Vero returned to the hospital where Jose's parents had been admitted before.
"Excuse me, may I ask a few questions?" Vero approached the nurse who had been caring for Jose's parents.
"Okay, but who are you?" the nurse asked, holding her file close to her chest.
"I'm part of Jose's school staff. He was absent today, so I thought he might be here with his parents," Vero said with an awkward smile.
"Ohhh, I see. Sorry, but his parents have been transferred to a different hospital," the nurse replied calmly.
"Oh? Was he unable to keep up with the payments?" Vero asked, his face showing a concerned expression.
"No, no," she said, shaking her head. "He's been paying slowly.....he told me he'd clear the dues by next month."
"So.... he moved them to a better hospital?" Vero asked, still smiling awkwardly.
"Yes. He's been much more regular with the payments lately," she said, sitting at a nearby table.
"Is he sending cheques or paying in person now?" Vero asked, sitting beside her.
"He used to pay by cheque. But for the past month, he's been paying in cash," she said as she stood up.
"Oh, I think I'm bothering you. Sorry to disturb, and thank you for your time," Vero said, getting to his feet.
"Not at all. Please give him my regards," she said as she walked away.
Vero reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out some cash.
"Damn, I'm full," Francisco said, placing the cash on the table.
"Hey Francisco, I heard your grandfather was in the army," Jose leaned forward from his chair.
"Yeah, but Francisco said he'd rather build his own empire," Angelo chimed in, biting into his sandwich. "He's not interested in the family fortune."
"Got it," Jose said, but stopped mid-sentence as a loud crowd gathered outside the restaurant.
"I think this year's mayoral election is going to be wild," Francisco said, picking at his teeth.
"Yeah. That candidate claimed he'll put an end to all drug smuggling if he wins," Angelo said, glancing out the window.
"What are we going to do then?" Jose asked.
"What?" Angelo turned to him, confused.
"I mean... if he really becomes mayor, it's over for us," Jose said, sipping his drink.
"That's a good question," Francisco muttered. "We'll see what happens."
"Yeah, we should leave. That's enough for today," Angelo said.
The door creaked open as their footsteps echoed out into the evening.
"Come in and take a seat," said an old man with a white beard, lounging on a luxurious couch.
Two girls sat on either side of him, pouring wine into his glass.
"So, what can we do for you?" Mendez asked, standing alone before the man.
"Just some....cleaning," the man said, as the girl on his right topped off his wine.
"Is that really necessary? You think he's a real threat to you?" Mendez asked, glancing at the girl who offered him a glass.
"Honestly, I don't care," the Mayor replied with a smirk. "But he's doing some good work and gaining support from the people. If he wins, I won't be able to support your.... operations. Being a mayor comes with responsibilities, you know?"
"I understand," Mendez said. "But how do I pull this off? Security isn't the issue...he never gets out of that bulletproof car. We don't have the tech to get through it."
"Don't worry. Bring it in," the Mayor ordered.
Two men entered, carrying a large wooden box. Anyone could tell by the way they struggled that it was heavy.
"Open it," the Mayor commanded.
Mendez slowly unlatched the box. "Oh my god.... This thing's only available to the military. How the hell did you get your hands on it?"
"Nothing's impossible for me. Just finish the job," the Mayor said, taking a slow drag of his cigarette.
"I will," Mendez nodded and called his henchmen to load the weapon into his car.
"Wait...aren't you forgetting something?" the Mayor said, resting his foot on the box.
"Oh, right." Mendez smiled awkwardly.
Two more boxes were brought in and placed before the Mayor.
"I can already smell it. Open them, girls," the Mayor said.
The girls opened the boxes, revealing stacks of cash. The Mayor smiled.
Mendez secured the weapon and left.
As the sun began to set, Jose headed back to his apartment. He had dropped out of school and was now living alone. He climbed the stairs, but just outside his door, he saw a man in a black hoodie waiting.
The next morning, Mendez received a message from the Mayor.
It was the end of the month, and Jose, Francisco, and Angelo were back in the park, playing soccer as usual.
Jose seemed unusually cheerful, a wide grin stuck on his face.
"You're in a good mood today," Angelo said, kicking the ball toward Jose.
"Not really," Jose replied, kicking it back.
A lion-shaped pendant dangled from Jose's shirt. Its eyes glowed red whenever he stepped into the shade.
Meanwhile, the opposition mayoral candidate's black bulletproof car was traveling from Campanhã to Foz do Douro. Inside were five people: the driver and three armed security officers. They felt no concern.....after all, the car was supposed to be impenetrable.
As they took a slow turn on a quiet road, a sharp crack rang out.
The front tire blew.
The car veered off the road and slammed into a tree. The security team immediately called for backup.
"I'm going out," one of the soldiers said.
"No! That's probably what they want," another snapped.
"Stay inside! They can't get through this car. Help's on the way," the third soldier shouted, gripping his gun.
"If we stay here, they'll just shoot at the same spot until it breaks through," the first soldier argued.
"Let them fire first. Once they stop, we move," said another, breathing heavily.
"No, don't risk your lives for me," the candidate said. "If anyone dies because of me..."
"We're not leaving you. If you die while we're here, it's unforgivable," the first soldier replied, locking eyes with him.
"Please... I don't want to die," the driver whimpered, starting to cry.
"I'm sorry. But don't worry.....we'll make it out alive," a soldier said, leaning in to reassure him.
That's when it happened.
A bullet tore through the car...and through the soldier's skull.
His gun fell to the floor.
"This... this can't be!" another soldier shouted. "This is a bulletproof car!"
"Sir, we have to go outside! We're sitting ducks in here!" one soldier said, shaking the mayoral candidate.
But the candidate was frozen in fear.
Before anyone could react, an endless barrage of bullets shredded the car.
Later, Mendez arrived to confirm the deaths.
"Dia, deassemble the gun again," he ordered.
Five minutes later, police swarmed the area.
"Check every vehicle! This was done with a heavy-duty weapon. Don't let a single car go without inspection," the officer shouted.
No car left the area unchecked.