CHAPTER 5: "ZORRO GETS HURT"
Even though no one knew it, Alejandro sat in the tavern brooding. Outwardly he was having a good time complaining with his friends about the recent drop in cattle prices. Everyone in the territory was upset by the decline, and trading on the black-market was higher than ever before. Since he complained and debated with his usual eagerness, no one at the table, most of whom had been friends for years, noticed the troubled look in his eyes.
Nearly a week had passed since Victoria made her startling declaration. Life went on in the little pueblo, but it seemed to be forever changed. Zorro had been seen once, but his depressed spirits had been obvious to the most casual of observer. Just as noticeable to Don Alejandro, but not to anyone else, was Victoria's fragile state of mind.
The confident, energetic young woman he once knew was missing. He watched as she slowly lost more weight, and the circles under her eyes grew bigger and darker. However, everyone else was more interested in her suddenly active social life. After taking a moonlight stroll and eating one romantic dinner with Don Rafael, Victoria decided Corporal Sanchez was more to her liking. He was being replaced by Juan, a farmer, after only two romantic walks in the moonlight and some public flirting.
As shocking as Victoria's announcement about her feelings for Zorro had been, her new role as the pueblo's coquette stunned Don Alejandro. His friend, her father, had left the area just as Victoria bloomed into womanhood. Don Alejandro took over the role as protector. Many men over the years found themselves shifting uncomfortably under his scrutiny.
Having kept an eye on the suitors in her life, Don Alejandro knew how Victoria acted towards them. There had been many over the years. Her beauty alone attracted men. However, she also had a passion for life, an energy that drew men to her. Don Alejandro had watched with pride as Victoria dealt with each one fairly, never encouraging those that did not stir her interest and slow to allow others close.
Alejandro knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was basically unaware of her allure. He had been unable to convince her that most of these men simply courted her for herself. She believed that most of them, those that had offered her marriage over the years, wanted to marry her business sense and good income. She denied her own attractiveness.
However, the main reason few men were able to get close was that she was not the type to play with anyone's heart, but in the last Don Alejandro watched in horror as she deliberately played with each man's affections. He had a hard time believing it, even if she only played for a day or two before jumping to the next admirer, leaving the previous one with nothing worse than a bruised ego.
Besides distressing over Victoria--who did not appear to him to be really enjoying her newfound freedom--Don Alejandro sat with his friends and worried about Diego. He watched silently each day as his son aged years before his eyes. Diego's sense of humor, always more reserved than most other's, was absent. Gone was the man who enjoyed life to the fullest. Alejandro was learning what it truly meant to have a son with his head stuck in a book all day. For the last week, whenever Diego had been home, he read all day. The hacienda was quiet and the funny smells were absent, leaving Don Alejandro with the impression he was not even bothering to conduct one of his useless experiments.
If Alejandro had been discussing his feelings with his friends, he would admit that Diego told him more now about his day-to-day life, but if truth be told, he would rather have his happy-but-secretive son back. Even though Diego still had not shared anything about the past with him, yet, Alejandro understood that Diego had something that he needed to work through first. Nonetheless, he was sharing his day-to-day decisions and actions. He was even in the process of making a decision that Alejandro had long since resolved would never be made: marriage.
Even as Don Alejandro slammed his fist down on the table and insisted that the government must do something to help the ranchers, his mind stayed on last night's dinner where he had finally broken his silence. Wanting to give Diego his requested time, he could no longer hold his tongue. He saw the look in Maria's eyes grow deeper and more powerful. Diego had not heeded his earlier advice, and spent most of his time at the de Corazon hacienda.
Last night, when Diego came home for dinner, Don Alejandro conscious demanded he say something. Especially after he had met Diego and Maria earlier in the plaza. The love Maria was feeling for his son made her glow. Afraid of hurting Diego, and their relationship, he had said over dessert, "Diego, Vicente is going to think you're about to propose marriage if you keep seeing Maria every day." Fear insisted he handle the issue with humor, instead of his usual directness. Besides, Diego did not need a lecture.
Diego flinched, and took a sip of wine before answering. "Actually, Don Vicente knows I am only considering it, Father." His eyes met Alejandro's for a moment, but Don Alejandro had seen a desperate desire for approval as well as Diego's own disbelief in those eyes. Alejandro had sat there for a moment waiting for Diego to say something, anything, else, but Diego only returned to eating his meal and remained quiet. A million different thoughts had raced through his mind at that moment, but none allowed themselves to be voiced. Instead, he had simply stared at Diego until Bebe cleared the dishes.
The irony of it broke his heart. The woman he loved like a daughter, who had been ready for marriage for years, was now jumping from suitor to suitor. The son, who had not had one serious relationship since his return from Spain as far as his father knew, was now seriously considering marriage. Yet, both of them looked miserable. The tightness around Victoria's mouth, and the way her clothes hung limply from her body, spoke volumes to him. Diego's usual energy was lost and his eyes were spiritless, worrying the old caballero more than he wanted to admit. Two of the most important people in his life were miserable when they should be happy, and neither was willing to talk about the cause of their anguish!
"Well, the King had better do something, or all of his cattle will be steaks served on British tables!" Don Rafael said when all hell broke loose. The sound of firing guns shattered the quietness of the pueblo. Women screamed as men yelled. Over the furor, Alejandro heard DeSoto ordering his troops to return fire, and his gut tightened in horror when he realized what was happening. The Mendez gang was now out of hiding, and Los Angeles had been their target after all. Allowing himself a moment to pray, he rushed out into the chaos that had once been a peaceful afternoon.
He immediately spotted Mendez, since he was the most outlandishly dressed of all his men. His clothes were those of a caballero, although dust covered them and the wrinkles spoke of many nights sleeping on the ground. Alejandro also saw him easier since he was the only one sitting on his horse, as well as holding a rifle to DeSoto's head. "Hello, alcalde, I'm your worst nightmare come to life," he said in a rough voice. His enjoyment of the terror he and his men were causing was evident in that hateful voice.
Alejandro forced himself to stand still. He knew that any move could cause Mendez to pull that trigger, and even DeSoto did not deserve such a horrible death. Alejandro de la Vega also owed him for saving Diego's life, and for that fact alone, DeSoto would be protected from a scoundrel if Don Alejandro could help it. While still eagerly awaiting the day DeSoto would go to prison for his crimes, Alejandro desired justice, not murder.
"You'll never get away with this," DeSoto snapped. Alejandro winced as Victoria stopped beside him. DeSoto, with his over-inflated ego, was not the smartest of men. Looking around, it suddenly struck him that Corporal Sanchez was the only soldier in the plaza, and he was currently being tied up by two of Mendez's men. Where were the other lancers?
The crack of a whip echoed through the air, and DeSoto fell as Mendez's gun fired. Zorro was here to do the job! Having used his whip to pull DeSoto out of harm's way, he was using it to get Mendez's spent rifle. Lancers poured into the plaza from behind Zorro, and the people screamed and ran for cover, afraid of getting hurt in the crossfire. Alejandro grabbed Victoria's arm in an effort to get her back into the tavern, but she shook her head and refused to be moved. She stood on her tavern's porch, leaning on a column, her entire body focused to watch Zorro fight Mendez with his sword. She did not appear to notice the lancers all around her, firing at, and fighting with, the rest of the gang. Amazingly, the lancers were winning without much help from Zorro.
The masked man, at the moment, was in the process of knocking the sword from Mendez's hand. It only took him one stroke of his blade. Then, he threw his right fist hard into the man's face. Mendez crumbled to the ground. Zorro turned to watch the two remaining men fighting with the lancers, who were obviously winning the battle. Slowly, Zorro turned and looked at the alcalde.
Both fists sprang out from the man, reminding Alejandro of a sleek cat pouncing. The black-clad hands curled around the alcalde's caveat and shook the man hard. Don Alejandro could not recall another man Zorro treated so roughly. "Your stupidity nearly cost these good people their lives!" he shouted into the man's face.
Alejandro could tell that DeSoto was furious about the fact Zorro was humiliating him again. "I am the alcalde of this pueblo, and I'll protect it as I see fit!" he yelled back at the outlaw.
Zorro drew the alcalde closer, and Alejandro saw the terror on DeSoto's face. None of the lancer's moved a muscle. "How? By having your men stay up late to watch a woman walk in the moonlight with her swain?"
Alejandro started before looking over at Victoria. It was obvious whom Zorro meant, and she nodded her head in confirmation. Don Alejandro had not known, but he was not surprised. It sounded like something DeSoto would do in his drive to capture Zorro.
DeSoto sputtered, and tried to shake his head. "S-she--I knew you would come--"
Zorro shook him again, every motion over emphasized. "You. Know. Nothing," he said. "Victoria has made her feeling clear, and I would never force her to do anything that she did not want to do. You had been warned that Mendez and his men were here, and you knew what he did in those other pueblos, and yet you chose to have your men watch a woman courting instead of preparing for their attack! While they were all resting in preparation of being up late tonight, Mendez and his men easily trapped them in their barracks. You are to guard these people, alcalde, and you had better do a better job of it, or I'll make sure that you won't be able to do the job anymore! Do you understand me?" His face was mere inches from DeSoto's.
DeSoto nodded, his face twisted in anger and fear. The man had to realize his own responsibility for the day, even as he tried to deny it. Unfortunately, he had often been able to excuse his way out of any accountability for his own actions. He would soon find a way to blame Zorro for Mendez's attacks.
The outlaw pushed DeSoto away from him, causing the alcalde to stumble. Zorro did not look in the direction of the tavern as he climbed on the back of Tornado. He simply got on the horse rode out of the plaza. Gone was the usual drama of salutes or waves.
Alejandro's heart nearly stopped when Victoria's scream tore through the air. He did not understand why she was screaming until the gun fired. One of Mendez's gang members, thought to have been knocked out by the soldiers, had drawn a small gun from his boot and shot at the retreating outlaw's back. Mendoza quickly grabbed the spent gun, but it was too late. The damage had been done.
The bullet had hit Zorro. Alejandro knew it, having seen the man wince in pain and slump forward a bit, before guiding his horse into gallop. The shaking woman in his arms recognized it, too. "He's been shot," she whispered, leaning heavily against Don Alejandro.
DeSoto, standing nearby, smiled. "Yes, he has. I hope it was fatal," he snarled.
DeSoto's bitter words calmed Victoria; she stopped shaking and pulled herself away from her friend, before taking on the air of someone who had a task to do. She smiled up at Alejandro, and asked, "Don Alejandro, would you mind if we went and got those wines you were going to sell me, now?"
He looked down at her, a frown creasing his brow. "You want to go to my hacienda and get wine?" How could she think of such things at a time like this?
Victoria seemed oblivious to his confusion and his anger. Smiling brightly, she nodded. "I have a feeling that I'll have a lot of soldiers in my tavern tonight, so I need to make sure my stock is ready. After all, they should be getting tonight off to relax."
Don Rafael opened his mouth and then shut it again. Finally, he said, "Going home sounds good to me, too. We need to let our families know that we are safe, and she's right, Don Alejandro. The tavern will be full tonight of lancers wanting to tell the tales and citizens who want to hear them. If she's low on wine, she needs to get stocked up before tonight."
Victoria laughed and waved goodbye to the handsome caballero who had been her beau for a few days. "Yes, I must. Nothing worse than having a bunch of sad soldiers sitting around the place, giving you hurt looks because you only have lemonade. Would you mind terribly, Don Alejandro?"
"Of course not," he answered, but his voice showed the signs of a man holding himself in check. "I did bring my wagon today, instead of just my horse. You can ride with me, now, to the hacienda, so we can get your wine, and then ride back and unload."
DeSoto walked the few steps necessary to stand in front of them. "If you think you are going to help that outlaw, you are wrong, Señorita," he warned, wearing a smile.
Victoria lifted her eyebrows. Then, she just laughed and rolled her eyes. "Send some lancers to follow us, alcalde. All they we will see are myself and Don Alejandro riding to de la Vega hacienda to get wine." Looking around the plaza at the lancers awaiting their orders, she smiled. Crossing her arms, she mocked, "Perhaps I should be flattered that all of your men seemed to find me so fascinating, alcalde." Turning to look back at DeSoto, she grinned. "Or maybe you want to tell me something?"
The alcalde glared at her, but she showed no signs that it bothered her. Don Alejandro shook his own head in amazement at her words. She honestly seemed unconcerned at Zorro's plight. As his eyes scanned the plaza, he could see his own disbelief mirrored on the faces of his friends.
Victoria also seemed to notice everyone's shock. Throwing her hands up in the air, she turned and told the crowd, "I'm sure Zorro has someone helping him. It probably isn't even that bad of an injury."
It was then that Don Alejandro realized that everyone had thought she wanted to go help Zorro; he had not even considered the idea. He watched as all the people in the plaza shook their heads and sadly walked away. They finally believed that the love was gone; her recent actions had not been caused by a lover's spat.
Victoria also did not seem to be thinking about following the man she used to love. After all, she was telling the alcalde to follow her. Alejandro wondered where the frightened young woman of few moments ago was. She had disappeared without a trace. There was not even any hint of tears on Victoria's face.
***
Within minutes of leaving the tavern, Don Alejandro had his answer. She was sitting next to him in the wagon, clutching her skirts. "Can we please go faster?" she asked, sounding like she was out of breath. Alejandro glanced at her, surprised to see wide eyes looking back at him. Her skin was so pale, Alejandro feared she was going to faint at any moment. He did not know what was going on, but he did know her needs. Smiling, he patted her hand, and then he whipped the reins.
When they arrived by his garden gate, she jumped down from the wagon even before he brought it to a complete stop. She took a few quick steps towards the door and then stopped. She glanced back at Alejandro, her hands gathered into tiny fists. Then, taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders, and raced into the house. Alejandro, shaking his head, threw the reins to Miguel. What was going on here?
END OF CHAPTER 5