CHAPTER 4 — THE SECRET HIDDEN UNDER DEMON'S SKIN
That night, nobody left the ranch.
Television crews arrived.
Veterinarians, animal behavior experts, and local officials gathered around the arena, desperate to understand what had happened.
One question echoed everywhere.
"Why would the world's most violent bull obey a barefoot teenager?"
While everyone celebrated, the boy sat quietly beside Demon inside the pen.
The giant animal rested peacefully for the first time in years.
Then the boy noticed something strange.
Demon flinched every time he touched the left side of his neck.
Not aggressively.
In pain.
The teenager carefully parted the thick black hair beneath the bull's ear.
His face immediately changed.
"Don Mateo..."
"You need to see this."
The ranch owner hurried over.
Hidden beneath layers of scar tissue was an old metal object buried deep inside the bull's flesh.
A rusted fragment of an electric prod.
The veterinarians stared in disbelief.
"How long has this been there?"
One doctor examined it closely.
"Judging by the scar..."
"At least... fifteen years."
The crowd gasped.
Fifteen years.
Exactly since Gabriel had disappeared.
Don Mateo slowly turned toward Rafael.
His face had become ghostly pale.
"You told me Demon was dangerous because he was born that way."
Rafael couldn't answer.
Sweat rolled down his forehead.
The veterinarians carefully removed the corroded metal.
The moment it came free...
Demon let out a deep, exhausted breath.
Then something incredible happened.
For the first time anyone could remember, the giant bull lay down peacefully in the dirt.
He closed his eyes.
Not from weakness.
From relief.
Tears streamed down Don Mateo's face.
"I blamed him..."
"All these years..."
"I blamed the victim."
But before anyone could say another word, one of the veterinarians held up the rusted metal piece.
Attached to it was something unexpected.
A tiny engraved brass tag.
Covered in dirt...
But still readable.
It bore only three words.
Property of Gabriel.
The boy froze.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears.
If Gabriel's equipment was still inside Demon...
Then perhaps his father hadn't simply disappeared.
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Perhaps...
Someone had made sure he never came home.
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