A.N – What happened with the last chapter? Did I scare you off with the warning? Or half of my readers are under 16, and following instructions they obediently skipped the chapter? (Somehow, I don't think so).
I only mention this because my usual number of readers has halved, and I only got one review for chapter 19, which I think is odd. Is it maybe because you thought that, with my obsession for maiming the characters, I would indulge in a sadomasochist scene of Zorro flogging and abusing an innocent, naïve, virginal Victoria? No, I only chose the title "50 shades" for kicks. Nothing to do with that.
Maybe I shouldn't have put that warning upfront, because tbh, the sex is not that bad, hard, or explicit. Not a single mention of a nipple or a penis there, and much left to imagination and experience. Oh, my! ;)
Well, writer's rant over. Enjoy the action now.
Chapter 20 – A sound thrashing
That morning, the pleasant smell of Zorro's body still lingered on Victoria's skin. She didn't wash it off because she wanted to keep it for as long as possible. Like that famous painting of a woman with a light, secretive smile, she could not erase that smirk off her face easily, despite being so worried about what could happen to Zorro if he had to face the alcalde that day. Every time she sniffed her own skin, she would catch that faint, unique mixture of male sweat and aromatic salts, immediately bumping the knowing smile back on her face. She tried to carry on normally as if nothing had happened, but the memories of the previous night kept popping into her mind, making her wonder how it was possible nobody else had a clue of what had happened in her bedroom. She felt a mixture of embarrassment and elation about it, and she could hardly concentrate on what she was doing.
Pilar noticed she was acting oddly, but she didn't question her about it. Whatever the cause for her absent, dreamy state, it had to be something good. As she was older and more experienced than Victoria, she suspected Zorro could have something to do with it, but she didn't want to embarrass her boss asking her for details.
ZZZ
Diego hesitated in the kitchen. He needed an alibi to stay home while Zorro saved the day, or at least to pretend he was, and for that he had to administer some drugs to Esteban to make him sick. He felt sorry for him, because the last thing the poor chap needed in his pitiful state was suffering from abdominal cramps and violent bouts of sickness. But he could not think of a more convenient way to make Diego stay behind at the hacienda later on. So, he added the emetic herbal mixture he had prepared to Esteban's breakfast, together with the laudanum, and took the bowl to his room.
"More porridge? I'm starting to dislike it, really," Esteban said, sitting up semi-straight as he could tolerate the pressure on his back a bit better. "At least Lucía is not here to shove it up my throat. Can I have some magdalenas instead?"
"It is good for you, and I have mixed some laudanum with it again. Doctor's orders. If you want to be less sore today, I suggest you take it."
Esteban took the bowl and started eating the porridge, not needing any help now with the spoon.
"This is disgusting, vile stuff."
"Eat it," Diego insisted. Luckily, Esteban was hungry, so he carried on eating despite his complaints.
"Are you going to the pueblo today? What do you think that son of a bitch is going to do?"
"Yes, we are going to the pueblo now to find out what's going on. I don't know what the alcalde intends to do. I think he will probably carry on his threat to flog those farmers to lure Zorro in."
Right then, Don Alejandro came into Esteban's bedroom looking for Diego.
"Are you ready? Come on, I don't want to be late. We have to be there to stop the alcalde."
"Don't stop him as well as I did," Esteban said, bitter.
"I don't know how, but we have to stop him. And he has to pay for what he did to you, so I hope that brazen, shameless Zorro gives him a sound thrashing today. That might teach Ramón to restrain his evil instincts."
Diego looked at his father, surprised, because that comment was a bit unusual for him, as it was his new, slight resentment towards the masked hero. However, Diego was glad "cheeky" Zorro had permission from his old man to deliver a good battering to the alcalde.
"Will you be alright here on your own?" Don Alejandro asked.
"Yes, I'll be alright, thank you. I feel much better today. And I'm sure the magic properties of this wonderfully tasty porridge will get me back on my feet in no time at all," he joked, winking at Diego.
If you only knew… If anything, it is going to get you on your knees! Diego thought, smiling back at his cousin innocently.
"Vamos entonces. Felipe is waiting outside with the horses already saddled. We'll see you later."
"Have fun," Esteban said, waiving with the spoon, then sinking it again in the porridge to finish it off.
ZZZ
At the pueblo, Diego had a good look around searching for clues of what the alcalde's plans could be. Waiting at the side of the streets he saw the usual, large and heavy carts the soldiers would use to block the exits once Zorro had reached the plaza. Nothing new there, and Toronado had jumped over them before without a problem. Some lancers were already posted at the roofs and at the entrance of the pueblo, waiting with loaded muskets. Again, nothing new, and because his bold plan for the day was to storm in with Toronado, there wasn't much he could do about them. He had to hope that one more time, if he moved fast enough, they would miss the target. Otherwise, it would all be over pretty soon.
Alcalde, what have you got up your sleeve this time? he wondered.
"Nothing is happening yet," Don Alejandro said then. "Let's go for a drink."
The same as Victoria, Diego was having a hard time to concentrate that morning to push the memories of last night out of his head, but entering the tavern was totally hopeless for him. When they got inside, all those memories came back, flooding his mind. Victoria looked radiant that morning, showing a secretive smile that reminded him of Mona Lisa's, like in the painting he had done of her, which hung in a preferential site at the cave. He tried to act naturally and not show any unusual signs towards her, but it was too difficult. When she approached them to take their orders, his heart bounced wildly inside his chest.
"Buenos días. Nice to see you all here today," Victoria said. Don Alejandro took her hand and tapped it lovingly, as a father would do.
"We came to give you our support, to you and Zorro."
"Thank you. I appreciate that so much, Don Alejandro. Although, it is a bit early for you, Don Diego, isn't it? Have you seen Apollo yet?" she said, staring at him.
The mental picture of that woman naked on her bed saying "come here" didn't want to go away. Diego panicked when he thought a very inconvenient hard-on could happen at any moment. To avoid it, he tried to think on something else, like how to beat the alcalde's face to a pulp.
"Diego?" she said, waiting for his reply. "Are you all right? You look flustered."
"Me? No. I'm fine, thank you. I only have a bit of reflux," he said nonchalantly, pointing at his stomach. "Too much coffee this morning. Sorry, I missed your question. What did you say?"
"Have you seen Apollo yet?"
"No, I haven't. Felipe is tending for him right now."
"How is my boy doing? I'll go with you to see him in a moment," Don Alejandro said.
"I think he is doing very well. Maybe we'll be able to move him home soon."
"That's fantastic," Victoria said, but Diego could read the veiled disappointment on her face. "And how is Don Esteban? Is he alright?"
"Yes, he's fine. Still sore, but he'll be alright, eventually. That's it, if he doesn't get in more trouble. Thank you for asking," Don Emilio said.
"I am so glad to hear that. So, what would you like to have this morning?"
"It's a bit early for wine, I think. I'll have a cup of tea instead, thank you," Don Alejandro said.
"Same for me," Don Emilio said.
"Orange juice?" Victoria asked, looking back at Diego. "Or maybe a glass of milk will be better for you this morning?"
"You know me so well," he replied with a warm smile.
"All right. I'll be back in a moment."
Diego watched her go, and the red skirt she was wearing covering her firm butt turned into a scanty nightgown in his imagination. He shook his head then, wishing he could slap his own face hard to wake up of that dream and concentrate on the task ahead.
ZZZ
Ramón hadn't really planned it that way, as he had acted on a whim, but flogging Esteban so brutally had proved to be a very effective measure to encourage nearly all of the citizens in Los Angeles to pay their taxes on time. If a member of one of the most powerful, respected, and influential families in the territory could be treated like that, there was really no hope for anybody else to believe they could be treated more fairly. The only problem was, the alcalde wanted to set a trap for Zorro, but because only three farmers could not pay their taxes and Padre Benítez had offered to pay the fees for them with the race money, it was unlikely the masked bandit would show up that morning unless he carried on with the thread to flog those farmers.
Mid-morning, around 10 am, he announced everybody had to pay for their own taxes, and he refused to accept the money from the church. The cry of outrage that followed in the plaza could probably be heard from Santa Paula. He ordered then the soldiers to arrest the poor farmers, and announced a public flogging at noon. After that, with the shower of rotten vegetables and eggs he received, he had to retreat quickly into his office.
ZZZ
After hearing the announcement, Diego still didn't know what special surprise the alcalde had prepared for him. Another cannon somewhere? Another sharp-shooter? Another Indian to follow his tracks? He didn't have a clue, and it annoyed him no end.
He instructed Felipe to be alert, and then got on with his disappearing act.
"Father, I prepared a new poultice mix for Apollo, but I forgot to bring it. I should go back home to get it now. I'll have plenty of time to return here before noon.
"All right, Diego. I have to say it: you are doing a splendid job with that horse. He is doing really well. I'm so glad I listened to you and we didn't put him to sleep," Don Alejandro said tapping Diego's back, in one of those rare occasions he felt truly proud of his son. He had checked on the horse that morning and he was really impressed with his progress.
"Thank you."
Diego really appreciated those nice words from his father. Especially when he thought that, if something would go wrong later on, at least Don Alejandro would not have the regret to have wrongly scolded his son up to the last moment of his life.
ZZZ
It was there already when he arrived, the pungent smell of vomit. Diego could smell it in the corridor before he opened the bedroom door. When he came into the room, he found Esteban by the bed on his knees retching unproductively, sweating and panting, with a grimace of desperation on his face. Judging for the amount of sickness everywhere, his stomach should be totally empty by then, but the poor soul was still retching. Diego wondered if he had been too generous with the herbs and had given his cousin an overdose.
"What… did you… put… in that… damned porridge?" Esteban asked in between the gagging sounds.
"Nothing. Oh, well, no, yes; I put some laudanum in it," Diego said, helping Esteban up, trying to avoid the puddles of sickness on the floor. "Come on, I'll take you to my room while I clean up all this mess."
Esteban rested on his side on his cousin's bed, looking spent, while Diego walked quickly to the fire place to get to the cave. At the lab, he mixed some more herbal remedies to revert the emetic effects of the previous concoction, adding a sedative as well, and then came back upstairs with a full glass of greenish liquid.
"There. Drink this. It tastes like shit, but it will stop the sickness."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I promise. Come on, drink it."
Esteban took a sniff at the glass, and wrinkled his nose at the foul smell.
"You have to be kidding me! I cannot drink this. It would make me sick as a dog if I wasn't already!"
"No. Trust me. It is good stuff, just what you need."
Esteban took a small sip then, and gagged again. "Good Lord! No way."
"Do you want to carry on retching all day? Come on, idiota, man up and drink it. I know it looks, smells, and tastes vile, but it will stop the sickness. I'm not kidding, so stop fooling around. Drink it."
"All right, smartarse." Esteban gulped it down in one go, swallowing quickly without breathing between swigs. "Aaaargh! That's so gross! I'm going to die now."
"Here, have some water," Diego said, handling another glass. "And now, relax while I clean up all that mess in your room."
"Why are you here? You should be at the plaza, helping your father."
"I came back to get a new poultice for Apollo. And now I can't return to the pueblo leaving you here on your own like this, re-decorating the house."
"Where are all the servants?"
"I think everybody but you is at the pueblo today. But don't worry, I'll stay here with you."
"And miss all the action? That must be love."
"Shut up."
Diego cleaned up Esteban's bedroom quickly, taking the dirty sheets to the laundry basket. By the time he had finished cleaning all the puddles of vomit on the floor, Esteban had stopped retching and had fallen asleep already. Diego positioned his cousin on the bed in such a way he would not choke if he vomited again, and then returned to the cave to change into Zorro's clothes. He had less than an hour until noon, and no time to waste.
ZZZ
Zorro approached the pueblo cautiously, ready for a possible ambush, but nothing happened. He stopped a safe distance from the entrance, hiding in a small, overgrown coppice nearby, and got his handy spyglass out of his saddle bag. From there, he could see some of the soldiers guarding the advantage points he would normally use, like the roofs. Just before noon he spotted Felipe walking cautiously along the external wall of the first house, avoiding the soldiers. As they had planned in advance, the boy got a couple of small flags, and with them he sent Zorro the signals with the information he needed.
Five soldiers up on the right side… Another five on the left... Several more by the garrison… None inside. But, what's new, Felipe? What am I missing?
When the bells of the church rang at noon, Felipe left a green cloth hanging on the window, and then he retreated to the plaza.
Well, maybe the alcalde hasn't thought of anything new this time and I'm giving him too much credit.
Zorro packed away the spyglass back into the saddle bag, and patted Toronado's neck.
"Come on, boy. You have to be fast as the wind now."
The black stallion neighed loudly when Zorro jumped on the saddle, bobbing his head up and down, and when he felt his rider's heels at his flanks he shot off towards the pueblo's entrance at full gallop.
ZZZ
The three unfortunate farmers were waiting for the events to unfold, tied up to the flogging posts erected in the middle of the plaza, offering their naked backs to be abused.
When the bells struck twelve, Ramón ordered one of the soldiers to start the flogging, while some of the others pointed with their muskets at the angry mob in the plaza.
"No, por favor! I really can't pay you, Alcalde! I have no money! Let the Padre pay the fee for me and I'll repay him next year. Please!" said one of them, desperate.
"Shut up!" Ramón said. Where are you Zorro? You are not coming this time, are you, coward?
Right then, he heard Toronado's hooves approaching at a furious pace.
"Zorro!" exclaimed the delighted crowd at once. "There he comes!"
"Shoot him! Shoot him now!" Ramón ordered. The lancers at the roofs aimed their weapons at Zorro, burst-shooting all the muskets at the same time. But, as so many times before, none of them hit the target. Zorro reached the plaza, and while some other soldiers moved the heavy carts to block him in, he quickly cut the ropes that tied the farmers to the posts with his sword. Then he kicked some more lancers out of the way and headed for the alcalde.
"Alcalde, do you like flogging? Let's see how much, shall we?" he said, cracking his whip over Ramón. With the first lash he took away the pistol in his hand before he could fire. With the second, the alcalde cried in pain when the thin strap of leather sank on his flesh, gashing his neck, and the people in the crowd cheered, clapping enthusiastically.
"Alcalde, I really had it with you this time! I told you I would be watching you, that I own your life… And what do you do? Take advantage of a man so naïve he thought your word had any value! De la Vega was already wounded before the fight started and he still defeated you with his sword. You are pathetic with a blade and you know it, not a match for me, and your miserable body is still alive only because I allow you to live!"
The crowd cheered and clapped again at his words. Zorro could have continued talking, but he was aware the lancers were reloading the muskets as fast as they could, getting ready to shoot again, and he didn't have much time left for speeches, so he cracked his whip one more time, wrapping it around the alcalde's ankle. Then he pulled from it, making him fall heavily on his back, and then he dragged him inside the garrison. There, he dismounted quickly to place the heavy bar at the door to stop the lancers coming in.
"Watch him," he ordered Toronado, and then went inside to close all the other doors in the office and the jail.
The alcalde tried to reach the bar to escape, but the black stallion charged at him and he had to get out of the way to avoid a nasty bite.
"Alright, alright," Ramón said with his hands up when the horse reared in front of him, threatening to break his skull with his dangling hooves.
Zorro came back to the garrison's patio and carried on flogging his nemesis then, releasing his anger and frustration while following Don Alejandro's wishes, concentrating on the alcalde's rear end. Soon, Ramón's white trousers were red stained.
"Please! Stop it!" Ramón cried, unbelieving Zorro's rage, falling on the floor on his knees, trying to protect his head and face with his arms, howling when he received yet another lash on his butt.
"Did you have enough?"
"Yes! I won't flog anybody! Ever!"
"You said those words before. How can I trust you?"
"I'll sign an edict! I'll ban flogging in this pueblo, if that's what you want."
"Come on! Stand up!"
Zorro held the alcalde by the collar and dragged him inside the office, to his desk, shoving him to the chair.
"Write! Hurry up!"
There was movement outside, and the lancers were obviously surrounding the office, with all the muskets reloaded and ready to shoot at him again.
"There, done," Ramón said after a few quick scribbles on a paper. Zorro took it and read it quickly. Satisfied, he folded it and pushed it down his collar, to keep it safe under his shirt.
"Mi alcalde, are you all right?" Mendoza said then, banging at the back door. Zorro opened the door and grabbed the sergeant by the lapel of his jacket, dragging him inside with the intention to use him as a witness of that document. Mendoza stumbled inside the office, with a gun in his hand.
"Sergeant, drop that gun," Zorro ordered while closing the door behind his back, but before he could latch it, the alcalde screamed.
"Shoot, Mendoza, shoot!" he cried. Mendoza hesitated, unsure which orders he should follow. "Shoot or I'll court-martial you, goddammit!"
The good sergeant closed his eyes, and with a shaky hand he fired his gun, aiming randomly, slightly away from Zorro, sure he would not hit him, not in a million years. After the loud bang, he opened his eyes immediately with a gasp when he heard Zorro cry in pain, taking a hand to his side.
"Yes! You got him, Mendoza! Well done!" the alcalde cried, delighted.
Maldita sea mi estampa! How could you do that now, Mendoza? Zorro thought, stumbling towards the alcalde with his left hand still on his side.
"Lancers! Zorro is —"
Before he could finish the sentence, Zorro delivered a hard punch with his right hand, knocking the living daylights out of Ramón. The alcalde dropped unconscious over his desk, while Zorro fell on the floor at one side with his momentum when he lost his balance.
"I'm so sorry, Zorro," Mendoza said, helping his friend up. "I didn't mean to. He ordered me to shoot, and I… I… Oh, my God! Forgive me, please!"
"Close the door," Zorro ordered, breathing heavily with the pain, bent at the waist. While the sergeant latched the door, he lifted his shirt to have a look at the gunshot wound in his abdomen.
"Madre de Dios!" the soldier cried when he saw the amount of blood he was losing at the front. "I am so sorry, Zorro. Are you going to be alright?"
ZZZZZ
A.N – a truly shameless cliff-hanger here, I know, but hey, this chapter was getting a bit too long and I had to cut it somewhere. Oopsie!
Sorry. Keep reading when the next chapter is up and you'll find out if he is going to be alright, the same as the Sergeant. But it might take a while, because my over-productive week at work has come to an end (and with this I mean productively writing several fanfiction chapters, of course, not actual work), and real life might keep me away from writing for a few days again. It sucks, and it makes me write on clusters.
Oh, and as I didn't get any suggestions about the level of maiming here, you cannot complain. You knew I had to be restrained (for my own good, because now I'll have to think hard how to get Zorro going), but you preferred silence. So… oopsie again!