∞ The Tethered Ones ∞

Chapter 4

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• Luna •

Faisal's nostrils flared as he stared outside the window. Luna didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, but she had to tell him. He had to know that since Amir doesn't remember her, he most likely won't remember him.

But she also realized maybe she was wrong.

She could still feel the same tingling feeling she had when she was close to him, and maybe, just maybe, all hope wasn't lost. Maybe Amir hadn't lost everything in his past. She just hoped he had a piece of his childhood still in him, and it irritated her more than anything not to find out. Both of them were watched every second of the day, and seeing him privately wasn't an option.

"You're telling me my own cousin, who's my flesh and blood, may not remember me?" Faisal's voice was soft, almost fragile as if his heart broke. Perhaps his heart shattered.

"I'm not . . . I'm not one-hundred percent sure. I haven't gotten to speak to him."

"They are wrong for that. This whole organization is barbaric." He clenched his fists so hard that his nails cut into his skin.

"I could be mistaken. Amir remembers his faith. That's something . . . right?"

His jaw dropped, and his body didn't move. The color drained from his face as he looked back at her. "What?"

"I saw him praying earlier."

A tear slid down his cheek, landing on his chin. "He . . . he remembers . . ."

"Yeah," she said. "So far, he hasn't lost his beliefs or his education. They're making him conduct whatever project they want to be developed and using him. He doesn't realize it."

"Damn," he mumbled, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "It's bad enough he forgot his wife and daughter, and now they're treating him like a lapdog. This is insane."

"I know," she murmured, narrowing her eyes. "Amir is in deep, and pulling him away won't be easy. They have a stronghold over him."

Turning around, he asked, "Do you believe he will come back to you?"

That was the question of the hour. 

Luna was hopeful Amir will remember her. She needed to talk to him and find out everything he knows. But many people were keeping an eye on her, and coming up with a strategy to see him proved more difficult than she'd imagined.

"It seems like I've missed a lot," said a deep voice from behind her. Her nerves skyrocketed as she turned around and peered at who the voice belonged.

Vikram strode forward and extended his arms out to give her a soft hug. Tall and muscular, he had a Dallas Cowboys cap over his dark-colored hair, making him look like a red-blooded Texan. "I didn't mean to scare you," he said, taking a glance at Faisal.

They locked eyes on one another, something she was sure they'd been doing a lot of during the past several days, and she stayed still on her bed. "I wasn't expecting to see you." 

He chortled. "I see how it is."

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I was just . . . surprised."

"I know." Taking a seat beside her, he crossed his arms. "Since Faisal connected to you, I thought I might as well join in on the fun."

She laughed. "I'm glad you're here. Why can't I see where you are?"

"That's because of the home we're in," Faisal explained, stepping away from the window. "There are domes settled in the corners of the walls. Plus, we have our rings on."

"We stay well-protected here. Since we know what we're dealing with, we're strategizing a way to bring both of you here," Vikram told her, catching her gaze.

That didn't sound possible. At least it was something. An ache formed around her temples, and Faisal went back to staring outside.

"What's exactly going on with Amir?" Vikram asked.

"Chase erased his memories," Faisal stated, glancing over his shoulder. "None of us know the extent of what he remembers. He probably doesn't know who I am." He placed his hands on his hips. "What if he never remembers his childhood? Or his family? I can't imagine what's going through his mind." 

Moaning, she rubbed her temples. Luna never realized how much of a monster her ex truly was until he actually showed her — throwing her into an inhumane hospital, and now, into the lion's den with him, all to keep her under his control.

Vikram shook his head. "Don't think like that, man. We'll figure something out. Let's focus on what's at stake. We can't connect to Amir and Luna as often as we'd like. How we let them get caught fathoms me, but is that important right now? We have a few implants inside this organization. We'll always be one step ahead."

Luna's eyebrows arched. "You think it'll be that easy?" 

"I have faith we'll stay ahead of them. Colin has a contact entrusted by Dr. Kim, and the doctor doesn't know about it. He's easily fooled," he said. "You need us, and there are Tethered Souls out there who are seeking justice for what's happened to them. Our army of people is growing by the minute."

That ache returned to her chest. "Sometimes I wish we had never exposed ourselves. Chase would not have captured us." 

Nobody replied, but the unspoken words were loud and clear as if they had spoken. If their group were captured, it wouldn't have been pretty, and it would've sucked. But Amir would've kept his memories, and many innocent people wouldn't be captured every day. The world would not have gone down the toilet like it had. And there was nothing she or anyone could do to change what happened. This was the world they now lived in. Hunted. Scared. Hiding.

"You look tired," Vikram murmured, glancing at Luna. It took her a second to realize he was speaking to her. 

Faisal then turned his gaze toward her. "You look like crap." 

Gee. Thank you, Faisal. Just what every woman wants to hear. 

"I'm glad you guys admire my appearance. At least someone does."

"We didn't mean it like that," Faisal said. "Maybe you should rest. Vikram and I will take turns looking after you." 

"No." She stood up and shook her head. "It's okay. I'll be fine. I just have to . . ."

The reality of her predicament was far from being fine. She was one step away from going to the dark side and wreaking havoc inside the house, but she knew she couldn't do that. She was not going to give in and blow her chances of escaping with her husband. Not when he didn't have his memories. Not when there was a world of people who were hunted. Their world had quickly turned into a dystopia, like the novels she had read. 

Faisal placed a hand on her shoulder, distracting her from her thoughts. "Would it help if you got to see Sarah?" 

Surprised, Luna glanced around as she was now standing in the cabin everyone was staying in. When she peered her gaze into an opened threshold, the guys stood on the side of her as they watched Liberty lay on a large bed with her eyes closed. What brought a tear to Luna's eyes was seeing her daughter walk through the doorway and hop into the bed next to her aunty, throwing an arm over her waist.

"What have you told Sarah?" Luna asked. "Does she ask about her parents?"

Both men exchanged looks.

"She knows Chase is looking out for you," Faisal said. "Matthew told her that yesterday. We have since instructed her to keep her ring on her at all times."

She swiped her cheek. "She doesn't need to take it off. Ever." Sniffing, she turned toward them. "Speaking of Chase, do you want to know something that happened between us the other day?"

"What?" the guys asked at the same time.

"I kicked his ass. This intense anger flushed inside of me and I couldn't control myself. I swung at him, hard, like he was a punching bag."

Faisal gaped and then laughed. But Vikram gasped.

"What exactly did you do to him, Luna?" he asked.

"When my eyes locked on his, I felt my brain click off and I started swinging. I wasn't listening to anyone or anything. All I wanted to do was hurt him. My need for revenge took over, and I'd ended up unleashing an ability I have."

"What kind of ability?" Faisal asked her.

"Telekinesis." Both of their eyes bulged out of their sockets. "I've always been able to move things with my mind, but I needed a catalyst to help unlock it. Throwing Chase against the wall like a rag doll felt . . . exhilarating. I'll make sure he stays down next time. He ain't no match for what I can do."

"Wow, I didn't think you had it in you," Faisal said, grinning wildly at her. "Amir would be proud of you. Hell, even I am."

Luna frowned a little. She wanted him to remember the love they shared.

Vikram hopped up and turned around. "Was that the only ability you unlocked?" Luna nodded. "Damn. We've got to get you away from here as quickly as possible before they do more damage to you."

Faisal cleared his throat. "What do you mean?"

"They're preparing Luna to be some sort of weapon. She's able to become darker at any moment, and they know it," he replied, his voice cracking. "Telekinesis is a dark power. You could easily lose control."

"No. I'll fight it," she said, wiping a tear. "I won't let them win."

"I believe you can control yourself." Faisal patted her on her shoulder. "We just need to get both of you out before they have their chance to make you do something worse. We don't want to lose you."

She shivered as her eyes traveled around the large arched windows and polished brown walls of the cabin, a kaleidoscope of memories adorning them. The home felt safe, but nowhere was safe enough. "Are you sure you can trust the owner?"

Vikram nodded. "He won't turn on us. His name is Max Gardner, and he was raised in Dallas, Texas. He's a friend of mine, and his partner is Sloan's sister. Her name is Vera, and she's kept in a facility in China. Sloan's partner, Zan Chao, is our implant. Their other partner, Maria Lopez, is from Puerto Rico, and she's with us. Sloan is being brought to St. Matthew's, with other patients from the Swedish facility."

Luna swallowed. "That place is still operating?" Vikram nodded. "But I thought all the prisons, jails, and facilities around the world were evacuated and shut down. That's what I was told."

"They were evacuated. But only to be transferred to other compounds. Mostly in underground facilities, and there are about twenty of them," Vikram explained, and the ache in her chest came back. "That's why we need to get you out before it's too late."

"Too late?"

"Once you're underground, Luna, none of us will be able to detect you, much less connect to you," he said. "You'll be surrounded by lead. We can't let that happen, and we certainly can't let you harness your dark side entirely. You'll lose everything you ever held dear, and they'll make you a killer in an instant. Killing somebody is the only way to activate it, and people are expendable to them. Even you are."

She exhaled a deep breath as they cut off their connection and left her room.

Walking to the window, she folded her arms over her chest and stared at the cumulus clouds darkening into tight thunderheads. She couldn't believe what Chase and Dr. Kim had planned for her.

They'd make me a killer in an instant?

She shook her head.

Their conversation had taken a toll on her. She wanted to tell them what she learned about The Tethered Species and how they never get sick. But she figured she'd explain that at a later time. Right now, she needed to stay strong and put up with whatever crap was thrown at her.

She knew it was going to be a lot.

She knew they will test her to her limits.

And she wasn't going to let them win. They will not have power over her.

Bored, she shuffled to the bed and pulled down the maroon blanket. Pressing her back against the brown headboard, she tucked her legs to her chest and tugged the blanket forward, fixating her gaze on the door.

She was nauseous and teary-eyed to her very core. Her eyes were heavy, and her mind was drained. The idea of sleeping scared the ever-loving crap out of her. What if someone had entered her room while she slept? That was high on her concern list, and she didn't trust anybody, well, except for her husband. But he didn't recognize who she was, so she couldn't trust him, either.

That killed her.

Thinking about the beautiful person he was, she didn't have to piece him together because his soul was perfect. His cheekbones with the facial hair he'd always trimmed after it grew out, and his sweet lips that were full and expressive when he smiled, made her heart skip a beat. Just thinking about his beautiful eyes staring into hers made her heart do a trippy dance. She was grateful that her memories of them weren't erased. They needed to stay intact.

He had a masculine quality about him that made him seem like something out of a romance book, and she had missed reading books with him. Especially when he'd read books in Urdu. She loved and appreciated Amir's mother tongue.

Amir could seem like a tough man on the outside, but underneath all that metal armor, he was admirable, courageous, protective, and selfless. When it came to her, he wouldn't mind facing the dangers and complications together. He'd jump into a fiery hole if it meant she was at the bottom. He'd want her safe, and that's what mattered.

The life she wanted to live wasn't an option, and tears had found their way out of her tightly squeezed eyes.

She wanted to hold back, but she eventually had broken down in pieces, silently willing away the messy, raw emotions from creeping up her spine.

She knew he was somewhere in the house and had even felt the same familiar tingling a moment ago. It had died off after a second, but she could still feel it on a cellular level.

Crawling out of bed, she hurried into the bathroom and closed the door. Glancing toward her right, she spotted a door and tried the knob. Locked. Hoping he might be in the other room, she knocked. "Amir?"

Nothing.

Tears welled up as she flattened her palms against the cool wood. Did she really believe he'd be on the other side? But then again, she hadn't explored the entire house yet. She didn't know what to expect, and it could be a storage closet.

With her luck, he would be sleeping — The door opened, and she tumbled forward. Strong arms and a large chest caught her before she toppled over.

"Whoa . . . "

She looked up, heart pounding. "Amir?"

A small grin appeared, his eyes sparkling. "Hi, Luna. What are you doing?"

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