Chapter 5
As soon as the horses were saddled Diego was on his way to Los Angeles. Driven by his anger and his need to stop the alcalde from hanging Victoria he rode on as fast as the horses allowed. Relentless against himself he simply switched between horses when they showed signs of fatigue, granting himself only the most needed breaks. By riding throughout the night and the whole next day, he managed to arrive late at night at the hacienda.
Leaving the two horses nearby, he sneaked thorough the secret entrance into the cave. Checking the spyhole, he slipped into the library that was deserted at this late hour and went to Felipe's room, shaking him awake. Surprised to see him, Felipe dressed sleepily and followed him into the cave.
As soon as they couldn't be overheard Felipe began to gesture agitatedly, asking Diego how he had arrived and what his plans were.
"I rode here from Monterey after I talked to Don Emilio yesterday."
"Yes, yesterday. "
Felipe looked at him, astonished.
"It was a hard ride and the horses need some rest now, but they must be ready for my return trip to Santa Paula."
"Not so fast, Felipe. Yes, I know that the alcalde wants to hang Victoria tomorrowmorning. That's why we have to act swiftly."
Carefully. Diego explained his plan that he had laid out in his mind during his ride. While Diego dressed himself as Zorro, Felipe saddled Toronado.
"Felipe, I need you to place some of my time delayed devices outside the pueblo to distract the soldiers. While I take care of the alcalde and free Victoria, you'll have to look after the horses, especially Esperanza. You'll find them a little outside the cave."
"No, you can't take them into the stables. See that Esperanza is fed and rested when I'm finished as Zorro. Nobody must know that I have been here otherwise someone could link Zorro's appearance with my return from Monterey. We can't risk that. As soon as the alcalde has received a little lesson I'll ride back to Santa Paula where I'm expected tomorrow."
"By whom?"
"By a beautiful lady and her father."
Z Z Z
With the soldiers distracted by the noise it was easy for Zorro to get in to the alcalde's bedroom. The alcalde was sound asleep in his bed, not really anticipating Zorro's visit after he had not come for Victoria's rescue the previous nights. Nevertheless, he had his sword ready by his bed and grabbed it the moment he was woken by Zorro's sword touching his arm.
"Alcalde, I'm in no mood for a long swordplay. Just keep it short."
The fight took some more time than he had planned due to his fatigue, but in the end the alcalde was disarmed and knocked out with Zorro's fist, who shackled him up with a rope before he woke up again.
Quickly, Zorro headed for the jail to free Victoria. For a moment he leaned against the iron bars looking at the slim figure on the cot in the dirty cell.
Victoria hadn't been able to sleep at all, dreading the morning to come without any hope of rescue, and rose instantly when she heard a voice whisper her name. Even in the dimly lit cell, she recognized the black clad figure that quietly opened the locked door with keys that had been hanging on a rusty nail on the opposite wall only moments ago.
"Zorro, you came for me!" Relieved, Victoria slipped through the open door and beamed at the man she loved. Without hesitation she wanted to throw herself in his arms, but he stopped her halfway.
"Victoria, no." Sadly, Zorro shook his head.
The happy smile vanished from her face to be replaced by incomprehension. "But you're here, you came to free me. I thought you had changed your mind." Tears were welling in her eyes.
"I came as soon as I heard about you. I can't have the alcalde hang you and I'll teach him a lesson never to touch you again, but that changes nothing between us, Victoria. I'm sorry." Zorro said remorsefully.
For a moment he was ready to drop on the floor and let his exhaustion take over and he wished for nothing else than to take her in his arms and gain some strength from her support. But, instead he leaned against the wall for a moment trying to stay awake and he saw concern in Victoria's eyes.
"Are you alright, Zorro? I have never seen you so exhausted."
Without answering, he led her out of the jail, checking for lancers that had remained in the pueblo instead of rushing to the noise Felipe had created with the time delayed bombs. "The soldiers are all occupied, they will not stop you, Victoria. You can go home now."
"Zorro, please tell me why, you owe me that!" Victoria pleaded crying. "Don't you love me anymore?"
"Go now. I'm not finished with the alcalde yet." Without saying anymore he turned around, trying to ignore his longing to take her in his arms and kiss her. He knew if he remained any longer he wouldn't be able to resist his desire to dry her tears with his kisses.
Swiftly, he returned to the alcalde's bedroom where de Soto was slowly regaining his senses to find himself bound and gagged. Roughly, Zorro dragged him out of his bed and forced him with the sword at his back to walk across the plaza to the church barefoot and only clad in his nightshirt. Loosening the rope around the alcalde's hands a little, he made him climb on the church roof.
"What are you doing, Zorro?" came the muffled question from the alcalde, hardly understandable through the gag.
Around the top of the bell tower, Zorro fastened a sturdy rope whose sling on the other end he tied under the alcalde's arms. Checking the length of the rope, he made the wriggling alcalde jump from the rooftop after he had decorated his nightshirt with a Z on both sides.
Satisfied with his work, Zorro called after him. "Victoria is a helpless woman you kept in your jail only to catch me. This will hopefully show you how it is to be helpless yourself. And when the bell rings for mass in the morning, it shall ring in your ears as a cry for justice. Eventually, one of the citizens will look up to the church bells and you'll be freed." When Zorro mentioned the bell, the alcalde realized to his horror that his head was at the same level as the church bell and he would have no chance to escape its deafening ringing. "If you threaten Victoria again, I'll come back and do worse than put a rope around your chest. Do you understand?" The alcalde could only nod with the gag in his mouth. Leaving the alcalde in his nightgown hanging from the church tower, Zorro vanished into the night.
Z Z Z
When he returned to the cave, Felipe was already waiting for him. Though Felipe was tired, he was young enough to overcome it with the excitement he gained from the adventure. Most of the time Zorro worked alone and it was only on rare occasions that Diego allowed him to take an active part in his activities. Felipe was no longer a small child that was easily overlooked, but nearly a grown man who would raise suspicions if he lingered too long in one place he wasn't supposed to be.
Diego had changed clothes again and sat gratefully down at the desk where Felipe had placed a tray with a cold meal he had organized from the kitchen. Hungrily, he ate the food after having had only snacks during his long ride, and he felt his exhaustion take its toll. Finally sitting down after more than a day of nearly constant riding, he was glad for something that did not move under him. He longed to lay down, but he knew his day was not yet finished.
Sensing his weariness, Felipe pointed at the cot in the back of the cave where he had spent some nights as Zorro when he couldn't return to his bed because there had been an injury to hide or he had been simply too tired to move any further.
"No Felipe, I have to go on, I can't sleep now, because I have to be in Santa Paula tomorrow." Insistent he take a nap, Felipe tugged at his shirt indicating he would wake him in time, and Diego couldn't resist the temptation any more. As soon as he lay down he was already asleep and didn't even notice Felipe covering him with a blanket.
He thought he had just closed his eyes when Felipe shook him awake. "Felipe, what time is it?" Felipe pointed at the clock on the desk. "It's only one hour until dawn. You shouldn't have let me sleep so long."
"The horses needed the rest, too?"
"Did you have time to sleep when you were so busy to take care of me and the horses, Felipe? I'm sorry I disturbed your rest, but I wouldn't have made it without you." Felipe nodded proudly, hiding his yawn behind his hand.
After he had refreshed himself, he sat down for the breakfast Felipe had prepared, grateful for the coffee that would keep him awake. Without further delay he was on his way to Santa Paula again. Fortunately, Don Pedro and Maria had driven slowly and arrived late in the morning shortly after he had reached the pueblo.
"Don Diego, please excuse our late arrival," Don Pedro greeted him, "but my daughter took a long time to get ready this morning. I hope you don't mind we made you waiting."
"It was all my fault, as father said. Please forgive us." Maria apologized.
"De nada, Señorita." Diego smiled tiredly.
"You look tired, Don Diego," Maria stated.
"Maybe I couldn't sleep when I was anticipating such a lovely visit." Diego bowed over her hand as if he was going to kiss it and Maria started to blush.
He tried to keep up a light conversation, but he soon lacked the energy for it. The hard ride to Los Angeles and back to Santa Paula and the missing sleep had taken his toll on him and he was trying just to keep on going, lacking the reserve to pretend any more. When his travel companions noticed his desolate state, Diego had to admit that he wasn't feeling well, pretending he had caught a cold.
Don Pedro and Maria had declined Diego's offer to be his guest at the de la Vega hacienda, expressing their wish to be independent in the tavern and located in the center of the pueblo.
Wishing him well, Don Pedro and Maria insisted they wanted to have dinner at the tavern rather than at the de la Vega hacienda, saying they were too tired themselves from the journey and were planing to go to bed early. Diego was too relieved they didn't expect him to play the host at dinner tonight that he didn't object.
They parted at the entrance of the hacienda, leaving Diego to recover while they continued on to the pueblo on their own.