Oliver.
~
".."
I smiled hearing his breathing.
" Talk to me, brother.."
" Everything's fine.. Feeling good."
I checked the monitor. " Connect your vitals.."
".. Ugh.. Yes, mom."
I heard some chuckling behind me. I looked and saw all four girls hovering.
" Some space.." I mouted silently.
They took exactly one step back just as my screen was filled with Asin's vital signs.
" Everything looks gusal ( beautiful), hey look at that.. Even your collesterol in the acceptable range.."
" Hardy harhar.. Give me 2 minutes warning Kerdes ( brother). "
He disconnected, and his usual demeanour gave me immense relief. As long as he can act like this.. All is well.
" Leyla..what's the purse? "
".. All GC in. 24000 in total. "
I returned to my screen opening the betting page.
" 24000..as in thousand?" asked Ayshe, leaning over.
" Yup.." I answered, still adding new bets. " It just from the 12.. It's a tradition of sorts. We all make our real money right here. "
I was finishing and showed the page to the others.
"" Ohh.. ""
I smiled hearing their synchronised voices.
".. So it's just like with other sports bets? People can even bet on top speeds and times?" Ayshe pointed at the screen.
" Exactly.. Except they have to use GOD coin to bet.. Which they can only buy from us."
I was proud of our system. We basically rigged the game with it. Allowed us to profit in multiple ways.
" This is impressive. "
" Thanks, Henny.. Now we are getting close. " I reached for the phone and dialled.
Once I saw him pick it up and disconnected, we were good to go.
" Imogeen.." I called out to our colleague.
".. Open bets, please."
" Yes, sir."
" Leyla, get ready to call the gents.. "
She nodded, having our burner in hand.
" Caster.. Drone checks."
" Everything's online, sir."
" Perfect.." I leaned back, allowing a few seconds to calm my racing heart.
The screens placed on the tents walls lit up soon as our army of drones circled 12 waiting super cars.
I tapped my tablet, and we started steaming.
I always enjoyed seeing those numbers climb.. I couldn't remember when we started breaking records. But it was sure addictive.
".. 7..8..10 million.. Unbelievable. One day, notice and look at those numbers .." I heard Lilly voice.
" Leyla.."
" Yes, sir.."
We all got quiet as the countdown on the screen began.
Marie stepped forward just a few inches away from the main screen.
3..2..
.. Then they were away.
The rules were the same as last time. We even used the same track.
Single lap, drifting.
When we were doing a race, there was always this erie silence that was usually broken by the crew celebrating in the background.
Now, for some reason, they all stayed quiet as mice. It gave me an ominous feeling.
".. He is breaking away." Ayshe pointed at screen.
Drone number 13 stayed on Asin as he drifted ahead and stepped on it, creating some separation.
Leyla informed me while keeping one eye on the screen.
" We broke our record again ..16 million and climbing fast. "
I felt the sweet sensation of adrenaline rushing around my body. I felt a small hand on my shoulder.
".. He is okay."
Without a word, I reached and grabbed Ayshe supporting hand. ".. Look at his vitals. His loving it. "
We checked on screen, seeing his heart rate climbing through the roof.
" Leyla.. Close all bets."
" Closing bets.." she followed through.
As the cars turned on the snake part of the mountain, our servers were barely holding on.
" 22..23 m-million people.."
Leyla voice often cracked from disbelief as she kept us up to date.
Marie kept her eyes on the footage drone 13 provided. As probably 99% of all viewers.
About 70 % in the race.. When the helicopters made an appearance.
As the girls immediately started bombarding with questions, I calmed them down.
".. Easy! This is not the first time and won't be the last guys. Asin knows how to handle it."
Marie and the girls didn't seem calmer but at least stopped the questioning.
".. Sir, we lost drone 18 and 24."
I perked up hearing that. " Show me last known footage. "
On my tablet soon, a split screen appeared, showing two different angle of their crash.
They were looking fine.. Until they weren't.
But the signature sounds of bullets were hard to miss.
" Oh my god.." I got up holding the tablet." They were shot down.."
Ayshe eyes filled with worry and went back watching the race.
" Caster.. Initiate self-destruct sequence on 18 and 24!"
Before his confirmation.. The helicopters took aim.. And started unloading on the drivers.
" S-sir?.. S-should we shut it down? " asked Leyla.
I gripped my teeth and stayed mute. For two reasons..
1.. Only the host had such powers. Which we weren't.
And 2..
Asin and I talked about this.. We had one rule, even when it came to bullets.
The race must be finished.
With a cancelled race, all bets must be covered by the host.. Which means Martin 'The Rock' Jones rather hangs himself then shutting it down..
" Oliver.. Why.. Why isn't he abandoning the race!?" Ayshe asked in a shaky voice.
Instead of an answer, I allowed a peak at Marie.. Truly, I thought she would start strangling me.. But she just stood still.
Probably the calmest among us.
I was so confused by this behaviour that I didn't even notice the screen.. His vitals were disconnected.
The bliping noise the device made drawn everyone's attention.
Marie looked at me.. The horror visible in her eyes.
" C-calm down.. He disconnected it himself. Look!" I walked ahead, standing close to screen. " He is f-fine. Look.."
On the screen, he was doing crazy 8's trying to avoid as many bullets as possible.
" Is his car.. Bullet proof?" Marie's low menacing voice came from behind me.
I didn't answer.. I couldn't.
We talked about it. But he convinced me not to.. After all. Using guns on drivers?
It was an absurd thought.
Our countries law didn't allow such.. Unless we talked about imminent danger to them or genuine terrorists attacks.
Racing for money.. Illegal for sure.
But it didn't involve weapons..
As my thoughts drifted away.. The race ended.
The cars scattered in every direction, pulling the helicopters apart. I saw a car veering off and crashing into a palm tree..with those speeds .. he most likely died instantly.
I stumbled back to my table, vaguely hearing a shouting Marie behind me. Grabbed my phone and dialled.
Immediately put it on loud speaker.
One ring.. Two rings..
".. Little.. Busy now .. brother. "
Even hearing the sound of disconnecting gave relief, he sounded..tired I pushed the intrusive thoughts away.
We all collectively let out the breath we been keeper in.. We heard his voice.
Marie and Ayshe hugged each other, laughing and jumping around.
The entire crew joined in as we watched in real-time as Asin juked a frigging helicopter and released his emergency nitro hitting up to 220 MPH..
Only fighter jet would be able to catch him now.
As the room erupted into the loudest cheering I ever heard.. I slumped back on my seat.
" Cover.. Cover his escape with cameras. Recall the drones. End the stream and start the cleaning process.. Someone found out who gave the order to shoot at my brother.. NOW.. DO IT NOW!!"
The people stopped celebrating and done their due diligence.
Ayshe came over and sat in my lap.
".. It's okay now.. It passed. "
I let her guide my head on her chest.. Her heartbeat was through the roof.. BadumBadum. Badum..
I kept my eye on the screen, showing a little green dot getting ever closer to our location.
Marie had already run outside with some of the others waiting for his arrival.
Leyla kept wiping her eyes from the tears of relief while telling me the numbers.
".. 39 million at peak. Over a million GC in bets and.. And.." she kept looking at the entrance stopping midway.
" It's okay, Leyla.. Go outside with the others.." I waived.
She nodded great fully just as the dot showed Asin pulled inside the circle of our camp.
".. Let's go. " Ayshe pulled me up.
I left myself getting pulled on my feet..
We were never religious.. In fact, Asin and I stopped going to church since he got released from the hospital. But I thanked God now..
" OLIVER!!! OLIVER!!!"
I looked at the entrance as the blood boiled in my veins.. Those screams.. It Marie's.
We rushed outside to see a half conscious Asin getting pulled out of his car..
Even through his black shirt.. I could tell it was soaked on his blood.
He was hit.
———
Ayshe.
~
Studying to be a doctor.. One of the first things we learned..
Primum Non Nocere.
Do no harm.
For whatever reason, that oat I haven't even taken yet kept running on a loop inside my head as Oliver ran ahead, panicking.
Asin was bleeding away.
Marie kept shouting, screaming, and clawing away from the grip of our friends .. Lilly and Henny combined strength wasn't enough to pull her away.
" DOCTOR!! PLEASE.. PUT HIM DOWN GENTLY!! b-brother.. Do you hear m-me?"
Oliver knelt beside Asin as a team of medics arrived.
Dr Botrol went to work as he was lifted on a gurney.
" Stay with me, boss.. Stay right here. Get him inside the tent.. me.. Help me!! "
There were dozens of people surrounding us, but everyone was frozen as Asin turned pale from the blood loss.
As Oliver started fighting with the people pulling him away, Marie strength left her and collapsed in front of us.
Lilly shouted at me but not a word.. Not one noise reached me. Then suddenly..
" S-stop.. Stop..Oli.."
Asin weak voice came through, and despite everything all the loud noise, we all heard him.
Oliver began to lose his mind. Two of their crew members were lying unconscious on the ground, and 4 more needed to keep him in place.. Yet once he heard his friend voice.. His sanity returned.
He got up and ran to the gurney.
" B-brother?.. I'm here.. I'm here."
The good doctor and his team did what could but still allow him to speak.
" No.. No.. H-hospitals.. Hosp.."
He couldn't finish.. He faded into unconsciousness.
Oliver's eyes widened as Asin was carried inside the medical tent.
Suddenly.. Time moved.. People's voices returned.. I found myself kneeling in the sand next to Oliver.
Marie was carried inside the main tent, and most of the people around us either stayed with her or surrounded the medical tent.
" W-what does he mean.. N-no hospitals?"
Oliver didn't answer, but he didn't even move.. If not for the tears rolling down his face, he could be mistaken for sleeping with his eyes open.
I heard the quiet sobbing all around me.
Then, the arrival of a large man disrupted the sounds.
" Young master!? WHERE IS HE!!?"
Ovuz had to be held back by his own man from getting inside the tent Asin was in.
" LET ME GO!! I SWEAR I WILL KILL YOU ALL.. I WILL KILL YOU ALL!!"
He was an extremely strong man.. With 5 grown man on top of him.. He was still dragging and crawling towards the tent while promising death to everyone atop of him.
Oliver was still unmoving.. But my own strength returned.
He is not dead!
I suddenly slapped my boyfriend across the face. I didn't hold back. He landed in the sand but quickly jumped up, looking for the one hitting him.
The light returned to his eyes. Then, it was filled with tears.
" They.. They shot him.. Ayshe.. What if.. W-w-what if..
I closed my arms around him, choking back my tears." He is not dead! He won't d-die.. "
As he sobbed on my shoulder.. My mind kept repeating.
Do no harm..
Do no harm..
.. Do no harm.
~
After 20 minutes of silently standing there in a tight embrace .. Dr Botrol came out from the tent, drawing everyone around him.
" He is alive! " he shouted, punching the air.
The relief rushed over everyone.. As people embraced one another, happy tears fell instead of those shed in horror.
Oliver let himself go.. Knelt down for a second before hugging the doctor.
I stumbled back only to be caught by steady hands.
Kol and the other captains never stopped praying and stayed close.. I gave him a quick nod and walked inside the tent.
Felt my throat burning..
Marie was put on a couch while Henny dapped her forehead with a fabric she ripped off from her own dress while Lilly held her hand.
" Is he r-really alive?" Henny asked, seeing me enter.
I nodded, walking closer. Settling beside my sister.
Even in her sleep.. The suffering caused by seeing Asin that way was still very visible on her face.
I grabbed a bottle of water and drank half, poured the other one over my head.
The cool liquid running down my spine helped me stabilise my own breathing.
" He.. He.. Was soaking in.."
I tapped Lilly's arm. " Kol is just outside the tent.. Go and find out what's going on."
She simply nodded and wobbled out the tent.
The silence was only broken by the equipment the others left inside... And a strange buzzing sound.
I got annoyed pretty quickly and started looking for the source.
It turned out to be Marie's phone.
I checked to see my mother's caller ID..
Closed my eyes and took a couple of big breaths before answering.
".. Sweetheart? Why does it take you 10 minutes to pick up the phone? I began to worry."
" Mom?.. It's me, Ayshe.."
After a few seconds of silence. " Ayshe.. Why is your sister's phone with you? Where is she?"
I looked at my unconscious sister. " Sleeping.. Is there anything important? "
".. No. Just wanted to check in.. Darling, are you okay? You sound a little.. Strange. " her worried voice came through.
" Just fine.. Mother, I'm going now. We will call you tomorrow."
" Wait, wait!.. Seline can't reach either Asin or Oliver. Are they near you? "
I closed my eyes, pushing some of my tears back." T-they're fine, mom. Tell Aunt Seline they just left their phones in the room. "
I heard a little commotion from the other side of the line and suddenly heard Seline's voice.
" Ayshe dear it me.. Are they at the bar? I thought they were going there for business.. Lord. Can you run down, sweetie? Just wanna say goodnight. "
I almost panicked, but then I heard someone in the background.
" Seline.. Our boy is turning 19th in a week.. Maybe let him be? "
Uncle Yaman saved me.
" Ugh.. Fine. Ayshe tell him to call me tomorrow morning. I'll give it back to your mother. "
Before, my mother started another round of questions.
" Mom, I'm going now. We talk tomorrow. "
I quickly pushed the end button and massaged my forehead. There were noisy outside. Meaning something happened..
" They're worried.. I'm worried. " Henny looked up." Go outside.. I stay with Marie. But come and tell me what's going on."
I gave a greatfull smile and quickly walked outside.
Oliver was walking in circles, lost in thought.
Kol was holding Lilly, his eyes following Oliver.
" What happened.. Is it..? " I asked, turning towards the medical tent.
" Boss is.. He.. He needs a hospital." Kol summerised," but made Pampam promise the opposite."
" What are they waiting for!?" I asked everyone around.
Couldn't see Ovuz or the other security. Assuming they are all inside with Asin.
Kol turned to me. " It's complex.. There is no way to explain how he was shot.. And there is no way to keep it a secret.. Everyone will know."
His emphasis on everyone.. His parents will want answers.
Oliver suddenly stopped walking around and walked straight inside the tent.
The rest didn't move, but I followed him there.
It was a well equipped medical tent. They even had pouches of blood matching his type, defibrillator, all kinds of medicine, and necessary first aid.
On the gurney.. There he was. Hooked on a heart monitor, an oxygen tube going inside his mouth.. He was alive..
I stayed a little away.. His bed was surrounded by his man and Oliver.
Ovuz looking grim.. His eyes swimming in tears. His man is looking down at Asin.. Some murmured prayers.. Others kept their heads lowered.
" Ovuz.. We need a believable story. Something that works for the media as well.." Oliver spoke up suddenly. " Something that his family accepts without looking further into it."
As they quietly thought about it.. I sincerely doubted they would stop looking.. No matter what story they will tell them.
Their son was shot.
" We need a sacrifice.." Ovuz spoke without taking his eyes off Asin.
I didn't understand what he was trying to say.. But Oliver did.
".. Find someone. Lowlife.. Some scumbag. And bring him. I'll do it myself."
As a horrific picture started to form in my head.. I quickly let it go. It was too absurd.
" With all due respect.. Young master would never forgive me if I allowed such a thing. " Ovuz answered.
He turned to his man." Cortex, Silva, Simon.. You stay with our young sir.. Call Beltran and his personnel.. Have them secure the hospital. Nothing larger than a fly can enter.. The rest with me. "
As the man nodded along, Ovuz and the others left the tent.
Oliver put his hand gently on Asin shoulder for a second.. Then he turned around and grabbed my hand.
The cool night's air hit my face.. It was a blessing.
Oliver walked inside the circle the crew made and addressed them all.
" Asin will be fine. We will soon begin to transfer him to Saint James.. Everyone.. All of you. Stay put. The only job you have is to find two men.. The one who gave the order!! And the unfortunate bastard pulled the trigger. Kol, Kerim, Metin !! "
The captains quickly appeared in front of him.
" Your only job is that! I don't care how. Or who they are.. Find them! If you must, you will knock down all the doors in this town.. Interrogate every living soul if you must!! Understood!? Find them!!! "
The three addressed didn't need motivation.. Their eyes were filled with vengeance. Soon, they disappeared, taking almost half the people with them.
" The rest of you will support them. Do what you can.. What you must.. Our brother was almost killed tonight.. Act accordingly."
Instead of shouting, he became very quiet. It made him even more menacing. But the crew was ready.. Soon, we were the only two still standing outside.
He slumped down with his back to the tent.
" How's Marie? " he looked up.
I sat beside him and rested my head on his. " Out cold.. Probably will be for a little while. Checked on her.. She is fine. Just..
" I know.. I know. God help us.. I have to call his parents soon. " he sounded scared.
" Oliver.. Did Ovuz go..
He tapped my head gently, hushed my worries. " It must be done. I'm sorry you had to hear that. "
They will grab someone.. And say it was him that shot Asin.. A sacrifice.
I closed my eyes and said a quiet prayer for whomever would be that unfortunate soul.
Let him find a better life than the one he will leave tonight..