Chapter 12: The shadow from the past

Arriving next to the desk, Isabella raised her head to the door, her heart pounding fiercely in her chest. She inspected the unique drawer and looked through the lock, hoping to see the contents... vainly.

She removed a brooch from her dress and began to fiddle the lock. With a click, the drawer finally opened up... Again Isabella looked to the door with nervousness. Then, she pulled open the drawer to discover its treasure... There were miscellaneous papers, a dagger and what it seemed like a gun.

"Mama!" Called Diego.

"Mama is coming." Answered Isabella as she took the first document exposed to her gaze. Pushed by curiosity and by the discovering the initials E.D. at the bottom of the paper, she began to read it.

"My dear pupil, you acquired quite a lot of knowledge since our encounter. I'm certain you'll manage to make a name as cruel as mine, your mentor. I heard say that Alta-California was an appropriate place for that kind of... market. Therefore, it is with regret that I free you of your allegiance's pact. I ended to find trace of my cousin and the time of my vengeance is getting closer. When you read this letter, I will probably be heading for the new-world. The sweet child has only one person to turn for help and this one... this man... would be there..."

Suddenly, a crack outside gave her a start and she stopped abruptly her reading before filing away briskly the document.

"Mama?" repeated the child with fear.

The señora hurried to close the drawer and returned to her place while refastening the brooch to her dress. As soon as she was sitting close to her son, the door opened brutally startling her. The build of a vaquero, well intoxicated, appeared in the doorway. The smile of the man made step back the señora while Diego began to cry. The man moved forward, smiling perversely, and quickly got next to a completely petrified Isabella.

"Hi beautiful." He said by putting a hand on the señora's shoulder.

"Don't touch me." She said harshly and taking a step back.

"Come on now, you don't have to be afraid, little girl."

When he tried again to put his hand on her, she shoved his arm by hitting him with the reverse of her hand. The mood of the man changed dramatically.

"Never has a woman dared to lay a hand on me." He said by hitting her harshly.

She fell back by crying with surprise and pain.

"Don't hurt my mama!" Yelled little Diego by coming to hit the intruder's legs.

"Nasty little snot." Said the man by willing to lay a hand on the child.

Outside, Isabella's cry didn't escape Monastario or El Lobo. Therefore, wasn't it surprising for him to see El Chivo enter furiously in the cabin. In one leap, Monastario stopped the arm of the man who then turned to the hindrance. Still outside, El Lobo made signs to his men to stay out of the case and he went closer to the cabin.

"El Chivo." Fumed the man, annoyed to have been interrupted.

The reply of Monastario wasn't verbal. His fist went striking the jaw of the man who stepped back under the impact and went hitting the desk which he overturned by falling. Absolutely furious, the drunk stood up and tried to hit Monastario, vainly. The former capitán dodged all the blows skillfully and noticed little Diego running next to his mother still lying on the floor, inert.

"Isabella!" He called with hope to make her react.

But there was no move from her. The drunk smiled tauntingly to Monastario which had the effect of receiving another blow to the face. As he stepped back due to the impact, the man tripped over the overturned desk and he finally fell when El Lobo arrived.

Without waiting, Enrique hurried to his niece's side near little Diego who had begun crying.

"Isabella, Isabella." He repeated by gently tapping her cheeks.

"Hernando." He heard El Lobo call.

"Si, Señor?" Was the quick answer of this one.

"Take care of the señora. Leoncio seemed to have manhandled her."

Hernando quickly went close to her while Monastario took little Diego in his arms to allow the man to take care of her.

On the floor, Leoncio grunted by taking his head then he rose by leaning against the floor. While he did so, he put a hand on a weapon. Throwing a bad look to Monastario, without paying attention to who was at his side, Leoncio picked up the dagger and rose up threatening.

"Leoncio!" Scolded El Lobo before noticing the weapon.

Startled, the man dropped his weapon and quickly sobered up. Very slowly, he turned toward him, a knot in his stomach. Without a word, but with a cold glare, El Lobo made him pick up the dagger. With a trembling hand, Leoncio handed it to him and went out in a hurry, stumbling in his haste.

Hernando examined the señora with a stethoscope. She didn't have any visible injury apart from an utmost redness to her face and a swollen lip.

The brute. He thought.

"Mama." Still was crying the little one.

"Your mother is alright, Diego. She will wake up." Monastario comforted him. "Stand strong now and stop crying."

"Yes... Uncle Rique." Sniffled the child.

"Your father is right, kid." Whispered Hernando.

"But... He is not my father." Hiccupped Diego, surprised by the sweetness in the voice of the man.

Enrique couldn't prevent a brief smile to appear in front of the puzzled look of the man while he turned to him.

"The señora is my niece. So, her son is my little nephew."

"Oh..."

"How is she?" Asked Monastario.

"The shock made her lose consciousness. Could you lay her down on the bed? She will be more comfortable there."

"Si." Agreed Enrique by putting the child on the floor.

El Lobo looked at them without saying anything; it was only when Señor Monastario laid his niece on the bed that he intervened.

"El Chivo, you can go out now."

"For that one of your men would come to hurt her?" Raged Monastario with bitterness.

"It won't happen again, be sure of that... Unless I give the order of course." He said with irony.

"You rapsca…"

An interruption slightly restrained him.

"Uncle Enrique…" Whispered a feeble voice.

Monastario turned to his niece, his anger brushed aside by her awakening.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"I'm a little confused... Where is Diego?"

"He is right here." He answered by taking the child in his arms and placing him next to his mother who came to sit up.

"Gracias."

"Mama!" Exclaimed the child by throwing himself in her arms.

"My uncle, control yourself." She whispered then.

"Si, Isabella." He answered before putting a kiss on her forehead and going out of the cabin.

"Hernando, leave us!" Ordered El Lobo.

The doctor obeyed without causing trouble under the worried look of Isabella, who noticed then the dagger which her abductor was holding in his hands... Once alone, he went locking the cabin's door and turned toward the señora who had a backward movement in front of his stern face.

"Señor?" She questioned.

"Don't be afraid my dear. Leoncio isn't always that unpleasant."

Effortlessly, El Lobo straightened up the desk and put back the dagger at its place.

"As for you, Señora, know that curiosity killed the cat."

"What do you want to say?" She asked innocently.

Could it be really the fall which opened the drawer? He doubted.

"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about. So I don't need to make it clear." He tried to keep good impression.

Isabella felt herself getting weaker and put her hand to her forehead.

"Mama?" Interrogated the child with worry.

"Mama is fine, Diego. She is a little tired." She explained.

Seeing that he couldn't manage to make her give in, El Lobo squeezed his fists with rage before going out.

Isabella sighed; she had twice a narrow escape. Better not push her luck at the moment. The little she learned wasn't worth risking her life for. She lay down and ended up falling asleep.

When she woke up, she got the surprise to find the doctor at her side.

"What are you doing here?" She asked with astonishment.

"Your tiredness of this morning has worried your uncle..." He said in a low voice. "I pretended having to see you for reassurance that it wasn't the blow you received which was the cause of it. The man who hurt you is a true brute. In a way, you were lucky that El Lobo let your uncle intervene..."

"Señor, I..."

"Call me Hernando please. I'm in the same case as you, Señora."

"Isabella De la Cruz." She introduced her.

"De la Cruz? Why does your name seem so familiar?" Astonished Hernando, skeptical. "Could you be related to Pablo De la Cruz's family?" He interrogated a hazy memory in mind.

Isabella shuddered by hearing this name, causing surprise to Hernando.

"I'm sorry; I didn't want to scare you." He said, wanting to get closer, but she vividly recoiled.

The initials of the document came back in memory. E.D.

"From where... From where do you know... this man?" She questioned with a heavy voice.

"This man?"

"Señor De la Cruz?" She said with difficulty.

"I don't know him personally. I overheard his name being spoken when I was led here."

"El Diablo... He haunts me again after his death." She whispered, taken by a violent shudder.

"I really didn't want to throw you into panic, Señora. Please excuse me." Said Hernando in front of Isabella's distress. "How are you feeling?" He asked to change the topic.

She shook with fear, incapable of saying anything.

"Señora, Señora?" He repeated before tapping her cheeks.

Surprised, she turned to him ready to hit him at his turn.

"Señora, drink this. It's a potion which will help you to rest, if you want?"

Isabella agreed silently and grabbed the flask held out by the doctor.

I have to clear this up so that I won't get her into such a state. Maybe her uncle could tell me more. Thought Hernando.

"Don't drink everything, Señora." He stopped her quickly after her first gulp. "Rest now."

Hernando watched over Isabella for a moment and then he explained to little Diego that his mama was very tired and needed silence. The child put a finger in front of his lips and said:

"Hush then, Señor, or else you're going to awake her."

The doctor smiled and saluted the child before going out, making him signs to stay silent.

Once outside, El Lobo called him.

"Hernando!"

"Si, Señor."

"How is the señora?"

"She needs rest and quiet. You know, she just recovered from her bullet injury."

"It's fruitless to remind me."

"If I can be permitted to give you advice, you should forbid the drink to your men during a time."

"One needs to get some fun." Smiled EL Lobo ironical.

Hernando sighed and went closer to Monastario under the inquisitive look of the chief. Both men began to talk, turning time to time toward the cabin.


NdA: Just a little word to thank you all for your comments and for your patience.