The Hunt for the Rat

The house was calm. Alejandro had brought his children into the main living room, where the warm light of a standing lamp illuminated him as he sat on a black leather armchair. On his lap, his two-year-old daughter Lucía played with the buttons of his shirt.

Next to him, his five-year-old son Mateo snuggled against his arm, listening intently to the story his father was telling in a calm, measured voice.

“And then, the lion waited patiently in the shadows…” Alejandro whispered, a faint smile on his lips. “He wasn’t in a hurry, because he knew the prey always makes mistakes when it’s scared.”

Mateo furrowed his brow.

“Did the lion catch the traitor, Dad?”

Alejandro gently stroked his son’s head with a calculated tenderness.

“He always does. Patience is the key, Mateo.”

The boy nodded, engraving those words in his young mind. Alejandro knew that someday his son would understand the true meaning of that lesson.

A soft knock on the door interrupted the moment. His right-hand man, Ramiro, entered cautiously, bowing his head in respect.

“Sir... we have news…”

Alejandro carefully took Lucía and handed her over to the nanny who was waiting nearby. Then, with a slow gesture, he motioned for Mateo to get up.

“Go with your sister, Mateo. Daddy has work to do.”

The boy obeyed without complaint. He knew that when his father spoke in that tone, it was better not to ask questions.

When the door closed behind the children, Alejandro’s expression changed. His gaze became sharp, his posture more rigid.

“Speak.”

Ramiro stepped forward and placed a folder on the table.

“Dino is on the move. He’s hiding in a cheap hotel on the outskirts of the city. He’s not using his phone, but we have someone inside keeping watch.”

Alejandro took the folder and opened it. Photos of Dino, taken from different angles, showed a man who had once been one of his own but now seemed like a cornered animal.

“He’s scared,” Alejandro murmured with a barely perceptible smile. “But not scared enough.”

He closed the folder and stood up calmly.

“Don’t touch him. I want him to feel the weight of every passing minute. I want him to know we’re watching him, that there’s nowhere for him to hide.”

Ramiro nodded, fully understanding the order.

Alejandro walked to the window. From there, he looked out over the city he ruled from the shadows. His expression was impassive, but his mind was already orchestrating the next move.

Dino had made a grave mistake. And in Alejandro’s world, mistakes were paid for with fear… and eventually, with blood.

The night was silent, but the air was thick with tension. Alejandro was alone in his office, the soft light from the lamp casting long shadows across the walls adorned with family photographs and years of memories. The clock on the wall struck midnight, yet Alejandro’s mind did not rest.

A sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway, and Ramiro appeared at the door. Without a word, he approached and placed a black envelope on the table. Alejandro raised his gaze but made no move to open it.

“Is it ready?” he asked calmly.

Ramiro nodded.

—We have him located. He left the hotel. He's heading to a warehouse in the industrial area. He's nervous, but he's not alone.

Alejandro stared at the envelope for a long moment, knowing that every move he made that night could shape the fate of many, including his own.

—What about his men? Are they following him?

—Yes. We're still close.

—Then don’t touch him yet. I want them to see him. I want them to see how he discards the last bit of dignity he has left.

Alejandro stood up slowly, his steps firm and calculated. As he walked around the room, his thoughts focused on Dino, a man who had once been a loyal ally but had now become a threat. Alejandro knew he had to be cautious. Vengeance, though tempting, should not cloud his judgment.

—Do it. But not tonight. I want my presence to be felt. I want Dino to know I'm watching, that I am the one in control.

Ramiro hesitated for a moment, something in his face betraying a slight concern. Alejandro noticed it immediately.

—Is there something else?

—One of Dino's men... isn't entirely clean. There are rumors that he's been talking to the police, sir.

Alejandro furrowed his brow but said nothing. He knew that in his world, betrayal was never isolated. One could be betrayed by those they least expected. A man who had no loyalty to his cause was more dangerous than a hundred enemies.

—Then there’s no time to waste. Do it quickly. But I want him to feel it. I want that police to know they can look through their window and see my face in the shadows, but they'll never catch me.

Ramiro, with a firm expression, turned to leave. Alejandro stopped him with a single word.

—Ramiro.

The man turned around. Alejandro looked at him with eyes that showed no mercy, but also no anger. Just cold calculation.

—I want you to remind everyone around Dino of one thing. That neither the police nor his friends will be able to save him from what's coming. This isn’t just business. It's personal.

Alejandro returned to his desk, took a glass of wine, and raised it in front of the window. Outside, the city sparkled with yellow lights, as if everything were calm, but inside him, a silent storm was raging.

The time to act had come. And when vengeance takes absolute control, it becomes a lesson for all those who think they can betray a man like him.

—Dino, soon you'll know who really calls the shots here —he murmured to himself.

The hunt had begun. Dino would get to know the beast inside him.

Alejandro had in his mind and his blood the perfect sentence for a traitor like Dino. He would never forgive him for discovering his secret in front of his wife, Isabela, and for breaking their affair.

That was an unforgivable sin.

The night had settled over the city, but for Alejandro, the calm was a lie. The humid air and the distant hum of cars couldn’t silence the roar of his mind.

He was used to danger, but what Dino had done was personal, different from anything he had ever faced before.

He had struck first and threatened not only his life but his family.

He reclined in his chair, his fingers playing with the rim of his wine glass, as the city lights gleamed through the window. In his office, everything seemed under control, but his gaze, that cold and determined look, reflected that his patience had a limit.

—What if I do it? —he said in a low voice, almost a whisper.

Ramiro, who was sitting next to him, watched him with narrowed eyes but said nothing. He knew Alejandro was looking for a way to make Dino feel the weight of his anger. The question, more than a suggestion, was a disguised threat.

—The guy has no idea what’s coming for him. —Ramiro began, but Alejandro interrupted him with a wave of his hand.

—No, Ramiro. You don’t get it. —Alejandro put the glass down on the table and stood up, his footsteps echoing in the room.

—This is no ordinary man. Dino is someone who thinks he’s untouchable. It’s a mistake to underestimate him. But it’s also a mistake to think I can’t teach him what I’m made of.

Ramiro frowned, but didn’t ask more questions. Alejandro walked over to the window, watching the street, where the shadows stretched like specters. The sound of a distant engine faded into the night.

—Listen carefully, Ramiro —Alejandro said, looking at the man with an intensity that could pierce any mask.

—Power is not only taken. It’s imposed. You have to show everyone that there is no one bigger, no one stronger than you.

—In the streets, when someone dares to challenge you, you make sure their fear is greater than their bravery.

At that moment, Ramiro understood that the conversation had gone beyond what he had expected. Alejandro’s patience, that calm he had always shown, was about to break.

—Dino forgot something important…

Alejandro turned to him, his eyes fixed, as if speaking of something trivial. —In this business, no one gets where they are without getting their hands dirty. But the one who thinks he’s cleaner, purer… is the first to fall.

Alejandro walked over to his desk, took an envelope, and opened it calmly. Inside, there was a map. A location. A route. Something Dino didn’t know had been drawn with precision.

—I’m going to make Dino understand the law of the street. —Alejandro spoke in a low voice but with unwavering certainty. —I’m not like the others. I play with them, not the other way around.

Ramiro nodded slowly. He knew what that meant. Alejandro had made many fall into his trap without them even realizing it. But Dino wouldn’t be like the others. He wouldn’t be an easy victim.

—What you need is for Dino to see what you’ve built. For him to understand who’s in charge here. —Ramiro looked at him with respect, although fear was drawn in his eyes. Alejandro was closer to unleashing something that couldn’t be stopped.

Alejandro smiled, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. It was the smile of a man who had seen the end of many before Dino, but who could still savor the moment before everything exploded.

—I’ll do it. —Alejandro said firmly. —Because in this game, it’s not just about money, nor about power. It’s about making it clear that those who dare to betray this business will never go unpunished.

While Alejandro was scheming Dino’s destruction and all his men, Dino was in his office, surrounded by men who trusted in his power.

However, the tension was palpable. His men, as they watched him, felt something was wrong. A whisper spread through the room: "Alejandro is close."

Dino leaned back in his chair, as if he couldn’t believe that his fate was already sealed. His face showed an expression of doubt, something he hadn’t shown until now.

He was sure that today would be the end of Alejandro Moretti, he was sure that Isabela would be his executioner, confronting the lies of her husband and the fear that something bad would happen to his children, but his plan went wrong.

The hunt against him was in full swing, the headlights of the cars in front of his building made him feel Alejandro’s presence behind him.

Dino realized that he had become Alejandro’s target. He was going to pursue him until he made him pay for what he had done.

But he also understood that he had to stay firm in front of his men. They couldn’t notice his fear.

—If Alejandro wants blood... —He will get it.