ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Tethered ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Chapter 19

━━─── • ───━━━

• Amir •

Amir stared at Luna, and it looked like her brain hurt.

He couldn't blame her. He felt like he needed to be wearing catcher's gear because there was so much being thrown at both of them.

As they lay in bed, trying to get some sleep before somebody came by and most likely dumped even more messed-up news in their lap, the whole mayor thing kept circling in his head.

Even though she was quiet in his arms, Amir could tell Luna wasn't sleeping. There was too much to think about, just like him. He wanted to slam his face through a wall just thinking about what Faisal had gone through, so he'd rather figure out what Mayor Pierce had to do with the war on superhumans.

The thing was, it was the million-dollar question. Why would the Defectives and BARDA cooperate? He asked Greer after he arrived with duffle bags. Amir frowned when he tossed a chocolate bar to Luna, wondering how much the guy picked up on.

He cocked a brow at Amir. "Enough to know that you imagine knocking my head off my shoulders because I hid the fact that I was an ally from the start."

While Luna was unwrapping her candy bar, Amir smiled. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said as he rummaged through one of the bags and saw pants in his size. That was odd and unnerving.

"Back to your question. About BARDA and Defectives?" Greer leaned against the desk, arms folded. "I frankly have no idea what could be accomplished by that, other than the usual joining of powerful forces for global control and all that jazz."

"That's ridiculous," Amir said.

Greer responded, "And cliché."

Amir cast a glance over at Luna. He wished they were alone again when she devoured the candy as if she had tasted heaven for the first time and was seconds away from having a foodgasm.

His smile brightened.

It also made him wish Greer would get out of his head. "Did you ever meet Mayor Pierce?" Amir questioned, refocusing his attention.

Greer raised his head. "We aren't connected in the sense that we can visit every facility on the planet and meet each other. That's not how it works."

"You're a member of the organization, so . . ."

"I was," he murmured. "And I'm not anymore."

Luna snipped a tiny piece of the Crunch bar and handed it to Amir. He shook his head, and she pressed it between her lips. "So you've never met or heard of the mayor?" she asked.

"There are many anomalies that I have never come into contact with or seen since they were created in laboratories and sent to different locations. BARDA has many of them in high-level positions, and we're in big trouble if even a few of them are on their side."

"As if we aren't screwed already?" Amir remarked.

"Here's the problem with that. People like me, and other anomalies, can go about our daily lives as if we were human. We are human, but we are more advanced than most people. Many of us can read thoughts, and I can absorb information from someone's past. You've both had your asses burned by people you thought you could trust. Probably twice as much if you're thinking about the mayor, which makes believing what you think you know or see a major implication," Greer explained. "Let's say a few Anomalies who are officials, doctors, or military personnel are working with BARDA. It'll become a swarm of—"

"So, what are we going to do?" Luna crawled off the bed and threw the wrapper away. "I mean, we can't just be done for. We have to be prepared to do something."

Greer's face tensed. "The resistance is doing something right now."

She stalled in the middle of the room, her face a mix of anticipation and dread. "What?"

He cast a glance over at Amir, and that one look told Amir that simple words wouldn't suffice, and he was picking up on Greer's vibe that this wasn't going to end well. "How about you two finish up in here and meet me out in the hall?" he suggested.

Her hands clenched into fists. "How come you can't explain it to us right now?"

"It's not that I don't want to discuss it." Greer pushed off the desk and wandered over to the open threshold. "It's just something I think you two should see rather than me talking about it."

"Well, that's not insanely mysterious, but whatever." Amir stood up and reached for some jeans. Greer remained at the door, and Amir arched his brow. "Unless you want to see things you don't want to see, I'd suggest you leave right now."

He chuckled, then turned away. "Thanks for the warning. It's not like I haven't seen either of you in all your glory."

Amir's nostrils flared at Greer's comment when he closed the door.

Both of them changed quickly, and the fact that her pants fit her perfectly had Amir daydreaming about punching Greer in the face for mentioning her naked body, but she looked good, more like herself in the dark blue jeans and a lightweight colorful sweater. Her hair had dried in soft waves, and she looked as if they were going out to eat or head to Escape.

After he hooked the button on his jeans, their eyes met. "Are you ready to see whatever 'this' is?"

She nodded. "I'm almost scared of seeing what we need to see."

"I know. The rebellion could be up to anything at this point."

Amir stopped in front of the closed door and extended his hand to her. He hauled her toward his frame and lifted her, squeezing her while he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Luna's soft laugh, which danced in his ear, was all too rare. "You're squeezing me."

"I know." He put her back down and kissed her on the cheek. "Whatever happens, don't forget about our plans." He felt compelled to remind her of them.

She looked up at him, her eyes a soft brown. "Our vow renewal?"

"Uh-huh," he whispered, leaning in near her ear. "Because if we get shown something completely messed up, which I'm sure we will, I'm going to start focusing on those plans and raise your gown immediately."

"You little . . ." she murmured, and her cheeks flushed once he drew back with a chuckle. "You're . . . you're . . ."

"Crazy about my wife?"

She swallowed and shook her head. "A lot to deal with."

After he opened the door, he winked. "After you, Moon."

Greer made a quick pit stop on his way to The Control Center. He rapped his knuckles on the door once and pushed it open without waiting for an answer. Thankfully, none of them were permanently scarred.

Connor was standing near Zoe at the foot of the bed. The three of them were probably interrupting something, but the smile on Zoe's face as Greer stepped aside and Amir and Luna walked in said otherwise.

Greer lifted his brows at Amir, while Luna's gaze was focused on Zoe's stomach. She appeared normal sitting cross-legged on the bed, hands resting in her lap. Her small face was still worn out. Her skin was pale, and the shadows under her eyes were rough, but her gaze was clear and steady.

"I'm so glad to see you guys," Zoe said, one hand on her lower belly. "I've been so worried."

"Likewise," Amir said, looking at Connor. "Are you all right, Zoe?"

When Connor sat beside her, he nodded. "Yeah, she's already been to the doctor on the base." He covered a hand around her knee. "She hasn't had any complications."

Luna shot a glance in Greer's direction before returning her eyes to Zoe. "Have they been decent here?"

"Yeah. The doctor's name is Dr. Jensen. She is very nice and said . . . well, the pregnancy is progressing normally. She insisted that I stay in bed now and that I continue to take vitamins." She paused and looked at the dresser. Amir noticed it had two large bottles of nutritional supplements on it. "I'm just glad you two got out of there alive. I wished we had seen General Davenport's warning signs sooner."

Luna shivered. "Let's not even think about him."

"It's difficult not to," Connor chimed in. "We'd been living under that man for a while and had no idea he'd be so cruel. And now . . . now he's out there causing even more terror."

"But we can stop him." Greer folded his arms and leaned against the door. "We'll put a stop to all of them."

"Exactly," Zoe said, her brow furrowed. "We've got each other and an entire global rebellion."

"So . . ." Greer swallowed and cleared his throat. "Do you know whether it's a boy or a girl?"

The change of subject couldn't have come at a better time for Amir, and he noticed Connor's cheeks blushing slightly. "We don't know," he said, turning to Zoe. "Dr. Jensen has been keeping it a secret for us. We want to wait until she goes into labor."

Amir smiled as he took Luna's hand in his.

"We have an ultrasound scheduled this week to make sure everything is still going smoothly," Zoe explained as she held Connor's gaze. Her hair was lighter than usual, and small dots scattered her cheekbones. She'd grown a few freckles since Amir had last seen her. "All I want is a healthy baby."

Greer's lips curled into a small smile. "You should name the baby Greer."

Amir snorted loudly.

"And why would we do that?" Connor remarked.

"Oh, because I gave the people in the control center the exact coordinates of where Alisha and her organization went," Greer stated. "Once we bring BARDA down, your baby will have a namesake. Boy or girl."

Amir confronted him. "I'm sure they'd want to name their child something meaningful. Not after such a courageous act."

"No, you're right, but I was just giving them options. That's all."

"Honestly, I don't think that's something we've considered at this point," Connor said.

"No," Zoe agreed. "But I think we should. We're almost eight months along, and we should be ready for whatever comes next."

When Zoe and Connor's eyes met, it was as if they had forgotten everyone else was in the room. It was only them. Amir understood the type of bond they shared. He had it with Moon, and he wondered if they looked as in love as these two did.

Greer clapped his hands before saying, "This has been fun, but we need to get going. The general would like to meet with Amir and Luna."

"General," Luna whispered to Amir. Then Zoe caught her gaze.

"Thank you for stopping by," she said, opening her arms to embrace Luna. "I begged Greer to bring you here. It's been so long since I've seen you."

"It was no problem. I'm glad you're okay," Luna told her.

"I'm sure you guys have a lot of people you'd like to speak to," Connor said. "Sarah is in the cafeteria. I don't think anyone told her that you were here."

"Shukria." Amir nodded while shaking Connor's hand. He, Luna, and Greer made their way to the door.

Shortly after crossing the threshold, Amir turned toward Greer. "Do we have a moment to see our daughter?"

He inhaled sharply, pressing his lips into a thin line. "To be honest, what the resistance is planning is going to happen any second now. There's no time to waste."

Amir nodded while they followed him further into the hall, down a stairwell, and into another corridor. Ahead of them were a couple of acrylic double doors with what appeared to be a military command center inside.

"This is the base's command room. The monitors are linked to satellites, projectiles, and all sorts of exciting things in here," Greer elaborated.

Luna creased her brow but stayed quiet.

He opened the door, and Titus was sitting in the front seat, legs kicked up on a beige ledge and crossed at the ankles. In his hands was a grape juice box.

Amir snorted and shook his head.

But then he groaned when he spotted Chase near the front, arms crossed over his broad chest, face tight as if he was sucking on something nasty. A man in full military uniform stood next to him, with enough shiny buttons and badges to suggest that no one would want to get on his bad side.

Service members worked in the middle, and they were all wired in and wearing headsets. When the group entered, a few people behind the monitors turned to face them. But none of them looked surprised. On the wall in front of Titus was a large screen.

Amir returned his attention to the man with light-brown hair and steely gray eyes. "I assume this dirtbag is Chase's boss?"

When Titus turned in his direction, Luna's eyes grew wide, and it appeared as though he choked on his drink. "I knew there was a reason we were connected," she said.

He whispered, "Just speaking for you, Moon. Your thoughts are . . . loud."

The older man turned to face him with his shoulders squared, and Chase didn't appear amused. He said, his words clipped and like little punches, "This is General Marcus Hayes, the highest-ranking officer in the United States Armed Forces. Maybe you should behave more respectfully."

Amir furrowed his brow. "To him, maybe. But to you, hell no."

He couldn't help but praise General Whatever His Name Was. When the man's gray eyes settled on them, there was no hint of annoyance. "I know you don't have a very . . . high opinion of public officials, Mr. Khan," he stated. "But I can guarantee you that we are not your enemy."

"I'd rather see that for myself," Amir remarked, turning his attention to the screen. It appeared to be a long-distance aerial view of a metropolitan area. He could make out skyscraper domes and a turquoise dot that could be a shoreline, but it was still difficult to tell.

"That's understandable," General Hayes said, drawing Amir's attention. "Let it be known that I've never had any issues with active Tethered Souls."

"I've never had an issue with the US Military," he growled. "Not until we were held hostage, subjected to scientific experiments, torn from our families, guarded like we were terrorists, and then had you guys become a nauseating pain in our asses."

Chase's cheeks flushed slightly, but he said nothing.

However, the general spoke up. "Many of us in the military had no idea what BARDA was up to or why they were creating Trojans and Defectives right under our noses. We'll have things back in order before long."

"General Hayes was one of the baddies who crushed the organization. He also helped us in capturing Chase." Titus folded his arms behind his head, and Amir couldn't see the kid's drink box anymore. "Hayes is a great person to have on our team. Plus, he owes me a favor."

Favor, alright.

The general replied drily, "Thank you for your kind words, Titus," and Greer coughed what resembled to be a laugh. "Even though we may never share the same opinions or ideas, I will never be able to say anything that will make up for what was done to you, your family, or your country, Mr. Khan." He then shot Chase a stern look. "Those who were accountable for the more sinister aspects of the agency will be treated severely."

Luna stared back at him. "We get first dibs on whatever happens to Chase."

"Wait." Not that Amir was far away to begin with, but he moved closer to her. "It's great that you want to hold the guilty responsible, but why in the world would you trust any of us? Why should we trust you?"

General Hayes' chin lifted. "I'm sure you don't think that you and the other Alphas are the only ones who have ever healed people you care about. I assume you're also aware of how many superhumans will go to any lengths to defend those who are important to them. We know that most pairs are closer now and that they are capable of using a wide range of abilities. While you were down at Harmony, it was proven."

"How?" Luna asked.

"Because my daughter and her husband are here on the base," the general answered, staring directly at her. "And, yes, they are tethered."

Amir could feel Luna's gaze on him as he watched the man. For some inexplicable reason, that had to be the most shocking nonsense he'd ever heard. "Your daughter married her partner?"

Chase's head bowed, and Amir thought he'd say something.

General Hayes folded his arms and said, "They've been married for six years." The dark blue uniform was tight over his shoulders.

"You're okay with what BARDA was doing to pairs considering your daughter's marital status?" Luna's face lit up with fury.

General Hayes' eyes took on a lingering expression of grief. "Like I said, there were things some of us didn't know about."

The moment Luna replied, "That's not an excuse," Amir knew she was about to become a tad bit feisty.

The general's eyes were wide open as though he wanted to smile. "I think of her when I see you. Both of you have spunk."

Chase rolled his eyes while looking away, and Titus shifted forward, his elbows on his knees.

"I know there is nothing I can do to change what has happened in the past other than guarantee it never happens again." The general took a deep breath. "But we are currently dealing with an unprecedented major catastrophe. That is all I can focus on."

"A worldwide apocalypse." Titus arched his brow. "That sounds incredibly melodramatic, but we are—" He was cut off by a soft beep and quickly sat up. He took his phone from his pocket, then dropped his sneakers onto the floor. "I'll be back. Something has caught my attention."

Titus walked straight for the door, his free hand curled into a fist and warnings fired one by one. Amir had never seen the guy look so . . . apprehensive.

'It's all right.' Greer's voice penetrated Amir's thoughts. 'What Titus is doing right now has nothing to do with any of this.'

'Call me cynical if that doesn't mean anything to me,' he replied.

'This general is genuine,' Greer said. 'And, as I said before, what Titus is going through has nothing to do with now.'

'I agree,' uttered Luna. 'I think he had to go to somebody. Maybe to Nadia.'

Amir inhaled, then glanced at Chase. 'Sorry, but I'm not interested in having a telepathic threeway. Not when that douche is still around.'

'Don't worry. Chase is going back to where he belongs after this,' Greer said. 'Just so you know, and to put it out there, the threesome idea ain't too bad.'

'That's never happening,' Luna murmured, and Amir still balled his fist, but let go when a man in the back of the room cleared his throat.

Was he listening to us?

Amir wasn't entirely sure about the base or where his family was, but he didn't let it bother him. "Where have all the military personnel I've met gone to?" He wondered. "I always thought you guys traveled in packs. Like animals."

Luna snickered at his remark.

General Hayes glanced at him. "Most of our people are dead."

She tensed against Amir's side. "What happened?"

"They were involved in a war outside of Sacramento." The general's dark eyes narrowed as he looked at them. "I'm sure that makes both of you happy."

"I'm not going to lose any sleep over it." Amir kept his eyes focused on the man until he looked away. Some soldiers were not complete sociopaths like Chase, but they were all evil.

"General Hayes." A man's voice sounded near the huge screen. "We're ten minutes away."

Ten minutes away from what?

The image on the monitor zoomed in, bringing the tops of damaged skyscrapers and crowded streets more visible. Some areas had nothing but gray smoke and rubble.

"What's happening?" Luna asked, taking a step forward and out from beneath Amir's arm.

Amir looked at Greer and realized right away that this was what he wanted them to see. "Where are they?"

The general strode down the center of the room, past the rows of smaller monitors and people tapping away at their computers. "This is what we're doing to put an end to this war. We're going to show BARDA that we're not backing down. The Canadian government is doing the same."

Amir shifted his attention to the screen. A sour taste rose in his throat.

"Five minutes," another guy up front announced.

Amir's muscles tensed while Luna kept her gaze on the screen.

"What you see on the screen is Washington D.C.," General Hayes explained. "There were a large number of operatives and Trojans there, all of whom killed nearly seventy percent of the residents in the city and its surrounding communities. Most government officials and people in positions of power are superhuman and are controlling things. We've had spies in keeping an eye out for any lethal activity, but as of this morning, we've lost control of that area."

"Wow." Luna wrapped her arms around herself and gulped.

"We've also lost Miami, Indianapolis, and New Orleans," Greer added. "That anyone is aware of at this time. The only city we have been able to hold without any agents or Trojans is Denver, but the organization continues to gather massive forces around the city—Houston, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and Las Vegas are all almost completely under their control. Atlanta is slowly crumbling, and the survivors are dying."

Damn.

"And there is no knowledge of any Defectives inside Denver who may have joined forces with BARDA," the general said. "We hope that isn't the case, but we have to make preparations for it."

"Four minutes."

Amir's gaze was drawn to the back of the man who was counting. "What happens when he gets to one?"

Luna turned around, her eyes scattering in their sockets, and he knew her thoughts were mirroring his. They were about to do something horrifying.

"We must stop the organization by any means necessary, even if there is a significant loss of human life." General Hayes' shoulders rose as he inhaled deeply. "This limits our options."

Greer pushed off the wall, gliding closer as if expecting Amir to freak out if his suspicions were validated.

"Madam President and Vice President Singh, in alliance with the Secretary of Defense, has approved a test strike of four missiles over the entire State of Maryland."

Amir locked his gaze on the general.

"Missiles," Luna whispered, her eyes widening.

"Yes, Mrs. Khan. They contain weaponized crystals that will annihilate all active Tethered Souls and anyone else created by the organization," he explained. "It will function similarly to other missiles that detonate around a 500-foot elevation, but on a wider scale. Any remaining energy will be reduced, if not completely shut down. The expected loss of human life is minor, primarily related to those with heart problems or other disorders susceptible to an electrical voltage of that severity. It will affect patients whose lives are reliant on life-support systems."

"Two minutes, elevation at eight hundred feet," said the front, followed by a static-filled voice over a radio signal announcing the location.

Greer had walked up to Amir.

"Some people will experience a rush of pain and momentary numbness," the general continued as Luna returned to her position in front of the screen. "The missiles will hit anyone within the strike zone instantly."

Holy crap.

Amir understood the urgency—they needed to do something against BARDA—but he had family out there somewhere and wouldn't wish this on anyone. There had to be innocent civilians who had no idea what was about to happen to them.

"People will die in this," he went on as if he could read Amir's thoughts. "However, in order to save the many, we must sacrifice the few."

Amir returned his attention to the screen, which briefly flickered before resting. The image had zoomed in yet again, allowing him to see movement on the ground.

"This is bad," Luna spoke up. "Phones, vehicles, hospitals, and emergency rooms will be down."

"Thirty seconds, elevation over two hundred feet."

"That's true. It will essentially return the state to the old days without any electricity." Greer stared at the large screen. "You're about to witness history being made again, but this time nothing can be changed. Once the power is gone, it can't ever be reconnected."

"After this test, we can proceed to other cities and zones throughout the world," General Hayes added. "Our next strike will be in Vancouver where Alisha and the organization are now."

"You don't have to do this," Amir said. "Think about the people who need help and aren't prepared for what's about to happen to them."

Luna shook her head. "This will not prove anything. It'll just further this war. You can't—"

"It's too late," Chase snarled. "This is their only chance of stopping BARDA. For there to be a tomorrow where society is secured."

"Shut the hell up," Luna growled.

The broken radio transmission fired up, counting down from ten seconds, and there was no way to stop their destruction. It was taking place right in front of their eyes.

Amir inched closer to Luna, his eyes fixed on the screen, on the cars driving down the freeway, attempting to escape the city. There could be active Trojans and Defectives in those vehicles, both good and bad. There could be people with serious medical conditions. There were patients whose next breath would never come.

Then something happened.

When a flash of blinding light caused the image to wobble for a brief moment, Luna slapped her hand over her mouth. Everything looked the same as it had seconds before, except that none of the cars on the freeway moved. Nothing moved, and . . .

A moment later, the entire city became consumed by fire, followed by smoke.

━━─── • ───━━━