Chapter 17: A mistake too much
While Zorro reached El Lobo's camp, lancers were getting ready to leave the Pueblo of Los Angeles.
"I will come along with you." Don Alejandro sustained.
"My friend, take care of yourself." Avila pressed.
"You should go home to inform Don Diego about the situation." Toledano announced to him.
"What do you want him to do? He is no man to fight." Alejandro said. "So it is useless to trouble him with this case."
"Yet, he seems to be rather gifted." The capitán underlined.
Words suddenly failed Don Alejandro.
"Señor Toledano, De la Vega's hacienda is not on our way. We're going to lose time if we go and inform Don Diego." Monastario intervened. "Besides, Señor De la Vega won't be too much help to us." He added then.
Silently, the old hidalgo thanked the former capitán. Toledano observed the exchange between those two men, neither one nor the other will change their mind.
"Let's go!" He said making sign to the lancers and opening the way, respectively on his right and on his left, Don Alejandro and Monastario.
The advance toward the encampment was made quickly and silently. However, eager for answers, Toledano turned to the former commandante.
"Tell me, Señor Monastario, I read your notes in the margin of the sergeant's report... They are very interesting."
What is he talking about? Wondered Don Alejandro, staying impassive and attentive.
Monastario smiled tauntingly.
"The Fox, didn't he ever humiliate you?" Enrique asked.
"I did have encounters with him a few times... The very first was the day of my arrival. After that, I saw him very few."
"Did you have the occasion to cross swords with him?"
"In all the meaning of the term. I crossed swords with and against him... He is an outstanding fencer." Toledano smiled.
"I bet he won each of yours jousts."
Don Alejandro hid a smile.
"Don't be so sure, Señor... During our last encounter, I unarmed the Fox."
Señor De la Vega lost his smile and turned to the capitán with astonishment.
"Congratulations, Capitán Toledano." Monastario said no less astonished than Don Alejandro.
"I deserve no credit, Señor... This day, Zorro was unwell. How is your wound?"
"It's just a scratch. Don't worry yourself, I experienced quite worse."
"The Fox?" Arturo interrogated without believing it.
"No, Zorro had never hurt me physically. Except maybe one time, but he didn't know then who his opponent was... It's my... It's my pride and my vanity which were hurt. How is your arm?" He asked for changing the conversation.
"A scratch!" Retorted Toledano by smiling.
"Let's hurry or Don Sebastián will have time to reorganize his troops." Don Alejandro remarked.
Toledano and Monastario silently approved Señor De la Vega's words and the ride accelerated.
...
When Zorro arrived at a reasonable distance from the second cabin, the explosion was heard and the blast knocked him down on the ground. He stood up a little dizzy and turned to see the extent of the damage.
Well! It was close. He said to himself before hastening his pace, he had a wolf to soften up.
The sound of the explosion wasn't unheard for the lancers or the other encampment.
El Lobo smiled... In spite of the bad news of Antonio, the Fox could not have survived.
It's a pity for Antonio. El Lobo thought ironical by looking at the now lifeless body of the bandit.
A hooting suddenly warned him for the approach of an intruder.
Lancers are quick. He realized by losing his smile.
"Wait for my signal." He said as a black shadow sneaked on the roof of the cabin and hid among branches of the surrounding trees.
Zorro observed El Lobo getting close to the cabin and guessed him entering. He had notice an opened skylight and took benefit of it to be able getting inside the cabin. The skylight opened revealing numerous beams, which participated to the support of the roofing.
"What are your doing next to my sweet?" El Lobo vividly asked.
Zorro clenched his fists with anger. How dare that man speak like that about Salena?
Isabella. He thought when he saw her stepping back terrified.
"Señor, Señora De la Cruz helped me." Explained a man that Zorro couldn't see.
"I didn't ask you anything." El Lobo said with that same furor.
The man hushed and it seemed to Zorro that this latter put himself on the sidelines. Isabella was trembling with fear, but the whispered words of the young woman came back to her mind.
"Your sweet?" She exclaimed! "I doubt that a man like you could be loved." She let out with ardor.
But why did I said that? She opened her eyes wide by seeing him stepping to her with agitation.
Nor the sound of the slap or the cry of pain escaped Zorro who was infuriated within himself. Isabella fell down, the heart palpitating. Little Diego rose and ran to the bad guy.
"Brute." The child exclaimed.
Fulminating, El Lobo violently pushed back the little one with the back of his hand.
"Diego!" Cried out Isabella.
As she stood up, she wanted to go and see him but El Lobo stopped her.
"That's enough of my patience, Señora." He said by firmly grabbing her.
Zorro saw him take an object in the desk drawer and hide it behind his back, but he didn't manage to know what it was. Then Don Sebastián led Isabella to the cabin's door.
Revolted by the gesture of this man and his behavior, Zorro fought against himself in order not to go down.
El Lobo stopped on the doorstep and placed his gun against the señora's temple.
Zorro then observed little Diego beginning to move for his great solace. Seized by pain, the child began to cry while outside the lancers arrived.
"Tell him to be quiet." Complained Don Sebastián.
"You did hurt him, brute that you are." Isabella retorted.
"Señora." El Lobo growled.
"Señor, give yourself up without making a fuss." Toledano ordered, making him forget Señora De la Cruz.
Señor De Otsoa raised his head and observed the lancers in front of him. There were just a handful of soldiers, Capitán Toledano, Señor De la Vega and... El Chivo.
"You're a funny one, Capitán. Do you really believe that I will surrender without fighting?"
"You will risk the lives of your men for your own good pleasure?" Monastario interrogated.
"My men are quite more efficient than the lancers of Los Angeles." El Lobo retorted before strongly whistling.
Bullets began to rain among the lancers who scattered. Monastario stayed on place, looking around him and making a perfect target for Don Sebastián.
Taking off his gun of the señora's temple, he then aimed at him.
"Adiós, El Chivo." He whispered.
"No." Exclaimed Isabella by firmly pushing him.
Unbalanced, El Lobo missed his target. However, the bullet hit the tree next to Monastario whose mount suddenly reared up making him fall on the ground.
Don Sebastián turned again to Isabella who just stepped back again.
"Señora, you can say farewell to your son." El Lobo roared by aiming at the little one.
"No!" Cried out Isabella by rushing at Diego to protect him with her body.
Perched above, Zorro perceived the danger and made crack his whip, turning away the shot at the last second.
El Lobo raised his head to the intruder, surprised and grumbling of this interruption.
"Zorro!" He exclaimed.
Without thinking, he aimed at him and he wanted to shoot... Vainly. His weapon was empty. Fuming, he threw it on the floor and took out his sword while the Fox went down of his perch. Hernando stepped back in a corner of the room when he saw him. Isabella opened her eyes and turned her head at El Lobo's exclamation.
Diego. She smiled by discovering him.
Cantankerously, the Wolf pounced on the Fox.
"It appears you're a good fencer." He taunted.
"A good fencer? It's an affront just to think about it, Señor." Zorro said ironical by increasing his cadence of attack.
Don Sebastián lost his smile; the outlaw was playing with him.
Gee! He thought in front of the ease which the Fox parried and dodged his assaults.
However, he didn't play his last card and tried to unsettle his opponent by leading him close to Señora De la Cruz. He felt tiredness winning on him and knew he had to act quickly to have luck to defeat the black rider.
"You're worthless, Señor De Otsoa." Zorro growled by leading him back close to the door.
Outside, fired shots didn't stop raining but the bandits found themselves put to rout thanks to the information given by Monastario. Chevaux de frises supposed to slow down the lancers got the contrary effect and were obstacles to the escape of the bandits as other lancers were resolutely waiting for them on the other side of the traps.
Leaning against the door, Don Sebastián was cursing. Nonetheless, luck changed tragically in his favor when a shot shattered the window, making cry out Isabella in surprise and pain. Zorro turned his head with worry to her, momentarily forgetting his opponent. Machiavellian, El Lobo erased a quick smile and caught his dagger, hidden in his back, with his left hand.
"Señora De la Cruz?" Zorro questioned by seeing her hunched on the floor.
He saw her react and sighed with relief, but he had a feeling of impending danger.
"Señor Zorro!" Suddenly called Hernando as he tried to warn him when El Lobo struck.
Zorro turned his head then to Don Sebastián and noticed his smile. He guessed the left arm of his opponent on his right, then he felt more than he saw a blade biting into his flesh, in his back, at the level of his shoulder. His weapon, suddenly heavy, fell on the ground while he muffled his pain and he raised his left hand to his wound as he moved back, forcing El Lobo to let go of his dagger, which remained in the wound.
"D... Dios, Zorro." Isabella felt sorry, missing to say wrong.
She had heard Hernando's call. Hazy, she had turned and became witness of the drama. She had felt her friend's pain and felt guilty about it.
Don Sebastian sniggered at his success. In bad state, Zorro knew that this wound will cause him troubles if the fight dragged on.
"You're less showing off." El Lobo taunted.
Zorro's sight became blurred. Outside, shots had stopped.
"The game is over, Zorro."
"For you." The Fox asserted by getting a grip on himself and dodging his opponent's assault.
But, the Fox was unarmed and could only dodge. He found himself driving back against one of the cabin's wall. El Lobo smiled with a jeering look, he had won.
"Adiós, Señor Zorro." He said by pouncing on him.
