Chapter 10: Death was at appointment.

When Diego set off again, he thought back to his gesture towards Salena and reddened with confusion. He was beset with a profusion of feelings in her presence and he didn't manage to master them all in time. It was absentmindedly that he caught up with them.

Much later, once at the hacienda, Salena held back her friend at the bottom of the stairs, while he wanted to go upstairs in his bedroom.

"Diego." She called him.

"What is it?"

"I'd like to talk to you about the man who must have given you the message."

"You seemed to know him."

"He didn't talk to you, but you saw him too, Diego."

"What do you mean?"

"He is the man who tried to abduct me while you were fighting."

"The one you bit?"

"Indeed."

"I understand his talk with Don Sebastián better now."

"Could you enlighten me, Diego, por favor?"

"He explained having been bitten by a coyote. But this animal doesn't go that close so easily to humans. It intrigued me. So, this man didn't want his talk to be understood. And he must work for El Lobo too, if I believe the words of one of our aggressors."

"What did you decided about Señor Toledano's plan?"

"Don't worry about that, my dear. Go rest now."

"Si. Buenas noches, Diego." Said Salena before kissing him on his cheek.

He stayed dazed while she went back inside the hacienda. The young don got out of his thoughts by hearing his father giggle.

"Well, Son, Salena will end to overcome you." He joked.

"I'm afraid of it." He answered by using the same tone.

"What do you think about Capitán Toledano's plan?"

"The idea is good. It avoided the Fox needing to intervene."

"Nevertheless, he wished your participation." Underlined Don Alejandro.

"Indeed. But Capitán Toledano is not a false-hearted person. He is upright and fair."

"You're right on this point, he isn't like Monastario."

"They are, however, both good fencers." Asserted Diego.

"In a duel, which would win?" Questioned Don Alejandro, clever.

"Zorro." Answered Diego by laughing heartily making laugh his father.

...

The day after, it was broad daylight when Diego and Bernardo arrived to the pueblo with a cart already well filled with miscellaneous supplies.

"It's here that all will play out, my brave Bernardo." Said Diego while they stopped in front of the cuartel's gate. "Stay here; I will inform the capitán about our arrival."

Bernardo nodded affirmatively, and then Diego went down off the cart and walked to introduce himself at the entrance of the barracks.

"Buenos días, could I see Capitán Toledano?"

"Buenos días, si, Don Diego." Answered Corporal Reyes by opening the door to let him in.

With a quick step, Diego went knocking to the comandante's office door.

"Come in! ... Buenos días, Don Diego."

"Buenos días, Capitán. I came to see if the packages to bring to the padre are ready. The cart is in front of the cuartel, Bernardo is waiting for us."

"Come with me, Don Diego, the packages are inside the storeroom annexed to the barracks." Asserted Toledano as he stood up and went out of the office, Diego after him.

While they crossed the courtyard, Toledano did a discreet sign to Sergeant Garcia which agreed silently. The capitán and the young don went out of the barracks and went toward the storeroom. Diego signed to Bernardo to follow them with the cart. When Toledano opened the storeroom, he indicated three boxes to the young De la Vega.

"I will send my men to help you load the boxes. They are quite heavy, especially the longer."

"Gracias, Capitán."

Suddenly, the door of storeroom opened widely.

"Capitán, Capitán... It's horrible..."

"What is it, Sergeant?" Interrogated Arturo.

"The prisoner... He... He's dead." Exclaimed Garcia with gravity and holding his hat in his hands.

"The prisoner? Which one?" Asked Diego.

"Señorita De Castillos' vaquero." Answered the sergeant.

The capitán and Don Diego exchanged a heavy look.

"Duty is calling me, Don Diego. Be careful... Sergeant, go request Doctor Avila, I want his opinion."

The two officers went out, leaving Diego puzzled and gloomy. With a nod, he sent Bernardo to the cuartel to see what it was about. It was turmoil at its gates, nonetheless, Bernardo managed to sneak in to have a better view of the situation...

In the same time, two lancers arrived nearby Diego and helped him to load the boxes on the back end of the cart.

"Gracias, Señores." He thanked them before joining Bernardo with the cart.

This latter guessed his presence and turned to him with a dull look. Diego made him sign to come, and then they went away with the cart.

"So, Bernardo?"

The manservant signed him a dead man and the doctor.

"Doctor Avila confirmed the death of Sancho?"

Bernardo nodded slowly.

"So, we arrived too late... Whatever, we're going to the mission. I have to inform Padre Felipe." Sighed Diego.

The journey was quiet and full of bitterness. And when they arrived, Padre Felipe quickly noticed that something was wrong.

"Well, Diego, what a sorrowful look you have!"

"We arrived too late, Padre, Sancho is..."

"Peace to his soul." The padre crossed himself.

"Padre, warn the natives, some boxes are quite heavy, particularly the longer."

"Diego, don't feel guilty." Said the missionary by putting his hand on his left arm in a compassionate gesture.

The young De la Vega shuddered under the padre's gesture.

"You're injured, Diego?" He interrogated.

"It's nothing."

"Nothing? I've barely touched you and you reacted as if I had burned you with a hot iron." Said the missionary with astonishment.

Diego sighed in front of the worried look of his friend. He knew it was useless to hide the truth because he would eventually learn it one way or another.

"Two days ago." Began Diego. "Bandits attacked the hacienda despite the lancers' presence. We were welcoming then the viceroy, the governor, the alcalde and the main landowners of Los Angeles... There was only one shot... I was both lucky and unlucky. Lucky, because I permitted my father not to be hit; unlucky, because I was myself. However, the wound is not too annoying since I am right handed and not left handed."

"Did your father realize your gesture?"

"Not at the time... Besides, I'm certain that he would have given me a roasting if we didn't have people around at that time."

"Can I have a look?"

"Of course." Answered Diego making sign to Bernardo to stay and help the natives after the Padre explained to them what to do.

The manservant looked at his friend and the missionary moving away and disappearing inside the mission. Both men went to one of the interior rooms where Diego pulled off his vest and shirt. The bandage was clean and Diego began to undo it.

...

In the same time, Bernardo and the natives began to unload the cart, moving the miscellaneous boxes and supplies to the storeroom of the mission. To ease the work, they began with the little boxes, then they pursued with the more voluminous boxes. However, to put the last one in the reserve would have proven to be miraculous since it took a lot of space, above all in length.

For that reason, he stayed on the cart more than the others while with the visual indications of Bernardo, the things of the storeroom were re-arranged. It was not an easy task for him to be understood. When they finished, Bernardo realized that it wasn't yet the good layout and sighed.

The wince he made, as well as the mimic, was repeated by some natives who smiled just after. At least they took this with entertainment. He began to change some things of place, alone... But the natives didn't want to let him do it and helped him again.

At last, there was enough space to welcome the last long box. It needed four men to succeed in lifting it. When they put it down in the storeroom, the box began trembling and noises burst from it, making them step back with fear, one of them mumbled an incomprehensible word for Bernardo which stepped back as well.

The noise repeated and the natives went out of the storeroom, running; leaving Bernardo on place which was looking at the box with puzzlement.

...

Once Diego finished removing his bandage, the padre inspected the cicatrization.

"This is not a good year for you, Diego. You chained up the injuries since these last eight months."

"I noticed... However, the more serious is not attributed to my other me."

The face of the padre clouded over by looking at the mark that this old wound had made.

Doctor Avila told me about it... I didn't think it was so important.

"Does it still hurt you?" Asked Felipe.

"No, very fortunately." Sighed Diego. "Besides, El Lobo seems to be at the origin of this attack."

"Already him?"

"That's what I found four months ago, after my long convalescing."

"You gave your father more than one fright... And to the señorita, without speaking of Bernardo... The injury on your arm is not infected."

"That's a good thing." Underlined Diego.

"On the other hand, avoid brisk moves. The cicatrization seems to be correct, but the lesser effort could re-open the wound."

"Bernardo concocted me a balm that I apply regularly... It eases the pain as well."

"Permit me to come back on the attack of six months ago. If El Lobo was behind it, why has he done nothing since?"

"I ignore it, although the question crossed my mind... I can't manage to find the answer."

"And if this man was someone of your entourage, except for your family, of course."

"The possibilities remain large, but..." Interrupted Diego thoughtfully.

"You have an idea in mind, haven't you?"

"Yes, Padre. But before being hasty in my conclusion, I'm waiting for information on him."

"Padre, Padre Felipe!" They heard the frightened call.

Diego and the missionary looked at each other with surprise. What was happening?

"Padre Felipe!" Repeated the voice closer.

"I'll join you." Said Diego while the padre went closer to the door of the room.

The missionary agreed silently and 'ran' to the terrified native.

"What is it, my child?"

For any answer, the men made him sign to follow and led him to the storeroom. A thud was heard, like if they were hitting the boxes. Even Bernardo finally took cover from it.