Play It Right

17. War

Everyone was gone.

He tried to make sense of the whole shit show, but it was hard when it was a living nightmare. He couldn't get ahold of any of his men and even the young nanny was nowhere to be found.

Everyone in the safe house had seemingly disappeared, right in front of his very eyes.

He had been upstairs with Mishti, he didn't understand what could have gone so wrong. Looking at the screens of video footage across the wall, his face showed nothing as he tried to understand where four hours worth of footage had gone. All of it had been swiped.

What the fuck was going on?

Emir walked back into the security room, closing the door behind him.

He needed to think with a clear head and the thought of one of his twins being missing stayed constant in his psyche.

He combed through the footage, watching every hour of each room carefully and the cameras outsides. He tried to focus but the way he had seen her breakdown was too demanding.

How had he never seen her cry before? He thought, perplexed.

It was strange to say the least.

She usually resorted to wrath, not tears.

But in that moment, as he replayed the footage over and over again, he couldn't shake the image of Mishti's tear-streaked face. It was as if something had broken inside her, something he had never witnessed before. Emir couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, wondering if he had missed the signs of her vulnerability all along.

As he continued to analyze the footage, a flicker of movement caught his attention. He leaned closer to the screen, his heart pounding in his chest.

There, in the corner of the frame, he saw a figure darting across the hallway. It was quick, almost too quick to be captured by the camera, but Emir's trained eyes caught it.

His mind raced with possibilities.

Could it be an intruder? Or was it someone from within their own ranks?

Emir's instincts kicked in, and he knew he had to find answers, and fast.

Leaving the security room, he made his way through the empty safe house, his footsteps echoing in the silence. The once bustling rooms now felt eerie and abandoned. He called out for his men, but his voice only echoed back at him, mocking his desperation.

As he reached the main entrance, Emir noticed something peculiar. The front door was slightly ajar, a chilling draft seeping through the crack. With a surge of adrenaline, he pushed the door open, stepping out into the night.

The moon cast an ethereal glow over the deserted streets, adding to the sense of unease that hung in the air. Emir's eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for any sign of life. But all he found was emptiness, a void that seemed to swallow everything in its path.

Determined not to give up, Emir retraced his steps back into the safe house. He knew he had to find Mishti, to unravel the mystery of her sudden disappearance.

As he climbed the stairs, a flicker of movement caught his eye once again.

This time, it was a shadowy figure disappearing into the darkness of a nearby room.

Emir's heart raced as he followed the figure, his mind filled with a mix of fear and determination. He burst into the room, ready to confront whoever was behind all of this. But to his astonishment, the room was empty, devoid of any trace of the mysterious figure.

Confusion washed over him, threatening to consume his every thought.

How could someone vanish into thin air? Emir's mind raced with possibilities, each one more bewildering than the last.

But amidst the chaos, one thing remained clear, he would stop at nothing to find his boy and uncover the truth behind the inexplicable events that had unfolded.

With renewed determination, Emir set out on a perilous journey, determined to unravel the secrets that lay hidden within the walls of the safe house.

Little did he know, the answers he sought would lead him down a path he never could have imagined, where danger lurked at every turn and the truth would test his loyalty, his sanity, and ultimately, his very existence.

—

A filmy sheen covered her dusk regard, the whites of her ebony eyes appeared a bloodshot red. Her shaky hands stayed put in her lap, whilst her thumbs twiddled together nonstop. Although there were no tears streaming down her flushed face anymore, the sorrow was visible to the naked eye.

She had been so concentrated on her thoughts, that she hadn't noticed the small figure approaching her.

It was only when a soft meek rolled around the quiet lull, did she catch sight of the terrified boy.

"Is Zeki coming home tonight? I miss him a lot, Mama."

And, just like that, all of her raging anxiety washed away.

He crawled into the space in her lap, sharing her embrace with his sister and she couldn't help but feel her chest swell with heavy emotion.

"He's going to come back, baby. I promise he will." She reassured him, ignoring the harsh shove to her throat.

Of course, she needed to remember they were twins after all. His discontent probably felt a lot more sudden.

"Amma..."

A tired hum was his response.

"I wish the bad man took sissy and not my favourite brother."

Mishti wasn't even phased by the statement and continued to brush over her baby boy's hair.

"I'm too tired to tell you off so instead I want you to apologise to your sister and hug her right away."

"Ew, yuck Mommy! No!"

"Ayaz, be nice."

Mishti's voice held a gentle firmness, her exhaustion evident in her tone. Ayaz pouted, but reluctantly nodded, understanding that his mother meant business.

"Okay, Mama. I'll say sorry to Ayla," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

Mishti smiled softly, her heart swelling with love for her children. Despite the chaos and uncertainty surrounding them, their innocence and bond remained unbreakable. She knew she had to stay strong for them, to protect them from the darkness that had infiltrated their lives.

As Ayaz made his way towards his sister, Mishti watched them embrace, their small bodies huddled together in a display of sibling affection. It was a bittersweet moment, a reminder of the love that still existed amidst the turmoil.

But even as she witnessed this tender moment, a nagging feeling tugged at Mishti's heart. She couldn't shake the sense that something was deeply wrong, that danger lurked just beyond their safe haven. She had to find answers, not only for herself but for the sake of her children.

With renewed determination, Mishti gently untangled herself from the embrace and stood up, her tiredness momentarily forgotten. She knew she had to confront Emir, to demand the truth and find a way to protect their family.

As she made her way towards the security room, Mishti couldn't help but feel a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins. She was ready to face whatever lay ahead, to fight for her children and reclaim the peace that had been stolen from them.

Little did she know, the journey ahead would test her strength, resilience, and the depths of her love. But Mishti was prepared to face it all, for the sake of her family and the hope of a brighter future.

If war was what he wanted, then war would be what he got.