∞ The Tethered Ones ∞

Chapter 56
(Extended Ending)

━━─── • ───━━━

• Luna •

Amir entered the room with his head bowed and eyes the color of brilliant golden orbs. Even in her state, Luna could sense the strength radiating from him. Not a supernatural ability, but one born of desperation and suffering.

He glared at John and swiftly disregarded him, hurling him into the wall like a remote control. Amir's eyes landed on hers and stayed. A wide range of emotions flashed across his face. She wanted to say something, but her body yearned to get closer to him. It was an unconscious action that brought the chemicals on the cuffs into closer contact with her skin. Her mouth opened in a quiet cry she trembled on the floor of the cage.

Amir charged ahead. He wasn't moving as quickly as he usually did. He grabbed the bars and growled as he yanked back. "What is this?" His attention shifted to his hands, then back to her. The sparkle in his eyes was shattered by pain.

"Phycyne with rubies and Hellion," John said. "A pleasant mix that does not sit well with superhumans."

Amir centered his eyes on him. "I'll destroy you."

"I don't believe you will." The general had moved back, signaling that he was not secure in his plans. "Chemnisol has been applied at every entry to this building. I can set them off if you use any power. I also have the key to Luna's confinement, as well as the handcuffs. And only I have access to any of it."

Amir let out a harsh growl. "Maybe not right now, but I will destroy you. Your life will be meaningless once I'm done with you."

"And you can bet I'll be prepared for that day." With an eyebrow cocked, John looked at her. "She's been in there for a long time. Maybe four hours. You understand what I mean. Should we proceed?"

Ignoring him, Amir squatted on the opposite side of the bars. Luna turned her head toward him, and his gaze was drawn to every inch of her. "Moon, I'm going to get you out of there. I promise you."

"As sweet as your declaration is, the only way you'll get her out of there is to do as I say, and we only have a limited amount of time . . ." He looked at his phone. "About fifteen minutes before the next round of soldiers arrive, and while I intend to release you both, they will not."

Amir raised his head, his jaw tightening. "What exactly do you want?"

"I need you to heal me."

He looked at John for a minute, then coldly laughed. "Are you nuts?"

The man's eyes narrowed. "I don't have to explain anything to you. She can fill you in. I want you to fix me. It shouldn't be difficult because you fixed her." He reached across the cage, his fingers curling around the bundle of chains. "I want to be healthy without the radiation and medication."

"I can't just dip my hands in Holy water and expect things to happen."

"I know how it works." He scowled. "I have to be injured. You must heal me, and I will take care of the rest."

Amir turned his head. "What are you talking about?"

John grinned as he gazed at her again. "That's something Luna can tell you."

"You'll fill me in right now," Amir snarled.

"Or not." When the general yanked on the chains, she buckled.

"John has leverage over you," Luna cried.

Her cry was nearly silent, but Amir sprang to his feet. "Stop!" he bellowed. "Release the chains."

"But you haven't even heard what I have to offer." Luna swam in agony as he held the horrible chains up.

She drifted out for a few moments before returning to see Amir at the front of the cage, his eyes wide and furious. "Release the chains!" he said. "Please!"

Luna's heart broke. Amir rarely begged.

She collapsed against the wall as John released the links. Her aches lingered, but it was nothing like it had been moments ago.

"That's better." John took a step closer to the cell where Dee-Dee had been. "This is my pitch. Mr. Khan, fix me and I'll give you the key to Luna, but I'm not stupid."

"Really?" Amir laughed.

The older man twisted his lip. "I need to make sure you don't come after me as soon as I leave here, which I'm sure you'll do once she's out of there."

"You know me that well?" Amir smirked proudly, and his stance shifted, mimicking his trademark swagger, yet she could tell he was wound tight. "I might have to rethink my strategy."

John exhaled a frustrated groan. "You will not follow me when I leave here. We have less than ten minutes to finish this, and then you'll have forty minutes, give or take a few, to get to the address I gave Luna."

Amir glanced at her. "Is this some kind of scavenger hunt? I absolutely can't wait to play."

What a snarky response. That was something she admired in him.

"Something like that." John approached him slowly, grabbing a pistol from his left pocket.

Amir just arched his brow as her heart sank.

"You'll have the option to leave when I let her out of the cell," he explained. "You may either come after me or get something you want."

"What? To go out and blow up every facility?"

John's cheeks were flushed with rage. "Faisal Khan."

Amir's arrogance had disappeared. He stepped back. "Excuse me?"

"Sorry. I didn't notice you farting."

Amir's eyes turned scarlet. "You bastard."

John laughed. "I've spent a lot of money to get him to where he is now." He gave a frigid smile. "He's shown to be useful. But you—you are stronger, and you can heal. That's good."

"For what you've done, I'd rather hunt you down and destroy every bone in your body," Amir said. "Rip your skin off your flesh gently and feed it to you for injuring my wife. But my family is more important to me than vengeance."

The general paled, visibly startled by his comments. "I was hoping that was your answer."

"You know, for this to work, you have to be harmed."

John nodded, retrieving a saw he brought out from behind him, and aimed it next to his leg. "I'm all set."

Amir appeared displeased. "I was hoping I'd get to do the dirty work."

"Not this time."

Luna diverted her eyes toward John. "Why the saw . . . instead of the gun?"

He snorted. "Being sliced isn't quite as bad as being shot. You're familiar with that feeling, Luna."

"If you want to be healed, I'd suggest you shut your trap," Amir growled.

What followed was truly awful. A part of her wanted to turn away from the pain, but she didn't. She watched as John carefully lowered the saw to his leg and sliced it into his flesh. Blood and puss flowed from his wounds, yet he made no sound. He never screamed. He'd just done his job, and that was the end of it.

She blacked out again, unable to bear the torture any longer. When she awoke, she noticed John unlatching the cage door. He approached her, strong and whole, and unlocked the cords above her. She almost screamed because the shackles slipped from her body.

His gaze locked on Luna's. "I suggest that you not tell anyone in the community about this. After all, it would jeopardize them. They don't know anything, and BARDA intends to keep it that way." He smiled, having achieved his goal. "Keep in mind, this never happened."

Like hell, it didn't.

He was out of the cell and the room. Luna was unsure how much longer they had left. It couldn't possibly be more than ten minutes. Her arms gave out as she tried to sit up. "Amir . . ."

"I've got you." And he did. He entered the cell with caution and helped her. "It's all over now, Moon. You are now free."

The healing warmth was in his hands, replenishing what little strength she still had. She could stand on her own by the time he got her out of there, and she gently brushed his hands off her. She knew Amir hadn't fully recovered after healing John. And there were soldiers on their way, with only a short time to reach Faisal.

"I'm fine," she said quietly. "It's okay."

He gripped her cheeks and planted his lips on her, making a loud moan in the back of his throat. She closed her eyes and relaxed into his touch. Both of them were gasping for oxygen as he pulled away.

"What did you do?" she asked, her voice quivering at the sound.

Amir leaned his forehead against hers, and she felt his half-grin brush over her lips. "Both partners must be willing for the healing to work, Luna. I wasn't fully into it if you catch my drift. Not to mention, he had to be dying or close to dying. The healing is unlikely going to work. At least not to the extent that John believes."

Despite everything, she laughed, the sound wheezing. "You're so cool."

"I thought you said I was odd," he murmured, his gaze traveling over her and his fingers threading through hers. "Are you positive you're okay? Your voice . . ."

"Yeah," she said quietly. "All I need are some cough drops."

"We'll get it for you."

"We?"

Amir nodded. "Yeah, Titus and Nadia are in the SUV. He found where you were."

Luna smiled in his embrace.

He kissed her again, gently and deeply, and took away the majority of the hours spent there, even though she was certain they'd stay for a while, sneaking up on her as most bad things do. But for a brief moment, they weren't in such a horrible situation, there wasn't this huge clock ticking over their heads, and she felt comfortable in her husband's arms. Cherished. Adored. They were both there. Two halves of the same molecule combined to create an exponentially larger force.

Amir groaned against her mouth, and then his lips curled into a soft smile. "Let's go find Faisal. He needs us."

• • •

Amir and Luna walked warily out of the building and toward the SUV. The sun was setting, and she was happy that they could leave peacefully.

"Amir?" Her voice was muffled in the crook of his neck. "I love you."

He lifted her off her feet while holding on to her. "And I love you, Moon," Amir whispered against her brow. "I was scared. I couldn't connect with you."

"It was the chemicals John forced me on."

Amir nodded, gazing into her eyes. Luna was happy that they had barely escaped what John Davenport had planned for them, and that it was now time to find his cousin.

"Just so you know, you are odd sometimes," she added, wincing and holding onto him. "But, I still adore—" What she wanted to say was cut short by a warning scream.

Time froze as they both spun around and sure enough, there was Sam, his blond hair flying in every way, wearing a wrinkled suit. He had a gun in his hand, but it wasn't a standard pistol. Instead, it looked to be a Glock that had been tampered with.

Something extremely deadly.

There was a brief time when her mind registered what was going on, Sam was still alive, and what was about to happen. Her stare met Sam's for what seemed like a century, and the anger in his eyes told her all she needed to know. He didn't intend to murder her; he intended to kill Amir.

No.

He wanted Amir because he was staring at him.

The gun was not aimed at her.

Sam grinned. "Surprise! Thought I was dead?"

The few seconds it would take to summon her energy source wasn't a risk she was willing to take. Her body wouldn't take . . . Amir was on the go before that thought had even been completed. His hands wrapped Luna's arms as she raised a hand, ready to use her power. As a spark of white energy blazed, he took her down, followed by a quiet popping sound.

Amir's gaze met Luna's.

Shouts erupted from a nearby house, and she heard a lady scream—a mix of horror and the kind of rage that took lives. A burst of energy, a quick shriek of distress, and the sound of Sam hitting the ground—shot in the head—were all heard.

After that, there was silence.

Luna stared down at the space between her and Amir's bodies. The front of her shirt looked odd as if it had been splashed with a scarlet paintbrush and . . .

"Moon . . ." he gasped.

It was not her blood.

But she had no idea what had happened. She hadn't even noticed it. How weird was that? Looking down at Amir, he was the one who was shot, and he stood in front of her to protect her.

Her back and chest were now on fire, sensing his pain.

"Amir?" she whispered.

Oh no.

Her lungs wanted to expand but became blocked. She didn't take her eyes away from him as he pushed himself off her, attempting to stand but failing. A pool of blood began to emerge from his mouth and fall to the ground.

Luna lay next to him, and he was on his back, and all she could see were his exquisite brown eyes—eyes that had become her entire life, maybe before she realized it.

But those eyes were wide with terror and shone in a way that made her want to reach out and hold him, but she couldn't. She'd been shot before, and it was a horrible experience.

Amir lifted his arm and traced the tips of his fingers across her cheek, but he couldn't keep it up. It was like dead flesh.

"Amir!"

He tried to answer, to say anything, but all his lips did was tremble. She wished she could hear those lovely words come from his mouth, but he couldn't speak.

She leaned over him, her lips so close to his, continually repeating his name, attempting to keep him awake.

But his eyes closed and his body trembled uncontrollably.

"Amir?" Her heart was beating into her ribcage, but it felt off—tired and weak. Fire traveled up and down her back, knowing she wasn't wounded.

Oh God, he can't leave us.

She slid her palm across his chest, crying out when her hand returned soaked in reddish-blue blood. "Keep your eyes open for me!"

Her name had been called. So was Amir's, but she didn't peek around to see what was going on. Her gaze was focused on him. His lips moved, yet the blood continued to flow at regular intervals.

This wasn't real!

This could not possibly be happening!

We hadn't survived what we'd been through, let alone escaping from two compounds and having Amir die this way.

"No! No! No!" She searched for the source of the wound, but he'd been shot in the back.

It wasn't just any old gun.

Amir's aura began to flicker, and horror punched her in the chest. She clutched his cheeks as her lungs struggled to take in air. His eyes refused to open. "Please, open your eyes!"

Her legs were shaking as she struggled to keep herself upright in a kneeling position, and then Titus and Nadia appeared. Luna couldn't help but remember that dreadful day in Dr. Kim's guest house when the tables had been turned and she was lying on the floor with a gunshot wound.

She ignored the pain raging through her body and the weakness crawling into her muscles, infiltrating her very essence, followed by coldness, and a death chill. Her strained heart jolted.

"Stay with me, Luna," Titus urged, standing next to her. "I took Sam out, but not before he shot his gun."

"Hey!" Nadia yelled, kneeling beside Amir's head. Her hands landed on his shoulders, attempting to wake him.

Luna's vision became hazy, but Nadia checked on her, too.

"Faisal . . ." Luna murmured. "Crescent . . . motel."

"We need help! Somebody!" She yelled.

Titus lifted Luna gently, but she shrugged him off, clutching to Amir's side with tears streaming down her cheeks. "What . . . do we do?" She couldn't take her eyes away as he flickered in and out, his dazzling glow dulling, and the chill grew inside her like cancer. "It wasn't your typical gun. It was one of those . . . weapons within BARDA."

"It's a new weapon they've been working on for a while." Titus raised his hands over her, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Dammit. We must confirm the bullet has exited Amir. If it isn't, then . . ."

As she slid down to his side, unable to hold herself up, the words sank in. One of her hands brushed against Amir's cheek. She couldn't get her tongue to cooperate anymore, and she was gasping for air. She put everything she had into getting to Amir.

Don't . . . abandon us. Oh God, please don't . . . leave me. I love you. I love you, Amir. Please don't let go. Please!

Titus swore under his breath as his attention shifted between Nadia and her. "Rogue, you're slipping . . ."

Luna didn't feel herself falling, but she found herself sprawled on her back, staring up at an orange tinge. It was a breathtaking scene, but her heart was aching. Her chest constricted and her entire body became stiff.

"Look at me, Luna," Titus said. "They're activating the Trojans. Now. Wake up."

Her body was slowly deteriorating as a result of the toxins used on her inside the storeroom. She couldn't even hear what he was saying.

No way, no how.

Sarah . . .

They were meant to have tonight and tomorrow, as well as many weeks and months, but they didn't even have another second. Her face was saturated, and her heart was slowing. The world began to fade away.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

Stay.

Luna's heartbeat stayed synchronized to Amir's until his slowed, then stopped, and her reality faded away as her pulse became weaker.

Then she fell into darkness, into her mind's darkest pits, into an Elysium with her husband and their daughter.

To be concluded...

• • •

• The Tethered Ones •

Yeah, I know this isn't the expected ending to Book Two, but the good news is there will be a Book Three. So . . . This chapter contains the title of the first chapter of the next installment. "Elysium." The sequel was a thrilling continuation, but the next book contains even more twists, turns, thrills, chills, characters, locations, betrayals, drama, and, my personal favorite, resurrections. Yay! Book Two is complete.

The Tethered Trilogy
Book One — Tethered Souls
Book Two — The Tethered Ones
Book Three — Tethered