And here begins the third and final story arc of the story.
THE RIGHT TURN OF THE ROAD
Chapter 36
It had stopped raining when Gabriel arrived at the Alvarez estate. He felt like a criminal as he crossed the front yard and hurried to his little hut near the fields. He gritted his teeth as he couldn't help but glance at the infamous fence, but he forced all sentimentality and sorrow away before he could dwell on them.
"Hey, you!"
Gabriel stopped when someone suddenly called out to him. His heart jumped to his throat – the others must have found him already! – but then he relaxed when he saw that it was only Rafael. The young man was trekking towards him, groaning in disgust at how every step made his trousers even muddier.
It's a wonder he even left the house at weather like this, Gabriel mused.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Where is everybody? The estate has been so quiet for days," Rafael said.
Gabriel was surprised the fool had even noticed. "Everyone has been helping Don Lucas at the dam."
"Oh," Rafael said and pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I thought I heard something about that. So, why aren't you there?"
"I'm leaving. You can start looking for a replacement," Gabriel said.
Rafael nearly slipped in the mud and was barely able to keep his balance. "What? Why?" he blurted out.
"None of your business," Gabriel growled. He turned to leave, but he stopped when Rafael grabbed his arm.
Gabriel hadn't thought the wimp would ever dare to touch him. He was sure something snapped inside him, and it wasn't until he saw Rafael on the ground and felt the burn in his knuckles that he realised he had punched him. He expected the young man to burst into tears, much like when they had first met, but Rafael only rubbed his chin and winced.
"Is it because of Pablo?" he asked as he got back on his feet.
"What?" Gabriel asked, too surprised by Rafael's unusual behaviour to even understand the question.
"His death was a shock to us all. I didn't know him that well, but he was in my father's employ for ten years. I have already sent him a letter, and... I suppose I will have to notify Pablo's family in Spain as well," Rafael said. He looked ridiculous in his muddy clothes and with the way he was still holding his chin, but it was the first time Gabriel felt forced to take him seriously.
"It's not that," he said, his voice uncomfortably tight. Leaving because of Pablo's death would have been so simple. It would have been so much better than running away because he had made a mess of everything.
"Then what is it?"
"I said it's none of your business," Gabriel said. He turned away again, and this time Rafael didn't try to stop him. He couldn't resist a glance over his shoulder and saw the young man staring after him with his hands on his hips.
I've wasted enough time on that fool, Gabriel thought. He wondered what Don Augusto would say once he was informed that he had simply left. The man would probably not be impressed. Then again, he was certain to hear about Gabriel's betrayal at the dam, so leaving the estate was hardly the worst of his offences.
He made it to the hut and hastily gathered the few belongings he had. The situation reminded him of how he had left the tavern all those months ago and started his journey towards an uncertain future. Gabriel didn't want to remember that day. Pablo's amused smirk as he had pulled a pistol on him and forced him to accompany them to the estate had never been a funny memory, but now it was painful on top of embarrassing.
When he was ready to leave, he pushed the door open and stepped outside – only to stop once more when he saw all the men who were waiting for him. Leading them was Don Lucas, but all the others from the dam were there as well, even Basilio.
"What do you want?" Gabriel asked, though he could guess The army would never give these men justice, so they had to get it themselves.
"It looks like you're going somewhere," Lucas said.
"There's no reason to hide it. I'm leaving," Gabriel said. He did his best to keep his voice confident so that the others wouldn't notice how much their presence unnerved him. Not just because they could do anything they wanted to him but because he found it difficult to keep looking them in the eyes. He wasn't used to having so little confidence in himself.
"Why?" Lucas asked. "Where are you going?"
"I don't need to tell you anything. Out of my way!" Gabriel snarled. However, nobody moved and he couldn't bring himself to shove his way past them. He knew he wouldn't like it, but he had to hear what they had to say.
"So, you're going to run away," Lucas said, disappointment evident in his voice.
"What else can I do?"
"Yes, now that you let everyone see you're still the lieutenant we knew, life here might get a little difficult," Lucas said.
"I don't need you to tell me that!" Gabriel snapped. He didn't want to hear these words. They were just half the truth, and that made it sting even more. "You don't know what you're talking about! How could I stay here after what I did? How could I ever show my face where -"
He cut himself off. He couldn't force the words out. Who would have thought that admitting his mistakes could be so difficult?
"I have to go," he said, much quieter this time.
"First I want you to answer one question," Lucas said.
His voice left no room for objections, so Gabriel stood where he was and waited. "Well?" he asked.
"Why did you tell us about the deal with Abarca? You could have kept quiet about it," Lucas said.
"I couldn't have. Not after I found out it was his fault that the wedding was raided and Pablo was shot. I... I was so angry I had had anything to do with that man, and I had to cut my ties to him," Gabriel said.
"It was still rather dramatic," Lucas remarked.
"Dammit, what do you want? I gave you an answer! Do you think I don't regret that I sold you to Abarca? Just let me go!" Gabriel yelled, unable to keep his voice down any longer. These people understood nothing!
"If you truly regret it, why are you leaving?" Lucas asked.
"What else can I do?" Gabriel asked. "What I did can't be undone. I've lost all the trust everyone had in me. It's not just what happened at the dam."
He paused, unsure if he could get the words out. "I realise now what my actions in the army meant for everyone. I've caused too much suffering to ever lead a normal life here. There's nothing I can do but leave," he finally said.
The silence that followed his words was so complete that Gabriel was sure it would suffocate him. He had no idea where to turn his eyes. He wanted nothing more than to get out of the situation and go somewhere where he could forget all this humiliation and guilt.
"Don't try to stop me. I don't want to fight any of you," he said. He didn't want to hurt the others. They outnumbered him and could do anything they wanted to him, but if it came to that, he wouldn't make it easy.
"We didn't come here to fight. Go if you want to, but that would make me very disappointed," Lucas said.
"Why? Because I won't stay here and wait for my just punishment?" Gabriel asked. He could understand that. Everyone no doubt wanted to see him suffer for everything that he had done.
"No, I just think it would be a shameful end to this. If you're really sorry for what you've done, you could stay here and try to make it better," Lucas said.
Gabriel let out a bark of laughter. "Make it better? That's impossible," he said. If it only were that easy, but he knew how difficult it was to forget hate and resentment. The people would never forgive him. Had their roles been reversed, he wouldn't have either.
"You can't change what has already happened, but you can decide what to do with your future," Lucas said.
Gabriel snorted. "You should have become a priest. My answer is still no." He couldn't stay here and recall every day that he could have done so much for these people if he had been a different man during his time in the army. His life could have been so different, but he had wasted every chance he got.
"Why? It's wouldn't be easy, but -" Lucas started.
"Because it's impossible! What could I do? I have nothing; I no longer have any power to make a difference! There's no reason for anyone to forgive me," Gabriel interrupted him.
A hard look entered Lucas' eyes. "I see you haven't learnt that much after all. You can't earn forgiveness with any number of good deeds. If you're truly sorry, stay with us and do what you can, even if you never get anything back in return. If you're more interested in your own peace of mind, go and never think back to San Tasco."
Gabriel felt like he was standing before a firing squad. He wanted to be able to forget everything, and the fastest way to do it was to leave and pretend that nothing had ever happened. Deep down he knew he would never be happy if he chose that path, but the other option was equally frightening.
"I don't deserve it," he managed to say. "You all know what I did in the army and what I've done now. I don't deserve another chance." He realised he needed to believe that. If he stayed, he would have to face the people every day and live with the knowledge of what he had done to them.
"We all know what you've done. Some of us have been personally affected by your actions. I can't speak for anyone else, but that's exactly why I think you should stay. If someone had told me last year that I'd see the day when Lieutenant Gabriel risks his life to save Zorro, I would have laughed. It's good to know things can change," Lucas said.
Gabriel chose to remain silent. He still didn't know if Lolita had been his only motivation to help Zorro. It was the least of his worries at the moment. However, Lucas' words gave him more hope than it was right for him to have.
"I'm sorry," he said. "It means nothing, but I regret everything I've done. I didn't care about what my actions meant for others. All I had on my mind was money and –" He broke off, knowing that he had no excuses and loathing every word he spoke.
"It means a lot to me," Basilio said suddenly, speaking for the first time. "We worked together at the estate. I know you aren't completely bad. If you say you're sorry, I believe you. I want you to stay. The estate needs you now that Pablo isn't here anymore."
The others suddenly found their voices as well. Everyone told him that they would lose all their respect for him – what little they had – if he ran away and that it was his responsibility to stay and deal with the consequences of his actions, no matter what they were. They were harsh words, but Gabriel knew he deserved so much worse. It was hard to believe these men were actually willing to give him another chance instead of taking justice to their own hands and lynching him right here.
He couldn't understand where the others found such patience and good will. They had starved, lost loved ones, seen their homes ruined and been beaten because of the army. He couldn't recall any specific instances, but he was sure he had personally taken part in making many of these men and their families suffer.
They were so much stronger than him. They had lost so much, and they were still willing to get up and fight. And what was he doing? Running away from his own mistakes because he was too weak and scared to face them.
"Fine," he croaked. "I don't know what good it'll do, but I'll stay."
"I'm glad to hear that," Don Lucas said. "Now that the rain has stopped, working at the dam is not so urgent anymore, but I trust I'll see you there if situation worsens again?"
Gabriel could only nod. He wasn't in the condition to deny these men anything if they asked. It was a strange feeling for him. He had got used to following orders during his years in the army, but he had always been full of pride and confidence in that he'd know exactly what to do if he could call the shots. Now, he was lost and just wanted someone else to tell him what to do.
As the men left, he thought back to his miserable duel with Zorro and what the masked bandit had said to him. Should he help him and tell him what he knew of Raymond? Doing so would be the same as digging his own grave as Raymond wouldn't go down without taking him with him. He'd go to prison or be executed along the commander.
That would be justice. But Gabriel couldn't say if he was ready to face that fate voluntarily.
The silence in the room was making Placid nervous. He glanced at Serrano who was leaning on the wall opposite him and wished that the man would open his mouth and say something inappropriate, like he usually did. At least it would have helped him take his mind off the situation for a while.
Finally, when it looked like Serrano wouldn't be granting him that favour, Placid was forced to start a conversation himself. As of late, Serrano's company had become even more insufferable than usual, so he didn't even bother with small talk.
"Do you think the captain is going to be punished?" he asked.
"What?" Serrano looked up from the floor like he wasn't sure he had heard right.
"I asked what you think will happen to the captain."
"How should I know? I'm not the commander," Serrano said. On his face was a scowl that had become all too familiar to Placid in the past few weeks, and he knew that the situation would develop into another unpleasant argument if he kept talking.
Against his better judgement, he asked, "Is something wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're in such a bad mood all the time."
"It's just stress," Serrano said, and Placid decided to drop the subject. He had enough worries already.
The incident at the dam had left him feeling very confused and conflicted. His sympathies were with the people who had almost lost their lands because of the South India Trading Company. It brought a sour taste to his mouth to think that Commander Raymond had explicitly forbidden them from assisting the people in any way.
Placid couldn't understand why the commander would do that. The army wouldn't benefit from Kapital acquiring the lands he wanted. As far as he knew, Raymond and Kapital were only acquaintances, so it couldn't be a personal favour. Placid doubted it was a mistake, either.
He hated himself for such traitorous thoughts, but the only possibility that made sense was that Raymond and Kapital had something going on behind the scenes. If the South India Trading Company had bought the commander... No, it couldn't be. The army was the upholder of justice.
But if it was true after all, who could he still trust? Who else was in on the conspiracy? Was he the only one who had noticed?
Placid's eyes shifted to the door. No, he couldn't be. Jekyll's actions proved otherwise. If the captain were part of the plan, he would have never gone to patrol the area near the river after Raymond had strictly forbidden him from helping the people. Jekyll had to know, and he was ready to do something about it.
"It's not right to punish the captain. All he did was protect the people and arrest the men who wanted to steal their lands," he said, more to himself than to Serrano.
"He acted against his orders," Serrano pointed out.
"Those orders were... a little misplaced."
"And since when is it your right to question the commander?" Serrano asked. His icy tone surprised Placid somewhat. He realised that a month or two earlier, Serrano would have been the one to question the orders and he the one to scold him for it.
"Besides," Serrano continued, "If he hadn't been there, Zorro would have died."
"The captain couldn't have known that," Placid said, but he knew there was no point in arguing the fact. Whether Jekyll had done it on purpose or not, his actions had saved Zorro's life. In the end, that was all that mattered in the eyes of most of the soldiers.
Placid decided to keep the rest of his doubts to himself. He'd talk with Jekyll later once they were alone, provided that the commander let the captain stay. Again, Placid glanced at the door. It was nearly an hour since Jekyll had been called to Raymond's office. They had been in the middle of planning patrol for the following week, so Jekyll had asked him and Serrano to wait for his return.
After some more waiting, the door finally opened, and Jekyll entered. He looked exhausted and grim, but his eyes told that he hadn't been defeated.
"What happened, sir?" Placid asked.
"The details are between me and the commander. All you need to know is that nothing here is changing for now," Jekyll said.
Placid let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, he had been sure that Jekyll would be sanctioned somehow, maybe even demoted if Raymond was feeling vindictive enough.
"I'm glad to hear that, sir," Serrano said.
"There's no need for us to discuss this. You can read the official report when it's finished," Jekyll said. With that, he resumed what they had been doing before he had been called away, as if nothing had ever happened.
Placid did his best to follow the captain's example, but he was anxious to find a moment alone with him. He didn't know if he'd have the courage to tell him straight what he thought, but he knew he had to try. Something was very wrong in San Tasco, and each day that went by without him doing anything about it made him more and more nervous.
The first thing Diego became aware of was that he was aching all over. He didn't open his eyes; he had taught himself not to do that until he was certain where he was. That way, if he were ever captured, he could win some time and learn more about his surroundings.
His memories of what he had been doing before falling asleep were a little hazy, but he eventually remembered everything that had happened at the dam and how he had confronted Gabriel. After that, things became muddier, and all he could remember was that he had been exhausted and on his way home.
Was he home? The bed felt familiar and smelled like his. He certainly wasn't in prison, so he guessed he had somehow made it home and had simply forgotten about it due to his tiredness. It was alright to open his eyes.
As soon as Diego did that, he wished that he hadn't. His father was sitting by his bedside. Diego knew his father well enough to guess that there would be questions. He couldn't answer them now when he hadn't talked to Bernard yet. The boy had no doubt told his father something to calm him down, and they had to make sure their stories matched.
"Diego, you're awake," Alejandro said in relief before Diego could close his eyes again feign sleep.
"What happened? I feel terrible," Diego said, putting some effort into sounding more exhausted than he really was. Maybe he could convince his father that he needed much more rest before the interrogation.
"That is a very good question," Alejandro said. "You arrived home nearly unconscious and with an old wound that clearly hasn't got enough rest. I had to ask Dr. Timothy to come here in that horrible rain to have it looked at."
Diego glanced out the window. Sunlight was pouring in.
"How long was I unconscious?" he asked. So, his father had seen the wound. He had to come up with an explanation fast, but his mind wasn't as sharp as he would have liked it to be. Just what had Bernard said to his father? Diego realised now that they should have prepared a cover-up story for situations like this in advance.
"Nearly two days. You had fever for a while, but it wasn't very high," Alejandro said. He moved to take a can of water from the night stand and pour some into a glass.
Diego reached out to get it, but he winced at the sudden pain that flared up in his arm. He opted to use his left hand instead. As he gratefully drank the water, he glanced down at his right side, only to see his arm covered in bandages.
"Honestly, Diego, what were you thinking? A wound like that should have been taken care of right away. You're very lucky that it won't leave a permanent injury."
"I didn't realise it was that bad."
"I'm sure you didn't," Alejandro grumbled. "But none of that matters now. The important part is that you aren't leaving this bed until Dr. Timothy and I think you're in the condition to do it. That means no sword fighting, no riding into the night and absolutely no climbing over the barrack walls to release prisoners until I say so."
Diego was certain that his heart had stopped right then and there.
"What?" he croaked, hoping that he had heard wrong.
"Is this not how you envisioned it? Did you think you'd get to be the one to surprise me by finally telling me the truth after lying to me for so long?" Alejandro asked. A wry smile was playing on his lips but didn't quite reach his eyes, so Diego couldn't even begin to guess if his father was angry or whether he had just gone insane.
"Father, I have no idea -" he started, but he was instantly cut off.
"Don't insult me with more lies, Diego! I know that you're Zorro, so don't even try to deny it anymore."
Diego opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. He had imagined this situation in his mind countless times, but it had always been he to tell the truth to his father, preferably after Raymond's downfall. He had never thought it possible that his father might discover the truth on his own before he was ready to tell him.
He slumped against his pillow, unable to say a word. His father was silent as well, and Diego found it impossible to lift his eyes and look at him. His father had to be so disappointed in him.
Finally, he found his courage. "Did Bernard tell you?"
"No, it wasn't him. He doesn't even know that I know," Alejandro said. He paused and let out a dry chuckle. "He did his best to keep your secret from me. He's so loyal to you he could be your brother."
"For me he is," Diego said. He took a deep breath, deciding that it was better to face the raging bull rather than keep circling it with a red cloth. "Father, you must be angry. You have every right to be. Just... let me explain everything first."
"Go ahead," Alejandro said, and Diego didn't know whether his lack of arguments was a good sign or not.
"I started planning it as soon as I got the letter in which you asked me to come back. The way you described everything made me think there wouldn't be anything legal I could do to help, so I decided to make preparations in case I needed to take matters to my own hands. I have a very good friend in Spain, and we often joked about fighting for justice as masked heroes," Diego said.
"Young idiocy," Alejandro grumbled.
"Maybe, but it let me prepare my costume and plans in Spain. I remembered the secret passage that leads to the underground cave. All that I didn't have ready when I arrived home was a horse," Diego said.
"How did you ever find such a magnificent horse in such a short time? You barely had a day," Alejandro asked.
"It's not a grand tale of adventure. While in town, I happened to run into a merchant who wanted to show Viento to Raymond and sell the animal to him. I simply offered such a high price that he lost all interest in dealing with the army."
"I don't know whether to laugh at that or smack you over the head. If that man ever comes back hears about Zorro, he will make the connection."
"I will take you to see Viento later. Then you'll agree that for such a horse, all risks are worth taking."
"We'll see about that. But it's not horses I want to talk about. I want to know why my only son lied to me," Alejandro said, and Diego's amusement was suddenly gone.
"I couldn't tell you. I had so many reasons... I didn't want to tell you that your son was a wanted outlaw. What father could be proud of that?" he said.
"So, you thought it was better that you pretended to be inept, lazy and useless? Did you think that would make me proud?" Alejandro asked in a challenging tone.
"No," Diego said with a rueful smile. "But I thought it was better. I know you too well. If you had known about me, you would have wanted to help me. You would have gone through all of my plans to make them perfect. You would have forbidden me from taking risks. You would have lied to the army to cover my back."
"Of course I would have! You're my son! I'd do everything to protect you!" Alejandro yelled, finally letting his anger show clearly. Clenching his fists, he glared at Diego with anger in his eyes. "Is it that you didn't trust me? Did you think I wouldn't be able to protect your secret?"
"No, of course not! I know nobody could help me better than you. But it's not your responsibility. I made this decision without asking you first, so it's not right if I pull you into danger with me. As long as you remained ignorant, you were safe," Diego said.
"Rubbish!" Alejandro snarled. "You know very well that Raymond wouldn't care whether I knew or not. He would find any excuse to arrest me and confiscate the de la Vega property."
Diego lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry. I know how hard your grandfather worked to set up the estate here. I've risked it all. I'm so sor –"
"Stop," Alejandro said. "I don't care about the land or the house or the money. What upsets me is that you risked your life. You're my only son. Even if you were my tenth son, it would be only your life that matters to me. That's why I'm so upset that you didn't tell me. There are so many ways I could have accidentally caused you trouble. I shudder to think what I'd do if you were arrested because I didn't know."
"They won't get me. I'm too careful and too good," Diego said.
Alejandro pointed at Diego's arm. "Then was that part of the plan?"
"No," Diego admitted. He didn't like to think back to that night, but it was the closest he had come to dying or being captured since he had started his masquerade. If it hadn't been for Bernard... But maybe it was for the best if his father never learnt just what a close call it had been.
"You should have told me about that. I could have helped you. We could have cooked up some story about an accident so that nobody would have grown suspicious. Instead, I sent you to the dam because I thought you were lazy. I only made everything worse," Alejandro said, and his regretful tone nearly broke Diego's heart. It wasn't his father who had to feel guilty.
"It's all my fault, father," Diego said.
"I should have realised this sooner. I should have known my own son better," Alejandro muttered.
"No, father," Diego said and sat up straighter, ignoring the pain that the movement sent through his arm. "This is all my doing. You didn't do anything wrong. Please, don't blame yourself. I'd rather see you be angry and kick me out of the house."
Alejandro let out a short laugh. "If you had woken up earlier, you would have got some of that." His eyes darkened and all amusement left his voice as he continued, "However, watching you in your feverish sleep for two days killed my anger. All that matters to me now is that you're going to be alright."
"I never wanted to make you worry so much," Diego said. That had been one reason he hadn't told anything to his father, but maybe he had been wrong to do that.
"Just don't get into your head that I'm not upset. Oh, no. When you're on your feet, you'll have to face me with a sword, and I'll show you that I'm not as weak and vulnerable as you seem to think," Alejandro said.
Diego just smiled, knowing that it was pointless to assure his father he had never seen him that way. His father was the strongest and most amazing man in the world. He was sure that he understood his reasons at least partly or otherwise he wouldn't have tried to joke.
"But there are some practical problems we need to solve," Alejandro said.
Oh, dear, Diego thought as he heard the sudden excitement in his father's voice.
"People will grow suspicious if Zorro stops appearing right when you're in bed. We'll come up with some nice excuse for you, but we have to make sure Zorro is seen. Maybe I should do it. I'm sure I'll fit into the costume," Alejandro said eagerly.
"Father..."
"I wouldn't do anything stupid, of course. I'd only appear in the distance so that everyone sees Zorro is fine," Alejandro continued.
"Father, it's not that simple. I lost a duel at the dam. I don't know if Don Lucas and the others noticed it was because of my arm, but Gabriel knows that something is wrong," Diego said.
All colour drained from Alejandro's face. "What? And you tell this to me only now?" he blurted out.
"I don't think it'll be that bad," Diego said.
"Not that bad? Have you forgotten who he is, Diego? As soon as he hears that you're injured, he'll make the connection!" Alejandro said.
"He will never go to the army after what Raymond did to him. If he finds out my secret, which I doubt, he might try to get personal revenge. But I don't think he will," Diego said. It was just a gut feeling he had, but he doubted his father would believe him. He hadn't seen the look on Gabriel's face when Zorro had forced him to hear the ugly truth.
"I don't have your confidence. The man sold out everyone at the dam. He can't be trusted," Alejandro said.
"That reminds me. What exactly happened while I was asleep?" Diego asked.
Alejandro proceeded to tell him how the South India Trading Company denied all involvement with Abarca and the others and claimed that the men had only been using the company's name as an excuse to steal from the people. The army believed Kapital, so there would be no sanctions for the company.
"Everybody knows about what Gabriel did, but it doesn't look like anything will be done. I have no idea what's going on in Lucas' head, but he doesn't want to do anything about it," Alejandro said, his brows furrowed in anger.
"Maybe he wants to give him another chance. Gabriel did confess everything before anyone found out," Diego pointed out.
"That man has had enough chances already! He hasn't changed one bit, and I doubt he will. The next time he causes trouble, he shouldn't get away this easily," Alejandro said.
Diego decided it was better to keep it to himself that he wanted to get Gabriel to confide in him and tell him everything he could about Raymond's operations. It might be the only way to find any solid evidence against the sly commander. His father wouldn't see it that way, however. Right now Diego was too relieved by his father's quick acceptance of his secret to start an argument.
"We can talk about that later," he said.
"You're right," Alejandro said. "I've kept you up for far too long. You should get some more rest. I'll ask Dr. Timothy to visit you later today."
"Better not. People shouldn't notice him visiting our estate. Bernard can take a look at the wound," Diego said.
"You aren't in charge right now. I know how to be discreet," Alejandro said firmly, and Diego realised with some amount of amusement that the upcoming time of recovery might test his relationship with his father more than Zorro's secret ever could.