It is so interesting to read everyone's guesses, you all make me chuckle. Some of you are closer to the truth than others, but... I can't let you know who, now, can I? I'm impressed with some of your deductive powers!
And about Carlos Martínez... you may not remember the first season perfectly (11th episode), but he did eventually team up with Monastario when the Comandante saw his great skills with the sword at the tavern. In fact, he was hired to act as a double of Zorro, to discredit him. However, my story happens right before those events, so he obviously won't be involved directly with Monastario. We haven't heard the last of him though. :)
The small crowd that had gathered at the appearance of Zorro was slowly dispersing, as soldiers brought the four tied bandits to the cuartel's prison. That they had been captured and would not be attacking the area anymore did not seem to make the peónes happy as much as the fact that it was Zorro who captured them and brought them to justice. Of course, it also had to be done in public, and in the most displeasing manner.
Damn Zorro and his heroics... Again! thought Monastario as he sheathed his sword and clenched his teeth. And now, his new corporal had just walked in the pueblo, but he was... hurt? What on earth had he been doing with Bernardo and—
"Mother! I did not expect to find you in town tonight!" said the young man with a slight frown as he walked towards Monastario and the señora.
"Mateo, you forget your manners," Señora Escudero scolded him with a pout.
—the señora's son? Was this another trick of hers? The Comandante frowned, puzzled, as he looked for the mute servant, in the hope that Don Diego would show up next to him pretty soon, and confirm yet another doubtful timing between his and Zorro's appearances. His eyes found Bernardo in the back of the carriage, frantically searching into a bag for something he seemingly deemed important. He found it a few seconds later, and threw the piece of cloth at the wounded soldier, who caught the shirt with one hand and put it on in one agile gesture.
"Mother, Comandante," Mateo nodded. He looked over his shoulder at his companion to make sure he was presentable. As he opened his mouth to speak again, the corporal stepped forward and formally saluted the officer despite his wounded shoulder.
"Corporal Antoine Garat Elejalde, reporting for duty, Capitán! I take the blame for letting this Zorro get away!" he said loudly and without hesitation, while staring straight above Monastario's head. The Comandante nodded his approval at the refreshing military etiquette and attitude, something he had not seen properly done in a while.
"Corporal, considering the current situation at hand, you are not to be blamed for Zorro's escape, nor for being out of uniform," he said, raising an eyebrow at his own forgiveness. For some reason, Corporal Garat did not instantly inspire him impatience, anger, or disrespect like many of his soldiers did. His slight accent was still a curiosity though.
"How nice of you, dear Comandante," purred Señora Escudero with a smile. Monastario rolled his eyes at her comment, as she held up her hand to be presented.
"Corporal Garat, may I present Señora Imelda Escudero Galván..." he finally said.
"A pleasure, Antoine," she winked. "I believe you already met my son Mateo, whom I hope was not too much of an annoyance to you."
The young soldier did not visibly react at the use of his first name, nor at the señora's disrespectful mention of her son. He simply bowed lightly as he politely kissed her hand. Monastario realized he was not the only one annoyed at the Señora's attitude, as his eyes locked with Mateo's for a short moment of mutual understanding.
"Watch it!" Mateo blurted as he jumped forward. Corporal Garat had lost his balance and would have fallen to the ground had it not been for the young man's reflexes. He caught the soldier by the shoulders and made him sit down on the ground, despite his obvious objections that everything was all right.
"Someone! We need a doctor!" Señora Escudero yelled, fanning herself vividly. Monastario would have bet her worry was just an act.
"Mother, Don Alejandro de la Vega already went ahead to get one. He should be back pretty soon," Mateo explained as he gave to the corporal some water that Bernardo had fetched from the cart.
"Don Alejandro?" wondered Monastario out loud. He was now unhappy at the involvement of the de la Vegas in this strange affair. The Comandante would definitely have to spend some time to untangle this intricate little web of relationships.
"We met him on the way back from Monterey, his servant Bernardo took care of Corporal Garat after the..." Mateo trailed off and looked down, unsure if he should continue his sentence.
"I'm all right, I'm all right, this is just a scratch, really," grunted Corporal Garat, visibly irritated by all the attention he was getting.
"I expect a full report on this incident, Corporal," ordered Monastario, more out of curiosity than genuine concern.
"Sí, Capitán!"
"Poor little thing, really. I wonder what happened. I hope this wasn't Mateo's fault," Señora Escudero said with some worry in her voice.
Corporal Garat opened his mouth to say something, but Mateo's expression just cut off his inspiration.
"Now, now, dear Comandante, I believe we still have dinner together, don't we?"
Monastario's shoulders sagged. He suddenly felt like going to bed right away without a meal, for some strange, inexplicable reason.
Zorro was eagerly running away from the pueblo, his silky black cloak billowing in his wake. The soldiers were long gone and out of sight, unable to catch Tornado and its rider, who guided his mount so deftly. The outlaw had made sure to run far enough to leave a trail in the wrong direction, before taking a path across the fields back to his lair at the hacienda.
So, Tonio, his very best friend, was in town. Diego was caught off guard when he heard him bellowing his order to surrender, but he could not stop smiling at the good memories his presence brought back. Now he could not wait to talk to him about good old times in Madrid.
Diego sighed after a moment though, the familiar guilt expressing itself with a pang in his chest. Would he be able to lie to Tonio about Zorro? His friend was also smarter than he himself thought, and the fact that he knew about the fencing competitions, the medals, and Diego's appetite for challenges would surely ruin Diego's 'inept swordsman' cover for good. Moreover, Bernardo's deaf act might also have been discovered already!
The wound on Tonio's shoulder was also worrisome. What had happened on his way to Los Angeles? Bernardo was accompanying him, they must have met along the Camino Real... but where was his father?
The caballero, anxious to find out the answers to all these questions, spurred his mount to gallop faster. To take a shortcut, he veered on a small road that led to the de la Vega's hacienda, not caring much for cover anymore as it was getting darker by the minute. Tornado was starting to sweat from exhaustion, but Diego knew the animal could handle it for a few more minutes.
The young man suddenly noticed some dust ahead. Riders were coming his way, and fast. It could not be Sergeant Garcia and his soldiers, there was no reason for them to have come so far out of town. Diego decided to take some risks, opting for speed over hiding. He kept riding straight ahead, hoping the horsemen would just run by and ignore him entirely.
A moment later, Diego easily recognized one of the figures. It was his father! The white-haired man was riding hard towards the pueblo, accompanied by Doctor Alvarado.
Zorro sighed with relief. He was able to put on his famous grin as he slowed down slightly, just in time to salute both riders who had barely enough time to recognize the outlaw passing by. He then resumed his course at maximum speed, eager to get home, and out of the black clothes and mask.
"How did it go?"
"Well... not exactly as planned."
"Obviously!" Imelda's eyes flared with anger in the dark alley, her usual control not so strong. "How the hell did he end up hurt? Was this your doing?"
"I hired this Martínez in Monterey, he's pretty good with a sword and he did do his part as instructed. I told him to trap Garat before he got to Los Angeles, and find a way to steal his things and make it look like petty robbery."
"And? Was that even too difficult to accomplish?" she asked
"Well... I didn't see the fight, but I guess he was more interested in dueling than in the money I offered. He told me Garat was able to hold him back long enough, and they got interrupted by Don Alejandro and his dumb servant. Martínez had to get away before he could search the bags. He just gave him a scratch before leaving, and the stupid promise of a rematch. I could do nothing, else I would have blown my cover. I paid him half what I promised... I didn't want to get him mad at me."
Imelda was silent, trying to suppress the boiling anger she felt throbbing in her veins. She wished she would not be so emotional when her plans were disturbed by events she could not foresee.
"Don't be so furious, see, I did get to search his things while he was unconscious, and got this. Just forget about Martínez. He's a useless scoundrel."
"Maybe so, but soon enough Garat will realize it's missing and that's surely going to make him wonder. That was careless of you! His possessions were to be stolen to avoid all suspicion!"
Imelda picked up the worn pocket watch, and flipped it open. It was broken, but the inscription inside the cover clearly identified the sentimental value of the object. She had expected something more useful than a useless memento.
"That's it? Nothing else?" she added. "Not even a piece of paper, or a map?"
"Nothing. Whatever clue you were hoping to find wasn't inside his bag or on him."
A long silence followed. Imelda took a deep breath.
"Fine. I have to go back to Monastario before he starts wondering why I've been gone for so long," she said, putting the watch in her small purse. "This may be tricky now that he's in the pueblo, but just stick to Garat for as many occasions as you can. Maybe he'll be searching for something soon enough. That damn Gaspar could have given him instructions verbally instead."
"Are you still mad?"
"Yes, but I think I have a way out of this without arousing Garat's suspicion. Go now, this took way too long. I'll see you at the hacienda."
"All right."
Imelda sighed, her anger fading away as she exhaled slowly. It seemed she would have to rely on her extraordinary patience a little longer.
"What do you mean, Tonio?" Diego asked, his voice thicker than usual from the large intake of wine he had had in the past hours. He found he was having a hard time talking to Tonio over the noise inside the crowded main room of La Taberna Serrano, one of Madrid's most infamous taverns, known for the bad quality of its customers. Both he and his friend could not resist going there of course.
"Well, you see," the young soldier explained with a similar tone, but louder. "The only way to deal with this arrogant b-bastard father of mine is to ignore him!"
"Cheers to that!" a neighbor yelled.
"Aye!" Diego and Tonio answered in unison, and all three men quaffed their mug's content without remorse.
"Parents can sometimes be annoying, but—"
"No excuse!" Tonio declared, hitting the sticky table a little too strongly. Diego was still fast enough to catch the wine jar before it could spill out. "See this?"
The soldier took out a letter from his uniform and stuck it in front of his friend's eyes, a little too close for him to be able to read it.
"I see it yes, it's a piece of paper," Diego said with laughter.
"Don't laugh, amigo!" the young man said, clumsily pointing at his own name written on it. "Th-This is the handwriting of Gaspar, my father's servant... helper... right arm... and homme à tout faire."
"Tonio... stop using French you're killing what's left of my brains!" complained Diego with a frown, unable to see where is friend was going with his rant. He was merely curious at the reason Tonio had never spoken about his father except tonight, and why he was so angry at him. It was obviously bad enough to get him to drink a little too much.
"The best part is..." he continued, ignoring the complaint. "He's the one writing for my father. The old man can't even make an effort to write to his own son! Now, ask the one question I know you want to ask."
Diego tried to think for a moment but his thoughts were darting here and there, the alcohol mixing them up in a constant, waving motion.
"The one question...? Ha. What... what did he write?" he finally managed to say.
"Ha! What d-did he write?!" Tonio yelled. "Let's see."
The soldier stood up in a stilted manner and opened the letter to read its content.
"'Antoine, take this. I can't keep it anymore. Jacques.'"
Diego waited a moment, expecting more, and then realized that was it.
"Those are the loving words of a father, all right," he said sarcastically.
"You b-bet!"
"What does it mean... 'take this'?"
"He sent along Mother's wedding gift. A now useless, broken pocket watch that she gave to him... He never repaired it. It stopped working not long after she p-passed away. He just knew it would make me mad, I think he likes to torture me," Tonio said with a low voice as he sat down with a dejected expression on his face. He gulped down the remainder of his wine in one motion, and then searched his pocket to emphatically pull the item out.
"Let me see," Diego asked, curious at the significance of this gift.
Tonio handed him the watch, and the caballero flipped it open to examine it. It was indeed broken. Diego tried to wind up the small knob, but he did not hear the mechanism inside.
"Don't try to repair it!" Tonio said, taking the watch away from his friend.
"Fine. Fine. By the way, your watch just told me it's time to go to bed, amigo," Diego yawned, stretching his arms to remove the numb feeling in his back. They had been sitting in the tavern for way too long.
"Lazy caballero."
"What did you call me?"
Tonio erupted in laughter. Diego laughed with him. He thought that in their current condition, they would have a hard time walking home and slipping back in their respective quarters, but at least his friend's bad mood was finally gone.
Everything was so quiet in the hacienda it was disturbing. Diego de la Vega was trying to sit still and read a book, but he could not stop thinking about Tonio, and before he knew it he found himself pacing back and forth in the living room distractedly biting his nails. When he finally heard the horses stop in front of the hacienda, he took a deep breath, quickly sat back in the chair, and tried to look as calm as possible.
"I'm fine, really, Señor de la Vega, you don't have to—"
"I insist, young boy. Besides, you should heal faster sleeping in a comfortable bed, instead of a soldier's crude quarters."
Bernardo was the first to open the door. Diego looked up to him, but could not get any information from his faithful servant before his father entered the room, followed immediately by Tonio.
Diego put down his book and stood up to greet the three men. A long, uneasy silence filled the air between them.
"You!" he finally said, pointing a finger in accusation at his friend. "How dare you!"
"I? I am right! I always am! You just never learned to add and subtract properly!" Tonio protested.
Diego saw his father and Bernardo's distressed eyes going back and forth between the two men. They obviously had no idea what was going on.
"You're the one who owes me wine, puny soldier!"
Tonio opened his mouth to retort, but he could no longer hold it and collapsed into laughter.
"Diego, you fat, indolent Californian! You are just impossible!"
As he hugged his dear friend for a long while, Diego saw his father sigh with relief. He was not used to seeing his son throw insults at visitors.
"Forgive us, Father," he chuckled. "It's just that—"
"It's all right, son," the old don patted both of them on the back, a proud smile on his face. "I am honored to host your friend from Madrid, and look forward to hearing all about your stories."
"Yes, well, before we get to that..." Diego trailed off with a mischievous, crooked smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Yes?" Tonio said, frowning his eyebrows with concern.
"You go take a bath! You stink so much you're insulting our hacienda!" Diego declared, shoving his friend forward. "Then, you're going to tell me how you got this—" he poked the bruise on Tonio's cheek on purpose.
"— and this," he finished, poking the wound on his shoulder.
"Ow! Stop it! The Doctor just examined it," Tonio cringed from the sharp pain inflicted by Diego's finger.
"Bernardo will show you the way and help you out."
The young caballero signaled his servant, who acquiesced the gesture and lead the way to the guest bedroom. Diego sensed Bernardo seemed to be handling the situation so far, and detected no worry in his eyes. He was eager to know what had happened, but had to play his part and be patient some more.
When both men were out of the living room, Diego turned to his father, and saw the old don was still watching him with a smile.
"Diego, you look so different when you're with Tonio," he remarked out loud. "I'm glad I finally get to meet one of your friends."
"He's a remarkable fellow, indeed," the young man nodded. He was afraid his father would start asking questions about Madrid, so he changed the subject before it became dangerous grounds for him to walk on. "I trust you had a good trip on the way to San Obispo?"
"We did, actually. Bernardo is a wonderful traveling companion, despite his handicap. The only incident, really... happened when we met... I guess I'd better let your friend tell the story. He did not say a word about it on our way back."
"Tonio is not really talkative when it comes to his personal problems, Father."
"I'll go tell the servants to prepare something for dinner," the don said with a nod.
"Yes, that'll give me the time to finish reading this chapter," Diego replied, picking up the book he had put down.
The young man heard his father sigh loudly at this comment, and he walked out of the room, making no effort to hide his annoyed expression.
Diego opened the book at a random page, but his eyes were not focused on the words written on it. Instead, he was trying very hard to find a way out of the upcoming mess he was about to face at the dining table.
Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews!
edit: I did make it easier to realize the flashback is a flashback. Tks Icy for pointing it out :)
Next: Imelda may have met her match, and Antoine confronts... Bernardo!