Her hands clenched around the phone. She had no plan, just the address Alpha sent her and a heartbeat that felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. People walked by her, laughing and chatting, eating simit from street carts. Life was going on, as if her whole world hadn’t just fallen apart. She opened her ride app and marked a spot a few blocks away from the warehouse Alpha ntioned. If she was being watched, she didn’t want the driver to take her straight there.
When the cab pulled up, she hopped in without a word. The driver didn’t ask questions. She stared out the window as the city blurred by, the minarets, aging bricks, and glowing kebab shop signs. Everything around her was alive and colorful, while all she could think about was Ayla’s cries, looping in her head.
The car finally stopped in a nearly deserted industrial area just as night began to fall.
She handed the driver so cash and made sure to leave a tip before stepping out quietly.
"Teşekkür ederim," she mumbled. aning "Thank you."
"Kolay gelsin," the cab driver replied politely, aning "Good luck," before driving off into the night.
Aylin stood motionless on the sidewalk until the red taillights disappeared around a corner. Then she turned and made her way toward the shadowy outline of the warehouse up ahead. Her footsteps were steady, but her heart was racing. She had no clue what she would find inside. All she knew was that she couldn’t fight yet, not if it ant risking Ayla’s life.
The warehouse lood ahead like a sleeping giant. Dim lights flickered through the dusty windows, and rusty iron gates creaked gently in the wind. Aylin noticed two guys casually leaning against a storage container nearby. Dressed in jeans and jackets, their alert posture told her everything she needed to know.
Guards. One of them stepped forward as she approached the gate.
"Na?" he asked in a low voice.
"You already know it," she shot back flatly. He nodded silently and gestured for her to follow.
They led her deeper into the building, past empty rooms and decaying conveyor belts. The air beca colder and more sterile. A faint electrical buzz resonated from above, mixed with the hum of industrial lights flickering on and off. She couldn’t see any traps, but she could feel those eyes on her from all angles. Every instinct in her body scread to turn back, but she pressed on.
Just for Ayla. And then it happened.
She barely noticed the quiet footsteps behind her before a sharp jab hit her neck. Her hand shot up, but it was already too late. A freezing numbness spread through her spine, and her vision started to fuzz out. Her legs gave way, and she dropped to her knees, struggling to breathe. Through the haze, she saw a shadowy figure, a guy lowering the injector.
Alpha’s face was right above her, cool and calm, wearing a smug look like he’d just won a lottery.
"And here she is," he said with a hint of amusent, "the infamous Lunel. In the flesh." Selina appeared behind him, arms crossed, a smirk plastered on her face. "So much for firewalls," she laughed.
Aylin tried to lift her head, but the world kept spinning. Her arms felt completely useless, like they were filled with lead. The warehouse dimd down, and her consciousness flickered like a dying light. Then, everything went black.
******
Inside a private jet, flying from Istanbul to Arica, the dark sky stretched endlessly above the Atlantic Ocean. The sleek aircraft glided silently through the night, its fancy leather seats with gold stitching contrasting sharply with the unsettling situation inside. Three girls were slumped in reclining chairs, their wrists loosely strapped with hidden restraints. Aylin, her younger sister Ayla, and a girl who looked no older than twelve were all out cold beneath the dim lights. The cabin was quiet except for the soft hum of the engines and the occasional clink of glass.
Up front, Alpha relaxed in his tailored suit, sipping espresso like he was at a boring business eting instead of being mixed up in human trafficking. Selina lounged across from him, legs crossed, scrolling through surveillance feeds on a sleek black tablet. Alpha took a secure phone call, his voice low and steady.
"They’re on their way," he said smoothly. "ETA in four hours. The rchandise is clean. No heat."
A garbled voice replied on the other end. "The older one goes for half a million. The untouched kid is worth a million flat. And the sister... well, we can definitely use that one."
Alpha smirked slightly. "We can either sell them together or make them watch each other suffer. Either way, we’ll break them."
Selina grinned without glancing up. "Better footage when they’re crying together."
Their glasses clinked in a casual toast, as if sealing the fate of the girls was just another simple business deal.
After a long ten hours, the private jet finally rolled to a smooth stop on a remote airstrip tucked away in the thick forest, surrounded by an unsettling stillness. There were no signs in sight, no security checkpoints, just a cold stretch of runway that felt like it was made for secrets. When the hatch opened with a hiss, a blast of chilly Arican morning air rushed into the cabin. Fog wrapped itself around the tires like it was alive.
Alpha got out first, adjusting the cuffs of his sharp black coat. Selina followed him, her heels clicking confidently as she navigated the tal stairs. They didn’t need to say a word; everything was going according to their plan.
There were four blacked-out SUVs idling on the runway, their engines humming quietly like animals ready to strike. From inside the jet, guards started to bring out the girls, Aylin, Ayla, and the youngest, a twelve-year-old who was completely out of it, still under sedation.
Aylin was up first. One of the big guards threw her over his shoulder like she was nothing, her arm flopping down. As he did, her hoodie slipped just enough to show a scar behind her ear, a reminder of who she used to be.
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