Barra da Tijuca, Friday, 8:00 p.m. This night would be like all the others. Vini returned home a little later that day. He had an important job to organize for the week and had done very little until then. Much of that was due to Enzo who, instead of helping him, chose to enjoy the night at a bar on the beach, making fun of the girls. Yes, this really was his old friend. Despite their differences, even if their worlds sometimes collided, Vini and Enzo knew how to live with each other's flaws and craziness. In any case, Vini was walking back the same way he always did, along the bike path that runs along the edge of the canal.

At one point, a dark SUV stopped a few meters away. At first he thought it was very strange, but he could see no sign of danger. Until now. Then the front doors opened. Two men got out with huge guns. This was the sign of danger that Vini needed to flee the place as quickly as possible.

- Holy shit! - Vini said breathlessly.

Vini couldn't find the vehicle nearby after running about half a mile. It would be too risky to take that route in the dark, so Vini had to think of other alternatives. He considered a taxi. But he didn't have his credit card. Without many options, he had the brilliant idea of a phone call to Enzo. At least try calling him.

- Enzo! - Vini muttered. - That idiot doesn't answer for nothing!

Well, what could he do? As it turned out, people have different perceptions of danger. Some face it without fear, while others hover like frightened chickens. Having said that, and apparently not wanting to prove anything to anyone, Vini decided to follow the bike path, which was dark and completely empty. Alone. With only the few streetlights illuminating his face and occasionally the road.

The walk to the lake was long and frightening. Strange. Because of an isolated incident, the place that had always been his home now seemed like a completely unknown country. And not only that. His blood ran cold a second time when he saw a police car in the middle of the road. The lights were off and the blinker was on. Again, his instincts told him something was wrong. Not the car, but the circumstances. And to put his doubts to rest, Vini had to check it out. And he had his cruel answer as he slowly approached the driver's seat.

- Oh, my God.

A while later, Enzo returned to Lake. He walked through the dark gate that separated the apartment building from the rest of the world. To his surprise, he found Vini sitting on one of the wooden benches. His gaze was fixed and unemotional.

- Vini? - Enzo was surprised to see him outside. - What the heck?

- You wouldn't believe it.

- I don't believe it now. - Enzo tried to make one of his stupid jokes. - What's up with you?

- I was on my way home. Including thank you for staying with us to do the work.

- Is that why you're so gloomy?

- Of course not, idiot!

- So, on with the rest of your story.

- I was walking back along the bike path. A vehicle stopped right in front of me.

- What kind of vehicle?

- What difference does it make? It doesn't make any difference, Enzo!

- It could be a local.

- It was not a resident.

- Why not?

- Because locals don't carry guns, Enzo!

That really changes everything.

- Yes, you're quite right. - Enzo had to agree.

- And then there were two men who got out of the car with guns in their hands. I was like a madman on the run. I didn't even look back.

- And then what happened?

- Then... Nothing. I ran back to the bike path. Just then I saw a police car in the middle of the road. The lights were off, but the engine was running and the blinker was on. As I got closer, I saw a man in the driver's seat. He was wearing a uniform. He was dead. With his mouth open and his eyes wide open. Like he was begging not to be killed.

- I feel bad. No one deserves to go through that.

- Thank you.

- I meant the policeman, Vini.

Vini smiled ironically. And then he asked a curious question.

- Do you think this event will cause some kind of problem for the future?

- What do you mean? - Enzo asked.

- You know. This is a quiet place, a noble place. Nothing too scary there. Maybe today was the day the criminals finally discovered a hole.

- What the hell does that mean?

- That maybe today was the first day of something bigger. Do you know?

- Not really.

And Enzo really didn't know. That being said...

- Would you like a cigar? - Enzo asked. - To cheer you up. On me.

- Really? How will you pay?

- I made a bet today that paid triple, Vini!

Bets, women, cigars and cars. Enzo summarized in four paragraphs.

Vini was still thinking about the incident the next day. It was as if he still felt haunted by seeing the dead cop. In the first part of class, Vini couldn't concentrate. His girlfriend, Belgium, was worried.

- What's the matter, honey? Your mind seems to be elsewhere.

- Something happened last night.

- Enzo?

- No, worse.

Belgium couldn't think of anything.

- I can't think of anything.

- Not at all?

- Can you explain?

And Vini had to explain the whole story again. About the night walk, about the vehicle that has no relevance to the story, about the men with guns, about their unbridled flight to shoot the dead policeman.

- Listen, talk to the school counselor.

- Evelyn? - Vini asked.

- She's nice. She takes care of the students. You should talk to her. Explain your problem.

- You think she'll help?

- I'm sure she would.

Vini loved it when Belgium was the voice of reason. It gave him hope that things would get better. Still...

- I have to go to the bathroom.

Vini got out of his chair and ran to the urinals. All the talk had been a bit of a strain on his urinary system. It would be a pretty embarrassing scene to pee in your pants. It might be cute if you were a kid. But as a teenager? Well, not so much. But after the storm has passed, you feel relieved, right? Perhaps, but not for Vini. Because behind him there appeared a demonic figure in the mirror. Like a soldier standing up at the command of his commander, every hair on his arm stood on end. Strangely, this figure looked very, very familiar to him.

- Fuck!

And during the break, two hours after his ghostly encounter in the bathroom, Vini went to the room of Evelyn, the student psychologist, on the second floor. As he climbed the narrow bricked staircase, he felt shivers run down his spine, because he had never been seen by a psychologist. He was afraid of what he would find and the possible consequences of this unexpected visit.

- Hello? Anybody there? - Vini entered the room.

Then the chair simply turned 180 degrees in his direction. A short-haired, very thin woman with rectangular glasses and a white lab coat nearly scared Vini to death before the meeting even started. Was this another warning signal?

- Holy shit!

- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. - Evelyn said. - What's wrong, boy?

- Vinicius. Vinicius Valverde.

- Vinicius Valverde. Your name sounds familiar. Your name is familiar, but that's not the point. What happened?

Vini explained the whole story again. He just added the ghost and his worries about the future.

- Am I crazy? Am I sick? Do I need to get treated? Why do I have this compulsion to ask questions?

- Vinicius, Vinicius! Calm down! You're losing your mind.

- Am I?

- You just need to calm down.

- Is that all? You're not a doctor?

- No. I'm a psychologist.

Well... Vini kept those dark thoughts in his head after the session. His mind worked in a peculiar way. This was certainly going to be a problem. Oh, he didn't need medication, therapy or a moment of silence. After all, he was still Enzo's neighbor. And as soon as the door of the elevator opened, a strange sound began to bother him, but only in a funny kind of way. Vini had no doubts when he asked:

- What the hell is that idiot doing?

As it turned out, Vini's suspicions were soon allayed, because the sound was not noise, but rather music. Very, very good music.

- It's Phil Collins, Vini. - Enzo justified.

- I know, Enzo. Phil Collins is the salvation of music. I've already memorized the line.

- Then what?

- Why are you playing it?

- And do you need a special schedule to hear the greatest musician of all time in the history of the universe?

Enzo was right.

- Would you like a drink?

- No, thank you. - Vini replied. - I'm not thirsty.

- And since when do you have to be thirsty to enjoy a delicious cold drink like Matte Leão.

- Are you advertising?

Enzo ignored the question and went to the kitchen to get some cold tea.

- I don't know, Enzo. I have a bad feeling about it. - said Vini.

- Feelings are like parking spaces, Vini. Some good, some bad. Some hardly fit in a Toyota Hilux.

- Why do I bother sharing my problems with you?

- I'm the one encouraging you, Vini.

After hearing all that nonsense - except for the Phil Collins part - Vini accepted the matte, as long as it was on the rock. Enzo promptly agreed. But the strange feeling did not evaporate like a puddle of water on a hot day. In fact, Vini would discover that this was only the beginning of a series of troublesome situations that would change everyone's lives forever.

Saturday

It was a beautiful morning in Rio de Janeiro. On the most famous beach in the world, Copacabana, swimmers soon took to the endless miles of fine white sand. Normally, beaches are crowded on hot days, but this day seemed different. At nine in the morning, the thermometer was already reading an unbelievable 31 degrees Celsius. There were only two possible ways to explain this: Either Al Gore was right, or the weather in Dubai had been transferred to Rio de Janeiro for a moment. Although Enzo was not a fan of the beach, he had to accept an invitation from Douglas, a friend from Lake, to spend some time in the sea and under the burning sun. But for Vini, there was something a little more subliminal about the situation.

- Vini, don't you know? The beach is one of the best spots for meeting women.

- Why does that not surprise me at all?

- Write it down, Vini...

- I'm not interested.

And Vini really wasn't. But still...

- Taxi stops, airports, restaurants during football days, traffic jams, shopping malls, gyms, weddings, 15th birthday parties, bars, movie queues...

Oh, boy. What a catastrophe. Still, Vini was able to enjoy some of the morning because he had brought a towel, Ray Ban sunglasses and sunscreen. After all, his very fair skin would be extremely damaged by the heat of the sun.

Then it happened. Without warning, two shirtless, skinny-legged, short-haired underage boys started walking. After a while, the duo soon turned into a trio, then into a group of five, and finally into a group of ten. The behavior of this group made Vini very suspicious. But he didn't want to judge a book by its cover.

- Enzo, trouble.

- What's wrong, Vini? - Douglas asked.

- Trouble.

Douglas had to put his hand to his forehead to see the group approaching.

- Crap. They're stragglers. I think they're going to rob everyone on the beach.

- Where is that stupid Enzo?

Enzo was a few meters away, but unfortunately closer to the thieves. Indeed, the group of ten thugs quickly formed an odd formation to prevent anyone from escaping. The swimmers were taken by surprise. The boys were simply taking everything that they could see in front of them. Men, women, old men and children. It did not matter. Cell phones, shoelaces, watches, keys, wallets and money. It was all being carried off. One of them ripped his Ray-Ban glasses from Enzo's face as he approached him.

- Get off me! - Enzo said.

- Give me the glasses! - said the young kid to Enzo.

- Fuck you, you little prick!

The boy pulled out his knife and tried to hit Enzo, who dodged, but the glasses were washed out to sea. Enzo's efforts to save them were in vain.

- You son of a bitch! - Enzo shouted as more people were robbed.

This was an atypical day. In a matter of seconds, the videos of the dragnet raid were already circulating on social media. TV personalities watched in horror, wondering what really happened and why the police never showed up.

Sunday

The next day, Vini went to Enzo's apartment to do something he had already forgotten. It was not very usual, because Enzo had a habit of disturbing him at his place. But as soon as he opened the door, the situation didn't look very pleasant. Either Enzo had woken up on the wrong side of the bed, or something or someone had disturbed his sleep. Both situations were quite likely.

- I can't believe that fucking cocksucker took my glasses!

- Are you still on it, Enzo?

- I loved that Ray Ban! Next to the Honda Civic, it's my favorite possession.

- But you don't own a Civic, Enzo.

- Yes, but I have the right to love an intangible object as much as anyone else.

If you ignored the fact that Enzo had used a really fancy word, this conversation was not going anywhere. So Vini turned on Enzo's television in the livingroom. Unfortunately, Enzo was out of luck that morning, as the sound of a female journalist on the news channel soon caused him to lose his temper.

- Journalists! What do those idiots know?

But then a curious piece of news caught Vini's attention. One day later, the police finally gave a reason for their absence on the day of the robbery. Due to low salaries and the death of the policeman on that fateful night in Barra da Tijuca, the police had suspended all operations in the city until the state provided them with better working conditions. The news came as no surprise to Vini, as his intuition was once again correct. The police would not appear, which would have terrible consequences in the following days.

- Trouble, Enzo.

- Come on! What's the worst that can happen? - Enzo asked a dangerous question.

Monday

It was the first day without the police. Enzo and Vini got ready for school early, as they always did on weekdays. But it was obvious that something was wrong. You could feel the atmosphere was heavy. There was a strange feeling that trouble was about to break out. But in the first hours of the day, nothing unusual happened. Classes went on as usual, again as if nothing would happen at any moment.

- Hey, look at that boy over there. - One of the kids pointed. - He's watching pornography.

- Hey, you!

The boy was Elon Serra. No one knew much about him or where he lived. But given the circumstances of this particular scene, it didn't matter. In fact, the situation got completely out of hand when Elon pulled out a knife and stabbed one of the boys in the face.

- Oh, holy shit, man! You fucker!

- I'm gonna fucking kill you!

Vini had to break off the fight in order to prevent something more serious from happening. Seconds later, the dictator - director - of the school appeared in the classroom screaming and demanding that the stupid fight be stopped.

- I'll call the police. - said the principal, better known as the dictator.

- What police? - Vini asked.

Tuesday

The next day, residents of the capital were alarmed by an urgent message in the early morning hours. Twelve people had been killed in an intense shooting on one of the city's main avenues. And the worst part was that there were no suspects and no solution to the case.

- Fuck. - Vini said. - Have you seen this, Enzo?

- Yes, I have seen it. They have canceled the games for today. Now I have nothing to do for bets.

- Is that what you're worried about?

- Well, yes.

The same old Enzo.

Things seemed to get much worse in the afternoon. There was a rush to the supermarkets for food and supplies. Fights in lines and aisles were constant. It looked like a scene from an apocalypse movie. Vini received the videos on his cell phone. A doubt began to creep into his mind.

- I don't like this, Enzo.

- What do you have in mind?

Wednesday

In the early hours of the morning, Vini got a message from Julio, the bus driver. He said that the bus service had been suspended by the management. So what could he do? Take Enzo for a walk.

While walking, Vini started to get thoughtful. First, he noticed how many cars were on the road. Vini could count on his fingers the number of cars, which was very strange at that time of day.

- Enzo, did you notice anything strange?

- The canal smells terrible. - said Enzo. - It looks like a rhinoceros threw up in there.

- Besides that, Enzo.

- Oh. Well, no.

- The streets are empty. There's no one around.

- Maybe everyone is in the home office.

- But why?

A few seconds later, Vini spotted a group of people walking together in the middle of the street, like a swarm of ants. At first, they didn't look threatening and didn't appear to threaten. However, one of them took an object from his backpack and threw it in the air. The artifact flew a few meters. As it fell, it began to emit thick flames. There was now a threat.

- What the hell, man! Run, Enzo!

Vini and Enzo ran the furthest they could. This scene didn't make any sense. But Vini wasn't going to stand around and wait for an answer. In this case, the best thing to do is a run. For characters in horror movies, that's a tip.

- What the fuck was that? - asked Enzo.

Unfortunately, Enzo had no answer. Not even Vini understood what had just happened.

Classes proceeded as usual. But it didn't take too long for the topic of the day to be discussed among teachers and students. Rumors that classes would be canceled by the end of that week because of the increasing violence in the neighborhood.

That's when it happened. A teacher interrupted the class saying that two people in masks had broken into the school carrying guns. There was no training for this kind of situation. Therefore, panic soon overtook the class. Belgium clung to Vini as if he were some kind of modern John McClane.

- What are we doing?

- No panic. - Vini had to be the voice of reason at that moment. - We know the school. We have the advantage. As far as we know there are only two robbers, so we can escape the other way.

Vini couldn't have been more mistaken, because the security cameras showed at least four hooded people carrying rifles. To make matters worse, the quartet somehow managed to block the exits using parked vehicles. This had all indications of an attempted massacre. The big question was to find out what those hooded men wanted to try to minimize the damage.

Minutes later, the school principal brought good news. The students would be released, as the quartet had partially achieved their objective, who knows what it was. What everyone knew was that this invasion was not an isolated case and that more situations like this were happening in the city, more precisely in the wealthier neighborhoods of the capital.

- Look at this, Enzo. - Vini pointed to the television screen.

The TV network informed the viewers of an anarchist group called Sons of the Sun, who were fighting for the proletariat and against the rich and wealthy bourgeois class. The group called for an end to social classes and income redistribution. In other words, it was nothing more than the class struggle that every teenager hears at least once in college. And as it turned out, the group was not going to stop until it reached its ultimate goal.

- We are all a potential target. - Vini concluded.

- What do these clowns want besides attention? - Enzo asked.

Thursday

In the early hours of the morning, Vini was awakened by an intense shouting in front of Lake. A large crowd had gathered behind the darkened gates of the condominium, initially failing to disperse. The Sons of the Sun were involved and responsible for the protest, there was no doubt. As to where this was going, that remained unclear. No easily defined leaders seemed to exist either.

- This land belongs to the working people! Kill the rich! Kill the rich!

Vini couldn't hear the shouts. But he knew the situation was about to get out of hand. And as it turned out, Vini's intuition was once again correct, for as soon as the clock struck nine o'clock, some members of the Sons of the Sun tried to force their way into Lake by breaking down the entrance gates. The bouncers tried to contain the criminals by pushing them out. Unfortunately, they were hit with rocks and punches.

Vini ran to Enzo's apartment. They had to take cover as soon as possible, no matter what was going to happen. And because of his friend's annoying habits, it didn't take long for Vini to lose his temper.

- Why is your door open, idiot? - Vini asked. - These fuckers are trying to break into Lake and you're standing there without locking your fucking door!

- No! - Enzo could hardly believe it. - No one's breakin' into our house, Vini!

Vini took Enzo to the roof, the highest spot of the condominium. It was an ideal place to meet, clear one's thoughts and enjoy the view of the beach. It wasn't too hard to spot the criminals. They were trying to rip the gates off with their bare hands. At one point, there was an attempt by a passenger car to cross the street. But then the criminals surrounded the vehicle from both sides and threw a brick at the windshield of the car. In an attempt to escape, the driver accelerated the vehicle in the opposite direction of the crowd. Some members of the group were run over while the vehicle crashed into a lamppost. Unfortunately, the driver could not open the doors. Along with a large celebration, the criminals set the vehicle on fire.

- What are we going to do? Have you got any plan?

Vini stared at Enzo. And answered with conviction:

- I know what we'll do.

The people of Lake knew. A gun dealer wanted by the authorities lived on the sixth floor. Big Hand, they called him. The rumors were around, but since Big Hand wasn't a troublemaker, he was theoretically a non-issue. And as they say. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Lake's kingdom was threatened by the oxen of the Sons of the Sun, so there was no choice but to defend it at all costs.

- So you want weapons, do you? - Hand asked.

- Yes, Mr... Hand. - Enzo replied a little nervously.

- What do you want?

- Whatever it takes. - Vini replied. - These lunatics are trying to take matters into their own hands. And we need reinforcements. What do you suggest?

That was an interesting question for someone like Hand. Anyhow...

- I have few weapons here. You know how it is. The law forbids me. You'll have to go downstairs if you want the rest.

- What do you got?

But after a few minutes...

- Is that all? - asked Enzo. - Pistols, Berettas, and a couple of shotguns? Aren't you the bloody Yuri Orlov of Barra da Tijuca?

An interesting definition. But not everyone there accepted it.

- Who was the author of this statement, Enzo? - Vini asked.

- What? I have!

- I've never heard anyone here say anything like that!

After all that futile and meaningless talk, Vini began to think of clever ways to escape the angry mob of revolutionaries. It wouldn't be easy, because without the police to keep order, any hasty move could get him killed. But still...

- Vini, stop being such an idiot! - Enzo complained. - Just take a car out of the parking lot and drive right into the middle of the crowd! Why do you have to make things so complicated for me?

- What? I'm just following the narrator's dramatic lines. - Vini defended himself. - What's the location, hand?

Hand handed over the name on a small piece of paper. It wasn't far. But with the city literally burning, leaving the house would be a risky proposition. If they succeeded, they would have to convince Hand's colleague, Arm, to give his guns to two idiots. And, of course, a return trip to Lake. Piece of cake, right?

- We can do it. - said Enzo, annoyingly confident.

- Why don't you keep your mouth shut, Enzo?

Still, it could be worse.

- That's what we'll do. - Vini hid behind a pillar and began to discuss the details with Enzo. - There is only one way out of the sea. Through the dark gates...

- Why are you telling me this, Vini? - Enzo asked. - I already know the details, I live here.

- Oh, my mistake. What do you think?

Enzo looked away.

- We can go out through the railing of the park.

That wasn't such a bad idea, with just one small problem.

- The fence is too high, Enzo. It must be about two, two and a half meters above the ground. If we fall, we could break a leg or a foot.

- You choose. To be burned alive by the red shitholes, or to jump? Think, Vini. Cats do it all the time. How hard can it be?

Sometimes it's hard to disagree with Enzo's logic.

- All right, let's go with your drift.

And although Vini didn't want to say it out loud, Enzo's idea was very clever, because the adrenaline coursing through his veins meant that the fall onto the soft grass posed no real danger to their physical integrity. And of course, they managed to escape from the angry mob, their main goal. Who knew what would happen when they returned from this short journey.

A few minutes later, Enzo and Vini finally reached the address, an abandoned shed, apparently, but it could be the lifeline of a very complicated week. An all tattooed man came from inside and welcomed them, peacefully, until that moment.

- Arm? - Vini asked.

- Yeah? - Arm returned the question. - Who are you?

- Vini. This is Enzo. We came here because of Hand.

Yes, Arm is exactly the person you would imagine with this nickname.

- Hand brought you here? - Arm asked, still surprised. - How is he?

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

- Fine, I guess. He's a little quiet. He lives in our building.

- It's no offense to ask, but do you all have a name for a part of the human body? - Enzo asked a funny question, but irrelevant at that moment.

Arm laughed at this question, but didn't answer. In any case, Vini wanted to know right away what they would need to do to gain access to the weaponry and return to Lake. His intuition told him that the longer they were on the street, the greater the risk of an attack. After all, the situation after a week was in a state of chaos.

- Who in the group should be the nuts? - Enzo returned to the previous subject.

- Shut up, Enzo.

Getting back to Lake was not that challenging, but the situation did not look good at all. The front gates, which separate the condo from the rest of the world, were simply gone, probably smashed. The front yard looked more like a construction site. Glass littered the ground and a few isolated spikes of fire. Vini had a bad feeling that something terrible had just happened when they were out. And the doubt was soon dispelled, as Vini found a resident of the second floor lying on the floor with his shirt all dirty. He was awake, alert, but a little bewildered.

- What the fuck just happened?

- The bastards broke in and stole Lake.

- No fucking way!

- They are fucking maniacs! They've set up tents in the reception area and are controlling who comes and goes. Can you believe it? We paid a lot of money to have this happen to us.

- Don't worry, we'll call an ambulance for you.

- What about you guys?

- We're going to take back the means of production.

- What? - Enzo didn't understand. - I thought we were going to get Lake back.

Well, that's the script. As far as anyone knew, Lake was taken by the Sons of the Sun gang. Who knows how many. But Vini and Enzo knew the place like no one else. However, there was a rather obvious problem. It was two against... 30? 40? Who knows? So Enzo and Vini needed to find more people to compose the resistance.

- I've already passed the information in Lake's WhatsApp group. - said Vini.

Enzo started laughing.

- You're joking, right? How did you write, "hey you, come fight the motherfuckers with us, we have weapons, supplies, and plenty of disposition.

- Obviously I didn't use those words, Enzo.

And of the three, you can only mark the weapons as genuine.

And seconds later, Douglas answered the message, but it didn't take long before another problem arose

- How will we get to him? And how will he come to us? You don't expect him to come here unarmed, do you? It's a goddamn suicide.

Enzo looked at Vini. Then he stared at the walls of the Lake surrounded by a blue tarp to prevent the dirt from the construction site from escaping outside. This could only mean one thing.

- You must be shitting me. - Vini laughed wryly.

- I am. Very fucking serious.

- That's some Die Hard shit, Enzo. You want to kill us?

But there was no turning back. To enter Lake, Enzo and Vini needed a cover. So they removed the blouses from their bodies and tied them around their faces, to give the impression that they were these Antifa terrorists. And it paid off. The next step would be to climb the floors outside the building without attracting their attention. But first, Vini noticed the weapons of the group members. Thanks to Big Hand, Enzo and Vini could also counterattack if necessary, but the amount of gunfire surprised Vini greatly.

- Enzo, if I die, could you tell Belgium that I love her?

- I will sleep with her, you know that. - said Enzo.

- What? Are you out of your mind?

- And what are you going to do? You are so dead, you clown! Someone will have to take care of her.

- She has six sisters, Enzo!

- You understood what I meant.

- I wish I hadn't.

Still, it could be worse.

- This is not good, Enzo! This is not good!

Despite Enzo's advice, Vini looked down at least three times. The height left him bewildered and completely unresponsive. It made his brain think in a slightly different way. The cars below looked like children's toys, the wind made Vini's heart freeze with dread.

- Enzo, I almost slept with Italy. - Vini reveals without any context.

- I'm not interested, Vini. - Enzo replied. - We're about twelve meters above the ground, it would be better if you kept your damn mouth shut!

- I'm serious, Enzo! - Vini continued. - I didn't know Belgium. Actually, I wanted to go out with Italy.

- If you keep talking you are going out with the Virgin Mary, because I'm sending you down from here, you stupid moron!

- What floor are we on?

- Seventh, eighth, maybe.

- Where does Douglas live?

- Ninth. Here's what we're going to do. You're going to take this rope and you're going to hold it, like rappelling.

- Are you fucking bonkers?

- They do it in the movies all the time, Vini! Stop being a crybaby and do the jump!

- Oh, fuck it.

Vini started rocking his body back and forth to get momentum. When he plucked up the courage, he simply unhooked himself and launched towards the rope. And as soon as he grabbed it with his hands, Vini felt like he was going to break his fingers from all the force he used.

- Fuck, I'm alive. Holy shit.

A few meters below, Enzo noticed the suspicious movement of the Sons of the Sun. They probably already knew that the two of them were snooping around.

- Okay, Vini, we have company.

- Here as well. - said Vini, from upstairs.

Two people with shirts covering their faces trapped Vini in one of the apartments. It was not possible to determine whether they were men or women - even less in today's era. But the real problem was that both were armed and loaded. One false move and Vini would definitely meet the Virgin Mary. The truth is, he needed a miracle. And so it happened. One of the masked man simply made a quick movement with his hands and shot his own accomplice in the chest, who fell to the floor. Oh, no, something was not right. And as soon as the person removed his shirt, everything made a little more sense.

- Belgium? - Vini was more surprised than impressed.

- Hi, sweetheart. - Belgium smiled.

- I don't even know what to say.

- You can start with a "thank you".

Vini smiled.

- Thank you.

- You don't seem to know my wild side.

- I disagree. - Vini smiled mischievously.

- Not exactly this wild side.

- But you see my point, don't you?

Seconds later, Enzo climbed the wall and finally joined the couple.

- Oh, fuck me. - Enzo couldn't believe his eyes. - What?

- Belgium is our infiltrator. - said Vini. - Good to know we got a Sarah Connor.

- And what's your plan, love? - Belgium asked.

- Go get Douglas and build our resistance. Then take Lake back.

Simple, isn't it?

- And do you have any weapons available?

- As a matter of fact we do.

Belgium seemed surprised.

- How?

- With me. - said Big Hand, intruding in the conversation.

- Hand! - Enzo was happy to see him.

- His name is Hand? - Belgium asked.

- Do you really want to talk about personal names, sweetie? - Enzo teased Belgium. - You? Belgium?

- Ha, Ha. Cute.

- Are you alone, Hand?

- Douglas is with me. - Hand replied. - He just went to the bathroom.

- So, baby, what do we have?

- I infiltrated the Sons of the Sun. You already know what these clowns stand for, so I don't need to tell you. If we eliminate a good part of these suckers, we can scare them off. There is no leadership, they kind of act for each other. So if we go after them one by one, we get Lake back. But we have to go fast.

- Why?

- Because they have put bombs in the building. They will blow Lake in less than an hour.

- And why didn't you say so sooner? - Enzo asked.

- Okay, no panic. Let's split up and go after 'em. What is the situation?

- No electricity. The elevators don't work, the generators are burned out. No security cameras either.

- Good, good. As I told Enzo. We know the area. We know the hiding places. So Belgium will go with Enzo, while I'll stay with Hand and Douglas.

- Why can't she go with you?

- Because you will protect her. And if anything happens to her, I'll rip your fucking balls off.

A great incentive for Enzo not to play funny.

With the plan in mind, or the lack of one, Enzo followed Belgium to the stairs. But instead of going down, Enzo awkwardly went two more floors up to his apartment. And the reason? Well...

- I need to make a wager. - Enzo took out his cell phone. - The game is about to kick off. And I need a cigar.

- Enzo! - Belgium was furious. - You are such a moron!

Then both of them heard noises in the apartment across the hall. Shouting and banging. It sounded like there was something wrong. Belgium stared at Enzo, who shook his head in doubt.

- Hide over there. - he said. - Whoever comes out the door won't see you.

Some time later, two masked men with two guns came out of the apartment into the hall near the elevator with three people; a man, a woman and a kid, tied at the wrists. The man cowardly received a series of blows to his head while the woman and child screamed in desperation. To try to gain a bit of time, Enzo ran to the other door of his apartment. He didn't have a game plan set in mind, in fact he wished Belgium had any smarter one. With no options, Enzo had to choose brute force. Again, he returned to the front door, opened it, and shot where his nose was pointing. He only took his finger off the trigger when the gun ran out of bullets. And the result? Two covered men on the floor, covered in blood.

- Fuck! - he said. - That was fucking intense.

- Enzo, bring the people here to the apartment. When we leave, we'll bring everyone together.

- That's a fine suggestion. - Enzo genuinely smiled.

Vini, Hand and Douglas climbed the stairs looking for more hostages. Without electricity, the chances of an accident were high, it was hard to see the steps and the dark walls didn't help, so the best strategy was to stay focused, even in the middle of the chaos.

- Sorry, man, but I have to ask. - said Hand. - Don't you mind your friend being with your girlfriend?

- Enzo? No, not even a little. - Vini ignored it. - I'm more worried about him than her. Belgium is reliable. We've been together for a long time. And, of course, Enzo is a prick.

- But you don't know what might happen to her. - said Douglas.

- Why are we even talking about this? - Vini asked.

- When you get out of here, ask her to marry you. - Douglas made a dangerous suggestion.

- Why?

- Think, Vini. Do you want a greater proof of love than surviving a terrorist attack? She literally saved you from certain death. She infiltrated the terrorist group. She could have been killed. I don't know her well enough, but Belgium is a keeper.

- I promise I will think about it. But not now.

A few floors later, Vini heard the sound of gunshots. So loud that the echo almost burst his eardrums. As soon as he pushed open the door, he found two dead people on the hall floor. And right in front of him, a dark figure on the wall. Vini ran to try to catch him, Hand followed right behind Vini. The person entered in one of the apartments and left the door open. It seemed like a trap. That's when Vini redoubled his attention. There was no way out. Either the person would try to escape with the risk of finding Vini in the living room, or he would simply jump out the window. Whatever the choice, it would be painful. The first shot was soon fired, hitting the television screen. Vini was startled by the noise and fell. He took the opportunity to hide behind the sofa. Hand waved to Vini and waited for the signal. And it didn't take long for the masked man to slip away, because Hand shot him right in the forehead. To confirm that it was game over, Vini approached the body and collected his armaments.

- All right. Let's go.

A few floors down, Enzo followed ahead of Belgium, also looking for hostages, but the building seemed empty. Strangely empty. It didn't make sense. All right, the building was breached, but there were 22 floors and six apartments per floor. Where did all these people go?

- Where is everybody? - Enzo asked.

- That's the question worth a million dollars. - Belgium answered.

- They couldn't have been evacuated. What do you think?

- I didn't hear about any hostage transfers when I was with them.

- Then something is off. Don't you think so?

- Yes, I think so. Do you have any theories?

- No, not yet. How much time do we have left?

- Maybe thirty minutes. Or less.

- Shit. Now what? I don't know what to do, Belgium. And the worst is that I think this will be my last cigar. - Enzo admired the object.

- Don't think like that. If you want to light it, be my guest.

- You bet I will.

But then... Another problem.

- Uh-oh.

- What's the matter?

- I forgot my lighter. I think I left it at Vini's.

- That was very stupid of you.

Enzo smiled.

- Thanks for telling me the blunt statement.

- But do you want me to go with you?

- You'd better not. You're safe here. I'll be right back.

- Hey, Enzo! Be careful.

Enzo shook his head and walked alone through the darkness. A few steps later, Enzo went into Vini's apartment. He opened the door and closed it to avoid arousing suspicion. On the living room table, Enzo found what he was looking for, but then, as he was leaving the apartment, he noticed that someone else was also moving the doorknob. Immediately, Enzo ran into the kitchen and hid. A familiar figure entered the apartment with a cell phone to his ear. Enzo listened attentively to the conversation and exchange of words, and then everything made sense.

- Holy shit! I can't believe it.

Unfortunately, the person also heard Enzo's voice. He tried to seek him around the apartment, but without success. But then, Enzo managed to lure him into the bathroom and with the tip of his cigar, burned out one of his eyes.

- Son of a bitch! - the person shouted.

Taking advantage of the brief distraction, Enzo ran out to the stairs again.

- Belgium, you won't believe it.

- What happened?

- I'll explain on the road. Can you talk to Vini?

- No. Why?

- We have to get out of here now.

- Why? What happened?

Still searching for more hostages, Vini and Hand continued together through the dark corridors of Lake. They both tried to knock on doors to get somebody's attention, but failed. It seemed like a bad dream to see that place torn apart and without energy. No matter what happened, Vini wanted to kill as many members of the Sons of the Sun as he could. Some time later, Douglas resurfaced.

- Did you bring what I asked you?

- Yes. ,- he replied. - Your cell phone.

- What happened to your eye? - asked Hand.

- I knocked. - Douglas answered.

- It was quite a blow. - Vini remarked. - Looks like a burn.

- Fuck. There is no phone signal. But the internet signal is weak. That's something. Let's try the terrace.

- Terrace? It's twelve floors away! It will take forever without an elevator.

- We need help. Hey, look, it looks like the police will be back on the streets right now.

- It's about time. Fucking hell. - Hand said.

Then a gunshot noise echoed down the hall. So close that it made Vini collapse. As soon as he stood up, he noticed Hand's bloodied body on the floor.

- Hand? Holy shit! What the fuck?

Then, the revelation. Vini couldn't believe it. It made no sense.

- Douglas, what was that?

- What was that? Vini, buddy. Are you for real? My parents have lived here all their lives! Only to have a banker screw over them! We lost everything! And you guys... With your imported cars, life of luxury, laughing like you don't give a shit about anything.

- What the fuck are you talking about, Douglas? I've always been your friend!

- No bullshit! There are no friends here! You rich, stuck-up, arrogant freaks. All I had to do was leave here and the stares of awkwardness in the street... The shame, the humiliation...

- Douglas, I don't know what you and your family went through, but I'm sure that nothing justifies a massacre...

- Massacre? Vini, dear. I'm only doing what should have been done long ago. Power to the people. Down with the classes.

- You know, I should put a fucking bullet in your skull, but you know what? I can beat the shit out of you without guns. You and me only. What do you think?

Douglas smiled. He dropped his pistol on the floor. And ran towards Vini, who threw his body back, managed to escape the first blow, but not the second. In fact, the punch made him drowsy, but not to the point of wiping him out. To get off the ground, Vini pushed Douglas' face with his right foot and stood up, but soon went down again, when Douglas shoved him into the door of one of the apartments. They both fell down. So, Vini was hit on the head by a plant pot. This time, yes, the feeling that he was going to lose consciousness was powerful. From then on, all he could see was a dark blur at the edges of his vision. Douglas managed to hit him a few more times, even though he received a few blows at times. After a while, Douglas managed to overpower Vini completely, pinning his neck between his legs. Vini's face slowly began to turn as red as a strawberry.

- You're ridiculous, ya know? - said Douglas.

Come on. Vini was a nice guy.

After many stairs, Enzo and Belgium finally reached the first floor. Once again, everything was very quiet. Too quiet. But the stillness was rather quick. An intense gunfire startled Enzo, who ran with Belgium to the barbecue area.

- The hostages must be over there, in the reception room. What are you thinking?

- Douglas must be with Vini. They won't get out of here.

- Try to free the hostages and then meet me here.

There was only one problem.

- How am I supposed to get there?

Belgium smiled at Enzo. Although she didn't want to admit it out loud, her smile had the power to shatter hearts. Something told her that whatever her plan was, it was going to succeed.

Vini woke up with a huge headache. Still dizzy from the fight, but without any memory of what happened, he tried to get up, but couldn't leave his seat. And soon he was scolded by someone with a shirt covering his face. Once he regained his sight, he found the residents of Lake, or at least most of them, together again. Well, after a while, that question was finally answer.

- Where am I? - Vini asked himself. - I'm at Lake?

Before he could reply, he heard a huge sound of breaking glass, and then a loud bang. All in a matter of seconds. A black car came through the glass doors and stopped, running over Vini and one of the gang members with his shirt over his face. The shooting started, the car received countless bullets, the tires burst, and soon a fire broke out. Slowly the trunk opened. Enzo got out and started shooting at the masked thieves. He hit two of them and then hid himself from being hit. He had to reload his pistol. But first he had to lift Vini, who was complaining of back pain, Enzo's negligence, of course.

- Sorry, Vini.

- Shut up, Enzo!

- You could start with a "Thanks for saving my ass, Enzo.

- Enzo, I swear to God, if I survive, I'll fucking kill you!

Enzo fired three shots forward, while trying to hide from the shots coming from the Northwest. The hall was a rectangular room, so there wasn't much room for escape. Then, one of the shots hit the vehicle's taillights. The shards of glass hit Enzo's face.

- Fuck! Fucking Prius!

Yeah, blame the hybrid car. Classic Enzo.

- Where is Belgium? - Vini asked.

- Look at the hostages coming out. - Enzo pointed. - Who do you think had this idea?

- Her?

- No, you idiot! The genius behind the war. Me! Why did you think it was her?

- How smug you are!

After the hostages were out of the room thanks to the efforts of Belgium - and the genius of Enzo - Vini got up and helped Enzo to shoot the remaining masked figures. But then it happened. A huge explosion, which shook the floor of Lake and destroyed the windows. That must have been the signal to flee. So the two of them ran to the door and dashed forward toward the parking yard.

- Are you okay? asked Vini.

- Yes, I think so. What the fuck was that?

- One of the bombs. We have to go.

- No fucking way. I want Douglas. And eliminate these fuckers once and for all!

Vini smiled, because he thought exactly the same.

While all that was happening simultaneously, Belgium managed to release the last hostage. In theory, there was no one else at Lake, besides Vini, Enzo and Douglas. But then someone pulled her by the shoulders and covered her mouth. Slowly, Belgium lost consciousness and her vision went black.

- Okay, where is Belgium? - Vini asked. - Enzo, where is Belgium?

- How the hell am I supposed to know? She must be waiting in front of Lake.

- Great! Just when I thought everything was going well, shit happens!

- Relax, Enzo. We will find her.

- The problem is the explosions. If the first bomb went off, then it means...

- that the second bomb is in the other building.

- And something tells me that Belgium is there. Douglas too. What do you say?

- I think it's a very good theory.

- You and me against the world. Whatever it has to be. No second chances.

Enzo and Vini finally reached the other block of Lake, the first building, also without power. The dark corridors looked really scary, but that was in the past. All they wanted to do was save Belgium. Then the lights strangely came on again, which intrigued Enzo.

- Okay, weird.

- Ignore it. - Vini said. - Just keep walking.

As they continued down the corridors of the stairs, gunshots echoed off the dark walls.

- Fuck! Fuck you, Douglas! Come out, motherfucker! Come out! - Vini shouted.

- Vini! - Enzo said.

- What?

- I got someone to give us some clues.

- Say, where is Belgium? Where is Douglas?

The man started to laugh. He spat in Enzo's face and laughed again. Then, strangely enough, Vini also began to laugh. And he stared at Enzo, as if he was suggesting an appropriate punishment for that man by telepathy. That was definitely not a good sign. And it really wasn't. Well, Enzo quickly lent his cigar cutter to Vini. But instead of taking a cigar from his pocket, Vini cut the head off the finger of that guy, who started screaming in pain and despair.

- Amusing, no? - Enzo smiled. - Yeah, I know what you mean. I have no love for torture, but I can make an exception.

- Tell me where Douglas is. If you don't want your dick's head ripped off.

- Third floor.

- Thank you, sir.

- Would you like to do the honors?

Vini smiled. He took his pistol, pointed the barrel forward, and fired twice. No second chances.

After another sequence of stairs, Vini finally reached the floor, but was soon surprised by two masked men in the elevator lobby. Vini soon immobilized the first one, while the second one escaped. Enzo threw the pistol at Vini, who immediately pulled the trigger.

- I'll take care of the other one. - Enzo said. - Kill Douglas and save the day.

Vini shook his head. There was only one apartment available. He knew. And he kicked the door as hard as he could. Two masked men tried to approach, but Vini didn't even make much effort, he pulled the trigger and finished them both immediately. As soon as he entered the apartment, a horrible feeling took over his body. He wanted to be wrong, but from the beginning of the story, his intuition was always accurate. And in the bedroom, Vini found Belgium, with her head bowed, her face swollen and marks of violence on her body. But it wasn't exactly her facial expression that devastated him. Standing on the bed, Douglas was lying there with bleeding wrists and a debauched grin.

- Oh, no. - said Vini.

- You know, Vini, I envied you. - said Douglas. - You have everything anyone would want. Intelligence, a loyal friend, you attend a great school, you live in a great neighborhood, a perfect girlfriend and partner. Why can't everyone have what you have?

- Their pants had better be soiled with sweat, Douglas.

- I meant to say the opposite, friend.

- I'm sorry, Vini. - Belgium said.

- Vini relax, I've taken care of him. - Enzo finally understood the situation. - Holy shit. Is that what I'm thinking?

- Everything will be different now, Vini. She will forever carry something of mine.

- Vini. We have to get the hell out of here. - Enzo said. - Forget about him. Lake is going to explode. We have to go now!

Vini looked at Belgium, his faithful and loving girlfriend. He wanted in every way to repair the trauma, but he knew he couldn't. There was nothing else he could do. There was nothing else he could do, either. The damage, in principle, was irreversible.

- How much time do we have?

- Two minutes.

Vini smiled.

- The Cavaliers won the NBA in one minute.

Enzo left the room with Belgium and closed the door. The next two minutes in that room were not quiet at all, on the contrary. There was only screaming and shouting. Two minutes of pure hatred and revenge. But two minutes only. Vini came out of the room with red marks on his hands. He looked at his watch. And his eyes widened.

- Enzo, how long?

- Ten seconds.

- Jump!

- He's lost his mind! We're going to die!

- We won't! We will not!

- Fuck off!

Enzo, Vini, and Belgium had ten seconds to jump off the balcony before they were vaporized by the explosion of the bombs. The bodies of the three floating in the air resembled those action comedies in which the characters flee from an explosion in slow motion. But, alas, the fall was painful. And, yes, the explosion completed the job. Lake, unfortunately, went down in less than ten seconds.

- My love, I am so sorry. - Vini said in tears.

- It's okay, it's okay.

- No, no. I should protect you. I shouldn't have let him do this to you. We're going to a clinic now to make sure you're safe.

- Vini, don't worry. Everything will be fine.

- How can you be sure?

- I know.

Vini smiled. And kissed her slowly.

- Ah, get a room! - Enzo complained.

- Sorry about your house. - she said.

- Oh, don't worry. Lake will rise from the ashes. Like the phoenix.

- Don't cry, Enzo. - Belgium said.

- It's all right," he said. - Enzo wiped the tears from his face. - And I lost my brand new cigar box. Today was a bad day.

- Enzo is really a peculiar figure.

- I wouldn't say peculiar to describe him.

- Well, now I can't answer the question, my dictionary is in the bathroom. I'll need a new one. I just missed today, holy shit.