La Doña Negra

CHAPTER 13: ENDGAME - PART 2/ CAPTURED!

After he completed this little mission to raze the de la Vega hacienda, Capitan Gabriel Sobre Guiterrez would be happy to leave California. ‘To the Devil with El Zorro and La Doña Negra! I should have never gotten involved with Señor D’oro!' The quicker he departed California, the better. The Commandante planned to purchase a modest estate in Cuba where he would raise sugar cane. He would then sell his crops to the Norte Americanos. ‘Ah, now I shall be able to live the easy life that I so richly deserve! I shall truly be a substantial landowner like my brother in Argentina! As a ‘don’ I shall demand - and - receive the respect such a social position entails... ‘Don Gabriel Guiterrez.’ The title has a rather nice ring to it!' The Capitan thought contentedly.

He continued his reverie as he rode his gray horse, Major. ‘And the gold I have now is more than enough for my purposes! But when I finish burning down the de la Vega property, I unfortunately must do one more task. I have to dispose of La Doña Negra.’ When he thought of how he would “amuse” her he smiled maliciously. 'Sí, I shall particularly enjoy breaking her spirit before dawn tomorrow!’

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

While sitting in his tent drinking some of his self produced jerez, Señor D’oro chuckled to himself. ‘Oh, Commandante Guiterrez, did you really believe that the absences of Martinez and Gomez would not be reported to me immediately? It appears my young sir, that lust and greed have blinded you. You have used those means as ends unto themselves! Capitan, you should have employed those gifts as the route to your financial security. How sad I felt when I gave the order for your death. I had begun to think of you as a son or brother. But your failure to eliminate first El Zorro and then La Doña Negra sealed your fate. Tsk, tsk!’

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

La Doña Negra dismounted from Night Shadow behind the hacienda that Dios willing, would soon be the home she would share with Diego. ‘I am actually happy that after tonight the Dark Lady will never ride again. I will be become Señora de la Vega as soon as the customary banns allow Diego and I to marry!’ Her lone fear was that she would give Diego only female children and not the de rigueur male heir Spanish culture demanded.

She called her vaqueros over to her to finalize the plans Zorro had given her. Suddenly, Doña Negra thought that she heard voices. She ordered her hooded men to return to their hiding places and remain quiet.

“Santa Maria!“ she whispered to herself. “Guiterrez’s men are here now! It is now just 7:00 p.m.,’ she muttered. ‘Of course! Señor D’oro discovered that two of his men, Lancer Martinez and his friend Pancho Gomez were missing, so he altered his timetable! Dios!’ She watched the progress of Capitan Guiterrez’s men as they crouched low behind the bushes just outside the de la Vegas’ stable gate.

“Juan, you are certain that the hacienda’s and stable roofs have been soaked with water?“

“Sí, Doña Negra. And our rancho crew has poured extra buckets of water inside the stable for possible use where some of our men are hidden.”

“Bueno, but I am still worried that we do not have enough men to save this hacienda, Juan. We are six, counting me. There are ten others inside the hacienda to guard Don Alejandro. Valentino and Benito are with El Zorro and Don Alfredo’s men aren’t due to arrive for another thirty minutes or so!“

Juan Ramones looked over the bush he was using for cover. “Doña Negra, my compadres and I count more than thirty men! What are we going to do?”

‘Think, Carmen! We need some commotion --what did my military-trained father call that -- a diversion!’ She bit the inside of her mouth, an old childhood habit. ‘Well, this will have to do!’ La Doña Negra had made her decision. Her idea must work! They needed the time to allow Don Alfredo to arrive with his own group of more than twenty vaqueros.

‘Night Shadow, come here, boy!’ she whispered. “Juan, all of you hurry and cut some brush. Now fashion it atop your horses, like so! This is a trick that El Zorro taught me.”

They quickly wrapped capes and serapes around the brush, which they had made into man-like figures. “Now,” Doña Negra told Night Shadow, “lead your friends after those men! Make them believe you have riders on your backs! Vamoose!”

Night Shadow raced into the clearing just behind the hacienda’s stable. All the other horses followed him. Carmen’s mount chose the nearest man and ran toward him. The mercenary screamed as Night Shadow suddenly reared up and struck the frightened thug in the head.

“FIRE, FIRE!” someone in the Guiterrez band of mercenaries yelled, trying to add to the confusion. However, the burning, oil soaked rags failed to set the hacienda ablaze. Juan and his men had done their job of wetting the roofs well. The Commandante’s mercenaries became confused, but one of the raiders, a very tall vaquero, rallied his men around him. Guiterrez’s mercenaries then poured into the hacienda’s patio, where they were met by rifle fire from inside the hacienda.

“Bravo,” Don Alejandro told Bernardo, who managed to keep up with his padrone's and his chief servant, Juanito’s demands for newly loaded rifles. Diego’s father had never felt so alive since the birth of his son. There was something about defending one’s patrimony to the death that invigorated him.

“Ha! They are retreating, Bernardo! Don Alejandro grinned. “Give me another rifle, hurry! Take that, porco!“ he yelled as he shot dead another raider.

Doña Negra motioned to Juan and his four compadres to charge. “Everyone have at least two loaded pistolas? Sí? Andalante, muchachos, let us go out and shame the Devil Himself!”

Although they were outnumbered, they all did indeed fight like wild animals. At least four of the mercenaries would never live to rob and pillage again. As she wielded her pistolas, Doña Negra could only think about doing whatever she had to do to protecting her beloved ones -- Don Alejandro and El Zorro!

Juan and his vaqueros were fighting Guiterrez‘s men mano a mano. Since her pistolas were empty, Doña Negra unsheathed her rapier and extracted another, much smaller replica of her blade from her right boot.

‘Oh, Blessed Virgin, please help me. We are so few and the enemy--’ her silent prayer was abruptly ended by the flash of a sabre on her right side. La Doña Negra ducked, then rolled herself into a ball. But in performing this maneuver she lost her second weapon. Several mercenaries eagerly stepped forward to fight her, each one yelling that she was to be “his” prize after she was defeated.

The Dark Lady didn’t allow herself to be drawn away from her sabre fencing style, even after the larger of her two duelists kept mixing up his feints. The first thug to cross swords with her cleverly tried to destroy her concentration by calling her foul names. She rapidly matched him blow for blow, and avoided leaving herself exposed for a quick and lethal thrust. Somehow she found new strength and started striking her blows and slashes harder and faster against both of her now frightened enemies. The sounds of sabres clashing against each other unnerved them. Slowly, Doña Negra began to force both adversaries to retreat and even cut one of them across his left cheek.

Doña Negra silently thanked her fencing instructor from Italy, who insisted that she spar against two swordsmen at once. She retreated from her position slightly and when the closer of her opponents followed through with his sabre lunge, she pulled away from him in mid stroke. The Dark Lady wheeled around and kicked his backside for good measure. He yelled at his compadre to finish her off for him as he dourly admitted defeat.

The second mercenary, however, proved to be a more skilled duelist. She desperately fought the one type of battle she hated - a defensive one. Gradually, Guiterrez’s man pushed the Dark Lady back into the undergrowth at the edge of the woods. He was obviously more experienced than she was. Doña Negra, however, refused to concede defeat. When he got too close to her face she caught him by surprise.

Using both hands to grasp her rapier, she took a wide swing at him. “Bang!” She cracked the hilt of her weapon on his head. Momentarily dazed, he tried to shake off the dizziness but failed. The Dark Lady immediately leapt forward to end the duel. To her great surprise, another man shouted for them to stop fighting immediamente. The sternness of the command halted her swordplay.

“So,” said the deep but sickeningly familiar voice, “this is the infamous ‘La Doña Negra.’” It was none other than Capitan Gabriel Guiterrez, looking well pleased with him sitting on his dappled gray horse.

“Surrender now, La Doña Negra,” Guiterrez said sarcastically, “and I may permit you to leave with your life--that is, after I have finished having nocturnal and personal conversations with you later!” His hawkish eyes dilated wildly as he openly leered at her.

The Dark Lady defiantly shook her head. ‘No.’

Guiterrez leapt down from his steed and ordered his men to bring forth his prisoners. His grin grew wider after he watched her shoulders sag when she saw his captives. She gasped at Don Alejandro’s sorry appearance. His face was swollen and covered with blood and many bruises.

La Doña Negra looked venomously at the Commandante. “Where is Bernardo? Is he dead?” She asked in low tones, trying to disguise her voice.

Capitan Guiterrez chuckled at her distress. He drew himself up to his full height of almost six feet and looked down at her.

“I admire your battle strategy, my dear. Congratulations. You at least prevented us from torching this fine hacienda. You even managed to dispose of most of my small band of men, placing me behind schedule. But you fought in vain.” Guiterrez continued to undress her with his shameless staring at her figure.

The Dark Lady answered him by assuming the en garde fencing position. ‘Perhaps if I can persuade this rat-faced scoundrel to fight me, delay him a little while longer, until Don Alfredo’s arrival...‘

“Never give up, never surrender!” she growled at the Capitan. “En garde!”

Guiterrez roared with laughter and the remainder of his men did the same. “There is no need for this useless display of bravado, La Doña Negra.” He held a pistola against Don Alejandro’s battered head. Diego’s father sighed deeply. “Señora Negra, por favor, submit. Although it saddens me deeply, I reluctantly agree with the Commandante. Although we have lost the battle, they have not yet won the war.”

She glanced from Don Alejandro’s pained features to the triumph etched on the Commandante’s face. La Doña Negra regretfully tossed away her blade.

He climbed down from his horse, eager to see the face behind her mask but he knew that it would be better reveal her identity before Señor D‘oro. “Señora, you cannot imagine the pleasure it will bring to present you to Señora D’oro! Señores take her now!“ Guiterrez’s men held her as she kicked out at him, succeeding in putting her boot in one of his thugs’ groin.

“Enough of this! Crack! The Commandante slapped her so hard that Don Alejandro feared that Guiterrez had broken her jaw. The Dark Lady slumped to the earth. The Capitan retrieved his water canteen from his horse and threw the contents over her head. After she finished sputtering from the dousing, his men picked her up.

“I promised myself some personal time with you before Señor D’oro has you executed! Come, we must hurry back to Señor Arturo’s wharf. By all the Santos I shall have it! “He cocked the pistola that he held on Don Alejandro. “Bueno, Doña Negra. Men bind and gag her!”

“Muy gran porco!” she spat at Guiterrez. It took three of his men to subdue her but they finally bound her hands and wrapped her own banda around her mouth. Then she was lifted and placed atop the Commandante’s mount. He made certain that her hands were securely fastened to the pommel of his saddle, then he climbed aboard his horse sitting behind her. “Señores, next to the golden reals I am to be paid for this job well done, I believe that I have captured the greatest prize of this entire operation!”

He wound his strong arms tighter and tighter around Doña Negra’s waist, inching them up to just underneath her breasts. The porco brushed his disgusting lips against the base of her throat. “Chica, this is only a taste of what is to come!” Vamanos!” Guiterrez yelled to his men. “Cheer up Don Alejandro. There is someone very special waiting for you at the end of our short journey!”

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

A pair of bloodshot eyes observed the capture of Doña Negra and Don Alejandro. Don Diego’s manservant had feigned death when one of the mercenaries struck him with a rifle butt. He was also very lucky that the Commandante’s men did not thoroughly search him as they had Don Alejandro. Bernardo still had the port agent’s report concealed in his right boot.

Diego’s best friend could not believe that Don Alfredo did not come to their aid! ‘What happened to him? Perhaps Guiterrez fought the don’s men and Don Alfredo may have been killed!’

He scratched his head in genuine fright. ‘How am I going to reach Don Diego? I don‘t see any horses....’ He is so far away. Then he was suddenly startled by a soft neighing behind him. He turned and saw Carmen’s dark Andalusian, Night Shadow!

Bernardo was so thrilled to see him that he hugged the horse’s neck. 'But how do I make him understand that I want him to take me to Don Diego?’ Bernardo thought anxiously. He scratched his head. ‘How do I communicate with a horse?‘ So he prayed as he dug his legs into Night Shadow’s flanks.

To his utter amazement, the animal started trotting northwest, toward the de la Vegas‘ cattle pens! He reached down and gently patted his new friend. ‘But poor Doña Carmen, to be in the clutches of that animal!‘ Bernardo beseeched His Savior that the Commandante would not ill-use her! ‘And where, Diego’s manservant wondered, was Don Alfredo and his men? Why had they failed to show up?’

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Capitan Guiterrez roughly pulled La Doña Negra from his stallion. En route to their destination, he kept muttering the things that he was going to do to her. She silently entreated every saint she could remember for moral support. Carmen knew from past experience that she was going to suffer a monstrous abuse of her body -- to say nothing of how the emotional stress would affect her already battered psyche.

Deeply tired, she had to lean against Guiterrez’s horse to help her stay awake. The thought of being mauled -there was nothing else to call the terrible assault she knew would come all too soon - nearly drained all of her energy. ‘Madre di Dios, please do not forsake me now,’ she entreated the Blessed Virgin. 'I do not know how much more sorrow I can endure!'

Señor D’oro saw Capitan Gabriel Guiterrez ride into camp with a very disheveled Doña Negra gagged and tied to the Commandante’s saddle. But he did not see the only sight that he had wanted to see: a broken Don Alejandro who was thoroughly defeated. He grimaced slightly. ‘If El Raton failed to perform the simple task that I had assigned to him!’ He did not see Alejandro as the Commandante had placed his prisoner in the middle of his party where he well guarded. But the Commandante had placed Don Alejandro under heavy guard behind him.

“Greetings, Señor D’oro,” Capitan Gabriel Guiterrez said brightly. “Although we failed to raze the de la Vega’s hacienda, look what I have brought you!" The Commandante had Lasamas roughly push his most important prisoner before Señor D’oro.

Now the gentleman’s face almost glowed when espied his lifetime archenemy, Alejandro de la Vega, all bound and wrapped up like a birthday present, ready to be toyed with as he wished. He permitted a small grin to cross over his face. Then he focused his cold gaze on La Doña Negra.

This time, Señor D’oro’s smile was genuine. “Ah, at long last, señorita, or señora. I meet the person who was the unwanted interloper in my affairs. You hampered my plans once too often! He reached and touched her mask. So, now your pretense of being a female Zorro is at an end! Capitan, she is your battle’s spoils. Will you do the honors?”

“At once, Señor D’oro! I am, shall we say, looking forward to having some private ‘transactions’ with La Doña Negra this evening!”

His business partner laughed loudly. “As I told you earlier, my gallant Capitan, “let the games begin!”

The Commandante ripped away her mask. He sputtered angrily after he tossed it down. “SANTA MARIA! BY THE THREE MARY'S! NOT YOU! He exclaimed when he saw the face of Señora Carmen Rodriguez staring at him.

“You hija.. you bruja!” Capitan Guiterrez was so enraged that he grabbed Carmen and struck her again with the back of his right hand.

Señor D’oro raised his glass of jerez in approval of the Commandante’s action. “Why, Capitan Guiterrez! I do believe that you are spoiling the merchandise! Personally, I abhor dealing with ‘damaged goods‘!”

Alejandro de la Vega strained at his bonds. “Cowards! You are very brave at fighting against unarmed prisoners, especially women! Alario, your quarrel is with me, señor!”

“Ah, my dear cousin, Alejandro. You just said something that might intrigue me!“ Señor D‘oro went over to the place where Alejandro de la Vega was being held motionless by two of his burly thugs. “Remove the bindings at once! Well, Alejandro, what are you suggesting?”

Don Alejandro was very weary but he had to do something or Doña Carmen would endure a horrible night at the hands of Capitan Guiterrez. “Alario! For the love of God, man!” His voice grew more strident as the Commandante began dragging a most belligerent kicking and biting Carmen Rodriguez into his tent end of the camp.

Alejandro’s beloved wife’s cousin, Alario Manuel de la Cruz Estevez, turned to confront his lifelong nemesis. He‘d noticed how Alejandro‘s eyes followed Carmen being thrown into Gutierrez's tent. “Whatever befalls Señora Rodriguez, it is all your fault, cousin!” Estevez ranted. “Anything of value or anyone whom you love and protect I shall destroy, Alejandro de la Vega! Her fate was sealed by your actions in Spain, remember?”

Don Alejandro shook his head. “You forget, Alario, that I promised you the 2,000 pesos only if you required the money for business purposes! Do you not remember, my cousin by marriage? You have been so blinded by envy of my success in Alta California that you have ignored the truth! You wanted that money to settle a gambling debt and not to help your company or even to use as capital to establish yourself in the New World!” Diego’s father stepped closer to his cousin. “Come, we can settle this affair in a duel like men. Could it possibly be that you are AFRAID to face me upon the field of honor?” Alejandro waited to see if any of his barbs had hit home.

Alario de la Cruz Estevez’s face flushed scarlet. “You dare to imply, Alejandro that I am a coward?”

Diego’s father smiled. ‘I have definitely struck a nerve there! When were both young, Alario became involved in many duels due to his terrible temper. He never could stomach criticism of any kind! Now,’ Alejandro de la Vega decided, ‘I am going for Alario’s Achilles heel! He fancies himself to be above reproach in everything he does! ‘

“Give me a blade, and I will PROVE that you are a coward! No, I think you definitely ARE A COWARD! I hereby challenge you to a duel, which I know that you will not accept!”

Estevez’s blue eyes were now inflamed from the dire insult. “Damn you, Alejandro! This will be the easiest kill that I have ever made!”

Señor D’oro snarled and threw a rapier at his most hated enemy. “I am going to eviscerate you, Alejandro de la Vega! En garde, you cur!” Estevez said.

“En garde it is, porco!” replied a cool and calm Alejandro de la Vega as he caught the rapier from his cousin.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

“I said, Señora Rodriguez, to come over here, pronto!” Commandante dangled his riding whip in his right wrist and flicked it now and then at her face as a scare tactic. But he quickly realized that she was not easily intimidated.

“Never, El Raton!” Carmen yelled back. “You will have to take me the hard way!” She continued to hurl any loose object available in the tent at his head. How she wished that she had a knife! Then at least she could make a decent attempt to defend herself!

Guiterrez smiled evilly. “That is not a problem, senora!" He flicked the whip in short, rapid shots and unfortunately she failed on her second try to evade its sting. “Whack!” His whip curled itself tightly around her neck, and she began to choke as he sharply tugged Carmen toward him.

“Stop fighting me!” Guiterrez said as he frantically tried to untangle the whip from her throat. Carmen desperately clawed at his eyes, and she managed too leave several nail marks on his cheeks. “AIYEEE!” he screamed in pain.

Cursing loudly, he dropped her to the floor. The Commandante looked down and saw Carmen’s eyes had rolled back into her head. He was panic stricken as Doña Carmen’s face and lips were turning blue by the time he finally unwound the whip from her neck. The whip left bruises in addition to lacerating her skin.

Carmen continued to make choking noises and suddenly she was still. Guiterrez placed his hand against the base of her neck. There was a very faint pulse. Señora Rodriguez was not dead! “Thanks Dios!” the Capitan said sotto voce. “Be thankful, La Doña Negra, that I feel merciful tonight. I would usually take my pleasure without waiting for you to regain consciousness!”

He paused on his way out to get his saddlebags. “But this is for all the trouble you have given me, señora!” he said acidly. As Carmen lay there unconscious, he lashed her with the whip several times across her back before he finally left to pack the rest of his belongings.


Chapter Fourteen


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