ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Tethered ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Chapter 21

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• Luna •

Luna remained silent as her stomach clenched. She and Vikram were now on their way to Liberty's room after he explained that something had happened to her.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"After leaving the community, a group of us were running for shelter," he said, tears welling up in his eyes. "Liberty, your parents, Sarah, and I jumped into a van after exiting the main gate. We wanted to stay with the others, but we didn't have time; we had to go."

Vikram's chest heaved after he took a breath.

"Take your time," Luna advised when they came closer to a closed door.

He stood for a moment, closing his eyes and leaning against the wall. "We made it to a convenience store outside of Gretna and stopped to stock up on supplies. We tried not to be seen by the soldiers who were slaughtering people. It was a complete bloodbath."

The dark corridor was empty and cold, and she sniffed when they slowed to a stop next to a fire extinguisher. "The soldiers were active Trojans, and they were in a simulation. They can only be controlled by the organization."

Vikram nodded, his hands covering his face. "We know that now."

"You do realize that if I'm ever fully activated, it'll be me? I'd go on an uncontrollable killing spree just like the rest of them."

He quickly shook his head, his hand resting on her shoulder. "No. You won't. We'll never let that happen."

Luna smiled softly and nodded for Vikram to continue.

"Anyway," he exhaled deeply. "Liberty and I dashed inside, while your parents stayed in the car with Sarah. People were swarming all over the place, grabbing whatever they could and running. Everything happened so fast."

Luna remembered the survivors she'd seen on the screen who were fleeing D.C. and didn't stand a chance since their rebellion shot missiles in their direction. Things must have quickly deteriorated for her friends and family while she was underground with Amir.

"I left your sister's side for a second to get water, and a soldier caught up to her, then inserted a syringe into her upper arm," Vikram continued, his lips trembling. "I stopped the man before he could do any more harm. He got what he deserved quickly and painfully."

His stern, sadistic smile made Luna's heart skip a beat. She didn't even need to ask what Vikram had done. She knew.

"I didn't want to burn him alive, but he wouldn't give up," he went on. "So, I grabbed Liberty and the two bags we'd managed to fill, and we made our way back to the van. I told Lawrence to drive, and not long after that, the store went up in flames."

"Oh. Wow. So you didn't see how that happened?"

He shook his head. "Elizabeth mentioned hearing helicopters and gunshots, but all I could think about was getting everyone out."

"You did well."

"But I didn't do enough. They still got Liberty, and whatever they gave her made her sick."

The worst-case scenario emerged the moment those words were spoken.

"Sick?"

He frowned and pressed his lips into a thin line. "We eventually settled inside an abandoned house and stayed in the cellar. She didn't wake up for nearly forty-eight hours until I was able to reach Owen and Dominique." Vikram's eyes narrowed. "It took a few days for them to get to us, but they did."

"What happened after that?"

He gulped, then opened his mouth and said, "Once we were with the group, Liberty was checked by a doctor."

Luna cast a glance toward a door marked "822" before returning her gaze to him. "Was that the doctor I just saw you with?"

He shook his head. "No. When we arrived, we met Dr. Schwartz. The other doctor was captured before coming here."

"So . . . so, what did the doctors say about my sister?" she stammered, her throat dry.

"Liberty was given a hallucinogenic drug that makes her vulnerable to mind control," Vikram stated, inhaling deeply. "She's fine some days, but she doesn't recognize us on others. She also sleeps for several days at a time. When she wakes up, she has no idea when we met or how long we've been together."

Luna shut her eyes, allowing a few tears to sleep through her eyelids. "Oh, Vik. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," he said, and when she looked at him again, he was staring right back at her. "You don't have to be sorry. Liberty is in there somewhere."

"She is. We can't give up."

He smiled softly. "Amir—he lost his memories and still found his way back to you. She will do the same. I know it."

Luna nodded. "We'll help her fight this."

"With this new drug that was brought and is undergoing testing, I hope you're right."

Her jaw opened. "Wait. What new medication?"

"It's called the TS-12 or something. The formula contains some elements that can keep her lucid and possibly heal her in the long run," he explained. "The doctor believes it may revive her memories."

Luna sniffed, gulping. "I took that syringe from the asylum where Amir and I were being held. I got it for Titus."

Vikram nodded. "I know." He turned to face the same door, then met Luna's gaze. "Titus said he'd rather give it to Liberty because she needs it more."

Her stomach tightened the second he said that. "I don't know what you know about that serum, Vikram, but it might not—"

"I understand what it does to people, but it might work for her. Faisal and other chemists are looking into it," he cut in, and Luna snapped her mouth shut. "BARDA, as messed up as they were, did create some incredible things. And, hopefully, this will be the start of yet another medical breakthrough."

She wished for that to be the case. She wanted Liberty to be okay and get through this so she would never lose herself again. That drug was given to her sister for whatever reason, and that didn't sit well with her.

"I pray it works," Luna said finally. "I didn't fight with it in my bra for nothing."

Vikram chuckled softly, the first one she'd heard since they'd reunited. "I've seen videos of you and Amir fighting in Los Angeles. It looked like something out of an action movie."

"Yeah, and I'm sure we have more battles ahead of us. Some will be nearly impossible to fight in."

He shook his head, his lips forming a thin line. "They won't stand a chance once we're done with them."

She gave him a small smile. "So, what is the treatment plan if TS-12 fails?"

"Right now, the doctors are keeping Liberty relaxed and using induced medication to keep her in a coma. That way, she won't attempt anything extreme."

"Extreme?" She cast a glance at the guard stationed near the elevators and stairwell. "I take it my sister has outbursts."

He nodded. "She does. The chemicals in that syringe made her . . . violent."

"Ugh. Just when I thought the organization couldn't get any worse."

Vikram folded his arms around his chest and squeezed them slightly. "We plan to fly to Delhi, but first we will stop in Lagos, Nigeria."

Her brow furrowed. "You're . . . you're leaving the country?"

"We have to," he explained. "Dr. Bankole, Alisha Bankole's husband, is Nigeria's leading research scientist. Over the years, he has created numerous medical breakthroughs that had never been shown publicly due to the secret about our genetics, and he has offered his services."

"Ah. That's why Titus was bummed when we didn't bring Sefora," she whispered, putting two and two together. "Is that where he is now?"

Vikram nodded. "Chiekwi is in his laboratory, with about two hundred employees and refugees from his country hiding underground. When we bring Liberty there, and if—and this is a big if—she doesn't recover from her current state with every treatment we have, we'll go with Plan B."

"What's plan B?"

"To find my family in India and stay with them until this mess is over," he explained. "I mean, I'll still be on the ground helping with the resistance, but my future wife will be safe and in the care of people I know. She is the reason I will continue fighting."

Luna smiled, then threw her arms around his shoulders. "You've always looked after her and my family. We are blessed to have you with us."

"You guys are my family, too," he said, exhaling. "I'm the lucky one."

"Come on. Show me to my sister."

Vikram took a deep breath and they both walked slowly toward the closed door. He leaned forward and punched in a number she didn't pay attention to, and the door slid open. Inside, the room was dim and cool, with a small hospital bed in the center and a tiny monitor on the wall.

Luna walked slowly through the doorway, taking in her surroundings and staring at Liberty, who was lying down and hooked up to her machines.

Her sister was a tiny thing. Her denim-clad legs were as slim as Luna's arms. Her skin was delicate and smooth like silk, though her heart beat fiercely within her small chest. Her open brown eyes moved randomly and were practically obscured by thick lashes. Her hair was wavy and fell over her pink temples from constant contact with the pillow.

Luna cleared her throat, then whispered, "Liberty, can you hear me? It's me."

She tried to raise her sister's arm but received no response. Luna gently pressed her hand against Liberty's temple, her sister's hand moving feebly as if to swat her away, but she missed by several inches. She was awake, but she wasn't aware of anything.

"What's wrong with her?" Luna asked.

Vikram sat on the edge of the bed and took Liberty's hand in his. "She can't . . . She isn't familiar with you. None of us are familiar to her right now."

"That includes our parents?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Them as well as Sarah. She's spent a lot of time in here trying to connect with her aunt, but it's almost pointless. Liberty has no memory of anyone."

"Oh, God."

Luna imagined what it must have been like for Amir when he couldn't remember anything at first. She wasn't there when he woke up and had no idea why he was in another country, but she couldn't fathom what was going through her sister's mind right now. All she could do was synthesize and hope that the serum she stole or the treatment Liberty could receive would be successful. Something had to break her out of this cycle. It hurt to know her sister, like Amir, was in the same mental prison.

The monitors' soft beeps echoed throughout the room. "Why weren't we told about Liberty's condition when we got here?" Luna inquired.

"I told Titus and the others not to say anything, and they all agreed before taking a 'blocker.' It's a supplement that protects the mind from being spied on."

"But still. This is crucial, Vik. I had the right to know."

"I get it, Luna, but there's been so much chaos going on that you and Amir needed to be kept up to date." Vikram took a shaky breath, then continued. "I had planned to have you brought here after you got cleaned up and ate something."

She tsked softly. "So much for eating now."

"Wait. You mean you haven't eaten yet?"

Luna shook her head. "I had a candy bar earlier, but that was it."

"You and Amir should eat something. Especially before they start giving you both blockers. It's not a good idea to take it on an empty stomach."

"I know. We'll get to it in a second. I just . . . want to spend some time with her, even if she has no idea who I am."

He nodded slightly, and a soft knock was heard at the door.

Luna turned her head and opened her mouth, staring at her best friend. "Cami!" She jumped out of her seat and wrapped her arms around her. "Oh, my God. It's been so long since I've seen you."

"It has," Cami said, keeping a firm grip on Luna's waist. "I'm glad you guys got out of there."

"Me too. It was worse than anything either of us had undergone at St. Matthew's." Luna moved back an inch and cast a glance over at Vikram, who stayed next to Liberty, gently caressing his thumb along her hand. "Let's walk outside in the hall and talk."

Cami nodded while they crossed the threshold. "How are you holding up?"

"As good as I can be," Luna admitted. "What about you? I can imagine how stressful it must have been when Faisal was on a rescue mission for us and unable to contact you."

"It was brutal, but we were prepared for it." Cami looked at Luna as she flipped her curly hair over one shoulder. "I heard about how you and Amir watched what they'd done to the survivors in D.C."

"We did watch it, and I'm not happy about it. That was genocide."

"It was, but it's happening all over the world," Cami said. "This is exactly what happened to my family in Iceland. None of them have been counted."

"Oh, Cam," Luna cried. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. We're going to look there soon. I'm going to Nigeria with the group to find my parents and the community my relatives had established before all of this happened. After that, I might stay. I'm not sure how everything will pan out."

"What about Faisal? Is . . . is he coming with you?"

Cami shook her head. "I told him not to. He's needed here. After creating a serum that allows active pairs to interact with one another in the same room, he could create something even more powerful, something bigger that we all need."

"True. The Khans are wizards."

Both girls laughed for a moment before noticing a familiar figure walking toward them. Titus.

"Hello, ladies," he said after he paused between them. "I see you found the medical ward, Luna."

'Rogue.'

She ignored his internal comment. "I did. Thank you for informing me about Liberty."

He threw up his hands and took a step back. "That wasn't my idea. I wanted to tell you the second I locked eyes on you again, but we had more important things to talk about."

"Yeah," she groaned and turned away.

"In other exciting news, are you guys serious about wanting to use the Hybrids and Engineered Souls to fight BARDA?" he asked after a brief pause.

Luna blinked. "Didn't we seem serious earlier?"

He laughed. "You did, but Aluna can be unpredictable. Notably during times of war."

Her brow furrowed.

'What are you getting at?' she asked, keeping her eyes on him.

Cami's eyes switched between the two of them as she stayed quiet and still.

"Using other anomalies created by the organization is one hell of a Hail Mary, you realize that right?" he asked.

Luna sighed and nodded. "It is. But in the control room, it was mentioned that you know someone who owes you a favor."

'You sure you want to go down this rabbit hole, Rogue?'

'Definitely. Alice In Wonderland did it, and so can I,' she said, her eyebrow raised. 'I'll sell my soul to stop this war.'

Titus laughed again as he leaned back against the wall, resembling a teenage boy lounging outside a classroom. "One of the engineered guys does owe me a favor." A charming grin appeared. "And his name is Zander."

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So, this chapter explains Liberty's missing pov. She usually has one in every book, but she is compromised this time. Let us hope that something significant happens with the Tethered Crew and that both she and Amir regain all of their memories. Also, we're bringing back Amir's favorite foe . . . Zander from The Tethered Ones. This is going to turn out jolly. :)