Chapter Twenty-Six
Diego had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow and for once, he had slept more than decent. His dreams began as a tangled web of confusion as they mirrored his current life. Murder and death. Pain and anguish. Suffering. Those were all the things that made him toss and turn in the beginning.
But, that all faded away as Olivia's face came to him like a warm, bright beacon in the darkness. After that, his dreams had been peaceful and calm. In his sleep, he had lived an entire life with her beside him. Happy and content.
In the end, though, they were still only dreams. That life was still out of reach for him. Yet, it gave him hope that one day it would be a reality.
He woke early the next morning, lying in bed as he watched his bedroom brighten with the morning sun. He'd lost himself in thoughts of the world he'd just left behind and the nightmare he was currently living in. It had been only a month since she had come into his life and a lot had happened. Perhaps too much for one man's lifetime.
But, sadly, that was the life of Zorro.
Deciding he'd properly depressed himself to ruin how refreshed he'd been earlier, it was time to get up and greet the day. It was still early enough that Bernardo had not yet brought him hot water to wash, but he didn't mind. He washed his face with the water from the night before and decided to forego shaving for now. His stomach was rumbling, eager for breakfast.
He dressed in his tan suit and red cravat and went downstairs to join his father for breakfast.
"I didn't expect to see you up so early, Diego," his father sipped from a cup of fresh coffee that had just been poured for him while his eyes scanned over the monthly expenses in his ledger.
Diego tried not to laugh at the way his father spoke to him. Three years ago, that would have been a backhanded comment from a father who was disappointed in his son. But, now his words carried concern and warmth. It was only slightly ironic.
"I slept better than expected." It was best to leave out how restless he'd been at first. He didn't need his father to worry about things he couldn't control. As he settled in at the dining table, Bernardo came in carrying a tray of food. He lifted the cloche covering the food and presented Don Alejandro with his usual morning fare. He then set one in front of Diego as well.
He just smiled as Diego looked at him in confusion, an eyebrow raised in question. There was no way his mozo would have known that he was awake yet and still he managed to surprise.
Choosing not to question it, Diego unfurled his napkin and reached for a fork as Bernardo poured him some coffee. "Was there any commotion from our guest last night?"
Bernardo had been on watch all night and yet still looked as fresh as if he'd just greeted the day. He shook his head in response.
"Is she awake yet?"
Again, he shook his head and informed them that she was still sleeping. He made a motion asking if they wanted him to wake her.
"No. Let her rest. This is probably the best sleep she's had in a long time."
"The girl carries a great burden on her shoulders," his father mused as he dabbed at the corners of his mouth with his napkin. "I only hope that she doesn't let it consume her." There was an implication to his voice that he wasn't only speaking of Olivia.
Diego decided that it was best not to acknowledge it outright. "With her lifelong goal within arm's reach, I can see how tempting it would be for her to just shrug off all of her desires for justice and to take revenge herself." As Zorro, Diego had found himself in a situation or two just like that. But, he'd become strong enough to know justice had to prevail. The right way.
Yet, if he was in Olivia's shoes and had come face-to-face with the man who had murdered his parents, he couldn't say he would have the same resolve.
"Yes, but once that line is crossed, it would be impossible to come back from it."
"Don't worry, Father. I'll make certain that line is never crossed." Unless it was absolutely necessary.
They continued their meal in silence, a heavy fog filling the room. This had been a conversation far too heavy for so early in the morning.
Thankfully, a distraction appeared in the shape of a visitor. They could hear the horses approach which drew Bernardo's attention to the front gate. He then turned to Diego, making a round gesture over his stomach.
"It looks like Sergeant Garcia has arrived for his morning inspection." Diego dabbed at his mouth with his napkin. "Show him in."
Bernardo waited for the soldier to knock before opening the door. The Sergeant trudged inside, slowly followed by Corporal Reyes. Both looked tired and weary.
"Buenos días, Sergeant. Corporal."
"Buenos días, Don Diego." The Corporal tried to fight back a yawn and failed before he could address Don Alejandro.
"It looks like the two of you have had a rough night," Don Alejandro examined them over the pages of his ledger.
"Yes. Please, come inside and have some coffee. The beans have recently arrived from Peru." Diego began to pour a fresh cup for both men.
The Corporal was eager to thank him, but the Sergeant interjected. "Thank you, no. We do not have the time for formalities this morning. We've only come as the Capitán asked."
Diego saw the way the Corporal frowned at his commanding officer and finished pouring the hot liquid. He then set it off to the side of him, before refilling his own. "All was quiet last night. Señorita Walker is still asleep. I hope that you don't need us to wake her?" He spooned in a bit of sugar into his cup and edged the bowl closer to the Corporal. He did the same with the cream as well.
The Sergeant's eyes went wide at the thought which gave the Corporal the chance to step up to grab for the cup the young Don had offered. "Erm, no. We should let her sleep after all she's been through." It was now the Sergeant's turn to yawn. "Oh, forgive me."
"Why are the two of you in such a state this morning?" Don Alejandro asked as he set aside his ledger and removed his reading glasses. "I do hope the Capitán hasn't been running to two of you ragged." He looked like he was about to storm down to the garrison and give the Comandante a piece of his mind.
"Oh, it's not that, Don Alejandro." He pulled at the strings of his hat and pushed it from his forehead. He produced a handkerchief from an inside pocket and dabbed at his face and neck. The Sergeant wasn't looking too good this morning. "We soldiers were awakened early this morning."
"Something had happened a few miles from the mission." Corporal Reyes continued to enjoy the coffee Diego had given him and now even was biting into a pastry Bernardo had just delivered from the kitchen—an ensaïmada.(1)
"Oh? What was that?" Diego pretended that he was just making polite conversation, but he was curious. It was usually so quiet around the mission, so two incidences in just as many days was suspicious.
"A man was found dead inside a cabaña not far from the main road."
The Sergeant was far too tired to chastise his Corporal, though he did send a glare of warning. "But, it is a military matter. Baboso!"
Diego's interest was piqued and he knew his father's was as well. "Do you know who he was?"
"No, Don Diego."
"We couldn't identify him anyway," the Corporal continued to enjoy his breakfast as he took another bite of the pastry.
The Sergeant went practically green at the sight, which meant he'd had enough. He grabbed the ensaïmada from his companion and stuffed the entire thing into Reyes' mouth. "Let's go, Corporal."
Reyes mumbled something in return as he chewed around the flaky crust in his mouth. He bowed his thanks to Don Diego and his father before following the Sergeant toward the door.
Diego wanted to know more about the man, but neither he nor his father needed the details of his demise. They wouldn't be able to identify the man because they couldn't. That much was clear by the way the Sergeant had cringed as the Corporal spoke about it.
"Must you leave so soon?" Diego tried to remain cheerful, though the fact that they had just been discussing a man's death had put a damper on whatever remained of his chipper mood.
"Sí, Don Diego," the Sergeant responded wearily. "We must report back to the Comandante. Thank you for your hospitality as well, Don Alejandro. Adiós."
"Adiós, Sergeant," Don Alejandro waved them off, a look of relief passed over his face when the door closed behind them.
Diego sipped from his cup as he looked toward his father. "What do you think of this?"
"A man found dead in a cabaña a few miles from the mission? It sound like it's too much to be a coincidence to me."
Nodding, he set down his coffee with a heavy sigh. "That's exactly what I was thinking. There are cabañas of that size all along El Camino Real, but it's far too convenient to be a coincidence." He tossed his napkin onto the table and looked to Bernardo. "Saddle the horses."
Bernardo nodded and quickly headed toward the stables.
"You're not going to investigate, are you?" His father's voice was clear with worry.
Diego smiled to reassure him, even though that was exactly what he was about to do. "I'm just going to take a look. It should be easier to find where we were being held in the daylight. And if this man was killed in the exact same place, then I feel that it's something that we should know, don't you?"
His father removed his glasses and set them down to look at his son. "I don't like it."
Diego shook his head. "I don't either, but if we're ever going to get through this, then it's something that needs to be done."
Finding the building was less difficult than Diego believed it would be. Starting from the mission, he and Bernardo road in the direction he remembered traveling from until they came upon the small cabaña where his entire world had turned upside down. It had taken less than an hour for them to ride out to the mission and even less time to find the cabin.
He could see the large "Z" he'd carved into the door as he and Bernardo slowly approached. Each kept an eye or ear out for any others nearby, but only heard silence. Most likely the arrival of the soldiers that morning had frightened off any trespassers from stopping by for a visit. Which meant it was unlikely that they would come face-to-face with either Borromeo or his men, but it would still be smart to remain on guard.
Dismounting, flashes of memories flooded his mind. Olivia riding in the saddle beside him as he dangled lifelessly in his own. Her breathy gasp of his name when she realized that he was stirring. The way she'd been forcibly dragged inside.
He jumped at the feel of Bernardo's hand landing on his shoulder. His mozo had noticed how uncomfortable he'd become while standing there and had to remind him that he was no longer a prisoner.
"I didn't expect to feel this way." He'd been in danger plenty of times and in plenty of different places. So, why was this one causing him to have nightmares?
Because this time he'd had a lot more to lose, a voice inside of him said.
That voice was right. She could have died. Yes, she could have fought a few of them off if she'd been by herself, but once the others showed up, her luck would have run out. They had been ruthless and would have stopped at nothing to take her down. Her bravery and skill would only last so long.
She'd been lucky that he'd been with her. And he'd been lucky that she had been with him. They'd saved one another's lives.
"Have you seen anything suspicious?"
Bernardo shook his head and informed his master that the place was deserted.
Nodding, Diego lifted the latch and pushed the door open. They were greeted by a heavy silence. The air carried the weight of something different since the last time he'd been there. It was uncomfortable.
The main room had been fixed up after the scuffle. A handful of chairs had been set up near the fireplace. One was set near the wall where there was a strange swirl of color against the pale adobe wall. He stepped closer for a better look, though he already knew what it was.
"It looks like someone tried to clean it up, but it's blood," he informed Bernardo.
So, his theory had been correct. Not only was this the cabin he and Olivia had been held in, but a man had been killed here afterward. And whoever pulled the trigger didn't seem to have any qualms about killing even his own men. Which meant that he would not hesitate to kill anyone else. Especially Olivia.
Diego knew what he had to do now. Before, this adversary was just like any other that Zorro had faced. Yes, there had been major risks with them as well and other lives had also been on the line, but now the stakes were much higher.
Bernardo tapped him on the shoulder and shrugged, asking him what he wanted to do next.
What did he want to do next? Diego wasn't sure. But, he knew what he had to do. "Let's go talk with Ramon."
"You look like you've had a long night, my friend," Diego told Ramon as he settled down at the table beside him. He had found the Captain in the tavern. A plate sat in front of him looking barely touched. He still had a fork in his hand and he merely pushed the food around with it. The man looked tired and a bit disheveled.
Ramon was nursing a large glass of wine, which surprised Diego. It was still early enough in the day that the officer shouldn't be drinking. "My last few days have been almost as rough as yours, Diego. Sergeant Garcia told me that everything was quiet on your end last night." He looked relieved at that. He was carrying too much on his plate and it looked like it was taking its toll on him.
"Yes, and he also told me that that hadn't been the case with you." Diego declined a drink when offered by the passing servant girl. Both he and Ramon knew his visit had a purpose.
Ramon smirked as he raised his glass again. He didn't seem to be surprised that the Sergeant had told him. "I can't say that I'll be sleeping sweetly for a while."
"Who was he?"
"I don't know. None of my men recognized him."
"Where was he found?" He wasn't in the mood to play coy with the officer. He wanted answers.
Ramon turned a pair of bloodshot eyes toward Diego. It startled him just how empty they looked. They were the eyes of a man who had seen things that no man should. "The fact that you're asking that question tells me that you already have an idea."
"Do you think it could have been Borromeo?" He was beginning to get frustrated that his questions weren't being answered.
He understood that Ramon had come to Los Angeles with great plans of peace and prosperity. And that it was not the hand he had currently been dealt. He understood how that might be affecting him. But, this was not the time to lose oneself if his own misery. People were dying. There was still a killer on the loose. Lives were still in danger and if they didn't act accordingly, Olivia's head was not going to be the only one on the chopping block.
The snort of laughter Ramon gave was almost disturbing. "Are you referring to the one who pulled the trigger or the one about to be buried?"
"Take your pick."
"I can't say for certain."
"What can you tell me, then?" He was desperate for any information the Captain was willing to give, but Ramon was only offering him breadcrumbs when he was starving for information.
"Diego, I know you want answers, but I just don't have them for you. I am as much in the dark as you. I'm sorry, I wish I could tell you everything, but I can't."
The caballero nodded in defeat as he leaned back in his chair with a slump to his shoulders. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
Ramon drained the last of his glass and, deciding that he had had enough, pushed it away. "Find a way to get a hold of Zorro."
"Zorro?" Diego frowned, not understanding.
The officer's eyes didn't meet his again as he stared ahead, blankly. He looked lost. "Yes. I fear that he is the only man who can help me."
(1) ensaïmada – a spiral-shaped sweet pastry made with yeast dough that is combined with eggs and lard