A married, middle-aged well-known biochemist and university teacher Augusto, leaves his wife, his job and the comfort of his life to go after Marlene, a 14-year-old teenager with extraordinary beauty who burst into his life unexpectedly. One day, Marlene is taken from the custody of Augustus by Genaro, a psychotic sailor, who seduces and finally kidnaps her by taking to the ominous port of Tampico, where Augustus will seek her to try to free her, not without giving her life to pain and atonement, undergoing a deep personal transformation.