The man who burst out from between the trees grabbed Soner by the neck and threw him to the ground in just a few seconds. It was so fast and silent that even though we saw it with our eyes, we couldn't comprehend what had happened. Soner's groan echoed deep in the forest. Everyone froze for a moment. In the darkness of the night, the attacker pressed a cold gun against Soner's neck. Silence surrounded us.
Serhat stepped forward, and I involuntarily shouted:
"Let him go!"
Serhat grabbed my arm and stopped me. He whispered a warning:
"This isn't random. It could be a trap."
Trying to hide his unease, he stepped forward.
"We are trapped here just like you. Let our friend go, let's help each other."
The man laughed mockingly.
"I'm not a prisoner here to help you. I've been tired of watching your foolish games for years. All you do is come here and harm my village and my people!"
We didn't understand much of what he said, but we remained cautious. Meanwhile, Tarık had disappeared. Just then, Yaman stepped forward, ready to attack the man, but suddenly stopped. Tarık quietly approached from behind and hit the man on the head with a thick stick. The man staggered. Yaman immediately grabbed the gun and started hitting the man with kicks and punches. He was about to strangle him when I intervened:
"Stop, don't kill him! He might be innocent!"
"He tried to kill our friend!" Yaman shouted.
"He just wanted to protect his village. He thought we were like those before us."
Serhat took the gun from Yaman and placed it on his belt. He crouched next to the man and said:
"Let's camp here. Rest until dawn. Traveling at night will tire us."
"Right," I said. "Let's not light a fire; we shouldn't attract attention. We'll break off some branches and hide inside."
Serhat went to coordinate the others. Caner and I took the man a little farther from the group and sat him down. It was our turn for the first watch. I started speaking:
"Look, we were brought here as captives. We don't know what's going on."
The man replied coldly:
"You always say that. Same story for years."
Caner was still cautious, but I needed to build trust. I untied the man's hands.
"I don't want to harm you. We just want to understand what's happening."
The man softened a bit, rubbed his wrists, then began to speak:
"I don't know much either. I only heard what my ancestors told me…"
He paused for a while, then continued:
"At the end of the 1980s, four people came. They were left here as captives. At first, they thought this was their homeland. They lived, ate, drank, got married. Then they heard the news: the coup in Turkey was over. They decided to return. But here, they left behind four pregnant women. They left overnight."
Caner interrupted:
"Where exactly are we?"
"We are in Tartus, Syria. Close to the Lebanese border."
Caner and I looked at each other in shock.
"So, what's today's date?" I asked.
"Today is August 5, 2024."
Caner said angrily:
"So, we've been here for a week, huh?!"
I got even more angry:
"There you go, you said it was salvation… Now we're in a war zone!"
Caner was silent. A volcano was about to erupt inside him, but he didn't show it. I motioned for the man to continue.
"Two years later, those men came back. As if they had never left. Then they talked about setting up a system. A prison. Supposedly to help the village. It sounded reasonable at first, so we helped. Then they armed themselves. When I was 15, I was armed too. They trained us for a year, then I started working as a guard. The more I got inside, the more I realized they were men who had served in the Turkish military but were dismissed."
We heard the sound of a snake. Caner immediately covered the man's mouth and started listening. Only a snake crawled through the bushes. The man stayed silent for a while longer, then continued:
"Years passed. Then two Americans came. They divided a group of four against each other. Two stayed here. The others scattered. One died. The remaining got involved in drug and arms trafficking. The prisons were reorganized for these jobs. Every year, 8-10 men are kidnapped and brought to this area; some find a way out. But most don't."
I jumped in:
"How did you figure out we were Turkish?"
"They lived in Turkey for two years. I learned your language."
He took a deep breath and continued:
"Then the Americans brought their wives and children too. But it was said they died in a border clash. It was a lie. They were alive. They set up systems in the prisons, cameras, writings… Every year they replay this game. Some years, they raided the village, attacked women. I am the child of one of those abusers…"
Caner was clenching his teeth. The man's experiences were inhumane. I held his hand and looked into his eyes:
"I will ask you something. Not to help us, but so that what you experienced doesn't happen again. I will tie your hands again. Don't tell anyone about this. We will release you tomorrow. But I have one condition: we need a map and a pen."
"I only have a map and a gun."
My eyes caught the watch on his wrist. I took his watch off and put it on myself. I put the map in my pocket.
It was time for the watch change. Tarık and Yaman came. Caner and I lay down under a tree. It was around 3 o'clock; we fell asleep half asleep.
At dawn, Yaman woke me up. It took us some time to get our bearings. I knew we were being watched by mini cameras, but I didn't share this info with anyone. We set off. Caner came close and asked:
"What do we do if they ask about what we learned yesterday?"
"I don't know. We'll find a way. But for now, no one should know."
I hurried to Serhat. Yaman pointed ahead:
"There's a village over there. A few houses with smoke rising. Let's go."
The captive man was nervous. It was clearly his village.
"Let's not go. It's the opposite way," I said.
Others looked on curiously. Serhat asked:
"How do you know?"
"We are in Syria. Today is August 5. The south direction leads to the coast. There is a smuggling port there. But if we go to the village, we enter the Lebanese border. We'll probably die. We only have one pistol."
Serhat nodded. Yaman grumbled and went silent. I spoke to Serhat:
"The man is innocent. He wants to protect his village. His knowledge is limited. I think we should release him."
Serhat untied the wire and freed the man.
After a two-hour walk, we arrived at the shore. At the port gate, a vehicle and three motorcycle-riding men awaited us.
A man in a suit and glasses got out of the vehicle.
"Welcome to the team, kids. Congratulations…"