Chapter 5: Salena
After having retrieved his wits, Zorro thanked Tornado.
He gave me quite a blow. He thought by running a hand on his painful cheekbone. I have to go to Isabella's hacienda, but... not like this... I will risk causing more trouble for Señor Monastario. On the contrary, a courtesy visit from the De la Vegas...
"My good Tornado, what would you do in my place? Chase after these bandits to the risk of..." He stopped abruptly. "No, it would be wise to stop the searching. After all, I learnt something. Come now, Tornado, let's go home!"
On the way back home, Zorro got the surprise to come across Señorita De Castillos accompanied by Miguel and another vaquero.
"Hola, Señorita! What are you doing by here?"
"Señor Zorro." She saluted. "Sancho told me that Don Diego De la Vega had trouble."
"Oh... Well, Sancho is wrong, Señorita." Asserted Zorro by looking at the man named Sancho who turned pale by seeing the outlaw. "Señor De la Vega is not around, I can assert it. Moreover, don't you know that this road is dangerous?"
Sancho made a sudden about-turn and galloped away.
"Sancho!" Exclaimed Miguel, throwing his horse after him.
"Miguel!" Tried Salena, vainly. "Zorro, do something."
"And let you alone? Out of question!"
"Well then, I will come along with you."
"Salena, I would be angry with myself if anything ever happen to you."
"Señor, by your side nothing can happen to me." She smiled… "What happened to you?" She asked then.
"What do you want to say?"
"You're bleeding."
"It's a long story that I will relate you with pleasure after having caught Miguel."
"Vamos!" Cried out Salena, while she cracked her reins and then her mount ride away quickly, leaving Zorro in the lurch.
"Tss... She is incredible." He said by looking at her before giving chasing, a smile on his lips.
Tornado caught up with her without trouble; and soon, they had Miguel and Sancho in sight. Salena and Zorro exchanged a look before making accelerate their mounts. However quicker, Zorro arrived first near Miguel.
"Miguel, I shall take care of him... Be careful that Señorita goes to the De la Vegas. Their hacienda is nearer by using the other road and she'll be safe there."
"Si, Zorro." Answered Miguel by slowing his mount while Zorro accelerated again.
Soon, Salena caught up with Miguel who came to a halt. She stopped her ride at his side.
"What happened, Miguel?"
"Zorro entrusted me a new mission, Patrona."
"Which is it?"
"Leading you to the De la Vegas."
"What?" She says with astonishment.
Diego. She grumbled within her.
"Very well, Miguel." She sighed.
The vaquero looked at her with surprise; his mistress had given her agreement too quickly. He had to watch her very carefully. Knowing her, she was capable of anything.
"It won't be necessary to knock me out this time." She says like if she had guessed Miguel's thoughts.
"I wouldn't allow myself anymore, Patrona." Miguel said a little pale.
…
Settling his speed on his prey, Zorro pounced on him. The bandit fell off his horse, dragging the Fox along with him. They fell in a clump of brushwood which stopped them dead. Zorro rose up vividly and grabbed Sancho firmly by his shirt.
"Have mercy, Zorro!" He stammered.
"Mercy? Why were you leading the señorita to this place? Why imply Señor De la Vega?" Interrogated briskly the Fox.
"That's... It's the order... that I received." Stuttered Sancho.
"The order? Who gave you this order?" Growled Zorro without releasing him.
Sancho, whom feet didn't touch ground, implored again the man in black.
"Kill me, Señor!"
"Kill you?" Exclaimed Zorro, indignant. "Give me one good reason to do so." He asserted then by putting him down while the pain in his injured left arm appeared.
"If you don't do it, he will."
"Who?"
"El... El Lobo." Whispered Sancho.
"El Lobo? What does he want from the señorita?"
"I... I ignore it... He simply told me to go and look for her, by using the name of Señor De la Vega. I didn't know you would be there, Señor Zorro. Por favor, kill me!" He implored again.
"No!"
While Zorro was releasing him a little, Sancho took benefit and tried to hit him in order to free himself. But skilful, the Fox dodged all attacks and ended to knock him out. Then he tied him up, gagged him, and tied him to his horse for more security. At his turn, he mounted on Tornado, which just came to get closer. Then he caught the reins of the other horse and rode toward the pueblo. He didn't have to go that far, when he came across Garcia and some lancers.
"Zorro!" Exclaimed the sergeant by seeing him.
"Buenos días, Sergeant." The Fox saluted him before continuing. "You come at the right moment, you know! This rascal wanted to trap Señorita De Castillos and make her fall in an ambush. A chance for the señorita that I found myself in the vicinity. Will you please lead him to a cell?"
"Si, Señor Zorro... How is the señorita?"
"She is fine. I asked her vaquero, which was with her, to escort her to the De la Vegas. She will be safer there."
"Oh..."
"Adíos, Sergeant." Shortened the Fox by letting go the other horse's reins.
Then, he went away like nothing happened. The sergeant ordered to his men to take care of the prisoner and watched the Fox slipping away.
"Lancers! Let's go to Los Angeles." He ordered then.
...
Back to the cuartel, Sergeant Garcia went to knock at the office of el comandante.
"Come in!" Answered Toledano.
"Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia to report, mi Capitán." He said on attention.
"I'm listening, Sergeant." Asserted Toledano by putting down Zorro's file which he was going over with a fine-tooth comb.
"During our daily drill, we apprehended a bandit who wanted to attack Señorita De Castillos. The bandit is now locked up in cell."
"What happened exactly?"
"Well... I... To be honest, we crossed paths with Zorro who handed over the prisoner to us."
"Oh! You saw the Fox?"
"Si, Capitán! Like I see you."
"I assume that you don't know what he was doing in the vicinity."
"Er... No." Affirmed Garcia after a time of thinking.
"Did you see Señorita De Castillos?"
"No. Zorro would have asked the vaquero, which accompanied the señorita, to lead her by the De la Vegas where she would be safer."
"So, she would be by the De la Vegas?"
"That's what I said."
"Something else, Sergeant?" Interrogated Toledano in front of the thoughtful face of his officer.
"Yes... Since he regained consciousness, the prisoner doesn't stop repeating: "Mercy, he will kill me, he will kill me... Por Favor." Garcia interrupted himself ill at ease.
"Well, Sergeant?"
"Por favor, kill me!"
The capitán rose up, surprised by the demand of the prisoner.
"Is he under good surveillance?"
"Si, mi Capitán, as usual."
"Let's see him."
"Si, mi Capitán." Answered Garcia before going to open the door to his superior, missing to open it on Toledano's face.
"Come now, Sergeant Garcia, be careful! I'm very fond of my husband." Intervened Raquel before laughing.
"Please excuse me, Señora... Señora? When did you arrive?" Interrogated Garcia.
"Just a few minutes before you came to knock at the door."
"Sergeant, the prisoner." Arturo reminded him gravely.
"Si, mi Capitán."
Raquel exchanged a look with Arturo and this one loses immediately his solemn face, and got his smile back.
The two officers went straight in front of the cell where the bandit was. The two lancers on guard saluted their superior when he stopped nearby them. The man in the cell was hunched, mumbling mercy by repetition.
"Hola, Hombre!" The capitán called him.
Hearing him, the man leaped up and came clinging to the bars.
"Mercy, Señor... Don't let me live... He will kill me!"
"Calm down, you're safe here."
"But you don't understand! He will kill me. There are no bars which will prevent him."
"Who would want to kill you?" Interrogated the capitán.
"El... El Lobo." Stammered the man.
"What does he looks like?"
"I don't know... He is... He is always masked."
Toledano frowned, intrigued.
"Always?" Repeated the sergeant unintentionally.
"The few to know his face are his devotees... or his next victims... Mercy." Implored again the prisoner.
"Señor, it is my duty to protect you... No one will come in the cuartel, neither today nor tomorrow." Sustained Toledano before going back to his quarters in spite of the prisoner's supplications.
"Sergeant Garcia." He called once at his office's door.
"Si, mi Capitan." The latter answered by going closer.
Toledano made him sign to follow him inside the office. Visibly the talk had to remain secret.
...
In the meantime, back to the cave, Diego hurried changing. When he entered in his room, after having checked that nobody was in it, he lingered in front of the mirror.
"Well! Señor Monastario did bungle me... Besides a black eye, he lightly injured my cheekbone... It would be difficult to me explaining both... in the same time." He said aloud before sighing and running some water on his face.
Then he turned round and went closer to the door to go out of the bedroom. He missed to get it in his face when Bernardo entered vividly.
"Bernardo! What a hurry my friend!"
Bernardo explained him that a señorita just arrived.
"Salena?"
Bernardo nodded affirmatively.
"Good, Miguel did what I asked him."
Bernardo looked at him puzzled.
"Zorro crossed their way some time ago... I asked Miguel to ride Señorita De Castillos by the De la Vegas."
While hearing his explanation, Bernardo realized that his friend was wounded and asked him the reason.
"Had you opened the door on me, it would have had the same effect." Remarked Diego. "Except for a bump... From memory, it's in first the forehead which takes the blow. Unless if we don't look in front of us. And clumsy as I am, it's not difficult for me. Isn't it, my brave Bernardo?"
Bernardo smiled and nodded positively.
"How's that!" Exclaimed the young don.
"Diego?" Called his father. "You have a visitor."
"I'm coming, Father." He answered.
Bernardo bowed and showed him the way.
"Thank you my friend." Said Diego, smiling.
"Salena." He exclaimed once in the salon by seeing her. "What a pleasure to see you again."
When at her side, he kissed her hand and kept it in his, longer than necessary.
"Diego." She saluted. "What happened to you?" She asked straightaway by noticing his face.
"Oh... Nothing extraordinary. I hit my bedroom door. I wanted to go out just when Bernardo arrived and opened the door on his side."
"My poor friend." She said while putting a hand on his swollen cheek without paying attention to it.
Diego closed his eyes a short time to this sudden touch. Embarrassed without knowing why, Salena took off her hand swiftly.
"You came alone?" Interrogated Don Alejandro.
"No, Miguel is with me. He is taking care of the horses. Diego, why did you ask Miguel to lead me here?"
Don Alejandro looked at his son with interest.
"I think that some explanations are necessary, Son"
"Let's go in the library." Diego asserted by opening the way and catching Salena by her arm.
"I assumed that you didn't hurt yourself with the door." Affirmed Don Alejandro after having closed the door behind him.
"Indeed." Diego sighed releasing Salena's arm and proposing her the sofa.
"Gracias, Diego."
"As Don Esteban thinks, I went out looking for our aggressors from the day before." Explained Diego as he stayed standing. "Their trails weren't fresh; nonetheless, I went to where Bernardo and I had been chased six months ago... I then met Señor Monastario."
"Monastario?" Astonished Don Alejandro.
"Exactly, Father. He was fighting against three men and a fourth was observing. This man, Yago, saw me."
"Yago." Repeated Salena quivering and catching her arms, suddenly cold.
"Yes." Answered Diego by getting closer to her.
As soon as he sat at her side, Salena took refuge against him and Diego took her by the shoulder, raising her head to his father who was smiling in front of this picture. Diego continued then his narration.
"Yago indicated my presence and the three men, seeing me, took flight. Only Monastario stayed and came closer to me. We fought in a more or less forced way. During the struggle, Monastario made me understand that he wasn't acting willingly and that he was watched. After a short time, we found ourselves alone and I felt Monastario relaxing. However, we kept on fighting... He simply told me to go and see Isabella, speaking to me in a whisper. And he mentioned the name of El Lobo before hitting me with the pommel of his weapon. After which, he left at his turn."
"Monastario? Leaving during a fight?" Said Don Alejandro with astonishment.
"Si... I stayed as stunned as you. It's not really like him."
"In all case, he did bungle you, Son."
"He excused himself in advance."
"Did you take care of it, Diego?" Interrogated Salena by taking some distance to look at him.
"I didn't have time yet."
"It doesn't explain why you asked Miguel..."
"I'm reaching it, Father." He interrupted him. "When I found my wits again and left to go home, I saw Salena accompanied by Miguel and..."
"Sancho." Finished Salena.
"Salena explained worrying for me. Sancho let her hear that Don Diego De la Vega was in trouble. That wasn't true, of course. Sancho suddenly ran away and Miguel was the first to chase after him. Then, we ran after him at our turn. It was out of the question to let Salena alone there. Tornado being quicker, I ended next to Miguel first. Salena was only at some meters behind me. So, I asked Miguel to ride Salena by the De la Vegas where she would be safer. If Sancho, a vaquero, could have known to convince her, I thought that in our home she wouldn't risk this sort of abuse... Besides, I managed to catch Sancho which implored me to eliminate him... Once I managed to make him speak, I left him to Sergeant Garcia who I crossed on the way."
"What did Sancho say?" Interrogated Salena.
"El Lobo." Answered Diego taking her hand. "I ignored what this person wants from Salena and why he implied me... As for Isabella..."
Diego stopped, a horseman had just arrived.
"You're waiting for a visitor, Father?"
"No."
"Let's see, it's could be important."
