Author's Notes: Once again, my tendency to insomnia means you get the chapter earlier than you otherwise would. But at least since this is the weekend, I should actually manage to get some sleep once this is up and done.

~Edited: Suzanne: that's a fair point; I'll try making them less spoilery. In fact, while I'm assuming that it was Chapter 10 that was the main offender (I had thought it might be too much when I wrote it), I have gone back and removed all summaries from chapter 6 till this one. I don't think I got too bad before chapter 6. I however didn't change the rest of my tendency to babble as I thought that might be too much to do. I will also not be changing the teasers at the end of this chapter as I don't really think they're too spoilery. Those I kept pretty vague, and they are the last teasers I will be giving for the story.~

~Edited to shift notes to the end. I've now gone through and moved just about all spoilery type notes to the end of the chapter.~

Chapter 11

Truth Seekers

Diego remained seated in the church after everyone left, still exhausted by the events of the previous day and still lost in thoughts of failure, so he was startled when Padre Benites spoke to him.

"Is everything all right, Diego?"

"Padre?" Diego started. "Oh... yes... I was just doing some... thinking."

"In that case, my son, I'll leave you to your thoughts," Padre Benites said with a smile and turned to go.

"Actually, could you stay? I was hoping I could talk to you," Diego said somewhat sheepishly.

"Of course. Why don't we sit?" Padre Benites motioned to the front row of the church. "What is on your mind?"

Diego took a deep breath. He looked up at the ceiling for a long time as if expecting the right words to come down from heaven. Finally, he looked the padre in the eye and said, "I feel like... like I've... let down everyone... like..."

"Come now, Diego..."

"No, Padre," Diego interrupted. "I've tried so hard to take care of everything and everyone, to do all that is expected of me from my father, from the caballeros, from the..." Diego started to say vaqueros but faltered at the word. "I feel like I'm not up to the task... anymore. I... I don't know... I don't know what to do."

"Diego, all you have to do is be exactly the man you are."

Diego found that almost impossible to believe. "Padre, that is very kind of you to say but..."

"No," the padre said with a firmness that took Diego by surprise. "I'm not being kind. I'm telling you the truth. Listen to me. You, Diego, are a good man and I don't say that lightly." Diego opened his mouth to object, but Padre Benites silenced him with a wave of his hand. "You are the best man I've ever known. You are intelligent, kind, generous; you truly care about the people of this pueblo, and you take too much on yourself. I understand that you are upset about what happened to the vaqueros, but that was not your fault."

"I knew there was something dangerous in the area. I should have had them be more prepared. I should have been able to stop what happened. I should have been able to save them. I should have been able to do... something," Diego said.

"My son, you have already done so much... more than the people of this pueblo know."

Diego sat upright, his eyes widened a little. "Padre?" he asked searchingly, trying to discern exactly what he was hearing.

"You've been blessed with an abundance of gifts and talents. They aren't the reason you're a good man; you're a good man because of what you choose to do with them. I'm old, and I've seen a lot of evil in my life, evil like what happened to the bandits and the vaqueros. Rest assured that my faith has been tested. It's men like you, Diego, that help that faith." Padre Benites placed a hand on Diego's shoulder. "I know you're tired. We all get tired. We all feel like we've failed people we care about sometimes. You... you carry a heavy burden. You've faced down evil time and time again, but you've chosen to keep fighting. That is why you aren't a failure, my son."

Diego stared at the floor, taking in the padre's words. "Padre... I'm... I'm— there is an evil out there right now and... I don't know if I can stop it. I don't know if I can destroy evil, even if it is so good can prevail."

"I well imagine that young David was thinking something very much like that when he was facing Goliath. I wish I had the perfect answer, but I do know that you can't outfox every adversary."

Diego's mouth dropped open, as the full import of all the priest had been saying hit him. "Padre... are you... are you trying to tell me that..."

"I'm trying to tell you that when the time comes, you'll know what to do," Padre Benites said reassuringly as he rose to leave.

"Padre?"

"Yes, Diego?"

"How can you be so sure?"

"I have faith."

Wishing his faith was quite as strong as Padre Benites, Diego nevertheless felt some of the hopelessness slip away. Slowly walking out of the church, he was lost in his reflections on their conversation, but he still managed to smile at Victoria when she approached him.

"Diego, are you all right?" she asked.

She seemed to be asking him that a lot lately, with good reason. He hadn't really been all right for some time, but he wasn't going to say that. "Yes, I'm fine. It's the lack of sleep. I'm not really used to it." He managed a wry smile that he knew didn't reach his eyes. He offered Victoria his arm as they turned to head toward the tavern. "I didn't expect you to be waiting outside the church. I was going to come see you."

"I couldn't be sure," she said. "And I was worried."

He stopped short. "Worried? About what's happened, or is it something new?"

"A little of both," she said after a minute. "Last night, Señor Dracula returned to the tavern. He asked about you... and Zorro. He was still polite, but I just don't trust him."

"Well, what did he want to know?" he asked.

"First he wanted to know what I thought about you, then what kind of man Zorro is and if I knew who he was," she said. "I'm not sure exactly what it is that he was after, but he left shortly after we talked."

"I see," Diego said, not sure that he did, though he wondered at Dracula asking about both his identities back to back, but it could be a coincidence. "What did you tell him?"

Victoria blushed a little, and he wondered why, as he couldn't think of anything she'd tell a virtual stranger that would be blush-worthy. "Not much," she finally said. "Just that you're a good man and a scholar, that Zorro defends our pueblo, and that no one knows who he is."

"That seems innocuous enough," Diego said slowly, "except of course for wanting to know Zorro's identity, but even innocent people might be curious about that."

"I know. I just don't trust him, and I don't think he means your family any good," Victoria said, stubbornly.

"We've had enough of that lately," he said. He saw Mendoza crossing the plaza towards them. He'd only now realized that he hadn't been in church. His exhaustion was taking a greater toll than he thought. "Buenas dias, Sergeant. What's wrong?"

"Too much, Don Diego," Mendoza said. "My men are still searching for whoever killed your men. And now it looks like Teresa Fuentes has eloped with Joaquin Modesto, and her father's furious, and I have to send a messenger to check the missions and find out for sure. I'm not sure what he expects me to do about it."

"Are you sure they eloped?" Diego asked. He hoped that was true, but it might be another disappearance like Jonata. And all these things started around the time of Dracula's arrival. It might be time to look more closely at the man.

"Pretty sure, but what do I know?" Mendoza said. "She was supposed to be staying with Rosa Nunez, but Rosa's not in town. She probably decided to go to her Aunt Consuela when Teresa eloped; it would have been on the way. I know I don't have time to do more than what I'm doing. If things keep up like this, I'm going to have to send for more help." He moved towards the alcalde's office.

Diego turned back towards Victoria. "I don't like this. It seems too much of a coincidence with everything that's been happening. Will you promise me to be careful and not go out alone at night?"

"Do you really think I'm in danger, Diego?" Victoria asked. They'd started walking back to the tavern.

Thinking about a ride to the Torres estate, it took Diego a moment to respond properly. "I don't know that you are specifically, but with everything that's happening, I'd feel better if you were cautious." He also thought he'd feel better if she were staying with him, but that was a dangerous thought of an entirely different kind. After all there was a certain safety in town, across from a cuartel full of soldiers. So far the danger seemed to be outside the pueblo, though he wished he knew for certain that Teresa had just eloped or where she'd last been seen. "So will you?"

"I will," she said. "What is it you've got planned?"

"What?" Diego asked, disconcerted.

"You're clearly planning to do something. I can tell by the look in your eye," Victoria said.

Diego tried to look innocent. "I just thought it might be a good idea to visit our new neighbor. He seems to want to see me." And I want to see him.

"I'll go with you," Victoria said.

Why hadn't he expected this? "I don't think that's a good idea," he said. If he really were dangerous, it wouldn't be safe to take her with him.

Victoria was not going to be easily dissuaded. "Why not? It's broad daylight on a Sunday. We let people know where we're going. Besides, I'm curious about them too, and you still look tired. You could use an extra set of eyes."

"You're determined, aren't you?" Diego said, resignation in his tone. He knew he wouldn't win, and if he did, he suspected she might do something on her own, and that might prove even more dangerous than having her with him.

"Definitely. Give me time to change, and we can go," she said.

It wasn't too long before the two of them were riding in the general direction of the old Torres estate. Diego still wasn't convinced that it was a good idea for Victoria to go with him, but he couldn't deny that he was enjoying her company. He wasn't even sure why he was so suspicious of Dracula, beyond the coincidence of timing.

He and Victoria rode along in companionable silence. He was watching her out of the corners of his eyes, but he made sure not to neglect the landscape.

Finally, Victoria spoke, shaking him out of his thoughts. "Diego, there's something I need to tell you."

"What?" he asked, concerned about her tone.

"Well, no one's told me directly, but there are some disturbing rumors going around," Victoria said, hesitantly.

"About Zorro?" Diego asked. It would have to be about Zorro.

"Yes, I got Pilar and Alicia to find out for me," Victoria said. "Some people are saying that he's..."

"The man who killed the vaqueros and the bandits?" Diego interrupted. "I've heard that." I'm haunted by it.

"No, it's worse than that, or rather, I'd say more unbelievable than that," Victoria said.

"What's more unbelievable than that?" he asked. What could be worse than Zorro being accused of vicious murder?

"That he's come back from the dead as some kind of... unnatural thing seeking vengeance on the living," Victoria said.

"A revenant?" he said incredulously. That was worse.

"I suppose so," she said.

This was becoming more nightmarish all the time. Bad enough to be thought a murderer but now some kind of unnatural thing? And nightmare was the word, as he remembered the Zorro who had haunted his own. Diego asked, "Do they really believe it? Or is it more like ghost stories around the fire?"

Victoria looked doubtful. "I couldn't say, except that they wouldn't say them in front of me." Her tone of voice more than implied what she would have said if they'd dared. "I suspect that man Boris of, if not starting them, at least giving them a good shove forward."

"I see." Diego remembered the brief conversation he'd had with Boris and also was reminded of the time that the townspeople had believed a family to be involved in witchcraft on the basis of one man's thoughtless suspicions. He hated to think what a man could do deliberately.

Victoria was watching Diego as she spoke, "Zorro, the real Zorro," she said, "is going to need to be very careful for a while. People are frightened. And someone seems to be trying to blame him."

"You're right," Diego said, wondering once again if she really suspected or if he was reading more into what she was saying than she meant. He would have to be very cautious in his investigation. He also wondered why he didn't just ask her, but then he didn't think he could handle a bad reaction on top of everything else that was happening.

Just then, Diego started hearing some odd birdcalls. Realistic, but they weren't the sounds of any birds native to the area. He looked around as casually as possible, but he couldn't see anything or anyone. He was now really starting to regret bringing Victoria with him. However, he decided the best thing to do at the moment was pretend that nothing was amiss. Perhaps, Dracula was just wary of visitors. They approached the hacienda, and there was still no sign of anyone. Dismounting they went to the front door. Diego wasn't surprised to see Boris open the door almost immediately. He was sure the signals had been warnings of their arrival.

Boris invited them in very politely, but when Diego inquired after Dracula, he told them that he was indisposed and unable to receive visitors.

"That's a pity," Diego said politely. "Though I'm not a doctor, I do have some experience with medicine if you need any help."

Immediately shaking his head, Boris said, "There's no need. I'm very familiar with his illness. When he has one of his spells, there's nothing to do but put him to bed, and his illness can sometimes overcome him very quickly," Boris turned toward Victoria, "which is why he had to leave your tavern so quickly last evening, Señorita Escalante."

Victoria smiled thinly. "I'm glad to know it wasn't the wine."

Boris returned the smile, though his had that mocking quality Diego had already noticed and disliked. "No, wine never bothers him. He simply needed to get home quickly, and even then he was up most of the night with his illness, and as he's finally sleeping now, I don't dare disturb him. I know he will be sorry to have missed your visit."

"I understand. It must be very trying, handling this all alone," Diego said.

Victoria was standing a little behind looking around casually. Diego half-watched her out of the corner of his eye as he talked to Boris, and Boris watched her as well, with what looked like more of an eye to see what she did than any particular interest in her.

"I do my best," Boris said, "and I'm used to his spells. Do you have any particular message for him? I know he's quite anxious about the book."

Diego was thoroughly tired of hearing about Dracula's desire for the book. He was starting to think it was probably a good thing he didn't know where it was, though he was starting to wonder exactly what made it so important. "I did start looking through my great grandfather's records, but there was no specific mention, and of course, other events took precedence," Diego said, bitterness in his voice.

"Ah, yes, I had heard that you had some difficulties," Boris said.

Difficulties? Diego had to stamp down on his anger. "That is an understatement. Three men were killed and another injured."

Victoria was suddenly back by his side and putting a gentle hand on his arm. Diego took a deep breath and managed to regain control as he looked at Boris.

"That is terrible," Boris said flatly. "Do you know who is responsible?"

Disgusted with the indifferent tone, Diego wasn't about to give him a hint of his own opinions. Surely he'd heard all the rumors; he'd probably started half of them. No need to let him know his own opinions. "Not yet," he said, then in a tone of concern added, "but you should be careful out here. You're pretty isolated, and it seems like whoever it was may still be in the area."

Boris seemed to be fighting another smile, as he said, "Thank you for the warning. We are usually good at defending ourselves."

"Well, whoever's been doing this seems to be very good at attacking," Victoria said. "You should be doubly cautious."

As Victoria spoke, Diego managed to regain a modicum of control over his dislike and anger, but he felt they would discover no more there. Not out in the open. But there was something odd about this place. Something that needed closer looking into. "Well, we won't keep you any longer. I'm sure you have much to do," he said in clipped tones.

Boris smiled easily. "Yes, I do, but I will be sure to tell my master you came."

"Gracias," Diego said.

"Adios," Victoria said.

Boris walked them to the door. Diego looked curiously around the courtyard before mounting Esperanza. While there was no sign of anyone, he had the strongest sensation of being watched. He kept silent as he and Victoria started riding away.

Once they were getting out of sight of the hacienda, Victoria said, "I wonder why he acts like he's the only one there other than his master."

Diego looked at her in surprise. "You noticed, too."

"Of course, someone else has to be helping keeping the place clean. It's been swept out fairly recently; I very much doubt they hired anyone to get it into that kind of order before they arrived. We would have heard something of that. And in any event, if Dracula really is subject to fits of illness, he'd have to have someone else to help take care of things, run errands and the like."

"There is something very strange there," Diego replied, almost absently.

He was thinking that it might be a good idea for Zorro to come back after dark and take a closer look, though he didn't particularly like the idea. He had hoped to let Zorro rest beneath the rocks in Diablo Canyon, but someone wasn't letting that happen, and the more he thought about it the more he suspected that Dracula was behind it all. He just really wished he understood why. There were so many things he didn't understand. No book could be so important, and if that was all Dracula wanted, why couldn't he wait until Diego had more of a chance to look for it? What was the point of killing people and trying to blame Zorro for it? Did Dracula know he was Zorro, or was this a separate scheme? He had to find out what was going on.

Despite his thoughts going through his head, he kept a watch on the way back though he still didn't manage to spot anyone. He was relieved that he and Victoria made it back to Los Angeles without incident. After returning her horse to the livery stable, they walked back over to the tavern together.

"You've been very quiet," he said, as she unlocked the door and let them inside.

"No," she replied, closing the door. "You were very quiet. I was simply not interrupting whatever was going on inside."

Diego looked a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I've been poor company today."

She shook her head. "Not really. I didn't mind, and it was a pleasant ride."

"You are too kind," he replied. "Thank you for coming with me. You helped me keep a cool head when I needed it."

"I'm only repaying the favor. You've done that for me far more often," Victoria said.

"I'm rather fond of your temper," Diego said. "Except when it's directed at me."

"Oh, I don't get mad at you that often," Victoria said, with a smile. "You're usually so unflappable it's too much work."

"I'm glad you think so," Diego said. Then with a slight sigh added, "I need to be heading home." Diego hated having to leave, but if Zorro was going to ride that night it would take careful planning, and he would need to get some sleep before then.

Victoria sighed a little herself. "I was hoping you could stay longer, but I understand."

"I wish I could too." Without thinking, Diego lifted his hand to her face, almost but not quite caressing her cheek. As soon as he realized what he was doing, he dropped his hand. Victoria looked slightly flushed as he lifted her hand for a kiss instead.

"Until tomorrow, Victoria," Diego said.

"Until tomorrow, Diego." She looked at him as if she wanted to say something else but instead turned to go into her kitchen.

Watching her until she disappeared from sight, Diego headed quickly back towards home, busily making plans for the evening's excursion.

~TBC~

Monday: Chapter 12 - The Fox and the Hunter.

Zorro investigates Dracula's house more closely and has an unexpected encounter with the three missing women. Chivalry can be a decided disadvantage at times.

End Notes: 36, 36 total reviews. Bwaa haa haa. Six more and not only do I have the answer to life, the universe and everything, but also the most reviews I've ever had for a story.

As I'm writing this rather late, I'll keep this bit brief, so hopefully it will be coherent. You will definitely be finding out who was following Dracula on Monday. Boris was originally meant to be little more than a henchman, until I saw him as Christopher Lee and then suddenly, he became more interesting and Dracula's right hand man. As to female vampires and their wiles or Dracula and his plans, I'll say you will be finding out more about both on Monday and Tuesday respectively. Also, yeah, no opossums. It's enough that it was messy.


Next week: Chapters 12-17.

Things get kicked up a notch with vampire ladies, unexpected and unwanted visitors, an attack in the pueblo, pyrotechnic displays, a certain confession, and an ultimatum. Dracula ups the stakes, and did I mention I was putting Diego through the wringer on this one?

~Moved from the top~

Now this is a chapter that's had a recent radical change. This past Sunday I was talking over this week's chapters with Ghetto Outlaw, and it became clear that after Chapter 9, Diego would really need to have a talk with Padre Benites (I originally didn't have Diego quite so exhausted or stressed in Chapter 9, but as I was revising, it just seemed more believable to have him a lot more bothered by what was happening). And since Ghetto Outlaw had the clearest idea of what kind of conversation it should be and was actually enthusiastic to write it, that scene is almost entirely his (I think somewhere in our vows was a clause of "love, honor, and help each other with creative endeavors"). The rest of the chapter is mine. And this is a longer chapter than usual to tide you over until Monday's bloodletting.