∞ The Tethered Ones ∞

Chapter 50

━━─── • ───━━━

• Luna •

For the first time, everyone sat together on Dominique and Owen's porch for lunch. The cheese sandwich and potato chips on Luna's plate had nothing to do with her lack of appetite.

"Have you decided where you're going to eat tonight?" Connor asked Luna.

She nodded. "We might go to Pizza Hut. I miss their stuffed crust."

Ethan scowled. "I think you should wait."

"Why?" she asked before Amir could snap his head off his shoulders. "I don't even remember asking for your opinion."

"You need to get used to touching the hisyl, not have a date night."

Zoe agreed with him. She had no idea what Amir and Luna had planned.

"You have a lot of work to do," Ethan added.

Amir looked at him. "You're not our guardian, so shut up."

He leaned on the table, his cheeks flushed. "If you want to do this raid before New Year's, we need to build up a tolerance as soon as possible. Date night can wait."

Luna snarled and threw down her sandwich. "It's not really up to you, now is it?"

Amir's jaw flexed. "It won't hurt if we miss one evening."

Ethan began to protest, but Owen intervened. "Stop interfering with their business, Ethan. We'll be fine."

"Yeah. Amir and Luna have been through a lot together. I hope everything goes well tonight," Dominique commented.

"I want to take Liberty out when she gets here," Vikram said. "But I'm sure I could throw something together in the park."

"Ooh. That sounds nice. I'll help you." Cami smiled.

"Date nights should be the least of anyone's concerns," Ethan continued, and Amir nearly reached over and slammed his fist in the guy's face. He just wouldn't stop.

"I guess since Ethan doesn't have my brother here, he feels like he is missing out, huh?" countered Dominique.

Ethan went quiet as everyone continued eating their food.

Luna picked up her chip, feeling her cheeks flame. Everyone thought she needed to get away and take some downtime, and she didn’t want them worrying about her. But tonight wasn’t date night. What she and Amir had to do was going to be as tricky as playing with hisyl.

As if Amir sensed her dark thoughts, he twisted beside her and his hand found hers on the bottom step. He squeezed and for some reason, she felt like crying. She was turning into such a wuss and it was all his fault.

There was so much that could go wrong, but she had a hunch that they would get the answers they needed. She trusted that Titus would tell them all they need to know and that BARDA wouldn't catch them. She hoped that would be the case.

• • •

Luna was fixing her blouse while Amir was getting dressed. The others were down by the lake, either putting themselves through unbearable pain or simply watching it.

He strode up to her, his gaze fixed on the tiny flash of skin . . . and something shifted across his face. "I prefer this outfit."

"Really?" Luna felt exposed when he looked at her as if she were a work of art specially commissioned for him. "I was under the impression you liked the tights."

"I do. I'm still not over those tights, but this belt . . ." He yanked on her belt loop and made a deep sound in his throat. "I'm really into this."

A dizzying warmth washed over her, weakening her knees. "I take it Daddy is itching to rip this outfit off of me?"

He nodded. "You have no idea how badly I want to do that . . . Mama. I can't wait to get this over with and come home to you."

She smiled and patted his butt.

"I liked that," he murmured. "It felt good."

He shook his head and reached into his pocket for his keys. "We need to get going. Connor's truck is cleaned. Are you hungry?"

It took her a moment to calm down. "I'm thinking about getting a Wendy's Happy Meal."

He laughed as they walked out the door. "A Happy Meal?"

"What's wrong with that?" She pulled her denim jacket on. "It's perfect."

"Admit it, you want the toy."

She grinned as she stopped on the passenger side, and he opened the door. "I thought about Sarah. She loves Happy Meals toys."

He jerked his head around, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her up against him. She dropped her purse and groped his arms, startled.

"What is this—?"

With a kiss that penetrated deeply within her and both pleased and terrified her, he hushed her. It was as though he was reaching for her soul when he kissed her.

It was ironic because he already had both of those things in his hands.

Slowly, he let her slide down him and set her on her feet. She stared up at him, dazed. "What was that for?"

"Sarah." His fingers traced along her cheek, then down her throat. He quickly buttoned her coat. "You think about her as much as I do. I can't wait to be her Papa."

She smiled. "And she can't wait to see you, either."

"Has there been any word on your family's status?"

"Yes, Vikram said he spoke with Colin this morning, and they were at Mera's house. She lived in the southeast section of New Orleans and offered them a place to stay if they arrived late."

He nodded. "Are they planning to come here?"

"They are on their way, but Colin will wait until he hears from Vikram. I believe it's a security measure or something. Probably to make sure everything is okay here, especially after the incident with Lily."

He moved in and lightly kissed the corner of her mouth. "We'll go see them soon. You ready?"

Taking her purse, she hopped into the truck on wobbly knees. Amir revved the engine and began driving into town, stopping at the local Wendy's for her Happy Meal.

He also got a boy one for himself.

They began the journey to Chalmette with a game of Spot The Car, but Amir cheated, and she refused to play any longer.

His belly laugh was a satisfying sound. "How can someone cheat at Spot The Car?"

"You keep spotting cars that I can't see." She fought back a grin at his offended expression. "Or we pass by a vehicle so quickly, and then you call out their model, not giving me enough time to see it."

"There's a Little Tike car ahead," he said, grinning. "I'm sure you'll notice it this time."

"Shut up." She smacked him on the arm. She was desperate to find another game after a few moments of silence. This nonsense was keeping her mind blank. They moved on to the I Spy game, and he kept picking things that began with the letter C.

Car. Church. Cat. Chest.

He was fiercely competitive.

They were on their way off the exit before they knew it, and neither of them was in the mood to play. "Do you think Titus will see us?"

"I'm sure he will."

Luna gave him a look. "We just have to get around the big bad."

His mouth twitched. "Oh, Moon, see, I have electric fingers, and I can simply zap the bouncer into the next yard."

"What?"

The grin spread. "He has nothing on me. The bouncer will not be a problem. He liked me last time."

"Ugh. There you go, cracking jokes."

Amir steered the truck around the bend. "I believe he liked me, really liked me."

"And how is that going to get us what we want?"

He winked at her. "Maybe there's a sucker in here that I could give him. I'll sweet talk him."

"Your ego is at its peak." He chuckled, and she added, "If you want someone to have a sucker, it should be me."

"You don't need a sucker, Moon."

She scowled, then laughed.

From what she could remember, the bouncer appeared to want to kill Amir. And even Ethan. She sat back, shaking her head, and began nibbling on her last fry.

The abandoned building loomed ahead. She gripped the door handle as the Diesel bounced over the uneven road. Cars lined the field in front of the club, as expected. Amir parked the truck in the same spot as before.

She knew she shouldn't wear her coat this time. It was wrapped around her purse and placed on the floorboard. They walked around the vehicles. She paused at the first row and threw her hair over her head, shaking it out.

"You remind me of one of those Hard Rock ladies," he said.

"What?" She ran her hands through her hair, hoping for a sexy look rather than the "I just got out of the bed" look.

"All you have to do is start climbing on the hoods. That'll be sexy."

She rolled her eyes and straightened up, shaking her head again. "Done."

He locked his gaze on her. "You're breathtaking."

"And you're odd." She stood up and kissed him on the cheek before teetering through the knee-high grass.

The lumberjack bouncer, still dressed in his overalls, appeared out of nowhere. Arms the size of a barrel folded across his chest. "I thought I'd never see you two again."

Luna smiled. "I take it that you missed us?"

The bouncer smirked. "You weren't supposed to ever come back."

Amir stepped forward. "We need to see Titus."

"I, too, need a lot of things in life, and I sometimes can't get them."

Oookay. Luna cleared her throat. "We won’t be here long, but please, we really need to see him."

"Sorry," the bouncer said.

Amir tipped his head to the side. "Is there something we can do to convince you?"

Oh, man, please tell me he wasn’t . . .

The bouncer looked like he had just exploded in his pants when Amir smiled.

The bouncer's cell phone rang, and he took it from his front pocket before she died of embarrassment. "Sup?"

He used the opportunity to elbow Amir.

"What?" Amir said, glancing at Luna. "You can't tell me it wasn't working?"

"Let's make this as painless as possible."

He chuckled.

The bouncer smiled. "I ain’t doin’ much. Just talkin’ to an idiot and a pretty woman."

"Excuse me?" Amir said, surprised.

Luna choked on her spit.

There was a toothy grin, and then the bouncer sighed. "Yep, they’re here for ya." There was a pause as he met her stare. "Are you Rogue?"

She gulped and then nodded.

When Amir turned to her and mouthed the nickname, her nerves froze.

He hung up the phone. "Titus will see you. Go in and go straight to him. No sex on the dance floor. Not tonight."

Awkward.

She lowered her head and slipped past the bouncer. He stopped Amir at the door and peered over her shoulder.

The bouncer winked at him as he handed him what appeared to be a business card. "Neither of you is normally what I go for, but I like what I see."

Her mouth dropped open.

"I'm glad you and that douche aren't together anymore. No offense, but he doesn't fit in with you guys."

She realized he was talking about Ethan.

Amir smiled as he took the card and opened the door. "Told you," he said to Luna.

She stepped in through the doorway, whispering, "You do realize what that was about, don't you? He assumed we were in a three-way agreement with Ethan."

"This place is too strange."

"This is the south, honey. People get wild down here."

They both turned and focused on the club. Nothing had changed since the last time. The dance floor was packed. Cages hung from the ceiling, swaying from the movements inside. The heavy beat made people grind. A strange world is hidden in the midst of normalcy.

But she was still drawn to the club. It was the floor that brought her and Amir to life.

A tall man stood at the door of the shadowy corridor for them. Utah, the dark-haired Trojan they'd met before. He nodded to Amir, opened the door, and stepped back.

Luna expected to see Titus sprawled on the couch, fiddling with his iPad like the last time, so she was surprised to find him at the desk, pecking away at a laptop, his face screwed in concentration.

The stacks of hundreds weren't there.

Titus didn't raise his head. "Have a seat." He made a businesslike motion toward the nearby couch.

Luna followed Amir and sat beside him. A tall red candle in the corner diffused the scent of roses throughout the room. That was the extent of the decoration.

"I heard you didn't get far at Ramsey the last time." He folded his hands under his chin and shut the laptop. His silver strands cascaded over his shoulders.

"There was a major hiccup," Amir said as he leaned forward. "Did you know anything about the chemicals?"

The hybrid, the tiny mini-boss, kingpin of the mafia, or whatever he was, became eerily still. The atmosphere was tense. Luna waited for a bomb to go off, but nothing happened.

"I warned you about being their guinea pig again," he said. "It's not surprising that they have additional security. I even forewarned you about it. But I believe Ethan is on the right path. Everything is, indeed, encased in a special material, as he claims. Perhaps most of us developed a tolerance to the hisyl shards. Chemnisol is new to the organization and wasn't present when they had me under their control."

"What if the spray has nothing to do with either of them, Titus?" Luna asked, her skin tingling with an icy sensation.

His tangerine gaze shifted to her, focused. "And if it isn't? You will still try again. It's still a risk, and every obstacle has risks. You're lucky to have escaped St. Matthew's and Dr. Kim's, and now you want to go into an even bigger stronghold that is no match for you. You got out of there just in time before anyone noticed what had happened. You get to live in the outside world, while the people inside do not."

Talking to Titus was strange for Luna since, although having the demeanor and speech patterns of an educated adult, he didn't look like one. Not right now, at least. "Yes, we are," she said. "Our people are in there."

"But knowing all the dangers ahead seem fair?" His long lashes lifted. "You're playing with fire, Luna."

In her head, Titus whispered, 'Rogue.'

Amir hunched beside her. "How come I get the impression you're keeping something from us?"

Titus's lips formed a half-smile. "There's a lot about BARDA that you don't know. Nobody knows. Even the people inside don't know. All you have to do is be ready for whatever they throw at you."

"That doesn't sound ominous," muttered Luna.

He snickered. 'It was supposed to be a warning, Precious.'

'Get out of my head, T-Virus.'

He laughed. 'I like that name. I want another one.'

She groaned, and Amir caught her stare. "My stomach was hurting. I'll be okay."

'Sure, Darling.'

'Hush. I'm already doing a nickname challenge with my husband. No need to do it with you.'

Titus smiled at her. 'Come on, Love. You had a road game with him earlier. Games are fun.'

"Well, you two came here for a reason, so let's hear it." Titus shifted his legs.

Amir's face was filled with annoyance. "An unstable Trojan, or so we believe she is, attacked Luna."

"Unstable people, Trojan or not, do that."

Luna responded with a snappy retort. "True, but this woman was a friend of mine. She was fine until a week ago when she went insane."

"You're certain she wasn't someone who needed to be in the loony bin?"

What a little brat.

Luna took a deep breath. "I understand that, but this was completely unexpected."

Titus sat back in his chair, his legs kicking up against the desk. He crossed his legs at the ankles. "I'm not sure what to say to you. Some Tethered Souls are unable to cope with their changes and end up doing the opposite of what they intended. But it is possible that she was a Trojan that they activated. The organization is just that devious."

"No, there must be some explanation for Lily's outburst," Luna said. She knew there had to be some evidence of how her friend became so destructive.

Titus shrugged. "What happened to her?" His tone was colored by curiosity.

Luna clenched her fists, her breath caught in her throat. "She just . . ."

"Ah," Titus nodded. "She did the disappearing act?" The expression on her face must have sufficed as an answer because he sighed sadly. "Horrible. I apologize for what happened to her. BARDA messed up her life."

Amir grimaced. "I'm afraid to find out what they did."

"The chemicals they used on her must have caused her to become self-destructive." He made an explosion by bringing his fingers together and then expanding them. "Trojans—at least, that's my theory, and it makes sense if you think about it—most of them stay inactive until they're commanded to explode. She was supposed to take you down with her, not with her hands, but with the bomb, they'd planted inside her head." Titus finished with a stern look at Luna. "The occurrence is uncommon outside of the facilities. They'd been following her for a long time."

All of this was interesting and a little disturbing to consider, but it wasn't why they were here. "A bracelet was on my friend's wrist—"

"Kay's Jewelers?" he smirked.

"No." She tightened her smile. "It was exactly like the one you have."

Titus's face was washed with surprise. The little twerp sat up straight and dropped his legs to the floor. "That's a problem."

As Amir closed in on him, chills ran down Luna's spine. "What's the problem?"

He appeared to be debating whether or not to discuss it before responding, "Oh, what the hell. I hope you realize how much you'll owe me." He rubbed his stone with his finger. "It's a blue Tanzanite, and very few of these have been discovered. And this one came from a unique mine."

"The ones with the fire in them?" Luna inquired, leaning forward to get a better look. It did resemble a dark blue orb with a flame inside. "Where do some of them come from?"

"In general, on any island with mines. Something in the composition of a blue or purple Tanzanite acts as an ability enhancer. You know, like when video game characters get when they touch or obtain the correct item. Imagine that sensation. That is exactly what this gem does."

"What's in it?" Amir asked, eyes sharp with interest.

Titus unhooked the bracelet and held it up in the dim light. "Tanzanites can conceal a person's special ability. You can see my hand now, but when I put it on, you can't. It's as if my entire arm has vanished."

"No way," Amir exclaimed.

Luna was still perplexed by the whole stone and illusion thing.

"Very." Titus smiled at the stone, as a father does at his prodigal son. "I'm not sure who found it. Someone in BARDA, I'm sure. They kept it away from superhumans once they discovered what it could do. Unless they need one of us."

"I see why," Luna said. "Everyone with a skill would love to get their hands on one of these."

"This is pretty cool," Amir said quietly.

Titus's eyes twinkled. "For superhumans, the stone alters their direction and speed. Our friendly neighborhood Tethered Souls were born with telepathy—well, they can develop more over time, but the bottom line is that each was given a lifetime partner. Give a pair of these bad boys and you get my drift."

"So, tanzanite can boost a pair's abilities?" Luna asked, still trying to keep up.

Titus grinned. "Individuals, too. You don't always have to be with your partner." He wrapped it around his neck, and his head was gone.

Luna trembled. "So the stone can make a person go nuts? It causes them to whirl and go insane?"

He gave a nod. "While holding Tanzanite, superhumans of all creations can become more balanced, but it can also make them stronger and more powerful."

"Wow, and the balance—wow." Amir smiled, taken aback.

Luna grasped the concept of being more powerful. Sure, super speed, easier access to her electric