the Darkness
Chapter 6
Capit�n Riesgo sat at his desk, writing something by the candlelight. He was so absorbed in his work that he did not notice the masked intruder.
�Buenas noches, comandante.� Zorro made a few steps toward the man at the desk and stopped, keeping himself in the shadows and watching the comandante. Capit�n Riesgo slowly rose from his seat and lifted the candle, trying to peer through the darkness. The soft light of the candle illuminated his long thin face, his small, closely-set eyes, and the pale lips that stretched into a cold smile when the light fell upon the black figure of the outlaw.
�I assume you are El Zorro,� he said slowly. �And to what do I owe the misfortune of your visit?�
Zorro bowed slightly, to show his appreciation of the comandante�s �humor�. �I would like to know, se�or, your reason for mistreating the people.�
Capit�n Riesgo set the candle down on the table and walked around it, moving closer to the outlaw. �Mistreating? No, se�or. I am merely trying to protect my country from its enemies.�
�You consider Californians to be enemies of Spain?� Zorro also moved toward the capit�n, stepping into the fragile circle of flickering candlelight.
�I am certain that there are many traitors among the Californianos. My job is to find them and prevent them from doing harm to my country.�
Zorro moved in closer, looking intensely at the comandante. �Your actions are causing unrest among the people. They have already had enough of your tyranny.� He studied capit�n Riesgo�s face carefully for a while and then concluded, �I believe, the only traitor here is you.�
�Oh? And why is that?�
�You tell me. . . . Why are you trying to turn California against Spain? Has somebody paid you to do that? Someone like . . . Shadows?�
Now it was the comandante�s turn to glue his eyes to the masked man�s face. �Shadows?�
�S�, Shadows. Are they here in the room with you, comandante? Huh?� He pulled back his cape to reveal the time stabilizer. �Why do they not show themselves?�
Suddenly the darkness behind the desk began to thicken, turning into a sinister spider-like shape, and Zorro shuddered, feeling a chilling wave run through his body.
Capit�n Riesgo grinned evilly, �Well, you wished to see it. Here it is.�
Zorro ignored the capit�n�s sneer and addressed the creature: �You cannot win this, you know. My friend already knows about your plan, and he knows that it is this man (he pointed to Riesgo) whom you have chosen to act for you. He will give the message to Babylon 5, and they will stop this man.� Zorro was bluffing, of course, but, perhaps, the creature would fall for it. �What are you going to do now, eh?� he said with a clear challenge in his voice.
The creature uttered a squeaking sound and turned its head toward capit�n Riesgo. Seconds later the already familiar beam of light tore through the comandante�s body, ripping it into a million pieces. Zorro gasped and shrunk back, horrified and disgusted at the same time.
�We can always find new agents,� the spider-like creature droned, eyeing the bandit who grew numb under its gaze.
But that numbness was but a momentary weakness.
Not quite knowing what his next action was going to lead to, Zorro retorted through clenched teeth, �Not if I can help it,� and leaped forward, eliminating whatever distance there was between him and the Shadow. Not giving the creature time to react, the masked outlaw hit the small metal object on his chest, activating it. The blue glowing time field enveloped the two dark figures � the man and the Shadow. The creature squeaked enraged, trying to get out. But it was too late.
Several soldiers, who heard the strange sounds and barged into the comandante�s office a few moments later, saw nothing but some tiny particles of an unknown material that were thrown all around the room. Those were the remains of the late capit�n Riesgo, but, of course, the soldiers could not have known it.
***
The shy-looking Minbari ran frantically up the stairs onto the upper deck. �Captain! Delenn! Come quick! You must see this!�
Delenn walked up to her anxious aide, �What is it, Lennier?�
�I� I believe his time stabilizer became activated again.�
Delenn turned to Sheridan, and the latter threw a quick order to his commander to take over the bridge. Then he followed Delenn and Lennier to the White Star � probably the only ship not only in the Minbari fleet but in all of the Alliance � that could give a substantial resistance to the Shadows. It was also the only ship from where they could trace Diego�s time stabilizer.
The tracking computer on board the White Star showed a small blinking dot that seemed to be hanging between the bigger lines and circles that crossed the screen.
�Where is he now?� Delenn asked.
�I am not sure,� Lennier mumbled in confusion. �I think he is somewhere between the times.�
�What do you mean between the times?� Sheridan intervened. �Can you get him here?�
�I have tried,� Lenier stopped short. �. . . But . . . it didn�t work. Something seems to be pulling him back.�
Delenn�s face mirrored the concern that colored her voice, �He found the Shadow.�
�What can we do?�
�Nothing, I am afraid, John.� She took the captain�s hands in hers. �We can only hope that he will be able to stop the Shadow. Then we can pull him in here. But now we are helpless. All we can do is wait.�