Alenjandro stalked from the room. Diego was right behind him. Victoria remained behind with Felipe and Anna. The senorita watched as the girl shrugged off Felipe’s arms and listened intently to the conversation in the hallway. Hurt, Felipe stepped away from her.
“Who?” the butler asked.
“Where is Alejandro?” the alcalde demanded.
“Right here, de Soto. What do you think you are doing barging in like this?”
Felipe watched as Anna bent and removed her tiny slippers. She was still concentrating on the words being said.
“I’m here to arrest Anna Baker. Turn her over to me or I will arrest you for high treason against the crown of Spain.”
Victoria saw Anna’s breath quicken. The girl unpinned the wired pearl headpiece and placed it and her slippers behind a large potted plant. Felipe and Victoria exchanged confused glances.
“With what is she charged?” Diego demanded.
“Here is the warrant for her arrest.” de Soto handed Diego the piece of parchment bearing the seal of both Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. “As you can see, the girl is a wanted criminal. Turn over Anna Rebecca Baker!”
The full name hit Anna as if with a physical blow. The girl fled the room. Felipe looked over to Victoria and, seeing that she was as surprised as he, took off into the hallway after her.
Anna ran through the hallways to the kitchen. The room was empty except for two women washing dishes. The girl ran through the room towards the side servants’ entrance. Felipe reached her as she exited through the door.
The patio outside of the door was shielded from the front of the house by a wall. In the darkness, Felipe reached for her arm.
“No!” Anna whispered, desperately pulling against him. “Let go of me!”
“What are you doing?” he asked one handed, not letting go.
“There’s no time!” the girl twisted free and ran to the end of the wall. She placed her back against it and looked around towards the stable. Felipe slid next to her against the wall.
“I can’t get a horse. Too many soldiers. I’ll have to go on foot.”
“Where?”
“The church. I must claim sanctuary.”
“International espionage?!” exclaimed Alejandro, “She is a child!!”
De Soto answered. “Obviously not, senor. You are either disillusioned or you are intentionally aiding and abetting a fugitive. Now where is she?” he demanded.
“She is not here.” Victoria said entering the room. “Anna left hours ago. I have no idea where she is.
Alejandro and Diego smothered looks of surprise. “Nor do we.” Alejandro agreed.
“I find that hard to believe. Lancers! Search the hacienda. Find Miss Baker and bring her to me.”
“Sanctuary?! Why?!” Felipe exclaimed.
“Go back!” Anna whispered then ducked and ran from the wall to a large bush a little ways into the dark. She crouched behind it watching the lancers enter the hacienda. Suddenly, Felipe was squatting next to her.
“What are you doing?!” Anna whispered frantically. “You can’t come! Go back!”
“Why do you need sanctuary?”
The soldiers looked away and Anna ran to the next bush. Felipe followed a moment later.
“Why?!” she whispered pointing to the lancers at the front gates, “That is why!” she pointed to the front door, “And that is why!” She pointed to the stables, “And that is why!”
“We’ll hide you. Don Diego can—“
“No! I must go on my own. I will not put any of you in danger!” Anna said, turning.
She crept away from the bush to a shallow gully and slid down the side to the bottom. She ran along the bottom of the gully until it curved and was no longer in sight of the hacienda. In the relative safety of the darkness, she stopped to rest. Even the short distance she had come had taxed her. Her chest burned as she gasped with every breath. She heard Felipe’s footsteps as he rounded the bend in the rocks.
“Go away!” she pleaded again.
In the light of a quarter moon, Felipe saw how hard she was breathing.
“You can’t do this. We’re over two miles from town. You’ll never make it.”
“I have to make it.” she said, gritting her teeth, “I have no where else to go.”
As the Lancers began their search of the hacienda, Diego sidled over to Victoria.
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know,” Victoria whispered. “She ran from the room when the soldiers arrived. Felipe followed her, but I don’t know where they went.”
Alejandro handed the parchment to Diego. “Son, this is signed by the commandante of Santa Barbara.”
Diego furrowed his eyebrows as he remembered the conversation he and Felipe had had with Anna concerning Santa Barbara. He took the paper and read it; Victoria read it at his side.
“They think she is a spy?” Victoria asked, “But how? She is so young—and a woman.”
“I don’t know.” Diego answered truthfully, but he was beginning to wonder some things himself.
Anna gathered her strength and began to climb the other side of the gully. Though the side was not very steep, it was slow going for her. Though she shooed him away, Felipe was one step behind her.
Reaching the top, Anna began to run along the brushline towards town. Her bare feet pounded the sandy soil. The girl looked back over her shoulder to see Felipe matching her pace a few yards behind. She paid him no mind and kept going. Her side hurt, her lungs burned. Finally, she could go no further. Coughing, she slowed her pace and then stopped, leaning over with her hands on her knees. Felipe was instantly beside her. He reached his arms around her shoulders, but she pushed him away. The coughing grew harder and she fell to her knees, her hands covering her mouth. Felipe could hear that the coughs were productive. When the paroxysm subsided, Anna dropped her hands away from her face. Even in the moonlight, Felipe could see the blood.
“There is no sign of her, mi alcalde,” Mendoza said, returning to the foyer. “We have searched everywhere. All we found were these in one of the guest rooms.” He held out some clothes and a satchel.
De Soto raised his eyebrows. “And what are these?” he asked, gleefully.
“Those, senor,” an indignant voice said, “are mine.”
All eyes turned to see Marta standing with her hands on her hips. “Must you show my night things to everyone?”
“You are only a servant here,” de Soto countered, “Why would your things be in the guest room?”
“The de la Vegas are known far and wide for their hospitality. My room was having its annual cleaning and they kindly offered me another place to stay.”
“Prove it.”
“Very well. Who’s name is in that nightdress?” Marta charged.
Mendoza fiddled with the gown, “Eh, Marta Gomez.”
“There you see?” Marta said, taking the clothes from Mendoza.
“Wait.” the commandante said, “What’s in the bag?”
Marta stopped, unsure.
“Give it to me.” De Soto commanded. Mendoza obeyed the order and handed the satchel over.
“This is hardly necessary!” Alejandro said.
“Oh, I think that it is.” said De Soto, opening the bag. His smile faded as he pulled out hair ribbons, a brush, and white pantalets. Seething, he threw the clothes back into the bag.
“You see?” Marta said, regaining her confidence.
Dropping the bag to the floor, De Soto turned to Alejandro and shook his finger at him, “I’m warning you, de la Vega, I will not rest until I have hunted this girl down and brought her to justice. Vamanos!” he called to his lancers, then turned on his heel, and left the hacienda.
Felipe pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood from Anna’s hands. The girl was still breathing heavily but did not push him away. He tucked the linen into his sash and then grasped her shoulders.
“Look at me.” he signed, motioning between their eyes. “I’ll hide you. Trust me. No one will find you.”
Anna said nothing for a few moments as she thought.
“Alright.” she agreed.
He helped her to her feet and led her in a new direction. They walked quickly, stopping every few minutes to listen for horses. The going was slow, but they soon reached the hidden cave.
Felipe took Anna’s hand and led her into the cave. She started at the sight of Toronado towering over her. He whickered and shook his mane. Felipe patted him on the neck, and led Anna into the cave proper.
The girl’s eyes grew wide. She saw the tables of chemical experiments, rows and rows of books, and a rack that held the clothes and weapons of Zorro. She knew she was in Zorro’s lair.
The young man walked up to the viewing hole and looked into the salon, then returned to Anna’s side. He wondered if he should go get Diego. He changed his mind knowing that under the circumstances, the older man would probably check the cave anyway.
He glanced over at Anna in time to see her pick up a large flask of green liquid. Quickly, Felipe took it from her with two hands and placed it back on the table, shaking his head.
“Sorry.” Anna apologized.
Felipe walked back to the viewing hole.
“What’s over there?” Anna asked, “What are you looking at?” She walked over to the wall and stood next to him.
He turned back and answered, “Inside the hacienda. I’m trying to see if the soldiers have left.”
She pulled his arm to make him look at her. “What?! Why did you bring me back here?!”
“No one knows about this room, except Diego. No one will find you here. Diego should come here soon, and then we can decide what to do.”
“I don’t know about this.” she said worriedly, clasping her hands
With the alcalde gone, Marta sank into a chair in the salon.
“You were incredible, Marta,” praised Victoria, “What quick thinking!”
“Indeed!” agreed Alejandro.
“I’ve never been so scared in my life,” said Marta.
“But where is Anna?” Alejandro asked. “Where did she go?”
“She and Felipe left when the alcalde arrived.” Diego conveyed.
“But where?” they all shook their heads, unknowing. “Must be a good hiding place.” the older man said.
Alejandro offered a guest room to Victoria, but she declined saying that she must return to the tavern to prepare for the next day’s work. The older man protested, but eventually assigned a servant to drive Victoria back to the pueblo. With a yawn and another pat on Marta’s cheek, the don bid his farewell and turned in for the night.
After the commotion died down, Diego slipped away quietly. He walked down to the guest room and peered inside. He saw the open armoire-- empty now of its contents-- the perfectly made bed, and the hairbrush on the vanity. Something brown caught his eye. He walked into the room and leaned down by the bed to pull the saddlebag from underneath. He examined the leather and, in particular, the seal emblazoned on the front. He ran his hand over the elephant, the crown, and the lion holding a flag. Virtutis Fortuna Comes. Anger threatened to boil up within him, but he kept it in check. No, he thought, innocent until proven guilty.
Diego did not know for sure where Felipe and Anna had gone, but he had a fair idea. He strode to the fireplace, pressed the hidden switch, and, with a deep, calming breath, ducked into the cave. He walked down the steps to find Felipe and Anna in the cave, just as he thought. Felipe looked up as his patron entered; the girl stood nervously beside him.
“Felipe, I told you that it was not a good idea to bring her here.”
“I had no other choice.” he signed.
Diego sighed. “Oh, well. It’s done now.” he turned to Anna, “You seem to have gotten yourself in quite a bit of trouble. The alcalde has a warrant out on you. We need to start formulating your defense on the charges of international espionage.”
Anna looked at the floor. “That might be difficult, senor.”
“Why? Because of Lord Wyclythe? Matthew told me that he was convicted.”
Anna looked up at him. “He said he was convicted. He never said he was innocent.”
Felipe looked over at her, astonished.
Diego threw Matthew’s saddlebag onto the table. “Does this have anything to do with it?”
“You recognize the seal?” Anna asked.
“The seal of the Duke of Wellington.” Diego said tersely, crossing his arms over his chest.
Anna drew herself up as tall as she could and looked him steadily in the eye. “I am Second Leftenant Anna Rebecca Baker, British Army Intelligence, in the service of his royal majesty King George.”
