Chapter 7: Troubles in sight.
A few minutes later, the De la Vegas, Bernardo, Salena and Miguel were riding toward Isabella's dwelling place. Don Alejandro and Miguel were on horses, although Diego explained that there was enough space for everybody in the carriage. Don Alejandro gave as a pretext that he preferred riding and Miguel simply refused, as he didn't feel at his place in a carriage. The distance was pleasant and garnished by some encounters with savage animals.
When they arrived, the place seemed desolate. The oppressing silence pushed Salena to get close to Diego. Each dismounted on his side, Diego helping gallantly Salena to get down of the carriage.
"Is there anybody?" Called Don Alejandro.
For any answer, birds flew off of the adjoining field, creating a growing unease feeling in Salena's heart.
"Let's see, Father. Monastario didn't send me here without reason." He whispered to him.
"Let's separate for searching." Suggested Don Alejandro.
Diego nodded.
"Miguel, stay here and look to the horses, please."
"Very well, Patrona."
Diego made sign to Bernardo to stay and to have a look in the garden. This latter approved silently this request; then the De la Vegas and Salena entered the house. They found the salon in disorder.
"Diego." Blown Salena ill at ease.
"Do you want to wait outside?" He asked.
Salena nodded negatively.
"Stay near me." He whispered by putting his hand round her waist.
"I will see the other rooms, Diego. Try to see what you can find here."
"Very well, Father."
While Don Alejandro was moving away, Diego and Salena went closer to miscellaneous bibelots on the floor. A sheet caught the señorita's attention whose curiosity won out over her fear.
"Diego, this way." She said by indicating her find.
After having picked up the piece of paper, they unfolded it delicately in order not to tear it, but they could only read a few words. 'Mexico... Viceroy... Dead... Zorro... Los Angeles.' One detail, however, caught Diego's attention. The stamped seal on the bottom of the page seemed to look like a wolf.
"El Lobo." Whispered Diego.
"He would be behind this carnage?" Interrogated Salena.
"I don't know, but what is this letter doing here?"
"No doubt that the person who sent you here has discovered something."
"It's quite probably."
"Diego." Called his father across the hacienda.
"Let's see, Salena."
"Stay near me, Diego." She whispered.
"Always." He retorted before kissing her forehead gently, making her forgetting her unease feeling.
"Where are you, Father?"
"I'm upstairs, to the left of the stair, the second door on right."
"Very well."
Arm in arm, Diego and Salena quickly ended up near Don Alejandro. This one was visibly despondent. He was in a room which probably belonged to the child.
"Dios!" Exclaimed Salena by discovering a blood stain on the floor next to the child bed.
She snuggled up in Diego's arms who embraced her tenderly.
"Do you believe that little Diego..." Began the young don without finishing his sentence.
Salena rose up her head at the enunciation of the children's first name.
"Little Diego?" She astonished with a hint of jealousy.
"Yes. I told you about him some time ago."
"Oh... This little Diego."
"Absolutely... Would you be jealous, my dear Salena?" He asked with a hint of a smile making her redden.
"Let's get down, Son." Intervened Don Alejandro, which would have smiled, if the situation wasn't so grave.
Diego approved the idea of his father and then went out of the room, keeping preciously Salena right next to him.
"What do you think, Father?" Asked Diego once they were outside.
"Your messenger wouldn't have sent you here to make a morbid discovery... There was a fight. Their things are here, yet... The only explanation I find is that Señora De la Cruz must have been kidnapped with her son... As for her uncle... It seems that he became a pawn of their captor."
"I'm afraid about it." Affirmed Diego. "Let's get home." He says then by making sign to Bernardo to come.
...
Indeed the outward journey had been pleasant, but the return wasn't restful. They were at midway when their road was cut by several armed men which faces were partly hidden behind scarves. Under duress to halt, they stayed nonetheless alert...
"Kill them!" Threw one of them.
This fool shall not have been there when El Lobo gave his orders. Thought one of those men lightly standing back.
To these words, Miguel and Don Alejandro charged the bandits who couldn't aim correctly as they shot.
They have really all to learn. Laughed silently the man still in the background. Then at his turn, he took his saber and charged the carriage in the same time as the others.
In a twinkling of an eye, one of them stopped nearby Salena and caught her while Diego was dodging assaults of another.
"Salena!" He exclaimed by hearing her screaming and calling for help.
Diego managed to knock out and unarm his opponent very quickly.
"Bernardo, go find shelter." He said to his friend.
Bernardo nodded and went down of the carriage before going to some bushes. Diego, weapon in hand, quickly located Salena who was struggling on her captor's horse.
"Fury." He vociferated. "Are you going to calm down?"
For an answer, Salena caught her captor's hand and bit it, making him let out a painful shriek; this had the effect to make smile Diego. The man took off his hand swiftly, freezing then Selena which did not hesitate to jump down off the horse, but she was surprised to find herself in Diego's arm which came to put away the weapon in order not to hurt her.
"Is everything alright, Salena?"
"Si, gracias." She answered by getting lost in his sight.
Cries behind them made them return to earth. Diego turned and dodged the attack easily, bending down, then and taking back the weapon which was on the ground. Salena crouched down, tripping her assailant up and taking his weapon before he got time to understand whatever just happened.
The man, who was observing without fighting, in spite of his saber in hand, noticed that the attackers of the young De la Vega and the señorita seemed to have forgotten El Lobo's orders. Grumbling very low as he had to intervene, he recalled them.
"Baboso! El Lobo wants the señorita and this young whippersnapper alive."
The words had the expected effect on the De la Vegas and they looked quickly to the owner of the orders... masked like the others. Then he dismounted and went closer to the young 'couple.'
Well, well, well, De la Vega, you don't hide your play in front of the señorita? Could she know your secret? He thought by moving forward.
Salena, noticing him, stepped in between him and Diego.
No, but tell me I'm dreaming! You've got to be kidding. Astonished the bandit by seeing her doing so.
This latter seemed hesitant but in front of the boldness of the señorita, he had no choice but to fight in order not to be treated like a coward. Diego heard the blades crossing behind him.
"Salena, be careful."
"Don't worry, Diego." She smiled by leaning against his back.
Don Alejandro and Miguel have been obliged to keep on fighting on the ground. And although Miguel wasn't an expert, he did well. In his place, Bernardo remarked a bandit which went out of the fight zone, a rifle in hand. Suspicious, Bernardo decided to follow him.
In the same time, lancers, led by Toledano, arrived nearby. The capitán made a sign halting his men and he observed the fight. The masked bandits, although numerous, were already to rout. Then, he recognized the De la Vegas. Don Alejandro went close to a man who just came to fall, wounded to a leg it seemed, and he protected him from other attacks. His look then landed on Salena and the young De la Vega.
"Well, lancers, it seems that the señorita was taught a lot." He said with amazement in front of her feat.
He lingered then on Don Diego at the time where the señorita and he inverted their places. The young don showed a lot of good quality fencing in spite of the label stuck to his skin in the pueblo. The capitán smiled in front of Diego's ardor and gave then the order to charge.
"De la Vega." Saluted the new opponent of Diego by seeing him and lunging without restraint.
"Señor." Answered Diego, parrying nonchalantly
"You have a nice black eye." Remarked his opponent by crossing again his blade with his.
"You know." Began the young don.
"What?" Asked the man by dropping then his defense.
"You too!" Exclaimed De la Vega by changing his weapon of hand before hitting him with a straight right and making him fall to the ground.
"De la Vega." Fumed the man.
"I am, too, glad to see you again, Señor." Diego said ironical.
Suddenly, noises of the hooves got the fighters' attention and they noticed the impending arrival of the lancers.
In the bushes, the lonely bandit was set up and was ready to shoot. His order was simple... Kill El Chivo... And this one, facing the young De la Vega, was a perfect target... Even so, at the exact time when he pulled the trigger, he fell down. In spite of the shot which echoed around, Bernardo felicitated himself and put away the piece of wood he just used to knock out the shooter. The bullet whistled between Diego and Monastario's faces, as they turned following the detonation, and ricocheted off the rock behind them coming back toward Salena's opponent.
Suddenly wounded without knowing how, he decided to leave before it got too late. Monastario knew that he had to do the same, but he couldn't refrain a last comment.
"Don Diego... I thank you."
Salena turned back, surprised, and looked the bandit departing while Diego leant on the weapon he had in hand and observed the lancers arriving.
Toledano stopped but made sign to his men to chase after the bandits.
"Is everything alright, Señores, Señorita?" He asked by staring at Don Diego.
"Si, gracias." This latter answered while Don Alejandro helped the vaquero stand up.
"Miguel!" Exclaimed Salena with worry, dropping her weapon and running to him.
So it's him. Realized the capitán.
"I didn't know you were such a good fencer, Don Diego." He said with a cunning look.
"My father gave me some lessons." Explained Diego with a smile, but it reminded him of an older talk with the capitán.
He must have seen me from afar, it's bad for me.
Then Toledano turned to Don Alejandro and Diego felt a weight disappearing from his shoulders.
"Señores?" He asked.
"It's nothing serious, Señor." Miguel answered by limping, helped by Don Alejandro and Salena.
"Be careful, Señores, Señorita." He saluted then.
"Capitán, it seems to me that you will see us sooner than you think." Remarked Diego while he saw Bernardo arriving, dragging behind him the bandit which he had knocked out.
"Indeed... Could I ask you to bring him to the cuartel? I have to join my men."
"Of course, Capitán." Answered Diego.
"Gracias." He said before riding away.
"Miguel, it is out of the question that you'll ride with this wound. So, get in the carriage." Said Salena more harshly than she would have wanted.
"Si, Patrona." Answered Miguel without making a fuss.
Diego helped Miguel to get into the carriage, and then did the same with Salena before making sign to Bernardo to drive the carriage.
"What about you, Diego?" Asked Salena.
"I'll ride behind the bandit that Bernardo solidly tied up."
That's how they found themselves in the pueblo.
"Father, I will bring this scoundrel to the sergeant. I think that the capitán will soon be back."
"Very well, Son. As for me, I shall take Miguel to see Doctor Avila. Salena will stay with us."
"Very well. I'll join you later to the tavern."
Diego went to the cuartel where he found the sergeant on guard.
"Buenas tardes, Sergeant Garcia."
"Buenas tardes, Don Diego. What do you bring us there?" He asked by noticing the tied man.
"He is one of the bandits which attacked us. But thanks to the intervention of the capitán, all ended well."
"The capitán?"
"Yes, he shouldn't be long to arrive." Explained Diego by dismounting. "He asked us to bring this prisoner to you."
The sergeant made sign to the lancers there to take care of the prisoner while Diego looked at the cells.
"Who's that man?" He asked.
"His name is Sancho. According to Zorro, he would have tried to trap Señorita De Castillos."
"So it's him."
"Did the capitán inform you about..."
Diego interrupted him.
"Sergeant, I'm afraid that it's not the place to talk about that... Besides, don't lock up this new bandit in the same cell as him. I fear that it will end badly."
Do you think?" Interrogated the sergeant surprised.
"Believe in my intuition."
"Well..." He said by making sign to his men to lock him as far as possible. "Oh, Don Diego, before I forget, please follow me in the office, por favor."
"What's the matter?" Questionned Diego puzzled.
"It's nothing really bad I assure you now... But since it's you who brought this new prisoner, I need you for the formalities."
"But certainly, Sergeant."
Capitan Toledano, will you be attempting to trap me? Diego wondered by following the sergeant, while the lancers put the bandit two cells afar from the one of Sancho.
