ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Tethered ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Chapter 43

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• Amir •

Amir's heart broke.

He knew something was wrong, but nothing like this.

This whole thing disturbed him. He should have known BARDA injected Elizabeth with serums. After Luna returned home, BARDA fulfilled their horrible plans. Dr. Kim had hurt Mrs. Carlyle to destroy her daughter. The man predicted Luna's outburst once she discovered Elizabeth was defective.

Luna's mother had nothing decent in her and lost what she had. Her humanity was shattered before anyone entered the house, making Amir sick.

Luna's heart broke too. Even though Faisal lived, Amir grieved for him in the same way. He couldn't help her.

She gasped and smashed her fist against the wall. "No."

Luna reached out, crying. She slumped, hugging her stomach.

He seethed. Despite appearing like Elizabeth, Amir didn't use the gun because it would have been loud and disrespectful. Vile. His mother-in-law lifted her arm a second too late, and he punched her in the shoulder, throwing her around the counter. She reached for a knife but was struck by him in the back of the head. She dropped.

Elizabeth's aura flashed twice. Her arms flailed and hit the floor as her head dipped. Her light dimmed, leaving a human shell.

Leaning back, Luna sobbed.

Amir attended to her. "Luna, baby . . ." he whispered. "I'm sorry" was all he could whisper.

While groaning, she whimpered.

"There was nothing . . . Elizabeth was already gone before we got here," he stammered, trying to give his wife some closure. "They captured her somehow."

Luna pounded the kitchen floor as she wailed.

His boots and ground trembled, knocking plates and glasses off the kitchen counter and cabinets. The ceiling tumbled. The table drifted. Chairs fell. A window broke in the living room.

Oh, no.

Luna was about to bring her house down.

Kneeling, Amir hugged his wife. He went limp when she shook. She was cradled in his lap. Her wailing continued.

He didn't know what to do. He cared so much about her but couldn't help.

Luna's grief overtook him.

Amir whispered, "Everything's fine, baby. I've got you, Moon. I'm not going anywhere."

Luna didn't seem to hear him while she held his body. Her heart and chest were beating fast. She huddled, and her ragged, anguished cries tore him apart.

He wished he had entered the house first.

But there was no way to tell what they would've encountered. Amir could only hug her and stare at the wall, knowing more enemies would come. Except for a slight tremor in the foundation, the house had stopped moving.

Hearing movement in the living room, Amir kissed Luna's forehead and caressed his finger down her back. Liberty called her sister's name after the front door slammed against the wall.

He frowned, knowing this would destroy Liberty too because she lost her mother.

"In the kitchen."

Luna was shivering frantically in his arms, crying less but still upset.

"Oh my god!" Liberty froze. Amir and Luna were seated on the floor when she looked at them. "What happened?"

He glanced behind him and saw that Elizabeth's face was covered by a kitchen towel. Liberty couldn't immediately see who it was.

Greer rested his arm on the doorframe behind her. He slowly figured out what took place in the kitchen as Amir focused on Luna.

He gently held her cheek.

Liberty cried out and tried to slide in behind them after Greer quietly informed her what happened, but Amir wouldn't let go of his wife.

"Mom . . . She is dead?" she whimpered. Luna sobbed holding Amir's waist. "The ground shook outside," Liberty continued, patting her sister's back. "I got scared and left the shed."

"To hell with the plan," Amir raged.

What happened with Elizabeth stopped them. They couldn't win this war. He simply wanted Moon and everyone else out.

"Screw it," Greer said behind Amir. "We'll try again and meet the others somewhere safe."

After hearing both sisters wail for several minutes, Amir looked at Elizabeth's body and heard Greer's voice. 'How . . . how could this happen?'

'I don't know,' Amir said. 'But I'm sure they had an implant that traced Elizabeth's every move, waiting to take her.'

'This . . . this . . .' Amir understood Greer's unfinished thought. 'Luna and her sister can't fight. Not after this."

Amir nodded, trembling. 'I know.'

He was ready to get them into the Jeep and drive off. Screw everything—even the plan. They did their duty. Enzo's team was coming, and all he had done was traumatize Luna and Liberty by losing the person they cherished the most.

Liberty quietly backed away, grasping Luna's arms.

"We have to go now," Amir said, rising gently.

Once he helped her to her feet, Luna couldn't move her legs. Her lips trembled when she lifted her head. Beautiful brown eyes soaked.

"Leave?" Her voice broke.

Luna jerked away when Amir nodded. She faced her mother and hit him in the chest when he reached for her. He barely felt that. "Moon . . ."

She shouted "No!" and lashed out again. She struck his arm with her hand. "You can't make me leave!" After she swung again, Luna's hand slapped him across the face.

Liberty shifted, but Amir stopped her. She shook her head when Luna's usually useless blows impacted another region of his body.

"I need to hold my sister!" Liberty shouted as she pushed forward.

"She's in too much pain. Emotional pain," he remarked. "I have her. Wait outside."

Liberty's eyebrows rose. "But—"

Another one of Luna's tremor roared, and the kitchen windows and ceiling light broke. He knew Luna's agony would blow up the house. He couldn't leave her. He was her husband.

"Go! Now!" Amir shouted at Liberty.

Greer held Liberty's elbow. When they reached the doorway, Amir concentrated on Luna again. He doubted she recognized him. Her eyes had yellow pupils. She fought him. She was right to be furious because he killed her mother. It was in self-defense, but still, this resentment for him may never go away.

"Do what you need," Amir said and meant it. "I deserve this."

He just let Luna punch him until her punches slowed and her shoulders sagged. Her punches were forceful at first, but they later faded. She couldn't have hurt him more than he already felt.

"I'm . . . so . . . sorry, baby," he said to comfort her. "This was a shock. I know that."

"No," Luna whispered as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Oh, God, my mother is gone." Her arms dropped. "They did this. They made her this way. Why?"

Amir embraced her. "Moon, I don't know, but they are the ones we should be mad at." He inhaled and massaged her shoulders. "We'll get through this and take them down. Okay?"

Luna sucked in a deep breath and stared at him. "Are you sure there was nothing left . . . of my mother?" she questioned, and he nodded.

"I'm sorry, baby," he replied, cupping her cheeks. "We've fought multiple Engineered Souls and Defectives, and each fight revealed their humanity. Your mother had nothing inside of her. It was like they erased her entire existence."

"My God . . ."

Amir regretted that he couldn't let Luna grieve properly, but they needed to run. "We've got to—"

The revelation shook him, and the buzzing in his mind returned. Crap. When the front door slammed again, he whirled around, shielding Luna's body behind his.

"We have company," he warned her. "And not the good kind."

Someone walked down the hall and into the dining room with heavy steps. When it wasn't Liberty or Greer, Amir tensed. Too well, their plan to go to Luna's house and have BARDA come to them worked.

His stomach plummeted when Daniel Kim entered the kitchen. But a previous investor of Amir's followed suit, a disappointed expression on his face.

Tahir Malik—a man Amir never expected to see again.

Both men stood with assurance. Mr. Malik wore white pants and a coat. Dr. Kim wore black slacks and a white shirt.

Tahir stopped Amir from grabbing the loaded gun that scorched in his pack pocket.

"Don't even think about it, Mr. Khan. I know you're not cooperating as you say. You're just impulsive. Your charade is over." He sat down at the table after straightening a chair, barely looking at them. "Liberty and Greer will die before you can breathe if you do anything stupid. Don't forget that."

Amir growled.

Tahir glanced at the body on the floor before returning his orange gaze to Amir, exposing what he was. A Hybrid. He muttered, "Amir Khan, the geneticist who was at the top of his class."

"The one and only. You already know it."

Dr. Kim sighed at the backdoor.

Tahir turned to him, nibbled his bottom lip, and clasped his hands. "I believed in you so much, Amir."

Amir struggled not to blow up Tahir's body. "Interesting. You sound like someone I know. I also disappointed her."

Tahir scowled. "Hmm. Let me guess. Alisha Bankole?"

He clinched his wisdom teeth. "Why doesn't it surprise me that you know everyone?"

Tahir smirked and shrugged. He then hooked one knee over the other and ran his fingers up his pant legs. "I don't really know, Amir. Please." He raised two chairs with the palm of his hand. "Sit."

"No thanks. I'd rather stand," he said as Luna stayed back. Amir didn't know what she was thinking.

Tahir smiled weakly. "I'm not asking. If you don't sit down, I'll instruct my people outside to kill Liberty Carlyle. Slowly."

Amir's blood was like poison as he faced the man.

Luna spoke up, sounding calm considering her trauma. "We'll sit anywhere but in here. Please."

"This isn't debatable," Dr. Kim stated. "You two have forgotten who is in control."

"Shut up," Amir hissed.

"I don't care where we talk, but let's get this going," Tahir remarked.

The four of them were pushing past the threshold into the dining room.

Amir noticed Luna's thin face and dark circles, but her brown eyes were fierce. He took her hand.

Tahir laughed. "Mr. Khan, why did you want to meet Luna?"

How was Amir expected to answer to that? He shoved Luna out of the man's way and sat down in the chair closest to the window. "Why is that any of your business, Mr. Malik?"

"I'm interested." Tahir swiveled. "Talk."

Amir was about to lose a tooth by grinding so much. "Why wouldn't I meet her?"

"You're partners." Tahir's upper lip twisted at her. "Nobody anticipated for you to fall in love with her, and your family didn't choose her."

"And?" Luna challenged. "What's the point? They like me."

Tahir shrugged. "Amir, she is not even in the same league as you."

"None of that matters."

"That's weird because I recall the Amir having to complete his ambitions before settling down," he recanted. "I remember the Amir that I paid thousands of dollars into your experiments because I believed in you."

"I've evolved. Sue me."

Dr. Kim chuckled at Amir's reply, and Luna looked at Tahir before speaking. "Everything's changed. My husband is different."

Tahir tilted his head as he looked into her eyes. "I can see that."

Amir squinted. He knew Tahir could read minds, so he wanted to keep him talking to distract him from his plans. "I don't see what my past has to do with this conversation."

Tahir looked puzzled. "It is completely connected. You were arranged for Raima, not Luna."

Amir stared. Remembering his friendship with Raima helped him learn the truth. "Your daughter and I are just friends. That's it."

Tahir was appalled. "If you hadn't come for Luna, nothing would have changed. The world might have been different. In Texas, both of you gave BARDA the chance to take control."

Amir frowned. Tahir was angry he chose Luna over Raima. Things were becoming much clearer now. "Mr. Malik, you can't change history." He caught Luna's attention. "I came here for my partner and wouldn't change anything. Stop obsessing."

Luna turned and exhaled a deep breath. "How could an arranged marriage influence the world?"

"Easy. Raima was my implant," Tahir replied, dropping Luna's jaw. "Since she didn't do her job and keep Amir from meeting you, she had to be dealt with."

"What?" She howled at Tahir. "You killed your daughter?"

He moved his chair back and shook his head. "Of course not. She's detained."

"Well, you'll never win Father of the Year," Luna replied. "That's a dick move."

Tahir's orange eyes flashed white light. "Amir, what if I told you that you are the reason these serums exist?"

Amir froze, unable to think. Tahir's statements were irrational.

"Excuse me?" Luna muttered.

Tahir ignored her. He was looking at Amir like he was about to take them out to breakfast. "Your projects, Mr. Khan. What if I told you that while you weren't in a simulation, you created BARDA serums? How do you feel about the world right now?"

Amir looked at Tahir and listened to what he was saying. He knew Luna was looking at him again because he could sense it. "I can't do anything about that."

Tahir became curious.

"Did he . . . did he formulate serums for you?" Luna asked.

"It doesn't matter!" Amir shouted. And he was right. It didn't matter what he did before. "This is ridiculous! All of it!" He gripped the kitchen table. "What do you want? Why this war? You want to take over the planet?"

"Be everybody's god?" Tahir smirked. "That's unoriginal. Also pathetic. I'm not after global domination."

Luna replied, "But you don't mind controlling people."

"Serums make it simple. The Genesis serum erases memories, Oasis separates souls from meeting, but there's a loophole in that, and—"

As Luna stopped him, her brow furrowed. "Hold up. Tethered Souls are kept apart by a serum called Oasis?"

Tahir huffed and nodded. "Yes. How do you think we've kept humanity in order for so long? Our organization passed the serum from generation to generation to prevent Tethered Souls from meeting after their powers activated."

Dr. Kim guarded the door while Amir and Luna watched Tahir. "It's called Oasis because that implies peace. Two souls like yourselves falling in love threaten peace on Earth. Your abilities grow, and I don't have to go on. You already know what happens."

Amir blinked. "That's . . . that's messed up."

"You screwed with how people connect," Luna conveyed, making Tahir stand up.

"Sometimes we have to do crazy things," he said. "That's how we maintain order."

Amir focused on Tahir and wondered why he trusted him.

Tahir flopped back down. "My family was murdered after I was born. But I'm sure you didn't know that, Amir." He sat with his hands in his lap. "Before Alisha took over BARDA at such a young and vulnerable age, I was one of the oldest Hybrids during the Second World War."

One of many groups? Alisha's studies suggest that their trials failed.

"When BARDA discovered my dad could heal my mother before I was conceived, they took them. Started trying things out. Everything they did to them and had them do, shattered their tiny love for each other." He said that without an ounce of emotion. "I lived in a research facility with several other projects."

"That stinks."

Tahir's grin tightened. "You have no idea. For years, I knew BARDA would kill me if I did something wrong. I witnessed younger kids hauled away and never seen again. Exterminated. I watched operatives murder my parents for my sins."

Amir's hands and body ached to stop this. "That's terrible, but I don't know why you're talking about it."

"You're still not getting it?" Tahir chuckled, showing emotion for the first time. "Until I was old enough, I lived in a compound. Not like some public officials or physicians within BARDA. No. I was put in charge of Tethered Souls in Islamabad as their handler. I had to supply everything they needed." He smirked. "As if I'd help. Or any Hybrid in my cluster."

"Cluster?"

"Yes. Over the years, we've had various clusters. Tested repeatedly. Because of our powers, some of us are trained agents or handlers."

Amir assumed Tahir's cluster looked after Tethered Souls. "Are other handlers like you?"

"Nobody's like me," Tahir huffed. "Do they share my goals or that BARDA no longer controls them? The answer is two-fold. Hybrids are uncontrollable, and we're deities. Pure Gods."

"Wow," Luna uttered.

"Mr. Malik is right," Dr. Kim told the group. "Hybrids have a lot of power."

Tahir noted, "The few people left in my cluster want the same thing as me."

Luna's hands fell off the table. "Few? Your batch isn't big?"

Amir didn't like Tahir's eyes on her. Not even a little.

"After Dallas, BARDA cleaned up and destroyed their experiments."

Luna frowned. "They started doing that after General Davenport kidnapped me."

"And you think that is what happened? You have to since that's who you are. A fragile soul." Tahir sneered with contempt. He was irritating Amir. "It began after you went on live TV. Every BARDA creation was falling like flies around the world, so it was time to stop."

"To stop." Amir predicted this. "You're responsible for everything?"

"You people illustrated for me on how to control things so the world wouldn't fall apart. Everything fell into place." Tahir's hands stretched. "And voilà. I supervise most of the organization's agents and staff." His smile grew. "I'm very . . . persuasive."

Luna faced him. A second passed. "Tethered Souls disgust you."

"I'm sick of them," he said. "Such a terrible species. They're as big as the sun and just as hazardous. Everything that happens on Earth is because of you. BARDA will be on top, and that's okay with me. As long as Tethered Souls suffer like I did, I don't care. Everyone should have stayed divided like it was intended."

"Divided?"

"Yes. No integration whatsoever."

"This disaster—everything that's happened to our planet—is because you're crazy?" she asked as disbelief darkened her tone. Amir didn't hold it against her. Even he was shocked.

It was a goal to rule the world. But this? It was vicious, vengeful, and psychotic. Amir didn't know how Tahir had so many supporters. How did they not know him? Although, Amir had never really seen who Tahir Malik was. Cruel and vindictive.

"Watching people struggle is thrilling for you," Luna added.

"Humanity earned it." Tahir's eyes burned orange again. "Since BARDA isn't going away, why not give the earth what it asked for?"

"It's a deathmatch out there," Dr. Kim remarked. Then a beep sounded on his phone. "Sorry, but something outside needs my attention."

Amir wanted to boil Dr. Kim before he left, but when Luna replied to Tahir, he focused on her.

"There are people who don't have anything to do with BARDA. Innocent people," she disputed. "You cannot judge the world by how you were treated."

"I already have," Tahir said.

Good grief. This is unbelievable, Amir thought.

"You're crazy!" Luna was right. "You're worse than Chase and Sam together. Compared to you, they're angels. At least, they—"

Amir couldn't match Tahir's speed. He was sitting one moment, then his fingers were around Luna's throat.

Amir threw his chair across the room. "Let my wife go."

Tahir clenched. "Come closer. Using your powers or changing forms will break her neck, Mr. Khan. Let's see if you can heal her after that."

Amir's eyes stopped seeing them. Tahir choked him because he clutched Luna, his world. He said a word he'd thought he'd never speak to the bastard once Tahir stared at him.

"Please." Amir swallowed but spoke smoothly. "Release her."

Tahir hissed. "Why plead for her life when I know she wouldn't for you if she was manipulated?"

"Luna is my everything."

"And Amir is . . . mine," she cried. "We would never . . ."

"Moon," Amir cautioned.

"He's . . . psychotic," she gasped.

Tahir jerked when her fingers curled around his. "Excuse me?"

"You're worse than everyone. Worse than our haters. You judged innocent people." She shook. "You killed my mother. She never hurt you."

"That madwoman?" Tahir spat. "She was just a pawn to bring you both to me."

Luna watched him. "Why? Why . . . are you doing this?"

"Because the world has nasty people in it. The only way to get rid of them is to start over without superhumans." Tahir's eyes were filled with hatred. "You're broken, Luna, after two simulations. You shook the ground, and your powers are uncontrollable. So you must go."

Several events happened quickly. A red halo illuminated the windows and threw shadows on the walls. Large wings thumping on the ceiling. Suddenly screams were heard outside.

Tahir seemed surprised.

Luna kicked the chair. Her foot struck his stomach. He hit the table when she withdrew. Before she fell, Amir caught her. He pulled her away from Tahir.

The window next to the table exploded. He shielded Luna.

The house was swamped by men in black with face shields. At first, Amir figured the military or SWAT team broke into the wrong residence. The modified weapons they held indicated they weren't part of the Resistance.

Amir shielded Moon from the chaos. He wanted to run from this scene, but he wasn't the only one.

Tahir Malik turned and made a beeline to the front door.