Süleyman was murmuring in his sleep. His face was tense, hands clenched. What he saw wasn't just a dream—it was a full-blown nightmare. When he woke up, his eyes were fixed on nothing. I sat down beside him.
Me:
– You okay, brother?
Süleyman:
– No... I see them dying in front of my eyes every single day.
Me:
– Your mom and dad?
Süleyman:
– Yeah... Bro, we need to find my brother. I can't go on like this.
Me:
– Don't worry, we'll find him.
Süleyman sighed and stared off into the distance.
Süleyman:
– And what about him? I still don't trust him. We don't even know his name. Who is he, what is he?
Me:
– Alright, I'll talk to him now.
I turned to the prisoner.
Me:
– What's your name?
He thought for a moment, then answered my question with another question.
Prisoner:
– Mine?
Rauf:
– Who else would he be asking, kid? Of course yours! – he said and burst into laughter.
Me:
– Rauf, for God's sake, stop laughing.
Rauf:
– But it's funny!
The prisoner spoke again, this time with a calmer voice.
Prisoner:
– Honestly, I don't know. They gave me so many nicknames. Some called me "Rookie" because of my age... others called me "Cockroach" because I always hid during fights...
Rauf:
– So what should we call you?
Prisoner:
– Call me whatever you want, as long as it's not those.
I thought for a bit. Then something came to me.
Me:
– How about "Bulbul"? (Nightingale)
Prisoner:
– That works...
Me:
– Since you like it, that's what we'll call you from now on.
Bulbul:
– Alright.
Me:
– We need to grow the group now. We need more people. Bulbul, you must know some refugee camps. Have you been to any?
Bulbul:
– I know a few places. But the routes might be closed off now. Raiders used to go there, collect tribute. Always taking food and water.
Süleyman:
– "Used to go"? More like we used to go. You were one of them too.
Rauf:
– Süleyman, let it go. He's one of us now.
Süleyman lit another cigarette and stared into the distance without a word.
Me:
– Keep going, brother. What's the easiest way to get there? Got any ideas?
Bulbul:
– We always used the same routes. If there were secret paths, they never showed me. I was too new, they didn't trust me.
Rauf:
– Looks like we're going scouting again.
Bulbul:
– You're not gonna leave me alone with him again, are you?
He nodded toward Süleyman. But Süleyman flared up at the words. He lunged forward and grabbed Bulbul by the throat.
Süleyman:
– Look kid… If I wanted to kill you, you'd be buried long ago. Don't ever talk back to me, and don't you dare try anything.
Rauf and I jumped in and pulled Süleyman back.
Rauf:
– Alright. Ömer and Bulbul will go. Süleyman and I will stay here. Be careful.
Me:
– Got it. Have some soup ready when we get back—we'll be starving.
Rauf:
– Yes, sir, commander!
Me:
– Freaking maniac...
I turned to Bulbul.
Me:
– Let's go. If we leave this to Rauf, we'll be here for a hundred years.
Bulbul:
– They're down south. Let's not use the main road—just in case. Let me put on this mask so they don't recognize me. You should wear one too. If someone sees us, we'll say we're heading to the camp area.
Me:
– Alright.
I was really on edge again. Good thing we had the radio—if something happened, we could call them right away.
Bulbul:
– Nothing will happen as long as we stay calm. Just don't do anything I don't tell you to. I know them better than you do.
Bulbul was calmer than I'd ever seen him. Except for that one day, he'd never shown fear like this. If he truly didn't betray us… we could wipe these bastards out. We need at least twenty, maybe even thirty men with weapons. If not thirty, then at least twenty.
Bulbul:
– See those makeshift fences over there? That's the refugee camp. But there are patrols all around. They call it a camp… but it's more like a prison.
Me:
– You think Süleyman's brother could be in there?
Bulbul:
– I don't know. I don't recognize him. Maybe… But our main goal is to recruit people, right?
Me:
– Yeah, but we've got another mission too...
We slowly moved toward the camp. We decided to wait for nightfall. We couldn't afford to be seen.