Disaster.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, just use them for entertainment.

Chapter 1

DeSoto was in his office thinking to himself, How come Zorro always escapes us, why is he always faster, how does he elude us every time?. Suddenly an idea popped in his mind. "Mendoza!". A couple of seconds later Mendoza came through the door. "Sì, Alcalde?". "Mendoza, I have done some thinking about Zorro, why do you think he eludes us every time?". Mendoza never liked questions about Zorro, they only made them nervous not to say something wrong to the Alcalde, slowly he answered: "I don't know why, it is not as if we do not try, but he's just so fast and..." "Exactly Mendoza, why do you think he is faster?" "Because of his horse, it is impossible to keep up with Toronado and..." "Sergeant, let me tell you why he is faster and it has nothing to do with that horse of his. It's because he knows every inch of this territory. He knows every twist and turn, that's how he eludes us every time We will show him, for the next two weeks will we go to every hacienda in the surrounding area, we will train on every part of this territory, until WE know every twist and turn. Have I made myself clear!" "Sì, mi Alcalde, when do you suppose we should start?" Slowly Mendoza saw the head of DeSoto grow redder and redder and he quickly said "O, you mean now, where do you want to start?" "Start at the De La Vega hacienda, their property is the biggest land of them all. First post this aviso which orders them to cooperate, I do not want to see any complaints on my desk for trespassing!" Mendoza saluted and left quickly, while DeSoto stared after him gloating: "Zorro, now I will have you, you might know the lands better now, but soon we will have the upper hand"

The sergeant took the aviso from the Alcalde and marched to the tavern to post it, as soon as he came in with the piece of paper in his hand people started complaining about a new tax. Immediately Mendoza started calming them down: "Do not worry yourself, no new tax or law has been made, the Alcalde just wants some cooperation from the haciendados for our new training." Señorita Escalante started to get curious, Since when does our Alcalde spend time in their training, it isn't something he likes to do? She made here way to the avisobaord and read it:

AVISO

For all haciendados in the territory, the lancers will start to train

on your lands to gain more knowledge about the area.

The purpose of this training is to get to know every route through which

a bandit may escape to enlarge our chances on capture of these outlaws.

Every haciendado has to cooperate, the ones who do not will be jailed for

the remaining period of the training which starts today and will end in 2 weeks.

Signed,

The Alcalde of pueblo de Los Angeles

Ignacio DeSoto

Victoria shrugged, but couldn't help thinking: It sounds more like demanding! What is he up to this time?. She turned around and saw here friends the De La Vegas enters the tavern, she immediately went to them. "Buonas dias, Don Alejandro, Don Diego have you read the new aviso?" The older Don looked at her and shook his head. "Asking for permission is one thing, but demanding cooperation is something else. By the looks of it the lancers are already leaving for training. I wonder what he thinks to accomplish with this new edict, besides disturbing peoples lives". "Father, I hardly think it will disturb our lives, since they will not come in the hacienda." "Son, they will be prying on our land so that is disturbing our lives and who knows what the Alcalde is planning to make them do there." "It can't be that bad father, let's have lunch and we will wait to see what will happen". "Diego, in the meantime they will be going over our lands and do who knows what." "I hardly think he is interested in stealing our cattle, it has to be something else we will find out sooner or later. Perhaps he finally decided to finally do something against threats to our pueblo." "You are no help at all! Victoria what do you think about this edict, he has to be planning something." "Don Alejandro, I really don't know I'm just glad it isn't another tax our law, most couldn't bear it." "Maybe you're right Victoria, I should be glad it isn't something to strike out against the poor again. But knowing him a feeling comes up and I for one will not rest until that feeling has left".

Mendoza and three other lancers in the meanwhile had reached the De La Vega hacienda. "Lopez, you will take the south, Morales the west and Garcia the eastern side I will go over the northern part of the land. We will gather here at sundown and ride to town together. Has everybody understood? " "Si, sergeant!" "Vamanos men." Every lancer left for his assigned area and Mendoza looked after them starting to think how useless this would be, they already rode over all lands during chases before, what would change after this, sighing he continued his ride. Finally a break let's look for some shadows to rest, he thought he looked around him. There's a good spot he thought close to the road and secluded, I could even take a siësta here. I can't believe my luck, maybe this isn't as useless as it seems. There are some bushes over there nice and soft to lie against, This truly is the best place I could hope for, he grinned and walked towards the bushed wall of rocks. Suddenly he felt his foot sink a bit into the ground and heard a strange sound, he looked in front of his and the bushes were gone and a couple of seconds later they reappeared. He rubbed his eyes did he see that or was he in more need for a rest than he thought he was. Then he looked at the place where his foot went into the ground and saw a lever of some kind. His mind was a pool of thought all of a sudden What could this be, what does it mean, where does it lead to? Carefully and trembling he stepped on the lever again and saw the wall disappearing again slowly he stepped forward and went in the cave that was revealed to him.