A.N. – What can I say? I'm sorry, life got in the way. Months after I posted my last chapter here, I have finished that screenplay course that took me away from writing fanfiction. Now I'm marketing the resulting script, and hopefully one day we'll see the movie on the big screen… But now, I'll take a break from all that to finish this story. It was time!

Once again, sorry for the delay. Enjoy reading, and please review if you can. All that wonderful feedback we writers are so lucky to get in fanfiction and nowhere else! Thanks.

Most of the following dialogues and scenes are taken from Season 3 episode "The New Broom", De Soto's arrival at Los Angeles, but I tweaked them a little to fit my story.

Chapter 91 – The right man for the job?

They had confirmation: the ship from Spain had been spotted at dawn approaching the port of San Pedro. For Sergeant Mendoza, that only meant one thing: the new alcalde should arrive at their pueblo that afternoon. For Diego and Victoria, it meant something completely different: they would be sailing to Spain on their honeymoon by the end of the week.

Most of the angeleños gathered at the plaza after siesta, curious, waiting for the expected arrival. Looking pristine, the soldiers were ready to welcome the new commander of the garrison, especially Mendoza, who dressed in his finest clothes, well-groomed as never before to cause a good first impression on the new alcalde.

With all the preparations for his own journey, Diego was a bit late, but he made it just in time. Victoria was already at the plaza, and walked by Diego's horse for the last few meters to the tavern, where she had been collecting a few things and preparing everything for their departure.

"I thought you would miss it," she said.

"No, I want to find out who's the new alcalde as much as everyone else," Diego said. He dismounted his horse and got welcomed by his father at the tavern's porch.

"Ah, there you are, Diego," Don Alejandro said, turning to Mendoza. The old don passed his arm over Mendoza's shoulders and tapped his chest with his riding gloves. "Sergeant Mendoza… Doesn't he look splendid?"

"A picture of sartorial elegance," Diego said, bowing to the sergeant, who smiled at him warmly, holding his shiny helmet under his arm.

"Thank you, Don Diego. I want to start off with the right foot with this new alcalde. You might find this hard to believe, but I have made a few mistakes in the past…"

"No, Sergeant… Really?" Don Alejandro said. Diego and Victoria smiled, but Mendoza missed the sarcasm and carried on.

"I don't mind admitting it, but today… is a new day. My slate is clean."

Felipe came running into the plaza. He pointed at the pueblo's entrance.

"The coach is here," Diego said.

A stagecoach arrived at the plaza at full gallop, driven by a man with fluffy white hair. Mendoza stepped off the porch, looked up and signalled the three musicians standing on the tavern's balcony. They started playing an uplifting tune.

The driver halted the coach in front of the tavern.

"Welcome to Los Angeles, Alcalde," Mendoza said, opening the door. A man dressed in rough clothing stepped out. Not what the good sergeant ―or anyone else— expected. "You're not the new alcalde! You're Juan, the coach driver!"

Mendoza looked inside the carriage: it was empty. The musicians stopped playing. Mendoza turned around and looked back at the people on the porch, confused. He didn't know what to do.

"Ha, ha, ha… he was the coach driver," said the man with the fluffy white hair from the driver's seat. "He should have been pensioned off years ago. After we were passed by a burro and two tortoises, I decided to take the reins myself."

People laughed at his words. Diego looked at the man, wondering… He looked familiar.

"I am your new alcalde," the man announced then. He stood up and removed the dirty driver's coat, revealing his immaculate uniform underneath. Don Alejandro looked at him and nodded, impressed, appreciating his proud port while all the citizens commented on the unexpected turn. Mendoza snapped at attention, saluting the new alcalde.

"Ignacio?" Diego said slowly, finally remembering. The man looked at him, as surprised as Diego was. Diego couldn't believe it. Maybe they would be lucky with this new alcalde, after all. He smiled broadly. "Ignacio de Soto?"

"Diego…" De Soto said, recognizing him. He had forgotten that such man lived in California. To complete his look to impress, De Soto put on a hat with white fluffy feathers and climbed down from the driver's seat. He stood in front of Diego, measuring him up. "Diego de la Vega… After all these years."

"So, you're the new alcalde," Diego said, shaking De Soto's hand rather enthusiastically.

"Well, it doesn't look like there will be many distractions from the task at hand," De Soto said, looking around.

"This is quite a surprise," Diego said.

"Really?" De Soto said, looking insulted. "Why should you find it surprising?"

"Oh, I wasn't suggesting anything…" Diego said quickly. "You were an exceptional student. In fact, we were all a little envious of you. You never seemed to spend any time studying; we all wondered how you managed to get such high marks."

"I cheated," De Soto said, deadpan. Diego was stunned, so were all the others, until De Soto started laughing and everybody joined him in the joke, relieved. Don Alejandro looked at Diego, unconvinced, wondering about this man and his relationship to his son.

"Ignacio and I were students together at Madrid University. Father, may I present you Ignacio de Soto, our new alcalde."

De Soto and Don Alejandro shook hands.

"Don Alejandro de la Vega… Half of Madrid sends its regards."

"You exaggerate," the old don said, flattered.

"No, Sir."

"And this is Doña Victoria de la Vega, my wife, and one of our most concerned citizens."

"How beautiful," De Soto said, removing his hat, clicking his heals to bow gallantly. "And how amusing that a woman of your position should show an interest in civic matters."

That comment didn't go down well. Don Alejandro cleared his throat as Victoria seethed.

"Ah, Don Ignacio, I was thinking perhaps you could join us at our hacienda this evening? I've invited some leading citizens of Los Angeles and perhaps we could, aaah… sit down and iron out the problems facing our little pueblo."

"Sounds delightful. Until tonight then." De Soto turned then to the sergeant. "Sergeant Mendoza…"

"Sergeant Jaime Mendoza reporting for…" Mendoza stopped, open-mouthed, registering too late the new alcalde knew his name already. "You know my name?"

"Naturally, Sergeant. Assemble the garrison, if you please."

While De Soto inspected his troops, Don Alejandro quizzed Diego.

"Come on, Diego, you've met him before. What kind of a man is he?"

Diego looked at De Soto while he commented of the "slovenly" appearance of the soldiers, and how he would transform the garrison into the finest fighting unit in the territory.

"Ignacio was on a scholarship. He had no connections. His father was a farmer, I believe. He succeeded through sheer ability. He should be very sympathetic to the problems of the poor."

"If he starts flaunting his old-world ideas about women in Los Angeles, he's going to be in for a rude awakening," Victoria said.

"Give him time, Victoria," Diego said. "He's a very astute fellow. Once he realizes that this isn't Madrid, he'll change his attitude."

De Soto ordered Mendoza to dismiss the soldiers. As they walked away, he facepalmed in disgust, obviously disappointed with his troops, and headed for his office.

"We might finally have the right man for the job," Diego said, hopeful.

ZZZ

De Soto sat at his carved, mahogany chair. He already had a pile of files on the desk, waiting for him. Mendoza said they were Ramón's files of each and every citizen of Los Angeles. De Soto eyed them, curious.

"So, you and Don Diego were friends at university," Mendoza said.

"No. I was a senior and he was a freshman. We were both in the university dramatic group for a while. We played in a Passion play together. As I recall, Diego played Jesus."

Mendoza smiled and carried on, willing to continue with the small talk.

"And who did you play, Alcalde?"

"Judas… Iscariot," De Soto said, laughing evilly. A laugh that made the sergeant's skin crawl. "That will be all, Sergeant."

After Mendoza left, De Soto picked the thickest file from the pile: Zorro's.

ZZZ

"Did you know him well?" Victoria asked Diego at the hacienda de la Vega, at the alcalde's welcoming party. Several guests were there, mingling, having a drink and talking.

"No, not really. But he made quite an impression on me. He's just what this pueblo needs."

"I hope you're right…but, luckily for us, we won't see it first-hand."

"Well, if I'm right, tyranny and injustice might be things of the past in Los Angeles." He lowered his voice then so only Victoria could hear him. "And then, I won't need to hurry up back here if things go pear-shaped while we are out on our well-deserved honeymoon."

"You are not riding as Zorro ever again. You promised!" Victoria said, with a mix of worry and anger tainting her words.

"Yes, but…"

"You are mistaken, señor Alcalde!" Don Alejandro cried then, distracting Diego from his conversation with Victoria. The couple moved closer to the old don. "How did you come by this slanderous information?"

"Oh, my illustrious predecessor kept personal files on each and every one of you, didn't you know?" De Soto said.

"Well, first of all, you predecessor was far from illustrious…" the old don said, unable to contain his anger.

"And it was his own greed and cruelty that brought about his death," Victoria chimed in. She already couldn't stand the white-haired man.

"You can ask anyone!" Don Alejandro said, shaking his index finger at De Soto. "Luis Ramón was unscrupulous, suspicious, and irrational! He harassed and killed my nephew Esteban for no reason!"

"Well, perhaps he became irrational when it finally dawned upon him he was surrounded by a nest of traitors who would not lift a finger to help him," De Soto said, increasingly aggressive. "You see, Alcalde Ramón became obsessed with the capture of this petty criminal named Zorro… but he failed. Why? Because at each and every turn, Zorro was aided and abetted by you, the so-called "elite" of Los Angeles. Well, I will not make the same mistake. I've given myself three months to bring Los Angeles to heel, and by God, I will do it!"

Diego could not believe it. All his hopes for a smooth and fair transition crumbled down right then.

"Don't be deluded, Ignacio: you can't just dismiss Zorro so easily. However, you may be lucky, after all, because we believe Zorro left the territory. Nobody has seen him for weeks."

"We shall see… But in future, you will address me as Don Ignacio. Our school days are over, señor."

"They are, indeed," Diego said, swallowing his rage and pride as so many times before in his life.

"Your former alcalde suspected everyone in this room at one time or another with being in league with Zorro. Therefore, no one shall leave this hacienda until Zorro is apprehended."

"You can't hold us here indefinitely," Don Alejandro said.

"I don't think so…" De Soto said, like a slithering snake. "You misunderstand, Don Alejandro. I can do anything I want to do. Madrid is eight thousand miles away. I am the only law here! And this pueblo has been nothing but trouble to the Spanish Crown. Nobody leaves unless I say so!"

"You really don't understand, do you?" Diego said, unable to hold back anymore, speaking impassionately, quite out of character for his former laid-back self. "The people of this pueblo will not be a stepping stone for corruption, ambition, or greed."

"You will all be free to go once Zorro is apprehended. Until that time, I suggest you make yourselves comfortable."

"Alcalde, I have every intention of sailing to Spain with my wife on our honeymoon at the end of the week, in the same ship you arrived."

"Then pray that Zorro shows himself quickly, because that ship will set sail in three days. You don't want to miss it and have to wait for months to get on the next one, do you, Diego?" De Soto said, deliberately omitting the don. "Mendoza!"

"Sí, mi alcalde."

"You are in charge. I shall send a squad at dawn to relieve you."

De Soto smirked at Diego's distraught, angry face; saluted mockingly to the party guests; and walked away. Diego's blood boiled in his veins. How mistaken he had been, thinking his former schoolmate could be the solution to their problems!

Don Alejandro approached his son to put a hand on his tense shoulder.

"Well, Diego, do you still think your "friend" is the right man for the job?"

Diego shook his head. He couldn't look more chagrined.

ZZZZZ

A.N. – And how mistaken I was thinking I would finally wrap this up quickly! I watched that episode to refresh my memory on De Soto's arrival at the pueblo, and the scenes there are so juicy and they fit this story so well, I had to use nearly all of them here.

So, more trouble for Diego in the horizon before he can go to Spain… Bummer, this is really never-ending! LOL. Sorry.