ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Tethered ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Chapter 10

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• Amir •

Amir was seconds away from picking up Luna, throwing her over his shoulder, and running. But then guns clicked and safeties went off in the hallway.

Alisha knelt and returned her gaze to one of the guards. "Take them back to their rooms." She paused, staring at the major. "We must deal with this." Then they were both out of the room.

Amir looked at Greer. "What exactly is going on?"

The soldier gave him a look that said he was stupid for asking. Amir scowled. "Can't you talk?"

"Why aren't the alarms and defense system coming on?" Luna questioned, cautiously stepping around to face Greer.

The other soldier moved in closer. "You two ask too many questions and need to learn to be quiet. Especially the lady."

Luna blinked.

That was all it took for Amir to have the stocky man by the neck and pinned to the wall.

Her eyes lit up.

"And you need to learn how to speak to ladies with some manners," he snarled.

"Amir!" Luna screeched, and he braced himself for the hisyl.

But it never shot out.

The organization seemed like they didn't want anything to come on, and that fathomed him.

Amir took a step back after removing his fingers from the gasping soldier's throat one by one. The man leaned against the wall, hunched. Greer stood quietly.

"Are you just going to stand there?" he questioned Greer. "What the hell, bro? I thought we had each other's backs."

Greer shrugged. "Amir taught you a lesson. You should be more courteous to others."

Amir stared at both men as if he was about to snap their necks. When Luna came to his side, he resisted and squeezed her hand.

He looked around before lowering his head and brushing his lips across her temple. Her shoulders shook, and he kissed her hand, hoping to soothe her.

"We need to move as carefully as possible," the second guard explained. "We can get to the elevators that way," he added, pointing to the right side.

The walk back to their cells was quiet up until the moment Greer said, "Nope. You two aren't going to stay behind and watch the action."

Amir whirled on him. "Why is that?"

"Our orders were to return you to your rooms. Not to go parading around and getting yourselves into situations you shouldn't be in." He entered Luna's room code. "Guys, don't make this difficult. If you do, all they'll do is take you to a lower level that isn't as close to the top. The third floor is where we are. Think about it."

He started to object, but the hard set to Greer's mouth told him he wouldn't be swayed. Amir took a deep breath. "Can we at least find out who's attacking?"

Greer looked at Luna, then at her husband. Finally, he muttered a curse and stepped forward, chin lowered. As Amir stiffened, Luna's lips trembled, and the other guard shot him a warning glare. Greer spoke quietly, his voice low. "I'm sure they'll tell you two eventually, but you'll probably wish they hadn't. The Dark Ones are restrained on the lowest level. The Lazarus floor. That's fifty floors below."

"The Dark Ones?" Amir repeated, looking at Luna. "Aren't they defective?"

Greer shrugged. "Yes, and I really can't tell you more than that. I can tell you that they are the organization's property. So are their offspring."

Luna gaped. "What?"

"Look. I've said enough," Greer said, his gaze shifting to both of them. "Now, please go into your room, Mrs. Khan."

"Why can't we go in together?"

He took a breath as he looked at Amir. "They will set off the nozzles if you don't go privately and willingly. They have Hellion in them this time."

Luna's hand tightened around Amir's, and he swooped down, catching her chin in his other hand and tilting her head back. His mouth was on hers, and the kiss . . . the kiss was fierce, strong, and branding, curling the knots in his stomach and sealing their breath. Her free hand fell to his chest when the soft touch of their lips stirred his insides. Despite the audience they had standing in the doorway, warmth spread from his lips into hers, drawing her body closer to him toward the wall.

Greer exhaled deeply.

Amir winked at Luna, lifting his head. "I've missed kissing you like that."

"Ditto," she whispered, smiling.

His thoughts were shattered by an ear-piercing shrill as Greer was about to cross the threshold. The ceiling lights flashed red. Patients and doctors exited their rooms and looked around, startled. Major Thibeau and Alisha stormed down the hallway.

Alisha cursed under her breath as she noticed them standing there. "What are these two doing in the hallways?" She looked at their guard. "Greer, close this floor. No one enters or exits until further notice."

"Did the Defectives come here?" Amir asked.

Before brushing past him, Alisha gave Amir a look. When things were clearly out of control, he didn't care to return to his room. The lighting in the hall was dim, and the blinking red light created an annoying strobe effect.

The guard in front of them took one step forward, and chaos escalated in the hallway.

Soldiers poured out of the entrances, locking them down and stationing themselves in front of everyone. Another group came down the hall, their walkie-talkies clutched in a white-knuckle grip. "The patient is exiting elevator two from the Lazarus floor! Dismantle it right now!"

Another door opened on the other end, and Amir saw Nurse Evans and Sam pacing. Dr. Reynolds stood behind them, a large needle in his hand. He hurried forward, catching up to Major Thibeau.

Luna turned toward Amir, gripping his hand. "Let's make a break for it," she whispered. "We might not get another chance."

He nodded, realizing she was right. As much as he wanted to witness the horror unfold before his eyes, getting out of there was more important.

"Stay with me," Amir told her. But before either of them could walk a few steps, a hand was clamped down on his shoulder.

"What do you two think you're doing?" the guard demanded, his hand on his thigh finding the taser. "Your room is right here."

Amir returned his gaze to the three elevators across the hall. They were all stopped on different floors, their lights red. "And why would either of us go into our rooms?"

The guard's stare shifted to Luna, then back to him. "It's for your protection."

The man had a point, but he didn't care. The staff's attention was drawn to the fact that things were about to turn grim.

The guard stepped in front of them quickly, grasping Luna's hand and turning toward her room. "You stop us, and we will end you now," Amir growled.

"Let them go, Washington," Greer said. "I'll escort them to the medical floor."

"To hell with that," Luna seethed. "We're going above ground. Screw being anywhere else."

"Neither of you will leave," Washington stated. "Get into your rooms before we make you."

Amir didn't like having orders barked at him, but he and Luna complied. Gripping her close to his chest, her body was tense. "My wife and I are going into her room."

Both guards nodded and rushed in with them.

"Are you okay?" Amir asked her, his eyes focused on Greer. He was holding his weapon, but he wasn't looking at them. His stare was drawn to the middle elevator, and he was listening to something through his earpiece. And he didn't look happy.

Luna nodded and pushed a strand of hair away from her brow. "Just nervous."

"Me too." Amir leaned in closer. "We'll figure something else out."

A swarm of officers stormed through the double doors at the end of the hallway, heavily armed with rifles, grenades, and their faces shielded.

Amir swung an arm around Luna's waist and shoved her behind the door, covering her with his. "Whatever is going on, they weren't prepared."

"You're right," Greer said, pulling out his weapon. "The prisoner, as you call them, is extremely skilled, and they can kill you by one look."

The light above the second elevator flashed from floor five to floor four, then to floor three.

"I thought the elevators were dismantled!" yelled a sergeant from the back.

The men in black shuffled forward, kneeling. "The patient was already in the elevator before we cut the power," another man said. "It was too late."

"No!" yelled a man into the radio. "Stop the damn elevator before it gets to this floor, blow it up from the top, and don't let them get off!"

"Stop who?" Amir asked Greer.

The fourth floor's red light flashed.

"Lazarus," he said, a muscle in his chin tensing. "There's a stairway down that way to the right. We need to get there before that elevator door opens."

Amir's eyes returned to the elevator. Part of him wanted to stay and find out what the hell Lazarus was and why they were acting as if Pinhead was about to emerge from the elevator shaft, but Luna was there, and whatever was about to rain down on them wasn't going to be friendly.

"How did they get into the elevator?" muttered one of the men in black gear. "They were supposed to be restrained."

Amir turned to walk away, but Luna stopped him. "No," she said, her brown eyes widening. "We need to see this."

His muscles clenched. "Absolutely not."

A shadow crept out of the elevator, followed by one leg covered in black sweats, a torso, and slim shoulders.

Amir's mouth dropped open.

It was a woman—a pregnant woman. She was around eight months pregnant and walked out in front of all the grown officers with advanced weapons trained on her.

The woman smiled.

Then everything really started to go south.

"Um . . . " Amir gulped. "This is who you're frightened of?"

Like Greer, the woman's eyes were white, like two creamy pearls with strange lines around the pupils. And as her eyes scanned the officers in front of her, they were cold and flat.

"Dee-Dee?" Luna whispered over his shoulder.

He swung his head in her direction. "You know this woman?"

Luna nodded. "Dee-Dee was . . . she was," she stuttered, clearing her throat. "She was in the cage next to me, the one that General Davenport had me in."

When the memory of that man flashed through his mind, Amir's nostrils flared.

"I'd always wondered what had happened to her, and now I know," she added.

Dr. Reynolds took a step forward. "Darla, you need to go back to your room. You agreed to allow us to—"

Several things happened quickly, and Amir wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it with his eyes.

When Dee-Dee lifted her hand, there was a series of pops—bullets exiting the rifle chambers. Luna's horrified gasp suggested that she, too, was thinking the same thing he was. Were they serious about shooting a pregnant woman?

The bullets were diverted away from her body by her stare. Amir couldn't figure out what she was, but he assumed she was an advanced Tethered Soul they'd created. Because the bullets hit a shimmery gold wall around her, she was possibly a combination of species. The gold light expanded, swallowing dozens of bullets and lighting them up like yellow fireflies. They were suspended in the air for a brief moment before evaporating. The guns flew from the officers' hands, zinging toward Dee-Dee's glowing stomach, as she curled her fingers inward, motioning the guards to come to her. They, too, stopped in midair and lit up in vibrant gold hues. The guns were gone in an instant.

Luna's hands gripped Amir's elbow, with her head burrowing into his neck. "Oh, God."

"I know," he uttered. "I think . . . I believe it's her unborn child who is doing this."

She gulped. "Huh?"

"It's just a feeling," he whispered.

Dr. Reynolds forced his way past the soldiers. "Darla, you must retain control—"

"I don't have to do anything!" she exclaimed in an unusually high and flat voice.

Washington moved in, clutching a taser. The doctor yelled, and the woman's head jerked around. When she closed her fist, the guard's face paled. Washington doubled over on his knees, grasping his neck. Blood poured from the man's eyes as his mouth opened in a cry of pain.

"Darla!" exclaimed Major Thibeau, shoving an officer out of the way. "Stop it right now or we'll take you down!"

Take her out? If that was their intention in the first place, they would have done it a long time ago. The staff wanted her unborn child the most.

"Holy crap," Luna said quietly. "She's like Carrie, out for vengeance."

Amir would have laughed because, with her greasy long brown hair and the demonic look in her eyes, she did resemble a pissed-off Carrie. Except Washington was face-first on the floor, and the woman was staring at Amir with those bright eyes.

Dee-Dee's stare was consumed by hatred.

"I didn't trust Washington," she said, her gaze never leaving Luna and Amir. "And you're all going to experiment on me if I go back downstairs. Hell no."

As Dee-Dee took a step forward, several officers shuffled backward, but Dr. Reynolds remained, hiding the syringe behind his back. "How about we go somewhere and talk about it?"

"A better question, doctor, is why she is hell-bent on ruining you?" Luna smiled coyly.

True.

"This isn't the time for that, Luna," Sam said, standing a few feet back.

Don't you have someone better to annoy?

Luna looked at him and met his gaze. "You don't get to tell me what to do."

Dee-Dee crept cautiously around the officers, who were now moving sideways. Her movements were light and catlike, rubbing her stomach. "The other pregnant women hate it there, too."

Were there more pregnant women in the facility? Dear Lord . . .

The doctor turned around, smiling at Dee's stomach. "How about we make a deal?"

Luna choked on what sounded like a fit of laughter.

As if the doctor's deals were credible.

Dee-Dee shifted her gaze to the doctor. "Your deals are unfair."

Alisha and the major both gulped, knowing what they were doing was wrong.

"Darla, you should—" the doctor began, but she cut him off.

"Dee-Dee! My name is Dee-Dee!"

"Dee-Dee," Dr. Reynolds tried again, then took a breath. "We know you detest what we're trying to study, but it's in everyone's best interest if you cooperate."

Her stomach began to glow once more, casting a bright light behind her black clothing. "Is it in the interest of my baby boy?"

"Yes," Alisha said. "He has a few genetic defects that we are hoping to correct."

Dee-Dee shifted her eyes to Amir. "You are a doctor, right?"

Amir nodded.

"Could you look over me and determine if there is anything wrong with Brandon?"

"Uh . . ." Amir was at a loss for words.

Dee-Dee cocked her head to the side and sneered at Dr. Reynolds, two dimples appearing in her full cheeks. "Can he confirm what you say is true?"

If the doctor said yes, Amir was going to have a serious problem with this. The woman had undergone several treatments throughout her pregnancy, and there was no telling what had been done to her unborn child.

"We'll figure something out, Dee-Dee," Dr. Reynolds said, nodding. "But for now, you have to take it easy."

Her eyes illuminated the space around them. "Not going to happen!"

Amir half expected her head to start spinning like in The Exorcist, and it might have, but a guard charged forward, taser in hand.

Dee-Dee spun around and shouted, balling up her slender hands. Dr. Reynolds collapsed after dropping his syringe. "Darla," he gasped, pressing his hands against his temples. "You need to relax."

Her chest rose. "Don't tell me to relax!"

A dart slammed into the woman's neck out of nowhere. Her eyes widened, and her legs buckled. Amir rushed forward and caught her in his arms before she fell face-first. Even though the woman was insane, she was in emotional and physical distress.

When Amir looked up, he noticed Major Thibeau standing to the right. "Good shot, Greer," he said.

The guard nodded as he slid the weapon back into his holster.

Amir turned back to Dee-Dee. Her eyes were wide open and focused on him. The woman wasn't moving, but she was there, fully functional. Her unborn child moved beneath her clothing. "What the hell?" he mumbled.

"We need two gurneys, one for Washington and one for Darla. Get both of them to the med room and make sure all of his organs are fully functional," Major Thibeau said. "Sergeant Lane, go down to the Lazarus floor and find out how Darla got out of her secured cell, and if her tracker is still on her."

Dr. Reynolds stood up and rubbed his temple. "Darla's baby has grown stronger."

Major Thibeau approached him, his eyes glinting and his voice low. "If she does this again, she will be terminated. Do you understand?"

Terminated?

Good, God.

Someone joined Amir and grabbed Dee-Dee. He almost didn't want to let her go, but that quickly became unimportant. As the doctor picked her up, her hand caught the front of his shirt and held on.

Those strange eyes were even stranger up close. The circle around the pupils was distorted as if the black had bled around the edges.

'They don't know I'm active.'

He jerked back, baffled, breaking the woman's grip on his shirt. In his head, he heard the voice of a child. It was impossible, but it happened. Amir stared in disbelief as an officer took Dee-Dee and turned away. The baby's abilities were activated even before it was born.

Dee-Dee was unlike any other Tethered Soul he'd met. She and her child were something entirely different.

Luna pushed herself off the wall and ran to him. "Are you okay?"

He nodded, running a hand through his hair. "The woman . . . Dee-Dee . . . she . . ."

"Show's over," Major Thibeau yelled, taking a deep breath and walking past Amir and Luna. Greer approached them.

"Wait," Amir said, wrapping his arm around Luna's waist, refusing to move. "What happened to her?"

"Yeah," Luna said, taking a look around the corridor. "Dee-Dee wasn't pregnant when I last saw her, and now she's eight months?"

"I don't have time for twenty questions," Major Thibeau said, his attention drawn to them. "Greer, get them back to their rooms."

Luna raised her head, her eyes bulging. "Tell us right now!"

Thibeau's head snapped toward Amir, and he glared back. He wasn't paying attention to the conversation and instead focused on the guard.

In Amir's hand, the muscles under Luna's hand flex. "Dee-Dee's baby couldn't have grown that fast," she argued. "I'd like to know how that happened."

"Because she's pregnant by a Defective, and their babies grow at a rapid rate," Alisha said, stepping toward the group. "Her unborn child is destined to be more powerful than any superhuman you've met. He's the beginning of a new species."

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