It was about twenty minutes later when Don Alejandro, Victoria, the Corporal, and De Soto – who had insisted on accompanying them – caught up with Mendoza and his prisoner, just as they reached the pueblo.

The plaza was animated despite the early hour. In its center, the lancers were guarding some thirty men, most of them dressed in damped nightclothes, all neatly tied-up, up and gagged.

"How did you capture them?" The Alcalde queried his lancers.

"We didn't. Zorro did." One of the men answered.

"The day we left, he came after us and asked us not to go north but camp some 12 miles from the pueblo and wait there for him. This morning he came with all these men already tied up, asking us to bring them here. He said they were the accomplices of a man who had poisoned Don Diego." Sanchez explained.

"Zorro captured these men all by himself? How?" De Soto inquired.

"We don't know. But, Alcalde, he did ask me to give you this note." As the Corporal said that, he handed the elderly caballero a piece of paper.

Intrigued, the don opened and read it in a hurry, then re-read it to make sure he had properly understood its content. De Soto also read it over his shoulder.

"What a stupid plan!" Ignacio muttered as he finished.

The Alcalde, though, had a different opinion. "Mendoza, prepare a firing squad!" He ordered. "And arrest Cabrera! He's their accomplice. We'll start the executions in two hours."

The men started to protest, their words muffled by the gags. Across the plaza, Cabrera was making a desperate effort to escape, but the other lancers never gave him the chance.

"You can't just kill us, Alcalde!" He protested. "Our cause is a just cause! At least give us a fair trial!"

"Only those whose guilt is in doubt deserve a trial." Don Alejandro replied as he made his way towards his office.

"No, Alcalde! Please! You don't understand. You can't do this!" The man continued to protest as he was being dragged towards the cuartel's courtyard.

The caballero ignored him and entered his office, followed by De Soto, who only stopped for a few seconds on the threshold to pensively pat his now-absent beard as he glanced towards Victoria, who was entering the tavern. Shaking his head in discontent at feeling his face so smooth, he followed the don inside.

"You intend to do what that bandit suggested? He didn't even give you proper instructions!" He muttered.

"In my experience, Ignacio, his plans always work. So, yes. I intend to do exactly as he asked."

"But…"

"He's just saved my son! Again! And captured all those men while we spent the night trying to do the easiest of those things, and still failed! When will you finally give the man his due credit?" The older man replied, too tired to avoid raising his voice.

Noticing Sepulveda near the window, he then exited to ask the Corporal to send Mendoza to him as soon as he was done with the preparations, then to have some coffee and breakfast made and brought for them and the rest of the men from the tavern.

"And please send one of the lancers who returned this morning to tell my vaqueros that they may stop looking for that flower since Zorro already made sure to take one to my son." He added before he returned to Ignacio.

The lancer hurried to comply.

ZZZ

Jessie left Diego's room about twenty minutes after having entered it, satisfied that all his vital signs were fine. She found Felipe in front of the door, hesitating to enter.

"He's alright, Felipe. I can't find anything wrong with him, so the cure must have worked. You may go in and see him." She said, mistaking the reason for his hesitation. "I have some sleep to catch up with, so I'll be in the room my husband and I normally use. Let me know at once if there's any change in his condition!"

The young man nodded his agreement and, seeing that Diego was certainly aware of his presence there, he slowly entered, head bowed, looking very regretful and not even daring to look his father in the eyes as he closed the door.

"What's wrong?" The tall caballero asked as he got out of bed in a hurry and started arranging it in such a way as to make others believe someone was sleeping there.

Felipe rapidly glanced at him, then again focused his eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry… I didn't realize… I didn't kiss her back…" He muttered.

"Victoria? She believed she was kissing Zorro, Felipe. It's not your fault."

At that, the younger man dared raise his eyes. "You're not upset, then?" He asked, though his father's face made him think he was, in fact, quite upset.

"How can I not be?" Diego inquired. "But not with you. I am upset with myself. It is because of my decisions that Victoria doesn't truly know the man she loves… Though I am also rather annoyed with the fact that she kissed you right in front of me, my father, Mendoza, and Ignacio. She should have known better!"

Felipe didn't reply, just watched the older man as he hurriedly wrote a note and left it on his door, asking not to be disturbed for he needed to rest. He then followed him as he exited through the window, first making sure he wasn't seen, and took the back road to the cave.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Felipe asked as he did his best to keep up.

"I'm too tired to rest. Besides, Zorro hasn't finished his work." He said as he pressed the wooden board serving as a mechanism to open the stone door, and entered the cave.

"Tornado must also be tired." Felipe pointed out. "And he's already getting old. He must be at least 14! 16 if he truly is that colt you saved before leaving for Spain."

"He may be a little past his prime, but he's just as fast and intelligent as he has always been." His father replied as he started changing his clothes. "Besides, unlike us, he did have some sleep last night as we were catching those bandits."

The younger man sighed and started to saddle the stallion. "I forgot to tell you something…" He muttered with some discomfort as Zorro was about to leave. "Victoria asked me… Zorro… to stop by the tavern a while later. She mentioned the need for a conversation."

"And you agreed?"

"What was I to do?"

"Alright… It's alright, Felipe. I'll see what she needs to talk to me about."

"She does care for you, you know? For Diego…" Felipe said. "You've seen how she hurried to hug you last night. And any other woman would have left the search for the antidote to the men, but she spent the entire night with them, hoping for a way to save you. Not to mention how she reacted yesterday after you were poisoned. Had that man been there, I am quite certain she would have murdered him with her own hands."

His words seemed to have the desired effect for the masked man glanced at him and smiled widely. "She also jumped in front of a bullet for me yesterday… or she thought she did," he muttered before taking his goodbye.

ZZZ

"They are probably after your hacienda." De Soto muttered as he, Don Alejandro, and Mendoza were having their coffee in the office that now belonged to his stepfather.

Though they had kept silent for the first part of their meal, as they tried to decide if they wanted to eat or find a bed to sleep in, having basically shamed each other into a decision, they started to consider explanations for the thugs' presence and actions.

"That is possible. In their numbers, they could have easily overpowered your vaqueros. The pueblo is two miles away. Even if someone warned the garrison, we might have been too late to do anything." Mendoza agreed.

"That might be so, but, then, why try so hard to kill Diego if they could kill everyone after storming the hacienda?" Don Alejandro inquired before taking the last sip of his coffee.

"That's a good question, Alcalde! Perhaps I might help you find the answer." Zorro offered as he jumped from the upper wooden bars to land right next to them.

De Soto instinctively stood up from his chair and reached for his gun.

"Ignacio!" Don Alejandro exclaimed, using his hand to lower the pistol, so the former Alcalde settled for a frown instead.

Zorro smiled at noticing the face he made. "Indeed, there's no need for violence since, at present, we do seem to be on the same side." He muttered.

"Yes… That does seem to be the case." De Soto agreed. "Strange as it is… So… What is that marvelous plan of yours and why do you think it better than simply coerce those thugs to confess?"

"Do you really think they will tell the truth?" The masked man inquired. "By making them believe that the only way to save their lives is a confession, we at least stand a chance to get to the bottom of this."

"So you don't want us to execute them?" Mendoza inquired, inwardly relieved for he had always hated having to order someone's execution, even when said someone was a vicious criminal.

Zorro smiled and shook his head. "No, Sergeant. Not without a fair trial. Certainly not before we find out what their true scope is."

"And… How exactly are we to do that?" De Soto wondered.

Zorro's plan was not that complicated, but it relayed quite heavily on a suspicion he had been harboring: that Cabrera didn't know everything about the larger plan, nor did he truly understand the consequences of his actions.

The man was not the brightest he had ever met, and he wasn't even a very good lancer. But he had a kind heart. And then there was another thing that had bothered him since he had started to suspect said lancer was also involved in whatever conspiracy was afoot: the fact that, whoever he was truly working for, didn't seem to find more use for him than having him spy on the garrison and give fake orders to the Alcalde.

"And if you are wrong?" De Soto muttered, yet unable to completely process the idea that he and Zorro were on the same side for once, instead of fighting each other.

"Even if I prove wrong, there's hardly anything to lose by going along with my plan." The masked man answered.

About ten minutes later, the lancers chose a thug to execute first. Since he was a condemned man, he was given the option to confess his sins, but he refused, saying he had nothing to confess. A hooded monk accompanied him and the soldiers to the wall behind the cuartel, where Don Alejandro had decided that the "executions" were to be carried out.

"Wait!" The Alcalde told his lancers just before Mendoza was about to order them to shoot. "I don't want innocent men on my conscience, Senor." He muttered as he approached the prisoner and took off his gag. "If you are willing to tell me about the conspiracy you and your companions are involved in, I shall spare your life."

"Go to Hell, together with all the corrupt tyrants! I will not betray my friends and our cause to save my life!" The man answered as he bravely faced the executioners, head held high.

The Alcalde glanced at the hooded monk, then put the man's gag back as he ordered Mendoza to proceed with the execution.

The lancers aimed, then, as they were ordered to fire, they raised their muskets to the sky and shot. When no bullet hit him, for a few moments the condemned thought they were also on his side. Then a loud bang was heard next to him as a sack of potatoes fell from the cuartel's roof and, as his blindfold was taken off before he was escorted to the living quarters of the garrison, he watched back dumbfounded as Don Alejandro ordered for the next man to be brought.

Events repeated as four more of the captured thugs were brought to face execution, offered a chance to talk, refused, were spared their lives, and found themselves escorted to the living quarters where they met with the ones they thought to have already perished.

As they were starting to wonder if it was all part of an elaborated torture, Cabrera's turn came.

The lancer tried to be brave, but he was also repentant, especially after having found out that the men who were his accomplices had tried to kill Don Diego, whom he had grown to respect and truly appreciate. So, unlike those before him, he decided to partly accept the deal the Alcalde had offered him.

"I don't know why those men tried to kill Don Diego." He confessed as he started to tell his commander all he knew. "I know he's a good man like I know you are one, too, Don Alejandro. Our fight is not against you…"

"You could have fooled me…" The older don muttered.

"It's not… Really… All we want is for California to finally be free. Free from those who'd seek to exploit its people for their own gain; free from tyrants and oppressors; free to take its destiny into its own hands." He explained.

"What absurd nonsense!" De Soto muttered from a few feet away. "If you hope to save yourself you'd better tell the truth!"

"It is the truth! I don't even care if my life is spared. I swear! All we did was in order to make people realize they need to take their destiny into their own hands. To see that the Governor is corrupt and stand up to fight! Fight for their future, for this land, and for their children, who have the right to live in an independent California!"

"An independent California wouldn't last a year." The man dressed as a monk said as he took off his robe, revealing the masked legend underneath it. "Not with so many other empires trying to get their hands on it."

"Zorro?" Cabrera inquired. "Why… Why are you not on our side? Why did you capture the men when all we want is to follow you? Live and fight by your example? With you leading us, we can make sure California remains free! Isn't that what you've been fighting for all these years? How can you side with… With De Soto?"

"I've spent over a decade fighting for the people of this pueblo, Corporal. Not against the Spanish, or the Mexicans. Against those trying to harm them.

"And, for a while, now, those evil-doers all turned out to be your co-conspirators, sent here by the man you work for. If it's him I'm supposed to side with, I'd rather choose De Soto. At least he's been trying to atone for his past mistakes, and I am a believer in second chances…" The masked man explained to Ignacio's utter surprise.

"I… I heard… He's trying to protect you. Our leader. All he's done… all he's done against Don Diego, I think he's done for you!"

"Really?"

"Yes… Guzmán… Before I helped him escape, he said he had done what he did to compromise him so that he wouldn't steal Senorita Escalante from you. He said… He said Don Diego is in love with her…"

"I see…" Zorro uttered with a mocking smile. "So all he did… Terrorizing those poor farmers, lying, deceiving, contracting those thugs to rape and kill Victoria… it was all for my sake. If you truly believe that, Senor, you might be even more naïve than I had thought.

"Your leader doesn't want to protect me. He wants to control me. Why else would he have gone to such lengths as he did to find out my true name? As for California, not even I could properly organize a defense of this territory. All your independence movement would achieve would be a bloodbath.

"So, ask yourself: to whose benefit? Not the people's for sure. So whose? Those like you who have dedicated themselves to a cause you don't even seem to understand? I doubt you'll gain much from dying. So who exactly stands to benefit from all this?

"If the Governor is removed, one way or another, who stands to gain from his demise? Who stands to gain from all the chaos that would follow? And how? Did you ever even ask yourself all that?"

The lancer just stared at him dumbfounded as his mind was doing a titanic effort trying to understand all those questions he never even thought to consider before. "I…"

"Well, I did…" Zorro said. "Do you want to find out the answer? I myself was uncertain of it until the man who had poisoned Don Diego yesterday mentioned a very curious fact: that your leader has more money than there is in all of California, enough to make me as rich as a king. So I started wondering about the source of such a fortune and the reason why he'd share it with a masked outlaw. And there's only one answer I could come up with… Can you guess it?"

"He plans to sell the territory! Use the money to pay you and whoever else he promised to pay, then live as one of the richest men in the world." De Soto muttered.

"That is the only reasonable conclusion, indeed," Zorro confirmed as Cabrera was shaking his hand in horror and disbelief. "You know, De Soto, I do believe you've become smarter since you've stopped wasting your time trying to catch me."

The former alcalde frowned though he did take Zorro's remark as a compliment.

"You mean… He's been using me… To enrich himself? He doesn't care about California? Never has?" Cabrera wondered.

Zorro replied with a slight nod. As their conversation reached the ears of the prisoners who had been taken to the living quarters after their companions had been given to believe they had been executed, the men also started asking themselves the same questions Cabrera was asking himself and the outlaw.

"Then…" the Corporal wondered, "all we were told about the Governor being a tyrant might not be true at all?"

Again the masked man answered with a nod.

"They… They were going to kill him…" Cabrera uttered. "The Governor. He's coming here. He's due to arrive on Monday in San Pedro, and he was to be ambushed on his way to the pueblo. I'm not sure if the men you captured are the only ones involved. From what I was told there are at least two or three times more men due to join them… the plan was to take the pueblo."

Don Alejandro and Zorro exchanged a worried glance.

"The Governor is coming here? In two days' time?" The masked man asked.

"Yes… There's a letter he sent. You should be able to find it hidden in my mattress." The lancer informed them.

A hand gesture by Don Alejandro was enough for two of his men to hurry toward the room previously occupied by the Corporal.

"We need to organize a defense." Don Alejandro uttered, worriedly.

"Not just a defense, Alcalde. The Governor will need proper protection." Zorro replied. "For now, though, try to find out if any of the men know more than the Corporal here. My money is on the poisoner." He muttered as he whistled for Tornado and, after saluting, headed away.

De Soto found himself raising his right hand as a goodbye, but hurried to put it down as soon as he realized what he was doing.

ZZZ

Zorro galloped away, his mind already concocting various scenarios and plans to prevent the attack on the Governor and on the pueblo.

Then, suddenly, he remembered Felipe's words and forced the stallion to stop. Hesitating for a few moments since, after that morning, he was not exactly in a mood to see Victoria right then, he decided to take advantage of the siesta and get over with that conversation already. At least, after they'd have their talk, he might be able to sleep for a few hours instead of lying awake, wondering what she truly felt for him and if she did love the man or just the legend.