Chapter Text
"WHAT IS GOING ON?! KEEP IT DOWN!!"
The yelling makes you all flinch inside the room. In the earlier commotion, you have totally forgotten about the men waiting outside the door. That's when it comes to you, an escape plan. You can't take any of this much longer. Desperation creeps on you, almost turning you reckless, but your mind is far from gone. Your brain is working hundred miles a minute to put your plan into action. You quickly get dressed, and do the same with Yamac, handing him gently over to Selim. Kahraman eyes you questioningly; he knows for certain that you are up to something. Your eye movements at this point are far too calculated, too thought out to be haphazard. Running frantically across the room, you pick up the metal rod and hand it to Kahraman, who tilts his head, trying to figure out what you are after.
“Hold this and stand behind the door. Wait for my cue!” You instruct, signaling towards the door.
“Alright!! Now that what I was talking about!!” Kahraman hails, punching the air, excitement and joy glowing in his eyes. Without a thought, you find yourself smiling at Kahraman’s energetic spirit. You are also grateful that he is on the same page as you for once. He understood you without you having to explain in tiring details the gist of your plan. No matter how different you both are, a brother is still a brother; you muse, looking delightedly at Kahraman. He takes his position behind the door promptly, and nods in your direction. A stern look on your face replaces the casual one, and you move ahead with your plan.
“Please, my brother needs HELP!! Open the Door!!” You yell, banging your fists against the door. You, then, immediately hear some shuffling and whispering behind the door. The two men are discussing what to do among themselves. In your mind, you are just praying for them to take the bait. Shortly, there is a sound of a latch, getting undone, and the door cracking slowly. This is it. You feel your heart racing, not from fear, but from excitement. Once the door was open, the two men survey the room from outside, glancing between you and Selim, holding an unconscious Yamac. The men feel at ease, and advance forward without a shadow of doubt. They think they are dealing with kids, after all. It’s no wonder they get cocky and let their guard down. You wait until the first one was in, and signal to Kahraman to start his assault. Kahraman tackles with the rod the man inside the room, while you punch with all your strength the one outside. It’s a clean victory; the two villains didn’t even see it coming. You take their guns and lead your brothers out of the room, eyeing carefully the inside of the warehouse. The back door is probably your only chance since the rest of the men are most likely hoarded around the front door. Taking careful steps, you start to open the back door, wondering how easy it was to break out from this hellish place. Just then, the old door releases the most unpleasant, sharp screechy sound you have ever heard. It makes you cringe instantly, sending shivers down your spine. The sound was in fact so strong that it reached the men over the front and they were immediately alerted.
Suddenly, you are all doomed again because of one careless mistake.
It’s all your fault. It’s all your fault, Cumali.
“SHUT UP!!” You scream, trying to silence the voice in your head. Selim flinches next to you, surprised at your sudden outburst. He squeezes Yamac, even more closely to his chest, about to break down and collapse from fear. The men are approaching, and Kahraman stands childishly in a baseball stance like a batter, waiting to swing the rod at the first enemy he sees. It is indeed childish, but better than wallowing in guilt and agony like what you are doing. You gather yourself, and place a hand on Kahraman’s shoulder.
“You should go. Take Yamac and Selim, and leave through the back door. I’ll buy you sometime,” You direct in a calm tone.
“No way!! You think I can ever leave you behind?!” Kahraman growls.
“You do as I say, Kahraman Kocovali. LOOK at your brothers. This won’t do!” You shide this time with a stern tone, squeezing his shoulder. Kahraman looks from you to Selim and Yamac, and understands without a word. Selim’s legs and hands were shaking ferociously, almost that he was about to drop Yamac from his hold. The boy looked frightened, and traumatized as if he was about to lose his grip on reality any second. Kahraman grimaces, eyeing you back, hands falling dejectedly against his waist.
“I understand. I’ll do as you ask,” Kahraman says, taking Yamac from Selim’s hold and guiding Selim out of the back door. “Don’t you dare die!! Just hold on till I send help!” Kahraman looks back one last time at the brother he is not sure if he will ever see again before he leaves.
Somehow, you feel at peace, holding the two guns you snatched from the men earlier, and staring down at the upset-looking firing squad in front of you. More than ten men are all lined up in a position to shoot, as if you were the most frightening creature that they ever saw.
It was not your fault, Abi.
You hear Yamac’s voice comforting you. But at this point, you don't care whether it was your fault or not, whether you are even dying or not. You just wish the baby makes it. You have failed him as an Abi on more than one level throughout his life. You haven't been there for him when he took his first step, when he said his first word and you won't be there for him on his first day in school, on his graduation day…You wonder what kind of man he will be when he grows up. Tears dwell in your eyes, remembering that which you have missed, and that which you will never have. The picture frame is empty where you were supposed to be. But it’s worth it as long as your baby brother lives. You are dying with no regrets. Your baby brother will surely make a fine man.