ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ Tethered ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

Chapter 46

━━─── • ───━━━

• Luna •

Luna hadn't been to her photography studio in so long, and she had almost forgotten where it was. After passing Dillard University, she remembered the exit.

Her nerves settled after a ten-minute chat with Liberty and a prayer session with Amir. Both of them enjoyed praying together as faith in God brought them closer.

They filled up at the only gas station operational. Amir stayed by the car while Luna went inside to use the restroom and get snacks for the road trip later. That took a couple of minutes because there was no line. She was fortunate to find a hundred-dollar bill in her dresser to use for whatever they needed.

The roads and homes near the small business were in horrible shape, but she knew they would improve with time, which made her feel optimistic about the future.

She was carrying food that would make them both gain ten pounds when a country cruiser pulled up to the gas station. With darkened windows, it passed them slowly.

Despite the warm air, Luna shuddered and raced to where Amir was closing the gas tank latch. "Do you see that patrol car?" she asked.

When she dumped half of her unhealthy treats from her arms, Amir cast a glance behind him.

"Yeah. Do you sense something is off about them?"

Maybe she was just being paranoid? Luna shook her head. "I'm not sure. It gave me the chills. It was as if whoever was behind the wheel was staring at us."

Amir opened the passenger side door while watching the police car. Dressed in black pants and a tight shirt, her husband looked like he was ready to fight.

She jumped in, and the door of the police car opened. A big, older cop forced himself out of the car and into the convenience store without looking back.

Luna smiled up at Amir, letting out the breath she had been holding. "It was just me and my junk food appetite."

He laughed and closed the door. "Perhaps. If anyone was after us, I don't think they'd waste an opportunity to get us."

The weird feeling disappeared when they ate on the side road. She was hungry again after breakfast earlier. Amir driving with one hand and holding hers on the way to the French Quarter relaxed her.

She knew coming out there was risky, but she needed to move on. She was mentally prepared to leave the studio and her home behind.

They saw superhumans several times during the drive, but they were okay.

Amir's senses were heightened twelve blocks from Dauphine Street, near the studio. Bile entered Luna's stomach as they drove down St. Bernard Avenue toward their destination.

He squeezed her thigh. "You're anxious."

"I can't help myself."

"Maybe we should turn around."

Luna gave him a look. "It's too late now. We'll only be there for a few minutes. I'll be quick."

"Whatever you want to do, you must act quickly." Amir navigated his way into the left lane. "Chase's spies could be anywhere. We don't have much time."

Her heart pounded. "I know."

When the studio came into view, it was silent, and Luna wondered if she was doing the right thing since there were still two people they were trying to avoid. Chase was still out there, along with Alisha.

Amir parked the Jeep in a nearby alley. He turned his focus to her. "Let's get this over with."

Luna unlocked the back door with the small studio key from her pocket ring, wishing she could sound and appear half as intimidating as Amir. He held her hand in seconds.

She feared a SWAT team or officials would inform them her block was quarantined or that Defectives would fight them when they entered the hallway. Mold and filth covered the inside, but nothing appeared broken aside from the bathroom window. Her studio survived the New Orleans bombs.

"Are we done here, Moon?"

Luna gave him a sly grin. "We've only been in here for three seconds."

"That's too long."

He sighed and stuck out his neck, looking at the back door. She kept going because she wanted to see everything. She grabbed a box from her office closet and went to her mailbox.

Junk mail, newspapers, and envelopes fell out of the metal slider.

"Wow!" exclaimed Amir.

Luna couldn't stop staring at them. She smiled. "I missed a lot. I'm sure that a lot of this mail came while I was in St. Matthew's."

"You weren't just inside, Luna." Amir sorted mail that fell on the floor. "You were committed against your will. It's different."

He had a point. The two meanings differed. She grabbed what was left. She choked. While Luna was being held captive, she received a lot of mail.

When she put the stuff back inside the storage box, she tried not to be concerned by the overdue bills or the half-dozen inquiries about her services. Each letter brought up painful memories of deception.

Going through these pieces of mail was almost too much.

Amir patted her shoulder to grab her attention.

She looked up, blinked back tears, and swallowed. "Yes?"

"Would you like me to look through them while you finish looking around?"

Luna appreciated the offer, but she shook her head. "No. I can read these, and there's no reason to bring them. It's just . . . I missed checking my mail."

"I understand. Would you want me to fry the circuit board and cut the power on?"

She sniffed and shook her head, realizing that would be a waste of time. "I'm good. The sunlight is enough."

Amir appeared to have more to say, but he stared at the dirty lobby. She was shocked no one broke in and the front glass was still intact.

Outside, few people were seen. Other business owners had returned to work and were ready to rebuild what they had. New Orleans was bombed, but police only had some areas blocked off. Luna smiled towards Mera's restaurant across the street. She wanted the best for her family wherever they were.

Inhaling deeply, she refocused on the stack of envelopes and stopped at an Outdoor Photography magazine, catching her breath. She missed doing professional photos.

Looking back at Amir, Luna asked, "What's going on?"

He turned to face the front. "I sense someone outside. Their aura is . . . hazy."

She sank. "I'm not sensing anything."

"I have a bad feeling." He put the mail he was holding back into the storage box. "People are on the streets. I'll check the front and see who they are."

Amir scurried forward when Luna nodded, but then, he turned back and clasped her cheeks. "I'll be right outside. I'm not leaving you, Moon."

"I know."

Before walking outside, Amir smiled. She returned to the mail, lifted the magazine, and put everything in her box with a shaky breath.

She stood and walked over to her office to see if anything had changed.

Nothing.

Luna inhaled gently in the entryway, grinning. "I can't believe I'm back in here after a year."

"Neither can I," a stranger said. "But you're not smart."

Luna's breath hitched when she spun around. A man stood at the bathroom door. He had curly blue hair and red eyes. The tiny light that outlined his body indicated who he was.

A Defective.

As her lungs drained, Luna stepped back and hit the wall.

"Wondering how I spotted you?" He spread his arms. "We're everywhere, dear. That rundown gas station? It was obvious where you and Amir Khan were headed."

That cop! She knew it. Luna forced her mouth to function. If she could keep him talking, Amir would have time to return—she stopped herself before fear set in. She couldn't even think about that. "You followed us."

He tsked softly. "Did you think Chase didn't know your little defense strategy?"

"What?"

The man laughed gleefully.

"He expected Liberty to lure you back to your house and fight there. He approved it because he expected that you'd visit your studio. He claimed you wouldn't leave New Orleans without seeing this place, your second child. You came instantly. Now it's my turn to bring you to him."

Oh.

Oh, no.

He stepped forward, chin down, and she pushed aside the trash on the floor. "You can't run now. I've got you. Your husband? Let's just say, he's a little tied up."

The Defective pulled out a small black device, a Bluetooth.

Luna's chest froze.

"After Genesis, Amir will forget you again." His smile radiated his palm's light. "You'll forget each other, as the boss wanted."

While scanning the hallway behind him, Luna refused to believe Amir would let anything happen to their memory. "You have no chance against us, Mrs. Khan."

Shaking his head slowly, the Defective smiled.

"Stupid woman . . ."

His arm flashed brightly.

Every instinct she possessed flared to life in a short second. Her body moved before her head. She raised her arm to strike him in the chest with lightning, but it wasn't fast enough.

Bright light illuminated the room. Before Luna could act, white-hot pain burned every nerve ending. The impact threw her pulse off. Her legs bent like an envelope under her, and her brain shut off.

She was now in this stranger's hands.

• • •

• Amir •

As soon as Amir stepped out into the thick morning air, he knew he'd done something stupid and dangerous. He turned to go back inside when a hooded figure pushed away from the side of a building and reappeared as they got closer.

He could tell the person was a superhuman, but he couldn't tell which one. Lazarus. Hybrid. Defective.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Amir said with his shoulders back.

The man wore a tight black suit and stood up straight, like a lawyer. "Yes, it is."

"Good day for walking." When Amir took a step forward, he felt it right away.

Engineered Soul. His entire being focused on Luna, not on what was in front of him.

He had left her alone for long enough for something to happen.

"You work with BARDA?"

"I wouldn't call myself their employee. Consulting is a better word."

"Hmm." After talking to with Zander, Amir knew that a small group of people did odd jobs for the organization and did whatever they wanted. "Ah, I see."

"Bro, it's best to not think about what's going on inside."

Amir didn't bother to say anything.

He reached behind his back and grabbed the dagger with the tanzanite on it. After the BARDA agents from yesterday left a whole case of modified weapons in their cars, he brought a lot of them.

When he saw the sparkling turquoise blade, the man turned into a white cloud of smoke, the signature shift for the engineered souls. But Amir didn't want to waste his time on this fool.

He lurched forward, plunging the tanzanite dagger deep into the Engineered Souls' chest. When he pulled out the dagger, the man shook and stood up, blocking the low entry lights before the mass split and fell apart.

When Amir got to the door, a light ball hit him on the shoulder and pushed him back. He reached out and hit the brick wall with his hand. Oh, this meant war.

No matter who this guy was, he wasn't messing around.

Amir had little time to think.

A seven-foot-tall Defective ran out of the studio and into him. Amir took a few steps back before diving in and shoving the fiery douche behind him.

The glass broke when he hit the door.

The Defective got up and went after him. This time, Amir turned to the side and saw two bolts of lightning coming straight at him. He didn't have time for this nonsense. If someone had been inside, it meant they had come in through the back door and been inside with Luna.

His heart pounded in his chest.

Cocking his arm back, Amir hurled the tanzanite dagger.

It hit the man right in the chest. This attacker wasn't killed by tanzanite, but a blade to the heart made him weak.

Another bolt hit Amir, and both him and his opponent sailed into the air and landed on the roof of the building, where they fell and slid near the ledge. The Engineered Soul was on top, and a red-hot blade was coming down.

Amir hurled the man on his back and took the knife out of his hand, stopping the attack from plunging. When he pulled the Engineered Soul forward, he growled as the man's brains started to melt.

He knew immediately what his attacker was thinking in his last moments. Most of the memories were blocked, but Amir could still see through the man's eyes. When Luna heard him make fun of her, her wide eyes filled with horror. Amir saw his wife on the floor, her eyes closed and her face distorted in suffering. She was given to someone and taken away.

Amir kept cooking the man's temple until he got cold.

When the other superhuman jumped over the edge, Amir climbed to his feet and struck the Defective. With all the anger and rage he felt, his attackers had no chance. He grabbed the man by the throat and slammed him so hard into the roof that the cement broke.

When Amir looked down at him, the Engineered Soul grabbed onto his shoulder. "Where is she?"

The man's heart pounded fiercely, but Amir didn't care. "I-I don't know."

"You better start talking!" He groaned. "I might let you go if you tell me where my wife is!"

Amir pulled his free arm back and slammed his fist into the man's jaw, sending his head back. "I have a Tanzanite anklet on, and I could hurt you all day! Tell me where she is!"

After a few more minutes of persuasion, the Engineered Soul started singing like a bird after a dark red liquid with a bright scarlet sheen spread across the roof.

"They took her to see him. To . . . to Chase Marquette."

Amir moved his fist back a centimeter. "You'll show me where he has her."

The man shook and made a gurgling sound in his throat. "It's already too late. She's been sedated."

When Amir heard those words, his heart stopped. He jumped up and dragged the man with him as he threw him against the wall. "For you and everyone you've ever cared about, nothing better happen to her. There will be another war."