Is this destiny?

WARNING: Violence is depicted in this chapter. Read at your discretion.

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Masika removed two scarfs (which she took from another courtyard) and finally, her uniform of the army of Chaos was visible.

The helicopter silently landed in the middle of the courtyard. They secured Hande on a stretcher in the helicopter and covered her with a blanket.

Masika showed Merve how to hold ice packs for Hande. "Stay with Hande. We will get your father out for you."

Masika\'s lips curved into a vicious smile before she gestured to Zack and the other two army members to move into positions. Finally, after what seems like forever being cooped up in a base in Milan, they have some action!

In less than a minute, power and phone were cut off and four shadows dashed into a dark and silent house.

Five minutes later, after a small commotion, Merve\'s father, his two wives and three children (two boys and a girl, younger than Merve) were kneeling in the courtyard gagged with their hands tied behind their backs.

"I assume this one is your mother.", Masika told Merve. The other woman has a big bruise on her left side of the face, probably from the rolling pin.

Merve confirmed.

"Where were your siblings while this woman badmouthed you, and your father mistreated you?", Masika asked Merve.

"Hiding in their rooms.", Merve responded.

Masika approached Merve and gave her a knife which Zack retrieved from the kitchen. "Merve, your father hurt you. Others either incited him or watched, allowing it to happen. What do you want to do with them? You have the right to punish the ones who wronged you. You said that you want to join us. By joining us, you get to be the judge, the jury, and the executioner for yourself and for everyone else who does not have a voice."

Merve\'s father stared at Merve and four people in dark clothes in disbelief mixed with horror. In his forty years of life, he was always in charge, as a man that is the position given to him. His wives and children need to obey him, no matter what his request is. And this? What is this exactly? The person talking to Merve is obviously a female. And she looks like a little girl. How dares a woman treat him like this? He wanted to curse them all, but he is gagged.

Merve looked at six people on the ground for some time while images of Sarah and other kids from that barbeque dinner party flashed in front of her eyes. She wondered, was that only last night? It seems like it was ages ago. Yet, there was a feeling of calm and happiness associated with those memories and she wanted to return to that place (and time), because if she could go back there, she would never come here again.

She moved to stand in front of her siblings and said with a hint of pride in her voice. "You can still learn and change. Children have a voice. Women have a choice. Men are not in charge by default. Watch carefully how I changed. My future is in my hands."

Merve moved in front of the second wife. "This is your fault. You were jealous because I am the oldest one. My father favored my mother because she gave him the first child." Merve stood half a step in front of the woman and grabbed her hair. "Do you think that your pretty face will save you?" Merve spoke through her teeth and made a deep cut with the blade on the non-bruised cheek.

The woman screamed as the blood gushed from the cut, but her screams were muffled because she was gagged.

"Now your face is ugly, just like your soul."

Merve let go of the woman and moved to stand in front of her mother.

Merve watched her mother while her eyes filled with tears. "How could you? You told me over the phone that it will be fine. You told me that I will be welcomed back. You said that everyone will be happy. Why did you lie to me?"

Merve used the knife to cut the cloth which was used to gag her mother and shouted: "Answer me!"

"You don\'t understand…", the woman said frantically. "I didn\'t have a choice. Since you left, things changed. Fatma is younger and… He hit me, saying that I am useless because I\'ve lost you. When you called, that was my redemption."

Merve\'s insides were boiling from rage. "You didn\'t have a choice? You did. And you choose to stand there and do nothing while he hit me, while he…", Merve was unable to finish her sentence. She shook her head in disbelief and walked away.

Merve\'s mother moved toward Merve and Masika kicked her back. The woman fell sideways and didn\'t try to move again. After few seconds she started sobbing.

"You are a pig.", Merve told her father with disgust obvious on her face. "Now that I look at you, I regret coming back. For you, I am dead. I didn\'t come back, and I don\'t exist. And don\'t you dare look for Hande. Do you understand?"

Merve saw that her father nodded but she didn\'t believe him. Somehow, she knew that he is doing that only to get out of this situation and the moment he gets his freedom back, he will do as he pleases. As always.

Merve looked at her three siblings which are on the ground. "I\'m taking Hande with me because she risked her safety to help me. When you hid inside and ignored my pleas for help, you decided to stay with them. If you want to get out of this hell, you will need to find your own way."

Merve looked at Masika and pointed with the knife toward her father. "Can I cut off his tongue?"

Masika confirmed. She approached Merve\'s father and hit a spot at the bottom of his throat before gesturing to the closest member of the army of Chaos to assist Merve.

They removed the cloth which gagged Merve\'s father and he opened his mouth angrily, but he was unable to make a sound.

They forced his mouth open and held him in place, while Merve clumsily poked with the knife inside his mouth. At some point, Merve\'s father fainted.

"I don\'t think I can cut it off.", Merve told Masika helplessly.

Masika looked at the mouth cavity filled with blood. "That\'s fine. Unless he has a major surgery, he will not be able to talk. Besides, I think there is another thing, more worth cutting off…" Masika said while glancing at his crotch.

Merve understood and agreed.

They started removing his pants, and Zack stopped them. "Let me do it. You girls shouldn\'t see something like that."

Masika wanted to say that this is Merve\'s vengeance, but Zack gave her a stern glare. "Go for the toes or anything else, not... this."

Merve said that it\'s OK for Zack to do it, but she wants to see when it\'s done.

Masika gave a small anatomy lesson to Merve by pointing out where on the forearm to make cuts in order to sever tendons which are controlling fingers.

When they were done with cutting, the washed off blood. Merve went inside the house and came out wearing clean clothes, and a bundle which she explained are clothes for Hande.

Before entering the helicopter, Merve asked Masika: "Do you think that Sarah will accept Hande?"

"Yes."

Merve was worried that Hande is too young. "She is only nine years old."

"It will be fine." Masika assured Merve and remembered Ade. "Our youngest brother is eleven years old, so she will not stand out too much."

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen.", Masika responded.

Merve opened her eyes in disbelief. Masika is confident, ordering these three fully grown men, and she is only fifteen. That is one year younger than she is!

Masika looked at Merve\'s mother. "Are you sure you want to leave her without a punishment?"

Merve sneered. "She relied on this pig of a man for everything. Now that he is not a man, I wonder how much he can do. He always blames others for everything, I\'m sure that he will punish her when he comes around. That will hurt her much more than if I do it. Let them rot together."

Masika had no objections. "Alright. Let\'s go, or we will risk running late. Sarah will be worried where we are…"

In the helicopter…

Masika, Zack, Merve and Hande are in the back, while two army members are in the front, piloting the helicopter toward the base in Milan.

Hande was still under anesthetic, and Merve was too nervous to sleep even though it was 4 AM. Merve\'s gaze was fixed on Hande while in her mind she practiced what she will say when she meets with Sarah again.

Masika\'s head was bobbing left and right as the drowsiness took over. She is not used to staying up for so long.

Zack wanted to tease Masika that she would not be this sleepy if she took a nap on the way to Turkey, but he gave up on that when he saw that she is unable to keep her eyes open. He moved slightly toward Masika. As soon as she felt something to lean on, Masika slept off with her head on Zack\'s shoulder.

Zack craned his neck, to observe Masika\'s sleeping face. This time, he gets to see her up close. Very close. Her expression is soft, and she looks like a little girl. Zack\'s gaze fell on her full lips and he smiled while shaking his head. He wondered, what kind of thoughts are coming to his mind, she IS a little girl. Remarkable, brave, smart, witty, cute… little girl.

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