more than enough room to swim and remain above surface. Plus, the pole stopped the net from sinking. He would never drown.
"Wait and see," Abarca said. He and his men hurried away from the dam. As he ran past them, Abarca saluted them. "A friendly piece of advice since I have nothing against you lot. You had better get off this dam if you value your lives. Don't try to help Zorro or you'll go down with him," he said.
"What does he mean?" Lucas asked, but nobody had the answer.
"Well, I don't care! I'm going to help Zorro!" Lolita announced. She ran to where the outlaw was dangling and tried to pull him up, but she didn't have the strength to do it alone. Lucas and several others were about to rush to help her, but then one of them realised what Abarca had meant.
"Look over there! They have rolled logs into the river!"
Everyone froze and turned to look. It was true; Gabriel could just make out the logs that were swimming in the rapid river and getting closer dangerously fast. In only a few moments, they would crash against the dam and destroy it – and crush Zorro and anyone who was stupid enough to stay too close.
"We have to get out of here!" Lucas ordered.
Everyone followed his example, Zorro entirely forgotten. Gabriel did the same, though he didn't make it very far before he noticed that Lolita wasn't fleeing. When he turned to look, he saw that she was still trying to help Zorro.
"Lolita, get out of there!" Lucas called out, but the woman didn't even turn to look at them.
"She's going to get herself killed," one of the men said.
"No, she's not!" Gabriel snapped. The others could run away like cowards if they wanted to. He wouldn't watch Lolita die, even if it cost him his own life. With this firmly decided, he ran the stairs back up just as the first log crashed into the dam.
The impact made him stumble, but he regained his balance and reached Lolita just as another log made the dam tremble. Gabriel didn't know how much more the foundation would take, but he wasn't about to stay there long enough to find out.
"Are you insane? You have to get out of here!" he snarled at Lolita and took her wrist to pull her away.
"Hands off! I'm not leaving Zorro!" Lolita snapped, and Gabriel realised that the outlaw hadn't been hit by either log. However, just like the fate of the dam, his death was inevitable.
"Don't be a fool, Lolita! Save yourself!" Zorro yelled.
"No!" Lolita insisted.
Gabriel decided it was time to get rough with her, so he grabbed her waist and started to drag her away, but that was a mistake. She started yelling and clawing at him, and Gabriel didn't doubt that she would bite him if he didn't let go. Normally, it would have just encouraged him to fight back and show her her place, but there was no time for childish games.
"Fine!" he snapped and let her go. "Let's do it your way, then!"
He grabbed the net that was holding Zorro and started to pull it up, but it was difficult work – the metal rings cut into his hands, and his right arm didn't have the strength it once did.
"Well?" he asked when Lolita only stood there and watched him. "I thought this was what you wanted!"
"I... but..." Lolita stammered, but then she decided that there was time for questions later. Gabriel was grateful for that. If she had asked what he was doing, he might have stopped to think about it and decided that this was insanity. For the time being, however, his anger at Abarca was greater than the hatred he felt for Zorro, and that was enough for him.
Together, they managed to pull Zorro up just as one of the logs crashed into the spot where he had been. The power of the impact sent them all flying to the ground, and Gabriel knew that another hit like that would break the dam and let the water flow through. Even if they ran, they would never make it to safety.
The same was clear to Lolita and Zorro, so nobody tried to get up and escape. They all sat on top of the dam, panting in exhaustion and waiting for the inevitable. Gabriel didn't even notice that the net had scraped his palms raw.
Nothing happened. After a while, Gabriel dared to move to the edge and look out at the river. A few logs were floating by the dam, but he couldn't spot a single one coming their way.
"What is this?" he wondered. He knew the spot where Abarca's friends had released the logs into the river. There had been plenty more than these there. Why hadn't they set them all free?
"It doesn't make any sense," Zorro said as he came to stand by his side.
Gabriel didn't answer. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around the fact that he had just risked his life to save Zorro and that he had somehow escaped a certain death. He was still too stunned to even feel angry about it.
"Thank you for your help," Zorro said. For once he didn't sound amused or condescending when he talked to Gabriel. There was honest gratitude in his voice, and that was exactly what Gabriel needed to snap out of his stupor.
"Don't you dare...! I didn't..." he stuttered, too startled to form a coherent sentence. What the hell had he just done? He could have watched Zorro die. He could have got his revenge that way, and what had he done? He had helped the bastard!
"I see," Zorro said with a sigh.
"I don't want to talk to you. Just go and kill him," Gabriel said.
Zorro hesitated for a moment, but then he hurried down the stairs and picked up his sword where it had fallen. Abarca and the others had already noticed that he had escaped and that the dam was still intact, so they were on their way back to them.
"What the hell is this?" Abarca asked in anger. "Where are the rest of the logs?"
"It looks like your friends have run into some trouble," Zorro said.
"No matter. We can always destroy the dam later. But nothing will save you. This time I'll just kill you the old-fashioned way," Abarca said.
"We'll see about that," Zorro said and pointed his blade at him.
"Ha! You want to challenge me again after I already defeated you?" Abarca asked.
"Let's just say that my time in the river helped me think and learn from my mistakes," Zorro said with a smirk.
Abarca snorted and unsheathed his blade, but he frowned even before he pointed it at his opponent. Gabriel noticed his hesitant pose, but it took him a moment to realise what was wrong.
"The clever bastard," he muttered.
"What is it?" Lolita asked.
"He's holding the sword in his left hand," Gabriel said. He hadn't noticed it at first because Zorro's pose was perfect again. His right arm obviously wasn't bothering him so much that it would stop him from using the left one. He was curious to see how well Zorro had been trained in using his non-dominant hand.
"That won't get you far," Abarca said, but he had lost some of his confidence. It always difficult for a right-handed man to face a left-handed opponent. It happened so rarely that it was difficult to get enough practise. If Zorro was properly trained in left-handed techniques, the duel could become intriguing.
No more words were wasted between the two opponents. Abarca lifted his blade and started with offence, but Zorro easily blocked his attack. The outlaw aimed a thrust at Abarca's side, forcing the man to block and retreat.
Gabriel watched the duel in great interest. Zorro's style was different now, less playful and more to the point. He couldn't tell if it was because he was using a different hand or because he was so angry that he didn't want to waste any time mocking his opponent. Whichever the reason was, it didn't change the fact that Zorro was a master even with his non-dominant hand.
As he watched the duel, he slowly became aware of how out of place he felt. He wasn't supposed to be here with these people. He had betrayed them. As soon as Zorro won this battle, everyone would remember that and condemn him for what he had done. He had no right to stand here as if he were one of them.
For the first time in years, Gabriel felt a genuine pang of regret. He hadn't even realised what he had had before he had lost it to his greed. He decided that he didn't want to be there when everyone's attention was turned back to him. They would ask questions, and he didn't have the answers. First he would have to see for himself what the events of this afternoon meant for him.
He slipped away from the crowd when nobody was looking. When he was already a good distance away, he could just make out the cheers coming from the dam.
Just as I thought. The bastard won, he mused.
After Zorro had defeated Abarca, everything happened fast. Only moments after that, Captain Jekyll arrived with a group of soldiers to tell them that they had arrested Abarca's companions when they had been about to roll more logs into the river.
"The commander told us to stay away from the dam, but he never forbade patrolling on the river bank," Jekyll said with a snort when Lucas came to thank him.
Zorro laughed at the captain's words and then winced at the pain in his arm. He was sure the wound had started bleeding again. Bernard would be so upset with him, especially once he saw all the other bruises and how tired he was.
It took most of Zorro's willpower to remain standing and appear normal, and the day wasn't over for him yet. He needed to talk to Gabriel before anyone else found him, and there was no telling how straining that ordeal would be.