CHAPTER THIRTEEN – Ordinary Heroes

When Zorro got back to the cave, Felipe was waiting for him. He signed in a questioning fashion, and when he heard what happened, he lent support so that Zorro could slowly and gingerly slip out of the saddle. Zorro was very frustrated. His leg had been feeling so much better – now it hurt again! Unfortunately, Felipe was usually the one who got the brunt of Zorro's frustration. But Felipe was used to it, knowing it helped Zorro process things in his mind, and he needed to vent his anger.

"The man threw himself at me after I disarmed him, and caught me by surprise! There was nothing I could do! I'm just glad Victoria didn't see me limping around, or she would have guessed my identity immediately! At least – I don't think she saw me. She didn't act like she saw me."

He changed into his street clothes and limped back up through the Library to sit awhile and propped his leg up on pillows while he stretched out on the couch. The pain finally diminished after a couple of hours.

Z

Later that day, Diego limped across the plaza from the tavern to the fountain. He had decided to try walking without the cane, as it only slowed him down – and it was too short. He felt like he waddled rather than walked when he used it. But he didn't want to get another one. He walked to the fountain, just as the Alcalde, Alejandro and their group of lancers rode and walked into the pueblo. He couldn't wait to hear what the official search party had to say. He knew their efforts were fruitless.

"Buenos Dias, Father! Senores! What happened?" Diego waved. After resting his leg for a couple of hours, the pain had greatly diminished, and he could walk on it – limping of course, but faster than with his father's too-short cane.

Alejandro answered, "What didn't happen to us, Diego? We just came back from San Bernardino." He was hot, tired, and very hungry, but he knew how important it was to wind down a moment – especially taking care of his horse.

Mendoza had been on foot the whole time. His feet were tired and he was starved. He interjected, "Through the scorching desert heat. It was terrible Don Diego!"

Alejandro continued. "When we got there, the people there hadn't heard or seen the bandidos for months!"

Mendoza's lament continued. "Flies, rattlesnakes…"

De Soto could stand no more. "Oh, stop your whining, Sergeant!"

"…Big fat locusts, too! Ay Chihuahua, I am so hungry…I am starving…" Mendoza looked to the alcalde to get permission to leave, but it wasn't given. De Soto shook his head. He was tired and hungry, too. They all were. But as they were cooling the horses down, De Soto knew they were going to have to wait another couple of minutes before taking care of themselves.

"But Alcalde, I've been on my feet all day, while you were on horseback." Mendoza continued his complaint.

"Sergeant, what is the first thing a soldier learns?" De Soto looked disgusted at Mendoza's apparent lack of perseverance.

"Why, to march, of course. But Alcalde, I have been marching all day, and I am tired and hungry." Mendoza tried his puppy dog eyes look, but De Soto would have none of it.

"Oh, just get a drink of water from the fountain, Sergeant. If you're really thirsty, water will suffice." De Soto rolled his eyes and his head went with them. He couldn't believe he was saddled with such imcomptence.

Alejandro said, "Diego, I think we can say goodbye to our horses."

De Soto said, "And I think we can say the same for Jose Macias."

Diego's attention was drawn to something behind his father and the alcalde. "Let's not be so quick to jump to conclusions!" Lately, sometimes, his 'milder Zorro' voice (that which he used when he wanted to project his voice) would creep in to his speech, but no one seemed to notice.

Alejandro & De Soto turned to look in the direction of the entrance to the pueblo. Victoria led a small procession as she drove a cart into the plaza with Julietta, the two children, with three horses tied to the back. Jose brought up the rear as he followed behind the three horse thieves who were tied to their horses.

"Who on earth are those men?" asked De Soto, in a sort of quiet, confused, and tired way. He was exhausted too, but he wasn't about to let anyone know it.

Diego exclaimed, "Victoria! We were worried about you! I saw you ride past the hacienda this morning like you were on your way to a fire!"

Victoria drove the wagon a bit closer before stopping. She didn't have a chance now to look closely at Diego, but she promised herself she would get a much closer look later. "Oh, there was no need to worry, Don Diego! And by the way, Don Alejandro, your horses are back safely in your corral."

"Well that's marvelous, Victoria! But how?" Alejandro was patting his horse's nose, holding the reigns. Everyone was resting a moment before going their separate ways.

Victoria indicated the three men tied to their horses behind the wagon. "Alcalde, these are the men who are responsible for the robbery. And, Jose Macias helped me to apprehend them and bring them back to you!"

"He did what?" De Soto was skeptical. He was tired, but stood by his horse a moment. He couldn't believe they had wasted the whole day riding to San Bernardino and back with any results, only to have the local tavern owner and the suspected horse thief himself bring in three bandidos.

Diego interjected, "Apparently, you arrested the wrong man, Alcalde. Again. It really is a habit you should try to break." He tried not to sound superior or sarcastic, but he couldn't help himself.

Victoria said with conviction. "And now I would like my bail money back, if you please."

"Very well." De Soto said. He was so tired from his fruitless search, he didn't argue. Unbelievable, he thought. He thought a moment, and was about to ask a question, but Sergeant Mendoza beat him to the punch, so to speak.

Mendoza was incredulous. He asked, "Senorita Escalante, it's impossible! You and Jose captured all these horses?" Mendoza then cupped his hand in the fountain and took a drink of water. It was cool and refreshing. It made him smile in anticipation of some of Victoria's enchiladas he hoped he would be eating within the next hour or so.

Victoria looked at Jose, and they shared a smile of knowing. Diego saw the look, and since he knew what happened, even though he couldn't say he knew, he acted as if it was observation alone that told him what he was about to say.

"Well…" Diego stated, "I think she may have had a little help, Sergeant…from a friend." Everyone looked at the back of the horse thieves' vests. All three had Zs slashed into them. Everyone knew what that meant. Zorro.

De Soto thought…hmmmm. So The Fox is riding again…and he's embarrassing me again by doing my job for me…One of these days, when I get my hands on him…I can't wait to see him hang.

Diego continued. "So, Jose, apparently you won't be needing my – uh – legal expertise." Diego had offered to be Jose's lawyer, but when he went to visit Jose, the farm was deserted. No one was around. Diego now knew it was because Jose's family had been taken hostage to ensure his cooperation with the horse thieves.

Jose replied, "No Amigo. Zorro already came to my defense." He chuckled at the pun. So did everyone else.

Alejandro said, "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel like a long, cool lemonade."

Diego replied, "A splendid idea. Have one on me, Father." As he started to move, he cried out in surprised pain. "Oh!" and limped towards the tavern. Only when he moved did it hurt – and after being knocked off Toronado, it hurt a lot worse than it had for a couple of weeks. He only slightly heard the sarcastic comments that were directed at him, but chose to ignore them. I know it will take both of them time to undo the habits of five years. I have already decided I won't take offense anymore. I know who I am and what I'm about.

Ever since I gave my 'little speech' to Father, our relationship has been much better, Diego thought. There may come a day when I can share more with Father, and when we are free, with Victoria…but for now…

Victoria, looking from the wagon, saw and heard Diego's exclamation of surprise pain, and without thinking, felt she just had to make a snide remark.

"Now if that were Zorro, he wouldn't be such a baby about a broken leg." She turned to Julietta and smiled. Julietta smiled back.

Alejandro had to get his dig in. "If Zorro had broken his leg, the pueblo of Los Angeles would be the one to suffer." Victoria smiled about that. I didn't compare him, not directly, Alejandro thought. But something inside him told him it was important to keep up the façade in public. He still had his suspicions about Diego, but this latest crisis had left him precious little time to think about them.

As she got down from the wagon, Victoria remembered what she thought had seen from the corner of her eye earlier, and all her thoughts came raging back. It felt the same as when she and Diego had returned from Santa Paula and Zorro had delivered bandits. He'd used poetry that time. "Huh? No – it can't be…can it?" She shook her head, but until she talked with Diego, she wouldn't know for sure.

Z

After supper that evening, Alejandro sat at his desk in the drawing room, when all of a sudden, the hair on the back of his neck went up and goose bumps appeared on his arms as he remembered a dream from last night. And it wasn't the first time he'd had that same dream.

Alejandro dreamt of very dark clouds and a severe storm coming his way…a black tornado that came and threatened to demolish his hacienda, with himself inside. Diego was also in the dream, and as Alejandro watched, the storm threatened him as well. The storm had come out of nowhere and raged full force once it started. Wave after wave of wind and rain beat against the hacienda. A window broke as he looked out – the tornado was almost upon him.

He'd woken up in a cold sweat, wondering what the dream meant. He knew it couldn't be good.

The dream unnerved him. He'd been feeling a little strange ever since the horses were stolen, as if it were some sort of portent or sign. He hadn't felt this kind of inner alarm for a very long time…probably since he felt strongly he should write to Diego and ask him to come home from the University.

And now, even though Diego was on the mend and the horses were back in the stable after Victoria and Jose had retrieved them, Alejandro had a niggling feeling in the back of his mind that this was mild compared to what was about to happen. As he tried to 'see' in his mind's eye what lay ahead, all he could see were the dark clouds from his dream, but he didn't know why.

Diego also gets these 'premonitions' sometimes, he thought. Maybe I'll say something to him tomorrow and see what he thinks.

But when he awoke in the morning, he thought, it's just an old man's panic. I must be imagining things. He forgot to say anything about it, as ranch business took all his time for the next three days, and he didn't really have a chance to talk more than a few minutes with Diego each day.

Z

Victoria was also busy the next three days at the tavern. Diego hadn't come into town and she wondered about what she'd seen, what she thought she'd seen, and what she would say to Diego when she saw him again.

If Zorro was hurt in that fall from Toronado, he's probably lying low again. He seems to do that from time to time. But the only person who could have told Zorro about what I was doing, was Diego. He said he saw her riding by the hacienda. He had to have told Zorro, because Zorro came so quickly.

Two thoughts struck her simultaneously…1) Diego knows who Zorro is; 2) OR Diego is Zorro. I'm going to have to get some answers from him – tomorrow.

TBC

Next up: Suspicions, premonitions & a new solidarity – and The End of this little tale…