Constantinople's Cherry

II - 23. Hayatın anları

April 1922, Constantinople.

Eda held her breath, it was not the first mission with Serkan on ground. But the 8th or 9th, not that she was counting. He had proved his skills in quite amazing ways. His determination was relentless and he was of huge help.

The issue was, that, while she, as a woman, and with her role in the party, was still more used for spying and information, he had no cover and was more often on ground than not.

Even witout her, and that worried her immensely. She had tried, to get used to it. To live with it. Naïri was right, if she loved Serkan, she couldn't own him and keep him for herself, away from harm. He had other loyalities. And she had to respect that.

Today thankfully, she was going too. And on days she went, she felt a little better. She could take his cover, she would place herself between him and a bullet anyday.

On ground, they both formed a duo that was invicible. Synchronised and often understanding the other's move before they even made it. They often sticked together.

Today, it was a group of Greek women they were liberating. Eda held the door open as she covered for the women to flee while Serkan guarded the opposite side, gun ready to shoot.

She had been so surprised by his skills, he was as much of a good shooter than her, and his determination was tenfolds, sometimes scaring her even if she hard learnt to accept it.

As Eda held the door, she had her gun tucked under her waistband and didn't notice when a soldier showed up above her and aimed at her.

Serkan did, and his heart lurched in his throat, fear of anything happening to her filling him, he raced towards her and pushed her to the ground as the shot was fired, shooting back.

Eda froze feeling his weight on her, she instinctively pulled her gun out and shot back, Serkan's broad chest on top of her, her aim was good, as she shot the man, taking him down quite easily

And she heard huge commotion as Figen and Ceren, nearby, had their backup and another guard shot at them without success, the girls were two on one and took him down too.

Eda took stock and breathed fast. "Serkan!!" She could hear Naïri shout as she ran towards them.

That's when Eda realised with her heart sinking that Serkan felt this heavy because he was inconscious. Her arms went around him, blinding reaching and one of them was covered in blood. Dread filled her as panick seized her insides.

He had put himself between the bullet and her. He had protected her. "Serkan!" She cried but before she could fully realise what was happening, Naïri and Figen had both carried Serkan off her frame and gotten him to the van.

The van that was full of Greek women and needed immediate evacuation. Eda would curse herself endlessly for the delay in her reaction as she panted in panic and failed to fully register the events.

Her panicked cries for Serkan felt on deaf ears, the situation completely escaping her hands as before she had any say, in a panic of their own, Naïri and Figen had driven off in urgency.

It was Ceren that pulled her up to her feet. And Eda eyed he van in the distance. "Serkannn!!" She shouted, looking at the blood on her shaking hand.

"Eda we got to go." Ceren tried to seek her eyes and Eda looked around herself.

The logistic of the mission registring in her panic seized brain. The van was too little to carry all of them, and distraction was needed to let it pass the toll out of Constantinople's European side.

It was her, Serkan and Ceren that were responsible of that. On bike. Passing through the forest and cutting by the back side, while the road snaked along the sealine.