Numan woke up with a heavy pain in his head.

 

His hands and legs were tied to a chair. The ropes bit into his wrists. He remembered meeting with Claire Aguillon for something he couldn't quite recall. His memory was foggy, like looking through frosted glass.

 

He checked around. It was dark. The windows were shut with heavy curtains. He could hear muffled voices outside.

 

"You don't think he's dead do you?"

 

"No way. I didn't hit him that hard."

 

"Shut up you two. Claire, bring cold water. Let's wake him up. I saw Marcus and Tom leaving with Beau. They are up to something."

 

Numan recognized them as the Aguillons. They had kidnapped him. But why, he thought. What did they want from him?

 

The door opened. Philippe switched on the light. A bare bulb buzzed overhead, harsh and glaring. Philippe saw Numan looking at him with a puzzled face.

 

"Oh. You are awake then."

 

"What the hell are you doing Philippe? Let me go!" Numan shouted.

 

"Not until you answer my questions."

 

"I will make sure you suffer for this. What the hell? Kidnapping? Are you guys bourgeois mafia?" Numan mocked their expensive attire.

 

"Shut it Numan. This is most important. We are so close to our family dream."

 

"Let me guess. Magic." Numan finished with disgust.

 

"Yes."

 

"Everyone in the Keepers knows about your family's obsession."

 

"We don't care about them. We don't care about their ten-thousand-year-old journals."

 

"And they don't care about your crazy grandpa's notes."

 

"That's the thing Numan. We got so close to achieving his dream with Tom's arrival." Philippe's eyes were gleaming with something between madness and hope.

 

Numan looked around. He tried to make sense of the environment. They weren't at Hasan's houses. Where were they? He tried to shout. But Philippe kicked his kneecap hard.

 

Numan let out a cry of pain.

 

"You will pay for this. Hasan, Baran...." He stopped. "...my grandpa will not let this go."

 

Philippe clenched his jaw. "We don't care. If we let this go we will not have another chance."

 

"What chance?" Numan shouted.

 

"Where the hell are Tom and Marcus going? What are they building?"

 

"What else? They are looking for a way to get back. They are building a portal."

 

"No way." Claire Aguillon entered, her heels clicking on the concrete floor. "There is no such technology among the Keepers. It is all just dreams of their ape ancestors."

 

"They left. Are they going to do some magic ritual to summon someone?" Philippe swung a metal rod threateningly. "Tell us."

 

"I am not telling you anything. Let me go!" Numan yelled again.

 

Claire picked up a glass near Numan. With its hard edge she struck Numan's fingers.

 

Numan screamed. "What the hell?" His hand was in great pain. "You broke my finger!"

 

Philippe pulled out an iron rod from his bag and dangled it in front of Numan's eyes threateningly.

 

"We can get away with this. We have connections with human trafficking groups. Identity forgery. You are nothing Numan."

 

"What is wrong with you?" Numan cried. Their threats and torture were breaking him down. "Just for a chance to get magic you will really kill me?" Tears were streaming down his face. "You should have kidnapped Tom then."

 

"He is always under the eyes of the Keepers. But we are arranging that too. Just tell us what they are doing."

 

"They are leaving this planet." Numan spat the words with hatred. "And they will kill your stupid Nazi grandfather. Just like what I will do to your family."

 

Philippe was puzzled. "What?"

 

"Yeah he didn't tell you of course. Malachar, the maniac terrorizing his planet, is Victor."

 

"No." Philippe denied it. His face went pale. "He was killed nearly a century ago by Jean-Pierre. And he must be dead by a hundred years."

 

"Guess what else Jean-Pierre did?" Numan said, spitting with hatred. "He hid his work and Victor's work."

 

"No way." Philippe looked around in denial. And then realization came to his face. "Claire, quick! We need to go to Göbeklitepe. They are actually leaving!"

 

"You sure Dad?" Claire asked. "I am calling the local police to stop them."

 

"Say they are going to damage Göbeklitepe."

 

After they left in a rush, Numan tried everything to get out of the ropes. He twisted. He pulled. He rubbed his wrists raw against the rough fibers. Finally, it budged and he freed his left arm. He unraveled all his ties with trembling hands.

 

He looked for his phone to notify Marcus but couldn't find it.

 

When he went outside it was dark. Nearly midnight. The stars were bright overhead but he didn't recognize the farmhouse or the location. He was in the middle of nowhere.

 

He started running on the road to reach somewhere. Anywhere.

 

After five minutes of running his lungs burning, he saw a tractor coming his way with three teenagers on top. They stopped at Numan's wave but no one was speaking English. He begged with his Azeri Turkish, his broken hand clutched to his chest.

 

"Kardeşlərim, məni Göbəklitəpəyə aparın. Sizə ömür boyu minnətdar olaram." Numan begged.

 

*My brothers, take me to Göbeklitepe. I will be grateful to you forever.*

 

The three teenagers exchanged glances. They saw his bruised face. His broken finger. The desperation in his eyes.

 

They pulled Numan onto the tractor and changed their route toward Göbeklitepe.

 

Please, Numan thought as the tractor rumbled through the night. Please don't let me be too late.