∞ The Tethered Ones ∞

Chapter 43

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• Luna •

Amir and Luna spotted Dominique sitting on the bottom step of her porch, poised to unleash unholy fury like a deranged pixie. Her hair was slicked back, and her eyes were a grim and furious brown. A thin slash formed across her lips, and her fingers curled over her knees, ready to dig in.

"Hey, guys. Ethan is on his way," she said, her gaze fixed on the sidewalk. "I've been waiting to give him a peace of my mind since he came here."

Luna caught Amir's eye. A wolfish grin spread across his face. He wasn’t at all concerned about their neighbor's murderous desires. Dominique had a lot of tension built-up inside of her that she needed to release.

Luna was sad because she had heard Ethan's side of the story, and it wasn't as bad as everyone thought. However, he won't let anyone know what happened to him.

Dominique leapt from the step, marching forward before he could even get close to her lawn. No one stopped her or even moved. Owen stood on the porch and smirked as she pounced on Ethan like an animal.

He lowered his hand, taken aback. "Uh, Domi—"

Dominique cocked her slender arm and slammed her fist into his jaw. The impact pushed him back four feet.

Luna's mouth dropped open.

Connor laughed.

Dominique took a deep breath as she spun around. “Okay. That was all I needed to do."

Luna watched her walk toward the front door and then flop into the armchair, shaking her hand.

"I promised her she could hit you at least once," Owen said, smiling. "I think she's good."

Luna stared at him and walked with the group inside the house.

Ethan staggered through the door, his jaw clenched. "All right," he said, wincing. "I earned that. I apologize for what I did to your brothers."

"You deserve much worse," Owen uttered. "Remember that."

Luna's eyes narrowed, trying not to cry in front of them.

Ethan looked around the room and nodded. Everyone's gaze turned to him. He appeared to be nervous, even scared. The hostility was palpable in the room.

He shifted his position so that his back was against the wall, then reached into his back pocket and took out a rolled-up piece of paper. "I suppose we should get this over with as soon as possible."

"We should," Connor said as he grabbed the paper from him. "What is this?"

"A map," Ethan responded. "The path we need to take is highlighted in red. It's a fire access road that will lead up to the Ramsey Sanitarium's back entrance."

"Wasn't Owen supposed to get us a map?" said Zoe, who sat quietly beside the front door.

Owen looked at her and said, "I wanted to, but the ones I found were outdated."

"Well, I got this one from Titus," Ethan explained. "It's from the last six months."

Connor unfolded the map on the coffee table. Owen peered over his shoulder, running his finger along the swaying red line. "How long will it take us to get to this forest?"

"About twenty minutes by car, but there's no way we're going to get a car up there unnoticed." Ethan took a tentative step forward, looking at Dominique, who was looking back. His right cheek was marked with a red mark. "We're going to run the rest of the way."

"How fast are we talking?" Amir inquired from his spot near the dining room door.

"As fast as inhumanly possible," Ethan replied. "We need to move quickly. Titus has given us fifteen minutes, and we can't sit in the park until ten. We need to arrive about five minutes early and get on this road as quickly as possible."

Luna sat back. Only once did she reach the speeds required for what they were discussing. That's when she had to flee St. Matthew's as fast as she could, and she was shot by a tranquilizer.

Connor lifted his head. "Can you do it, Luna?"

“Yes.” She was confident she could pull it off given the circumstances. Hopefully.

Dominique stood, shaking her head. "How fast can they really run?"

"Damn fast when necessary," Ethan said. "Come at me again, and I'll show you how fast I can run."

She chuckled. "I'm sure I'll catch you."

"Perhaps," he murmured, before adding, "We should practice all day today before leaving. We can't have anyone holding us back."

It took Luna a moment to notice he was speaking to her. "I'm not going to hold anyone back."

"Just checking." Ethan was still trying to maintain his badboy persona in front of the others. Amir had even snarled at him.

Luna quickly averted her gaze, refusing to go along with it. The fact that she was clearly the weakest link irritated her. Dominique or Zoe would have been better choices, but she knew she could pull it off.

"My wife is not your concern," Amir warned Ethan.

Connor stepped between them. “Okay. We know we have a long way to go, but you want us to stay where?"

Ethan folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "This should give you a running chance to get out if something goes wrong at the bottom of the access road."

"Nothing will go wrong," Zoe assured everyone. "We'll wait there."

"Of course," Connor said. "Everything will be fine, Zoe."

"I believe in you guys," she replied.

Ethan cleared his throat. "Anyway, Titus said there's an old factory at the bottom of the access road. We should be able to park the cars there without raising suspicion."

"That sounds promising." Owen took a step back, hands on his hips. A strand of hair fell forward. "Once we get there, we have fifteen minutes, right?"

Amir nodded. "According to Titus, the hybrid mafia leader, that's what we have."

"And Titus is trustworthy?" Connor inquired.

"I can speak for him," Ethan said.

Luna looked up. "Oh, such a glowing recommendation there."

His cheeks flushed. "He is reliable. He always follows through."

"Do you think there's enough time?" Owen asked Connor. "To get in there, grab everyone, and get out?"

"It should be." Connor folded the map and slipped it into his back pocket. "You'll get Kai, Ethan will get Jamal, Amir and Luna will get his family, and I'll get the kids and Layla."

Dominique rolled her eyes. "I still believe I should be there to get my family."

"We've talked about that, Domi," Owen said.

"You guys have to be quick," Zoe said.

"We will," Connor stated. "I was going to stay in the truck, but there are kids involved."

"All right then," Owen addressed the room. "We'll meet here at 1:30 p.m. today. Do you still feel up to it, Amir?"

He nodded. “Yeah. I've never felt better."

Luna squeezed his hand.

"There's only one thing we have to worry about," Ethan said. "If an alarm goes off, they have emergency doors that shut every so many sections. Those doors also have a defensive weapon. Stay away from the red lights. They're lasers, and they'll rip you apart."

The entire room was silent. That was a major issue.

Ethan grinned. "However, they shouldn't be a problem. We should be in and out with our group in minutes."

"All right," Connor said slowly. "Anything else to be concerned about?"

Ethan's head shook. "No, that ought to do it."

Dominique stated that she wanted him out of her house once the plans were finalized. He walked to the door and stopped, as if he was about to say something. But he then left. Their group split up, leaving Dominique and Owen behind.

Luna clasped her hands together. "I'd like to work on my speed. I mean, I know I'm fast, but I just want to practice."

Dominique took a deep breath and concentrated on the arm of the couch.

"We can do that." Owen nodded. "I could use the—"

A loud bang on the door was heard, and General Davenport poked his head in.

"I apologize for the intrusion, but I thought I'd let the Khans know that they have some people here who want to see them."

Luna and Amir's brows furrowed and looked around the room. Even Owen and Dominique were puzzled.

When the general opened the door wider, Luna was surprised to see Faisal, Cami, and Vikram standing on the porch.

"We got here as fast as we could before you two raided the facility. We almost had to hitchhike." Vikram took a step forward, smiling. "Man, it's so good to see you two. So good."

Faisal clapped his hands together. “Surprise! We weren't going to miss this for the world!"

• • •

Amir was stunned into silence. Luna was, too. Dominique and Owen were the only people who weren't staring at the three of them. General Davenport just stood there idly, his brow arched, waiting for everyone to say something.

And Cami was out of this world, breathtakingly beautiful. Her soft curls was pinned into a bun on top of her head, and her tear-stained eyes stared back at her best friend. There were no bruises or cuts on her body, and she looked great. Luna was too stunned by her presence to say anything.

Cami finally stepped forward and wrapped her arms around them.

"Whoa, now," Amir coughed, his words muffled by her hair. "It's great to see you, too."

"This isn't the first time we've hugged," she said, her voice thick. "I've missed you two."

Luna smiled as she stepped over to hug Vikram, and then to Faisal. Amir hugged his cousin and introduced him to Owen. Dominique came over to the girls and introduced herself. Cami then took a step back and looked around.

"Is this a military base or something?" she wondered.

General Davenport shook his head and replied, "No, it isn't. This is my family's plantation, and Dominique has assisted me in creating a safe environment for Tethered Souls."

She nodded. "Oh, okay. There are so many guards. That is why I asked."

"It's fine, Ms. Taylor. We'll get you all settled in as soon as possible."

"Thank you, General," Luna said. "Having your help means a lot to us."

He lowered his head and met her stare. "It's fine, Mrs. Khan. We'll make sure you guys have enough space and resources."

"Thank you, sir," said Vikram. "I'm sorry we came unannounced, but we had to get here fast."

The general gave a tight grin and proceeded to the doorway. "I just hope everything works out for you guys tonight. We've made space in our small hospital for anyone who needs it, and we have medical professionals on site. Every member of the military has received CPR and emergency aid training. So, if you need assistance, don't be afraid to ask for it."

"Will do," Vikram and Faisal agreed.

Vikram approached the others and joined in their conversation.

Then Luna meet their stare and asked, "So, where is everyone? Is Sarah with you?"

Faisal opened his mouth, but Vikram spoke up instead. "Sarah is with your parents, and they're on their way with Liberty and Colin in my Mercedes. We decided it would be best if just the three of us came here first, rather than bringing the others. Max and the guys are keeping an eye on things in Houston."

"You came all the way here for . . . for us," Luna stuttered.

"Of course." Cami squeezed Luna's shoulders. "We need to help you and Amir's family. He was sick, and we're here for the raid."

Amir stepped back, meeting his cousin's gaze. "I'm not sure about that, Faisal."

"What?" he murmured while the group was still at Owen and Dominique's house. "We're both going, and we'll get our family out. Okay?"

Amir nodded. "I . . . I don't want to lose you."

"And you won't," Faisal said, putting his hand on Amir's shoulder. "Everything will go as planned. By the way, what is the plan?"

Owen took a step forward, and opened his mouth. "Why don't the three of you come in and we can go over our strategy?"

"All right," Cami said, smiling at everyone.

Dominique came forward, greeting them. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I'm Dominique, and this is Owen. Welcome to our home."

• • •

Luna was covered in mud and sweating profusely later in the day. She'd done better than she'd expected, easily keeping up with Faisal and only falling about . . . three times. The terrain in the back of the community was treacherous.

She walked past Amir, and he swiped at her. She gave him a serious look, which he returned with a sly grin.

"You have filth on your face," he pointed out. "Sexy."

He looked perfect and hadn't even broken a sweat. Which concerned her. He was sick for days and he ran like the energizer bunny.

"Has he always been this annoyingly good?" she asked Faisal.

He nodded, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Amir is the best at this type of stuff—fighting, running, physical stuff. It doesn't matter whether he was sick or not. My cousin is a beast."

"You are good," she said to Amir, shaking the mud off her sneakers. "A little too good."

Both of them laughed.

Luna stuck her tongue out at Amir and returned to stand next to them. They were on the outskirts of the woods that led up to the infirmary. She took a deep breath and allowed the source of her abilities to rush through her. Her muscles tensed as the rollercoaster sensation returned.

"Get ready," Amir said, his hands curled at his sides. “Go!"

She pushed off and dug her feet into the ground before racing against the guys. As she gained speed, the air whipped around her. She kept her eyes trained on the ground and her surroundings now that she was aware of the dangers of rotted branches and stones. The wind pricked her cheeks, but it was a pleasant sting. That meant she was getting faster.

She darted around trees and under low-hanging branches, making them blur. She got ahead of Faisal by jumping over bushes and boulders. The speed ripped her hair out of her ponytail. Her throat tightened as she laughed. She forgot about their silly fight, the lingering issue with Chase and getting revenge on him whenever he woke up, and even what the crew had to do later that night.

Running as fast as the wind felt liberating.

Amir flew past her and his cousin, reaching the swamp ten seconds before the rest of them. It was difficult to slow down. Not at this speed. In seconds, you'd be falling into the ground and have mud all over your body. As she slid the last few inches, she dug her feet in deeper, kicking up sediment and loose rock.

Amir's arm shot out to catch her before she fell into the water. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and she laughed as she kissed his lips.

He smiled. "Your aura is radiant."

"Is it brighter than the sun?"

Faisal came to a halt, his hair falling off his brow. "Not exactly. The color is luminous. It's lovely."

He can see it?

"It's extraordinary." Amir's voice was thick. "But don't show it in public." When she nodded, he walked over to his cousin and clapped him on the back. "Why don't we take a break? We're probably thirsty, and even hungry."

"Are you sure, man? You've been sick and you'll need your strength for later," Faisal replied.

Amir nodded. "Yeah. I'm good."

Luna felt a surge of pride until she remembered how important tonight would be. She definitely didn't want to be the weakest link. "You should go with him. I'm going to run some more."

"Are you sure?" Amir asked her.

“Yeah. I want to run faster than you."

He chuckled. "It'll never happen, Moon." He walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek. "You might as well forget about it."

She jabbed his chest amusingly. "You're going to eat dirt one of these days."

"I can't wait to see that." Faisal smiled at Amir.

Luna's heart stopped when she saw the guys laughing, and she forced her expression to remain the same, despite seeing Faisal falter slightly. Unaware of the significance of the exchange, he brushed his hair back and walked toward the house.

"Race you at your place, cousin," Faisal said.

Go, Luna told Amir.

He gave her a quick smile before approaching both of them. "I'm ready when you are," he said.

"I swear, Amir, you're Superman," Faisal remarked. "You can be sick all you want and still do it all."

Like Amir didn't know that, but she smiled and felt warm and fuzzy as they joked and took off. She paused for a few moments to collect her thoughts before jogging back toward the road. If she was adding correctly, it took about five minutes at normal speed. She turned around and prepared herself once she reached the corner. Then she launched forward as her super-speed ability snapped.

It took less than three minutes.

She repeated it while timing herself.

The short trip back to the road took two minutes and thirty seconds. She ran continuously until her muscles and lungs were on fire, and the last-minute jog to the marsh took her forty seconds. She didn’t think it could get any better than that.

The strange thing was that her muscles were shaky but didn't hurt. She ran like she'd been doing it for years, from the front of the infirmary to the back of the community, and that was it.

She stretched, watching the sun filter through the trees and bounce off the murky water. Autumn wasn't far away. She pushed her hair back and tucked it behind one shoulder. That was assuming they all got out of Ramsey and rescued their people tonight.

She prayed that nothing would go wrong with their raid. People's lives depended on it.

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