Felipe barely had time to react. As he tried to discreetly leave the convenience store with his water bottle, Diegola stood up. His eyes burned with that sadistic gleam, and his friends quickly surrounded Felipe like hyenas circling prey.
— Gonna just walk past us like that? — Diego said, crossing his arms. — Thought you were in a rush… or were you heading to see someone?
— I don't want any trouble… — Felipe murmured, trying to stay calm.
But it was already too late.
Caçapa gave him the first shove. Alberto grabbed Felipe by the shoulders while Diógenes laughed like it was the best show in town. Then Diego stepped closer and, without warning, landed a clean punch to Felipe's stomach, dropping him to his knees.
— That's for messing with what's mine — Diego whispered in his ear.
The group kept going, hitting, shoving, and taunting. And then, as if it were some twisted ritual, they dragged him to the dumpster next to the gas station. With one last kick, Diego threw him inside, among stinking trash bags and cardboard boxes.
— Where does trash go, Felipinho? In the trash — he said before laughing loudly and walking away with the others.
The sound of their motorcycles fading into the distance was the only thing Felipe could hear before everything fell into silence.
But the silence didn't last long.
— Oh my God… are you okay?
It was the voice of a young woman. Soft, but firm.
Drica, the gas station attendant, looked down at him with a worried expression. Her honey-colored eyes showed genuine concern.
She helped Felipe out of the dumpster, wiping his shoulders with a makeshift cloth.
— They show up here all the time. They shouldn't, but… no one has the guts to stand up to them — she said, clearly holding back anger. — Come on, I'll show you where the bathroom is. It's back there, near the garage.
Felipe nodded, still dazed. He went to the bathroom, washed his face, tried to clean the stains on his clothes, and looked at himself in the mirror. He was a mess—inside and out.
When he came back, Drica was still there, waiting with a new bottle of water in her hand.
— Thanks… really — he said, his voice cracking.
— You didn't deserve that. No one does.
There was a moment of silence. Then she spoke again:
— I've been beaten too… by a guy who said he loved me. — She looked down, then raised her eyes again. — I suffered for months until I had the courage to leave. I got this job, and now I'm independent. Still have a hard time trusting men in relationships, but… at least I learned to protect myself.
Felipe was moved. A spark of admiration lit up in the middle of all his pain.
— You're really strong, Drica.
She gave a small smile.
— So are you. You just don't know it yet.
Felipe took a deep breath, went back into the convenience store, and returned minutes later with a small bag.
— Here… it's a gift.
— For me? — she asked, surprised.
He handed her the box: a pair of headphones from the brand she had always talked about to the other attendants, but had never been able to buy.
— I heard you mention them once. I thought you deserved them.
Drica opened a sincere smile, the kind that lit up her whole face.
— You really are different, Felipinho. Thank you… truly.
— No, thank you — he replied, getting ready to leave. — But now I have to go… I've got plans with someone special.
— You're going to see Marina, right?
Felipe gave a shy smile.
— Yeah…
Drica smiled again and watched as he got on his bike and pedaled down the avenue. When he disappeared from view, she stood there, still holding the gift, with him on her mind.
On the other side of town, Dr. Joana Albuquerque knocked on the office door of Chief Roberto.
— Come in, Doctor — he said, standing to greet her.
They sat down, and she pulled her notebook from her bag.
— My first contact with Jandison was… disturbing — she began. — He's completely disconnected from reality. Doesn't speak, just rocks back and forth, like he's trapped in some kind of trance. But when I left the room, he slammed his hands against the glass and looked at me with a smile… a twisted, almost animalistic smile.
Roberto listened in silence, arms crossed.
— So you believe he's insane?
— Technically, yes. But that doesn't make him less dangerous. Quite the opposite.
The chief cleared his throat and took on a more serious tone.
— Doctor, I need to share something. For weeks now, we've been getting reports of young people going missing in the outer neighborhoods of the city. So far, we haven't been able to connect the dots, but… there's a pattern. And we're starting to suspect that Grilo didn't act alone. He might have left behind a disciple. Or an accomplice.
Joana's eyes widened.
— A… follower?
— Maybe someone he manipulated. Or someone he trained before he got caught. The fact is, the disappearances increased after he was transferred here.
Joana took a deep breath, trying to grasp the gravity of it.
— I'll help however I can, Chief. If he still has influence outside that facility, we need to act fast.
At that moment, Roberto's phone rang.
He answered with a furrowed brow and hung up a few seconds later, silent.
— Doctor… it happened again.
— Another disappearance?
— Yes. Another young man just went missing. And the scene… it matches the previous ones. Want to come with us to the location?
Joana stood up immediately, courage in her eyes.
— Yes. Take me there.