Joá, Rio de Janeiro

To confirm his theory, Enzo took Luana to his little improvised hideout again. Even after saying that he would not climb on her BMW again, Luana forced her to get on the 1,000-cylinder motorcycle. For a change, at high speed, dodging vehicles left and right, until the road became winding and crowded with people, an indicator that Rocinha was approaching.

Nine minutes later, Luana was back on the Estrada da Gávea. Enzo remembered the garage, near the low trees and bushes. Luckily, the van was in the same place, except for the bikes. As it seemed, she was telling the truth.

- I've never seen them before! - said Luana, annoyed.

That was enough for Enzo.

- Well, if you'll excuse me, I need a favor.

- One more?

- Yes.

- What are you going to do, idiot?

- The van is leaving for who knows where.

- You want me to follow it?

- Sort of. First, I need a spray bottle and a gallon of alcohol.

Luana couldn't understand.

- Where will I get a spray bottle and alcohol?

- Make your move.

And so she did. Luana arrived back a few minutes later with a small blue plastic spray bottle and the alcohol in a bucket.

- Great. Now, wait for the van to leave. I have a plan.

As soon as the Mercedes van left the garage, Luana hurried to keep up. To maintain a safe distance, Enzo touched Luana's to increase or decrease the speed, depending on the traffic flow on the street.

For the first time, the van stopped at a traffic light. Enzo was not going to let the opportunity slip away and got off the motorcycle. Luana thought it was weird, but made no comment. Enzo took off his shirt and approached the van stopped at the stop sign. He made a "positive" sign with his fingers to the driver. In an even more common practice in Rio de Janeiro, Enzo sprayed some colorless liquid on the windshield and started to clean it with his shirt, to the protests of the driver, who initially did not recognize Enzo. When he opened the window to complain, Enzo threw the bucket of alcohol inside the vehicle.

- What the fuck is this? - yelled the driver. - Fuck you!

- Kiss my ass, fuckers! - said Enzo, throwing a lit lighter into the van.

The Mercedes began to burn uncontrollably. Enzo blocked the door so that the driver wouldn't try to get out. Luana, frightened, pulled Enzo out of the flames. Despite this, he didn't seem too concerned about the possibility of burns, and even used the fire to light his cigar.

- Let's go, let's go! - said Enzo, quickly climbing on the back of the BMW.

Luana accelerated as fast as she could, returning to her house in Joá.

- You know this can go very wrong. - Luana commented, or shouted, since the noise of the engine and the wind made communication difficult.

- Maybe. - Enzo shrugged. - But who gives a shit? If they want me, let them come after me.

- Do you have any idea what might be in the van?

- Money, drugs, weapons. Go figure.

As they stopped the motorcycle in front of the gate, Vini appeared pointing a pistol at them both.

- Get off the bike!

- Vini, what the fuck?

- Enzo, weren't you...?

He remained silent. Vini soon understood.

- Isn't she the wicked one? - Vini was confused. - Drug dealer's daughter?

- Hey, more respect to my dad!

- But he's a motherfucking drug dealer!

- Vini, you won't believe it, I found the guys in the van who shot us.

- So?

- They're all burning pitifully in hell.

- I am lost.

- Enzo burned the van with the guys inside. - Luana had to clarify.

- This is going to be a real shit... - Vini projected.

- Ah, relax. It's not that bad. But you know what? I thought Luana was a fucking cheater, but it turns out she's a nice girl.

- Did you sleep together?

- How do you know?

- I know Enzo. I don't know you, but I definitely know Enzo. I just want to know how the situation with Russia and Italy is going to turn out.

- Oh, we are not involved with each other, Vini. I already told you.

It was Luana's turn to be confused.

- A relationship? Russia is a person?

- Yes. Russia and Italy are people. I know, it's kinda difficult to believe.

To believe was not really the term. But " difficult" is practically an understatement.

- So, let me get this straight. Luana is the daughter of the drug dealer...

- Marcos. - Enzo interrupted.

- How do you know his name? And how did you two meet?

- Do I have to tell you the whole thing?

- No. Just make it simple.

- I met a guy in Rocinha. These people are stealing money from the people in the neighborhood. I thought Luana was in on the scam, because she is the daughter of the drug dealer who runs Rocinha. I don't know, but I think they are trying to give her father a blow. The guns that Suzane asked us to hand in. I think she wanted to fuck us without a condom, with all due respect, Luana.

- I am very insulted. - Luana was ironic.

- What a pity. Go complain on Twitter.

- Did you find out who the guys in the van were before you burned them alive?

- I only have the first names. But with two of them out, we still have the motorcycle shit to hunt.

- How are you gonna find out?

Enzo looked at Vini and smiled.

- Our fucking way. By kicking in the door and putting our cock on the table.

- Do you really think this will work? - Luana was skeptical. - Remember that they are professionals.

- Yes, but real professionals would have silenced us when they had the chance. Twice and they failed. The truth is that nobody fucks with us and gets away with it. - Enzo gestured a greeting to Vini.

- Good. - Luana didn't understand how this was going to work. - What's the plan?

If she knew both of them, she would have known that that question rarely has a definite answer. As Enzo has already said, the pair survived two shootouts. Vini's plan was simple. Show up, shoot anyone who moved, and walk away.

Luana stopped the motorcycle in front of the garage. Enzo and Vini slowly got off, carrying two Taurus GX4s each. And the show began. The two men didn't even have time to react. The duo separated momentarily, Enzo went to the right and hit the arm of the guy who was going after his rifle near the counter, while Vini didn't even have the patience to wait. He pulled the trigger on the head of the other remaining man out of sheer revenge.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

After the short shootout, Luana had to intervene and ask an important question, if Vini would allow interruptions.

- What?

- What about the part where you interrogate?

It took him about five more seconds to process the information. And then...

- Shit, he' s gone. - he said. - Enzo!

- What?

- Don't kill this guy. We need to interrogate him.

- The idea was for you to lock up your guy.

- Yeah, but I killed him. There's no way to save him from the dead. He's gone.

- You're a complete idiot!

- Me? What about you?

- Men. - Luana saw that nothing was going to come of it and took the pistol from both of them. - You'll only get it back when we get answers.

- And then?

- Then, do what you think is best.

The surviving man was bleeding profusely. Vini noticed the discomfort and pressed even harder on the wound to cause even more pain.

- Hello. - said Enzo, very calmly. - Do you remember me? Of course not. The last time we met, what did you have? A machine gun in your hand? Now.... The words have changed. You will tell me exactly what I want.

The man shook his head, which irritated Enzo.

- Squeeze that son of a bitch tighter!

Vini obeyed. He could even feel the bones in his arms, such was the depth of the wound and the severity of the injury.

- So, what do you say?

- What do you want? - The man replied, almost powerless.

- Names. - Vini said. - From what it looks like, you assholes are working for someone we don't know.

- What are you talking about?

- Marcos. The drug dealer who runs the slum.

- Oh, shit! Shit! Shit!

- Yeah. So, if you want to leave here with your teeth in your mouth, you better talk.

- All right, all right! You're right. We fooled Marcos and took the residents' money.

- And why is that?

- It's easy money. Like taking candy from a child's hand!

- Vini, blow this son of a fucker's brains out, already - said Enzo.

- Wait, wait, wait. Why did they attack us twice?

- Suzane is a bitch! She tricked Marcos and wants control of his business. Getting two idiots like you can't have been too hard.

- Who does Suzane work for, assuming your theory is true?

- I don't know. And I don't give a fuck.

- And who do you work for?

- The Crazy Rooster.

- Who is that?

- Don't you watch TV?

- We don't watch the same shows.

- This man is responsible for the domination of several criminal groups in the state. - said Luana. - As I said, it is an intense power struggle.

- Where do we find this crazy rooster?

- You don't find him, he finds you.

- I imagine that you talk on your cell phones. He probably already knows about the burning van and was going to call for backup before my friend blew his partner's brains out. So I will say it just once. I don't care about your business or your crimes or whatever. But the problem was that you attacked my house. You can tell your boss or whoever the fuck he is that we will go after him and whoever else comes along.

Vini had never seen Enzo so serious as he was at that moment. And finally, Enzo took the pistol and shot the man right in the forehead, and the man fell.

- Well, what do we do now? - Vini stared at the body lying on the ground.

- We burn down the garage and move on with our lives. But... - Enzo paused. - We need to talk to Suzane.

- Why?

- Because she knows things and I want to get to the bottom of this.

- No, you don't. What the hell is the point?

- If Suzane is the real boss of these guys, why does she want to take over the slum? Don't you think it's weird?

- Yes, I do. But you didn't trust them.

- I don't. But if we push her...

- She might tell us. - Vini added. - I'm just worried about what might happen now. You mean a war? I didn't mark it on my calendar.

- War has been happening all along, Vini. - Laura said. - The detail is that it never hit us. But now it's different.

Before burning down their garage, Laura did a quick comb through. She found, as expected, weapons of all kinds, explosives, a map and clothes. Finally, Enzo poured gasoline on the floor and the walls, to finally use Vini's lighter to set the place on fire.

Luana was going through the last curves to get to her house, when a Toyota Corolla car cut her off.

- Stupid Corolla drivers! - Enzo whined.

- Oh, shit. - Vini recognized the car. - Is that Roberto?

- I think so. - Luana answered.

- How the hell do you know him?

Luana didn't answer, she just got off her motorcycle and went towards the vehicle. Enzo followed behind her and kept on the lookout.

- How are you gentlemen? - Roberto asked.

- That depends. - Enzo answered coldly. - Did we do anything wrong, officer?

- Over the speed limit. You know how it is.

Enzo stared at Luana.

- I told you so.

- But that's not why I pulled you over. I have to take her to the police station.

- No fucking way. - Enzo cut in. - You're not taking her.

- Kid, back off.

- You'll have to shoot me.

It wouldn't be a problem. Roberto pointed the gun at Enzo's head, but missed the target and grazed his shoulder.

- Motherfucker! - Enzo screamed in pain.

- Luana, come with me. - Roberto raised his voice.

Vini got off his motorcycle to try to calm things down.

- There must be some other way to solve the problem.

- All right. - said Luana. - I'll go with you.

Oh, Roberto was part of the scheme. Surely, they would find her body in the sea or in some garbage dump.

Luana had no choice, considering the scenario. She opened the door of the Corolla and entered. Enzo was already expecting the worst. While Vini managed to hide some of the weapons seized in the garage on his motorcycle, Roberto noticed and took the rifles and explosives away.

- Let's keep this for good. - he said.