Category : Stories

Sub Category : Thriller

The humid Rio air hung heavy, thick with the scent of exhaust fumes and acrid street food. Inside "Luiz's Lanches," the aroma of sizzling pastel filled the small space, a comforting counterpoint to the chaos outside. Luiz, a stout man with a perpetually worried expression, nervously wiped down the already spotless counter. Across from him sat Mariana, a wisp of a woman with calloused hands and eyes that held the quiet intensity of a predator.  Mariana, or "Aranha" (Spider) as she was known in the local BJJ gym, was Luiz's unlikely guardian angel.
Luiz had been targeted.  The local Comando Vermelho gang, notorious for their ruthless tactics, had decided his modest sandwich shop was ripe for the picking.  Luiz, fearing for his life, had pleaded with Mariana, a regular customer, for help.  She, remembering the countless lanches Luiz had slipped her when she was a struggling student, agreed.
"They'll be here tonight, Luiz," Mariana said, her voice calm but firm.  "They always operate after dark."
Luiz wrung his hands. "But Mariana, they're many, and they're armed!"
Mariana smiled, a flash of sharp teeth.  "I have my own weapons, Luiz.  And they won't expect them."
As dusk settled, painting the sky in vibrant hues of orange and purple, the shop emptied.  Mariana locked the door, the bell's cheerful chime a stark contrast to the tension that filled the air.  She moved with a quiet confidence that belied her small stature, her gi top hugging her lean frame.
Around 10 pm, they came.  Three figures emerged from the shadows, their faces obscured by the darkness and the brims of their hats.  One, a hulking brute with a visible scar across his cheek, kicked at the door.
"Open up, old man!" he yelled, his voice thick with menace.
Luiz whimpered behind the counter.  Mariana, however, remained unmoved.  She’d positioned herself behind the counter, out of sight from the window.
"Go to the back, Luiz," she whispered. "And stay there."
As the brute kicked again, splintering the wood around the lock, Mariana moved.  She burst through the door just as it gave way, a whirlwind of motion.  The brute, surprised, stumbled back.  Before he could react, Mariana was on him.  A blur of arms and legs, a textbook osoto-gari (outer leg sweep), and the brute was on his back, gasping for air.
His two companions, armed with rusty pistols, hesitated.  They hadn't expected resistance, let alone from such a seemingly unassuming woman.  Mariana used their hesitation to her advantage. She rolled towards the second man, a tomoe-nage (circle throw) sending him crashing into the wall.  His gun clattered to the floor.
The third man, the smallest of the group, finally aimed his pistol at Mariana.  "Stay back, or I'll shoot!" he screeched.
Mariana stopped, but only for a moment.  She feigned a step back, then exploded forward in a lightning-fast koshi-guruma (hip wheel).  The man’s feet left the ground, and he was thrown violently onto the concrete.  The gun flew from his hand, spinning into the darkness.
The brute, still dazed from the initial takedown, tried to get to his feet.  Mariana was on him again, a swift juji-gatame (cross lock) immobilizing his arm.  He howled in pain.
Within minutes, it was over.  The three would-be robbers lay groaning on the sidewalk, their bravado replaced by fear.  Mariana, breathing heavily but otherwise unharmed, retrieved their weapons and tossed them into a nearby dumpster.
Luiz emerged from the back, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Mariana… you… you saved me!"
Mariana smiled.  "Just returning the favor, Luiz.  Now, how about a pastel?"
As the police arrived, drawn by the commotion, Mariana sat with Luiz, sipping a Guarana and eating a pastel.  The sirens wailed in the distance, a stark reminder of the violence that plagued their city. But for now, inside Luiz’s Lanches, there was peace.  The aroma of frying pastries mingled with the scent of justice, served up with a side of quiet, unwavering strength. Mariana, the Spider, had spun her web, and Luiz was safe.