∞ The Tethered Ones ∞

Chapter 54.2
(Extended Ending)

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• Amir •

"Enough!" Titus roared.

Amir was plastered against one side of the club the next second, and Zander was on the other, many feet above the ground. The Engineered Soul's expression was identical to his. Both guys strained against the invisible grasp, but neither of them could get free.

Titus stepped into the middle of the room. "Guys, I don't have all day. I have stuff to do. A nap I want to take before three. An episode of Doctor Who I've been dying to catch up on. And a goddamn Domino's coupon for a double pepperoni pizza screaming my name." He exhaled and turned to face Zander. "You'd feel a lot better if you two could sing 'Amazing Grace.' You should be mates."

"Don't I get a say?" Amir huffed out.

"Listen." Titus looked at Amir, his eyes furrowed. He looked to be much older than he'd ever been. "I read your mind. And you think I'm involved in Luna's kidnapping? You're mistaken."

Amir scowled. "And I should believe you just like that?"

"Do I actually give a shit whether you believe me or not? General Davenport abducted her. That man is a psycho."

"He has her stashed away somewhere. All I want is to find her."

"I warned you about placing all your eggs in one basket." Titus breathed deeply. "Davenport, a BARDA official, oversees Salvation Estate, which masquerades as a fun-loving community and a haven for Tethered Souls. Many of them exist all over the world and appear to be beautiful on the outside but have a darker essence on the inside."

The grip on Amir eased, and he slid down the wall, landing on his feet. As he stared back at Titus, he immediately felt betrayed. "How come you didn't tell us?"

"Because even if you knew what they were doing, both of you would have stayed in the community. It was secure. Luna and I had even discussed it, well, not the community, but what she had been keeping from you since Davenport granted her access to his thoughts." He took a deep breath and then continued. "Let me ask you a question. Would you kill to get her back if it came down to it?"

"Of course. That's my wife and the mother of our daughter you're talking about."

"Wait." Zander moved forward, his eyes focused on Amir. "If the general has taken your wife, you may not see her again," he said. "That man does some fuc—"

"You! Shut up! The adults are talking!" Titus fixed his shirt and looked forward. "Go to my office, Zander, and we'll finish talking about the favor you owe me."

Zander shrugged awkwardly, and a second later, he was standing on the floor, as charming as a viper.

Titus gave them both a sinister look. "I understand you two have some really crazy—big—issues, but guess what? You are not the only superhuman who is in distress. There are greater problems than what you're struggling with. Yeah, I know, it's breaking news."

Titus's head twisted toward him, and Amir couldn't believe he was in a room with a malevolent superhuman and not killing him—but The Being wasn't either. "You should be thankful that I like you, Zander," Titus said quietly. "I need to speak with His Highness for a minute. Can you please go do something? If not, perhaps you could help me by cleaning my bathrooms?"

Zander shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I have my issues." He turned back into the hall before pausing to look at Amir. "Catch ya later."

Amir sneered and turned away.

Titus turned toward him and folded his arms as he walked down the corridor. "Now, why is that you believe I know where General Davenport has your wife?"

Amir took a deep breath and told him that he had just left Luna alone for a few seconds at the hospital before receiving a call that she had been taken. Titus shook his head and gave a low whistle. "I'm sorry, man. Truly. If the general has her, there may be no—"

"Don't finish that sentence," Amir hissed. "She needs my help."

"I know, Amir."

"And she isn't lost to me. We managed to get everyone out of BARDA. You escaped. I can get Luna away from them."

"Hopefully." Titus looked up. "Tell me exactly what the man said. How did I get involved in this?"

So Amir described what the general had said, and Titus nodded slightly. "I believe I know where she might be located. If John was referring to my knowledge of a laboratory, there are two BARDA-owned facilities nearby."

Amir stepped forward. "Don't hold back. Tell me."

"Well, the first one is in the northeast section of New Orleans, and each shift has four guards and workers."

"Okay." Amir made a semi-circle with his hands in his hair. "What about the other location?"

Titus let out a breath. "It's a laboratory on the same property as St. Matthew's."

Amir became enraged and turned toward the wall, slamming his fist into it, and rattling the cages. "No!" he screamed. "What did that Zander guy mean about General Davenport? Did you know he was going to do this to us?"

There was a pause. "And if I did, what would you do?"

A bitter laugh snuck out. "I'd kill you."

"Understandable," Titus replied quietly. "But, I understand your frustration. Davenport throws on this charming act, pretending that the community is a haven for everyone who enters, but the reality is quite the contrary. BARDA is about to call in the big guns."

"Big guns?"

Titus ignored the question. "What do you want from me, given that you're not going to try to kill me? Do you want me to take the security down again? That's something I can do. You'll get something for nothing, and it'll be a suicide trip. They have her, and there is no telling how much damage has been done."

"I realize that."

He looked at Amir, puzzled. "Are you taking Davenport's bait and going after her?"

"Yeah."

"But that's exactly what he wants. To capture both of you."

"He has us in the community. That's what is confusing. He wanted us all along, so why kidnap her?"

Titus tsked. "That is true, but he couldn't do it in front of others. Whatever he wants from you, he has waited until the proper time. And the hospital in Covington was the location he'd chosen. This could be a personal attack with nothing to do with the organization."

Amir stayed quiet for a moment before returning his gaze to Titus.

He stared at him for so long that he feared the guy was having a seizure. "You truly wanted to kick my arse?"

Amir's lips twitched. "Yes," he admitted. "But later. Not now."

The teen shook his head. "Do you know what you're putting yourself into? This could all be a set-up to catch you off guard."

"I already know now." Amir folded his arms. "I know that once they get me, they'll want me to heal others or experiment on me."

"Have you ever had to witness people being tormented repeatedly? No? Chat with your family. Ask Ethan. He would tell you. He has even lost body parts as a result of it."

Amir didn't hesitate. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep her and Sarah safe."

"This organization isn't one to mess with," Titus reminded him. "If you and Zander could reach a mutual no-kill agreement for two seconds, he could tell you what he has had to witness for the lady he loves. Other things are happening over the world that will blow your mind."

"All the more reason for me to get Luna away from them."

"And how exactly are you going to do that?" he queried.

Amir's nostrils flared. "I'll show up with a bomb and detonate it once I make it."

Titus stared at him for a second, then burst out laughing. "That's a clever strategy. But, you are not the first to do so. For decades, facilities have been raided."

"Then, how did you escape, Titus? You must have done something to be free of them."

He cocked his chin to the side. "You don't want to know what I did. And you are not going to do what I did."

A shiver crawled down Amir's skin. He respected the hybrid.

"If I were a religious person like you, Amir, I would have thought twice about doing what I've done. But I spent almost my whole childhood in a facility in England. I'll never be able to go back, which annoys me, but that's the way it is."

Amir's gaze returned to him. "How come you can't go back home?"

"It's the same with you and Pakistan. You will never be able to return," he replied. "You're on their radar, and they've kidnapped your family. They got out of Ramsey because a group of you joined together to make it happen. You may have to make some sacrifices if you want Luna to escape them."

Amir pursed his lips and put his hands on his hips. "Then I'll do that."

"Okay." Titus took a step backward. "Well, I've got to take care of things, so . . ."

Amir shifted his attention to the office. "You're really partnering with the enemy?"

Titus's mouth twitched. "Tethered Souls and the engineered aren't all that different. You've both been deceived by the same organization."

"Ha! That's funny!"

Titus swore and lowered his chin. "Engineered Souls were specifically designed to be that way. They are the conduit for everything associated with the organization. And they are programmed to wreak havoc on all superhumans because they were created to defend themselves. Zander didn't want to fight you, but it was his natural reaction, just like it was yours. They were created in a lab, and you were born with abilities. Don't take it for granted."

He lowered his gaze, looking down at his hands.

Looking at Amir, Titus added, "BARDA's greatest weakness is their pride. Their desire to understand what cannot be understood. They need to maintain control over something that can never be controlled. Their drive to solve everything while interfering with free will. They're doing things against God, and I don't even believe in him. But I have faith in humanity. True humanity."

Amir nodded. "I just want everything to be over with. I want my family and I to be free of them and to be able to live comfortably."

"I'm sure you do. I feel the same way, man."

"Yeah." He started to turn away. "I'll go find Luna."

"Wait," Titus said, stopping Amir. "You came here for a reason. What exactly was it?"

Amir turned to face him, his head tilted to the side. "Haven't you realized it by now?"

Titus's tangerine gaze was drawn to his. "I have, but I'd prefer to hear it from your lips." He looked down the hall, then back to Amir. "BARDA's best defense is to keep the rest of the world in the dark about what they're up to. They require funding, influence, and authority over the lives of others. They've created a memory serum to keep that control, and without control, they have nothing."

Amir couldn't turn his head away from Titus, and he thought he was scary.

The hybrid smiled at that.

"Did you just read my mind?"

"Of course, Amir." His irises darkened. "Let me also inform you . . . They have their own 'Noah's Ark' underground. Two of each animal, species, males, females, superhumans, superhumans they've made, and much more. They're intending to unleash the Trojans soon, and they're programmed to shoot-to-kill with no remorse and no questions. They will be put through a simulation and not know what they're doing."

Amir's mouth dropped. "What . . . why . . . ?"

"Why, Amir? It's what BARDA is good at. Playing God and ridding the earth of whatever they don't want."

His heart pounded as he pictured all the innocent people who would perish in a war they didn't deserve. He grumbled at the thought.

"General Davenport has something I want, and I'm guessing it's where he has Luna," Titus said after a moment of silence.

Amir's eyes narrowed. He was never a fan of tit-for-tat. "What do you want from him?"

"I think I know where you should go. They have something called TS-12. That's what I'm looking for."

"TS-12?" His eyebrows furrowed. "Dr. Kim explained it to me. Why do you want it?"

"Eh, I want it," he murmured mysteriously, his bright orange eyes gleaming strangely. "Just get it for me, and I'll make sure your family is never threatened by the organization."

Amir locked his eyes on him. "I don't doubt your awesomeness, but you can't guarantee that."

Titus raised his brow. "You must seriously question my awesomeness, which you should not. I've been around for centuries, A, and I can't be killed. Believe me, I've tried to die countless times before, and the organization has made it impossible for me to do so. Same with other hybrids. That serum can cure me of my torment, and I'll finally be free of them and able to live peacefully." He smiled as Amir nodded. "I take it you understand where I'm coming from."

"Yeah, Titus. You're under their control even when you're not with them."

"Exactly. With that serum, I'll be able to start a family with my love. That's my dream with Nadia." His lips formed a grin. "So, without further delay, I'm calling in my favor. You get me what I want, and I'll keep you and anybody you want hidden for the rest of your lives. You wouldn't need any aliases as an added bonus."

Amir shook his head, laughing quietly. "That doesn't make sense to me. False names no longer carry much weight."

"I've had my club in Chalmette open for fifteen years since escaping from them, and I haven't been seen since. I have resources and know how to put them to use."

"I see that."

Titus's brows rose. "Can you do TS-12 for me? You won't be able to recreate it because it's difficult to formulate and took BARDA decades to develop."

Amir let out a breath. "I'll get it."

"Great." Titus clasped his hands together. "Now, please follow me."

"It only took us all afternoon."

He turned around and chuckled. "That's what happens when you play and not get down to business. Business first, fun later. Remember that."

Amir laughed, walking with him to the office. "Thanks for your . . . help."

"No need to thank me," he said, opening the door. "Let's just find her before it's too late. I'd hate to see anything happen to my 'Rogue.'"

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Psss . . . TS-12 was presented in the 'DNA' chapter. Things are gradually coming together and opening up a whole new world. Hopefully, Davenport has not wounded Luna. We'll see what unfolds.