ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Tethered ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Chapter 11

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• Luna •

What just happened?

Dee-Dee had just subdued about a dozen men and wouldn't have done much more if Greer hadn't tranq'd her. It was insane to hear what they'd done to her and her unborn baby. Even Alisha's words couldn't change Amir's expression. In fact, he appeared far more terrified than Luna was. Her heart pounded with fear.

Did Dee-Dee say something to him?

She opened and then closed her mouth.

The start of a new species? Wasn't it enough for the organization to continue creating failed experiments?

Clearly not. She felt as if she'd stumbled into a bad science-fiction scene, only this one was real.

"It's okay, Major Thibeau. I'll talk to them." Alisha tipped her chin up, meeting Thibeau's confused look. "I also want a full report on how and why there have been several incidents with the Lazarus floor in the last two days."

Major Thibeau exhaled loudly through his nose. "Sure thing."

Luna was surprised when Major Thibeau snapped his heels together and spun, but her suspicions about Alisha managing the show were proven.

She reached for one of the closed doors. "Let's talk."

Amir and Luna followed her into a small room with a round table and four chairs, Luna's arm wrapped around Amir. Greer joined them, but he remained by the door while the three of them sat.

Amir leaned in, an elbow on the table and a hand on Luna's knee, his piercing eyes locked on Alisha. "Okay. So the woman came from the Lazarus floor, and she is different. How did she do what she did?"

Alisha sat back in her chair, one leg crossing over the other. "We weren't ready to inform you this, but after what you witnessed, we can't keep it a secret any longer. As a result, I must now be an open book."

Luna laughed. "It sounds like someone is no longer happy."

Alisha shook her head and gave them a stern look. "I'm not happy. Darla was supposed to be on the bottom floor for a reason, and she wasn't expected to get out."

"Well, that's really unfortunate," Luna said. "Anyway, let's hear it."

She sighed. "Our company's most significant breakthrough is the Lazarus Program. Surprisingly, it all began as an accident more than fifty years ago. It started with one human experiment and has now grown to over seventy. As I said before, I must be an open book. I can't keep anything from you."

Luna looked at Amir, who seemed as puzzled and anxious as she was, but she had this nauseating, dreadful feeling. Whatever they were about to hear would blow their minds.

"During World War II, we had a male Defective and his female partner, who was an Origin. They, like sixty-nine percent of Tethered Souls, fell in love with each other. It was also rare for the two to be immune to one another." Alisha's upper lip curled in derision. "Their rooms were joined and they were permitted to see each other. However, the Defective died at some point during their stay. We found out later that his companion had killed him."

Oh, God.

"She did it because he was losing control of himself," Alisha explained. "Three days later, after he was supposed to be cremated, he miraculously arose from the dead. Yeah, like a zombie."

Luna glanced at Amir, then at Greer, who stayed quiet beside the door. Alisha's attention remained locked on them as she proceeded.

"That may sound crazy and exaggerated, but it's true. Our organization conducted some tests and discovered that he was injected with a failed serum, but it did not affect him physically or mentally. But it caused havoc with other specimens in our facility."

Amir moved forward, his brows furrowed. "What happened to the other patients?"

"Their bodies were unable to handle the serum. They became more unstable, and their abilities became weaker. But after this particular Defective woke up, we discovered something else."

"What was that?" Luna asked.

"Not only had he stopped being destructive, but he got his partner pregnant. And she immediately took over his destructive behavior."

Luna's eyes lit up, watching Alisha's mouth move as she spoke.

"We didn't know she was pregnant until she started to show. There were no hormone tests for pregnancy back then. And, from what we've learned, it's extremely difficult for a male Defective to conceive with anyone other than another Defective. That's like a dog and a cat getting together."

Luna was certain she mirrored Amir's expression. His eyes stayed open.

"I know that's not the best comparison, but it's the simplest way to explain the Defectives," she continued, pushing a long dark braid away from her face. "Our research shows that male Defectives can conceive with their partners, regardless of genetic heritage."

Heat crawled up Luna's neck for some reason. Talking about conception with Alisha was worse than having the sex conversation with her parents when she was barely a teen, which had made her want to punch her thigh.

"The team was divided about whether or not 'Patient X' should keep her baby. That may sound callous, but none of us could have predicted what the baby would become. We're talking about a Defective and an Origin populating." She sat up straight and settled her eyes on them. "Luckily, the termination was dismissed, and we were given the opportunity to evaluate her pregnancy."

"So . . . the baby was born?" Luna asked.

Alisha nodded. "The pregnancy progressed at a normal rate in the beginning, but her baby grew larger around the fourth month, and she was full term by the sixth month."

"Wow. That's a quick turnaround for her pregnancy," Luna noted. "What happened after that?"

"The baby's eyes were the only thing that stood out when he was born. They were white, which is a very uncommon human color, with a wavy dark circle around the iris. Lab results revealed that the baby inherited both the Defective's traits and his Origin mother, which differed from previous studies. We didn't realize the significance of the child's birth until he began to grow."

Luna was baffled, wondering what this had to do with Dee-Dee and her baby.

Alisha had a genuine smile on her face, like a kid's joyful grin during their birthday party. "Like most children, his growth rate was normal, but he started to show signs of high intelligence at the age of three. And by the time he was five, he could read a 500-page book. His IQ was phenomenal." She took a breath, then continued. "That wasn't all he could do, either. There was so much more to him."

Amir cast a long glance at his wife as if he could read her mind. She pressed her hand against his. "What do you mean by more?" he asked, returning his attention to Alisha.

"Well, studying everything we can has been a bit overwhelming, but it's still a learning process." Her eyes were filled with a certain light as she spoke. "This child possessed abilities that no other superhuman developed. With the touch of his hand, he could heal and raise the dead."

Luna leaned back, blinking rapidly. "How . . . how can that be?"

"Because, Mrs. Khan, his father died and rose again." Alisha's lips curved upward. "We named the child Lazarus after the biblical figure."

"Wait. You gave him the name? What about his parents' thoughts?" she asked, and Amir tensed.

Alisha shrugged one shoulder, and that was the only response they got. "Lazarus's ability to heal all creatures paralleled that of an Alpha. He had inherited that gene in some way, which we believe came from his mother. She comes from a pure bloodline, so Origins appear to be just as powerful as Pure Souls." She crossed her arms and shifted in her seat. "Before he turned ten, the child's abilities began to evolve. He could tap into his energy source whenever he wanted and had increased his speed. The only thing he couldn't do like our hybrids was change his appearance. Aside from that, Lazarus was the ultimate specimen."

It took a moment for all of this to sink in for her, but one thing stood out among everything Alisha had said. It was a small word, but it had great power. "Where is the patient now?"

Alisha's eyes lost a little of their radiance. "Lazarus, sadly, is no longer with us."

Luna's brow rose. "What happened to him?"

"He died before reaching the age of eighteen. But he was not our final project. We were able to understand how the conception worked after several more babies were born from Defectives and Origins." Her speech sped up as she became giddy. "The most intriguing aspect was that conception could happen between them if the female's abilities were active."

As Amir leaned back in his chair, he slipped his hand free. His chest rose. "So your organization just happened to have a bunch of Defectives and Origins who volunteered to conceive a child on purpose? Because that seems a bit far-fetched to me. This is not the most romantic setting. It doesn't do much to set the tone."

Her stomach churned at the prospect of his questions, and the air in the room became thick. Alisha was open about everything. After all, Luna and Amir were the "ideal specimens" to test their theories on.

Alisha's expression softened. "You'd be surprised what people in love do when they have some alone time. And it only takes a minute."

And it suddenly made sense that she and Amir were next door to each other and had access to each other's rooms. Was the organization hoping that they would succumb to their exotic sexual desire and produce little superhumans?

Luna was sick to her stomach.

"We've, also, given you two some alone time. After you both cooperated, of course." Alisha's smile had officially creeped Luna out. "And you two are paired, married, and deeply in love. I'm sure you'll do something with your spare time eventually."

Major Thibeau didn't say anything about this before or after Luna agreed to do anything to see Amir. BARDA, on the other hand, had many elements. That she was aware of.

Amir maintained his stare on her before opening his mouth. "I find it difficult to believe that people would engage in sex if they knew they were being watched. I mean, it was a thing before the war. But in here? Underground?"

"In some cases, the couples simply did not care. In other circumstances, we provided assistance."

Air entered Luna's body but became clogged in her throat. "Assistance?"

"Yes, we gave the couples medication that increased their libido. They went at it, not caring about the cameras." The sound of Alisha's laughter was shrill and tense. "Sometimes you have to do whatever it takes to get the job done. We wanted a pure conception. Not an in vitro fertilization one."

The knots slid up Luna's throat like bile, which was bad because her mouth was open. There was nothing to stop it.

Amir's jaw muscle was thumping away. "So you're saying BARDA is to blame for the world's dysfunctional pairings?"

Luna couldn't stop the shudder of revulsion when Alisha gave him a dry look. The organization was literally robbing people of their right to not have sex and creating failures in the population.

Amir's pupils had started to glow. "Do you have a lot of pairs?"

"Thousands," Alisha replied. "The pregnant Origins are kept here, and once their babies are born, they are shipped to other locations. Their children are sent to a larger facility to grow until they reach adulthood."

"How do you keep the patients sane? Dee-Dee went rogue."

"We use trackers to keep them where they should be. They do, however, find ways around them from time to time. Those who cannot be controlled are dealt with."

"Dealt with?" Luna muttered, horrified at where her imagination had taken her.

"The Dark Ones are exceptional in almost every way. They are smart, and they can be highly dangerous. If they refuse to cooperate, they must be handled accordingly."

Luna's imagination was spot-on. "Oh my God . . ."

Greer moved forward after Amir slammed his hand down on the table, the soldier reaching for his weapon. "You're creating races upon races, and if they get with the program, you get rid of them?"

"I don't expect you or Luna to get it, but I think you should."

"Why?" Luna questioned.

"Because of who you are," Alisha replied. "You have superhuman abilities and are paired with Amir because of your father."

"I thought you guys paired me with him," Luna said, and Amir's brow rose. "Major Thibeau explained that your ancestor, a Tethered Soul, willingly gave his DNA to this organization."

He tensed beside her, his eyes wide. "What is my wife talking about, Alisha?"

"That's not how we work," Alisha clarified. "We do not pair people at random. We simply gave Mr. Carlyle a serum to help him conceive children, which worked well."

"I don't see why you couldn't just stop there," Luna retorted. "Why do you keep destroying the natural order of things?"

"Why not? The hybrids are the ideal species, as are some origins. But, like any race or creature, there are . . . failures. The good outweighs the bad."

Luna shook her head. "What exactly is so optimistic about this?"

"Many of our creations, including you, have grown up to be essential to society. We have kept tabs on all of you to ensure that everything goes smoothly. We've trained the hybrids to be the most successful they can be. And the majority of them have been assigned from birth to play a specific role. Our creations have become doctors with astounding abilities, researchers who will decode the unknown, senators and politicians capable of maintaining control of their regions and bringing about social change." She paused and turned to face Greer. "And many of them have become soldiers of peerless potential, joining the ranks of engineered souls and ordinary humans to form an army that will be invincible."

She twisted in her chair, the hairs on the back of her neck soaring. Her gaze met Greer's. His face was emotionless. "What are you?"

"Show them," Alisha said, smiling. "They need to know."

He removed his hand from the grip of his gun and reached two fingers up to his left eye. With a pinching motion, a colored contact lens popped out, revealing a pearl-like iris.

Luna inhaled sharply. "Wait a minute . . ."

Amir grumbled next to her, and it became clear why Greer was the only one who normally guarded both of them. He'd be able to handle whatever they threw at him if he was anything like a Defective.

"Well, aren't you a new kid on the block?" Amir mused.

"I didn't choose this life, but I'm grateful for it." Greer's lips curled into a half-smile. "It's a well-kept secret. We don't want the other officers or soldiers to feel uneasy around me."

That explains why he didn't go all superhuman on Dee-Dee and shot her with a tranq gun instead. A thousand questions raced through Luna's mind, but the implications of what and who he was stifled her. "So, you're a . . .?"

"I'm a 'Lazarus' baby," he finished for her.

"But Greer's emotions are under control," Alisha added. "Isn't that right?"

He cracked his neck. "Most of the time."

Amir folded his arms and returned his attention to Alisha. "Interesting reveal, but I have a more pressing question for you."

She opened her arms in a welcoming gesture. "I'm an open book."

"Luna is an origin, and I am a pure soul. Because neither of us is defective, what exactly do you intend to do with us?"

Oh, God.

Luna tensed even more, and she crouched, grasping the end of her seat.

Alisha's smile reappeared. "It's quite simple. We have a variety of superhumans at our disposal. We'll have no trouble getting either of you to populate in no time."

• • •

• Amir •

Amir knew they needed to get out of there. Sooner rather than later. That was all he could focus on.

He looked at their guard a little differently and a lot more closely as he and Luna were led back to their rooms. Greer had always seemed mysterious, but he had no idea he was born from humans. He'd assumed he was a test-tube baby or something. He hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary about him, other than his peculiar vibe, but he did notice that Luna seemed at ease around him. He seemed like a decent guy, aside from a few snarky responses that Amir, of all people, couldn't hold against the guard.

Additionally, the man was genuinely unbothered with his identity. Knowing Greer was different only made Amir need to keep a closer eye on him. The fact that they were breeding children in this facility, along with numerous others, was what mattered.

That bothered and enraged Amir immensely.

He dashed for Luna's door as soon as the door shut behind him. Luna had the same thought. Her door opened a second later, and she strolled in, quietly closing it behind her.

Her cheeks were pale. "I'm going to be sick."

"That makes two of us."

Her brow furrowed after they entered her bathroom. "Amir, they want . . ." Her face flushed as she shook her head. "They're insane. This is beyond what I could have imagined."

"I know." As she sat on the closed lid of the toilet, he leaned against the counter. "Have we never seen anything like this before?"

She gulped and shook her head again. "No, this is all new."

"What about the others who worked for them?"

Her lips pursed. "Like who?"

"Owen, Dominique, and Ethan?"

"Oh," she said, tilting her head. "No, but Ethan said some of the things were crazy, so he was probably talking about this."

Before Amir could say anything else, he suddenly transformed into his angelic form. When Luna winced, he said, 'Sorry. Titus warned me that things in this organization were terrible, and they hear us. Notice anything about Dee-Dee and Greer's eyes—and who has the same kind? Titus has the strange, blurred line effect. I should've known that mafia teen boss wasn't your typical hybrid. There's definitely more to him.'

Luna rubbed her thighs with her hands. She was constantly fidgeting when she was anxious. He used to think it was adorable, but now he loathed the reason behind it.

'We can't handle this,' she said. 'How many children do you suppose they have? How many people who pose as regular humans exist in the world?'

'Well, that's no different from us portraying as regular people.'

'True, but we don't have superhuman strength that allows us to throw someone to the ground with the curl of our fist. Before this war even began, people like Dee-Dee were wrecking havoc everywhere.'

That talent kind of made him slightly jealous. 'Yeah, too bad, because that would be useful when someone is driving you crazy.'

Luna's breath became ragged. 'Ugh. Alisha didn't say anything about it—that evil woman in a pantsuit.'

'Pretty much all pantsuit-wearing women are evil.'

Luna cocked her head to the side. 'Okay. I agree with you, but can we concentrate?'

'Take it away.' Amir reached over and tweaked her cheek, earning him a dirty look. 'We need to get the hell out of here as soon as possible.'

'But, A, how?' When he went for her nose again, she swatted his hand away. 'No offense, but I have no desire to make any mystical babies with you right now.'

He choked on his laughter. 'Having children would be a blessing. Don't you think?'

Her lips pursed. 'Seriously, you look for ways to avoid the bigger issues we face.'

'Sometimes, Moon, I have to. It helps to . . .' Amir's voice trailed off.

'I understand, baby.' She wrapped her arms around his long torso.

'As much as I want to try to have a baby with you, we can't under these circumstances.'

Her cheeks became rosy. 'I'm glad you and I are on the same spectrum. But that doesn't mean I don't miss you, all of you.'

'Let's not take this somewhere we shouldn't, Moon.'

Luna sniffed and held his gaze.

'What is it?' he asked.

'It's nothing, Amir.'

'It's something,' he said, cupping her cheek and looking into her eyes. 'Talk to me.'

'It's just . . . we can't even be together as a couple without the risk of becoming pregnant. If we do, they'll take the baby and disappear.'

"Hey," he said, his voice booming in the small bathroom. "Let's not focus on what we can't do together. Once we're out of here, the sky's the limit."

She smiled as he caressed her skin.

'We need to get the TS-12 and figure out how to get in touch with Titus. That sounds difficult, but there has to be a way,' he said. Both of their eyes were drawn to the closed door. 'I just wish I knew where I could get it.'

'It could be in Dr. Reynolds' office. I came across a bottle with that name on it.'

Amir nodded.

'What does Titus have to do with that serum?' she wondered.

'Oh,' he murmured, his eyes locked on her. 'He wants a dose for himself.'

'Do you have any ideas for getting out of here?' Luna untangled her hair by yanking on the elastic band. 'Maybe we could set off the chemicals and try to resist it for as long as possible to make it to the ground. Or you could take on the staff in your angel form . . .'

They were good ideas, but there were some issues: Amir was sure BARDA had defenses in place in case someone like him shifted, and he wondered how they would set off alarms to reach the top.

Luna reached out, biting her lower lip. Her fingers snaked through the light and grasped his arm. His entire body twitched. 'Were they really bad ideas?'

'They were good suggestions, but . . .'

'Not an easy task.' She slid her hand up his arm, tilting her head to the side as her eyes wandered over his face. His light reflected off her cheeks, illuminating her. She was stunning, and he was madly in love with her.

Luna jerked her chin up and sucked in a breath, her eyes gleamed.

Okay, I may have said that last bit to you.

"You did." Her lips parted in a thin smile. "I appreciated hearing it."

Kneeling, he grazed her shoulder and then down her arm. 'I promise you that we will leave here and return to our family. I'll take these people down and make sure you have a normal life.'

Her eyes sparkled. 'I don't expect to live a normal life after this. I just want to have a life with you and Sarah.'

That sentence did silly things to his soul. It was as if his heart stopped beating for a brief moment and he died in front of her. 'Sometimes I wonder . . .'

'What?'

He shook his head. 'Never mind.' Amir backed up and lowered his hand, breaking contact. 'Titus said he'd make sure we got out as soon as we got in. Whoever he has in here must be close to us. Can you think of anyone who might be an ally?'

'I'm not sure. The people I've spent the most time with are the doctor, Major Thibeau, Alisha, Sam, and Greer.' Her nose wrinkled as she paused. 'I used to think Greer was on Team Not So Psychotic, but now that I know he's one of them—a creation—I'm not sure what to think of anything.'

He paused for a moment. 'Has Greer been good to you?'

Her cheeks had lost some of their color. 'Yeah, he hasn't tried to hurt me. He follows orders just like the rest of them.'

'And the other ones haven't been?' Amir asked, counting to ten before continuing.

Luna didn't respond right away. Talking about it wasn't going to get them out of there any faster.

But they had to talk.

'How are you—'

"Amir," she said aloud, her eyes closing. "We need a strategy to get things rolling. That's what's going to make me feel better. This isn't a therapy session."

He stood up. "I don't know. Therapy could help you with your impulsiveness, Moon."

"Whatever." She pressed her lips into a thin line and folded her arms. "I thought I was Gizmo now."

'You're everything.' He grinned.

"So, what about the other options? Everything seems to be a Hail Mary. And if we get caught, we're completely screwed."

Holding his breath, Amir switched back to his physical form and shook his shoulders. "We'll figure something out. We always do."

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