THE HEREOS:
Don Alejandro/Zorro
Dona Elena
Bleeding-Tiger O'Brien
Don Eusebio
Father Emilio
Billy
Paquito
THE VILLAINS:
Jonathan Halligan/Pete the peddler
Dona Carmen
Don Miguel
José
Jed and Thadeous, kidnappers
Halligan, an American sea captain wants land and power in California but the land is owned either by the missions or the dons. He figures that if he acquires land and sets up a few small industries he would quickly become among the wealthiest and most powerful men in California. Halligan sneers at the dons' lack of foresight in developing industry as almost everything they use must be imported.
Halligan manipulates two weak characters, Carmen (a little deranged after the loss of her husband and son to the fever, and the discovery that her estate was greatly diminished due to her late husband's gambling) and Miguel (also the victim of gambling but indebted directly to Halligan). He also controls Carmen by keeping her supplied with the highly addictive painkiller, laudanum, and by keeping her sexually satisfied while she longs for Alejandro.
Because Halligan cannot buy the land he desires he uses his sailors, as well as hired mercenaries, to stage accidents (fire in the olive grove) at a mission that he wants. This mission is run by Padre Emilio Sandoz who overseas the agriculture and the new mill as well as the safety and education of the Indians who live and work there. At this time in California missions were weakened by the loss of workers who left to look for gold, and were quite vulnerable. Halligan hopes that the troubles at the mission will cause it to be closed and the land deeded to someone worthy. Halligan plans to use the considerable influence of Dona Carmen and Don Miguel to get him that deed. The accidents at Carmen's estate (poisoned water, injured workers) were staged to make the attacks look random and cover the fact that the real target is the mission.
In payment to these two characters, Halligan will forgive Miguel's debts and help Carmen get the one thing she wants more than anything else -- a return to wealth and glory as the wife of the widowed Don Alejandro, a man that she is passionate about.
Although Halligan leads Carmen to believe that he is carrying out his part of the bargain (the attack on Alejandro's hacienda during the fiesta), he had a good look at Elena and likes what he saw. In the back of his mind he considers the possibility of getting rid of Alejandro -- a man that he considers to be a buffoon after he fell off his horse and into a well while fighting the fire at Carmen's. This pretty much destroyed his suspicion that Alejandro might be more than he appears despite reports from a drunken worker named José that Tornado had been seen on the estate. With Alejandro gone Halligan could court and win Elena and take control of Alejandro's huge ranchero as well as the mission.
The failed baby kidnapping scheme was to get money for the villains while they worked on their other plots, and to keep the townspeople frightened and submissive. Halligan and Carmen were to share one thousand American dollars for each child and Halligan convinced Carmen that the children would have better lives so she would allow the kidnappers to get the children to his ship from a beach on Carmen's property. Their plot was foiled by Zorro.
For the first few years of his marriage, Alejandro was so content with his role of husband and father that he failed to see the trouble at the mission and in town. Once alerted, though, he sprang into action. Physically and mentally he had kept himself ready to assume the role of Zorro at any time so he had no trouble doing so when he was needed. With the aid of Paquito whose sister had been kidnapped, Zorro slips aboard a large sailing ship and confronts the captain -- Halligan -- who manages to escape, but not before Zorro recognizes him as the man who sold him Tiger. Halligan had purchased Tiger as a slave after he recognized Tiger's skills with the sword. Tiger had told Alejandro the complete story of his life and his pirate days with Halligan, so Alejandro knew immediately that he was dealing with a very dangerous man. He also knew that Don Miguel's men were involved in the kidnappings and in the attacks on the hacienda but he has not tied these to Halligan yet even though Americans were behind the attack on Carmen's hacienda.
Zorro takes the children to the local mission so the padre can return them to their families. Padre Emilio has worked hard to make the mission a success and privately tells Zorro about the troubles at the mission and enlists his aid. Halligan is plotting to sabotage the mission's mill causing it to be shut down so the church will beg him to take it off their hands. Billy stays with Emilio, both of them now under Zorro's protection.
So, Zorro is committed to assisting the padre and to finding out what Halligan is really up to, but he does not yet know that these two things are directly related, although he overheard Halligan talk about a "big job" which would happen the following night while on board the ship.
THE LOVERS: Alejandro and Elena -- This passionate couple enjoys every aspect of their life together including their lovemaking which is adventurous and fun... and frequent.
Halligan and Carmen -- Halligan is using Carmen in a number of ways and one of them is for sex. He is proud of his looks so he thinks that Carmen returns that passion when, in fact, it is Alejandro that she dreams of.
Tiger and Mariana -- Mariana has long admired Tiger's looks and skills. Their relationship has been consummated but Tiger feels unworthy of her love and she is confused by his rejection.
THE ANIMALS:
Tornado -- Zorro's magnificent black stallion who has a mind of his own
Mr. Hobbs -- Halligan's inquisitive gray cat who gets underfoot at the most
inopportune times
No more major characters should be introduced. We have plenty to work with now.
No more sub plots should be introduced. The Chicas have managed to weave a fairly complex story and we need to resolve the conflict that has already been established.
The remaining scenes must work through this conflict to its ultimate resolution. I don't know how we are going to get there, but when I introduced a sea captain as the main villain I envisioned the climax of the story taking place on board ship. It would be our equivalent of the gold mine, giving Zorro and the villains plenty of things to swing from and leap over and explode and burn, if you wish.
the (attempted?) destruction of the mission's new mill by Halligan's men
Zorro's discovery of how the baby-kidnappings are connected to the "accidents" at Carmen's hacienda and the mission.
Zorro's discovery that Halligan, Carmen and Miguel are working together -- he suspects that now.
Zorro's discovery of Halligan's ultimate aim: control and power by owning large chunks of California
the further disintegration of Carmen and her plot on Elena's life
Carmen's relationship with Halligan; with Alejandro
Halligan's attempt on Alejandro's life -- maybe this is where he realizes that Alejandro is Zorro because Halligan expects to fight a buffoon and ends up facing a man who is an extremely skilled fighter.
Zorro's protection of the mission from further mayhem.
Halligan's possible attempt at revenge on Billy (a young teenager) for helping Zorro with the children's escape.
Elena's increasing skills with the sword and her firm determination to help her husband -- her role in the climax of the story; the mission; protecting Alejandro's life.
Tiger's role -- so far he has left behind to protect the family
Tiger and Mariana's relationship
Tiger's struggles with his past and his night terrors (fear of fire)
Don Miguel -- how does he end up -- helping Zorro or dead?
Don Eusebio's role in the plot
the role of drunken José who is spying on Alejandro and reporting to Carmen
the role of the townspeople who are greatly appreciative for the return of their children
Paquito (maybe 8 or 9) -- a further role?
Elena's pregnancy