Some of the girls had responsibilities and came to the hostel to live and work nearby, hoping to support their families. But day after day, they felt like they were slowly losing themselves. They didn't have the courage to stand up for their own freedom and dignity, feeling trapped in a never-ending struggle.
*********
And then a quieter thought fluttered through his mind, one he didn't want to face. "Why do I care this much?"
Both of them, stuck in their separate corners of the tunnel, were drowning in their suspicions, different worries, but lost in the same heavy silence. And in that silence, a dangerous question started to form, Who could they really trust?
Zayden couldn't sleep at all that night, his mind racing with what he had just witnessed. Someone had broken into his cabin and hurt Zeynep. He couldn't stop questioning whether she had really been hurt or if she had set the whole thing up. It seemed crazy to think that someone would intentionally harm themselves, but Leo's words kept ringing in his ears—Zeynep might be an agent sent to spy on him. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became, tossing and turning as he tried to figure out what was real and what wasn't.
Zayden was lost in thought, realizing he needed to figure out who Zeynep really was and where she came from. He thought she looked Turkish and that she spoke both Turkish and English, but something about her story didn't add up. He leaned in towards Leo and said, "I don't think she's an agent or anything like that. But she's also not just some random person spying on me. There's definitely more going on. Remember that scream in her sleep I heard the other night? Maybe she saw something big that she can't talk about, and now she's running from the people involved."
Leo let out a deep sigh, feeling the pressure of the situation. "I get what you're saying, Z, but think about it—how could anyone just break into your cabin and shut down all the CCTV cameras? These aren't your everyday people; they're probably as dangerous as we are. She really saw something bad, or even worse?"
Zayden was getting more anxious as he paced the small space. "What if she escaped from a brothel, and they're after her because she knows where it is? They could be trying to take her out to keep her quiet. Just look at that guy," he said, pointing at the man tied to the chair, his voice filled with urgency. "He was definitely here to kill her."
Leo frowned while glancing at the frozen footage on the screen. "But why didn't those guys finish her off? They just hit her in the head," he said, trying to figure out the whole messy situation. "What's the connection between them?"
The air felt tense as they considered the dangers lurking just outside.
Leo leaned in, getting serious. "Z, we need to look into Zeynep just like we would anyone else. We can't just overlook this; we've got to deal with it properly."
Zayden crossed his arms, looking defensive. "What do you mean?"
Leo raised an eyebrow, as if the answer was obvious. "You know what I'm talking about. We can't let your feelings get in the way. We've got to focus on the facts."
"First, this guy shows up here to kill her," Leo pointed again at the man tied to the chair, almost unconsciously. "And then, later tonight, those two guys break into your cabin and hurt her."
Zayden replied, "Look, we can't just confront her. She's already on edge. Sure, she's living here, but we need to be careful about how we approach this. That's why I wanted you to check out her background."
Leo nodded, his expression serious. "Exactly! I couldn't find anything solid about her; it feels like she's hiding something. The info I found was mostly about her family and school, but it didn't add up. I checked with the school, and while they had her admission records, there were inconsistencies that made it seem like someone had messed with the data. It could be a fake profile."
He continued, "First, we should check out the area around the cabin to see what's really going on and how those two guys found her. We need to gather some clues before we talk to
Zeynep about what we discover."
Zayden took a moment to gather his thoughts, his confusion giving way to focus. "Alright, that sounds like a plan. Let's get moving before she wakes up." He glanced at the CCTV monitor and saw Zeynep lying on the bed. Even while asleep, she looked tense, which reminded him just how serious this whole situation was.
They stepped out of the tunnel and quickly looked around to make sure no one was around.
After scanning the area, they shoved the tunnel door closed behind them to keep it hidden. They took a moment to breathe, preparing for whatever was next.
Zayden turned to Leo, saying, "Look, we need to confront her without revealing who we really are. We can't just go up to her and say we've been digging into her background. If she's telling the truth, we could end up exposing ourselves. She might realize we're not just random people hanging out in the forest, and then she could start thinking about running away. I mean, come on, normal folks don't just live out here in this dangerous forest all alone."
Leo laughed a little and said, "Honestly, any weirdo could just hang out in this sketchy forest all alone, just like me." He winked, trying to make light of the wild surroundings that loomed around them. The tall trees swayed gently, matching the easygoing vibe of the moment.
Zayden smiled at his joke but shook his head. "Can't you take this seriously?"
Leo shrugged, still grinning. "Nope, can't do it. Don't you know? It's more like my go-to move when I'm on the search for something."