The older man hesitated. “We lost the ability to make more of them a long time ago. We haven’t been able to replicate what the doctor who created them did. Every attempt has failed. It is faster to deal with their reproductive issues than to start from scratch to try to replicate how they were created. We tried that for years and couldn’t do it. If you enjoy getting paid we have to figure this out. When Mercile got busted, all their assets were frozen. We’ve nearly run out of the money we transferred out before that happened. We’ve had to turn to more creative ways to make money off them and figuring this out is a priority.”

“Wouldn’t they be weaker if you breed them with regular bitches?”

“No. They have very aggressive and dominant, engineered genes. They will come out fully engineered just the way we made them to be if we can breed them with humans.”

“Cool.”

“Cool is if we can work out the problem and get this one to impregnate her. We’ll be able to breed our remaining males to regular woman and have hundreds of products within the first year. Think of the profit margin and how quickly we can replace the ones lost. We’ve learned a lot over the years and won’t make the same mistakes with the younger ones. The newborns will be trained from birth to take orders.”

“Way cool.”

“It’s more about survival. We’re probably all wanted by the police and unless you want to flee to some third-world country to sell trinkets to tourists, you better get on board fast to make this work. This is going to keep a paycheck coming your way.”

“Damn.” Mike looked grim. “I didn’t know things were that desperate.”

“Let’s leave them while I make those phone calls. Maybe he’ll breed her soon. He hasn’t had use of a female in a long time. It was another reason I wanted him. His resistance has to be down.”

Tammy listened but she didn’t hear them anymore. She watched 927 carefully. His body finally relaxed and he released her arm, turning to look down at her.

“You are frightened.” He inhaled. “I would not allow them to take you.”

“It is because of what they were saying.” She stared up at him in horror. “They want us to have children they can train to obey them? And what does product mean?” She knew the answer, but it was so horrible to contemplate, she just needed it confirmed.

“We are products. I have heard this before. First we were to help them create drugs that they tested on our bodies. Now they always talk about needing money and wanted to force us to fight for them and I’ve even overheard them say they want to sell us. I listen often and heard their plot to create more of us, younger ones, who do not know of their cruel ways. The think they can fool the young ones into becoming what we refused to be.”

“That’s horrible.” And evil. Vile. Sick. Heartless. She stopped before she started cussing.

“That’s why I had no choice in what I did to the women. I saw what they did to our women for years, trying to force their bodies to breed. You could not survive inside your mind and your weaker body would break. Our females are stronger.”

“That part was true? That you killed the other women they brought? I thought they were trying to scare me.”

He hesitated. “They were screaming when they saw me and terrified. They were crying and weeping. They fell apart at the sight of me. I knew they would not last through breeding or be strong enough to face the testing. They would be passed from cell to cell the way our women have been during their breeding tests. It got worse recently and they focused on breeding tests. They would make our females breed with eight or nine of us. We refused, if they refused. Most of our women grew very sad but we tried to keep them strong. It was at least contact, and we treated each other well. Our females have very difficult lives. It was a mercy I killed the humans painlessly. Their suffering would have been greater by far, every moment they lived. Our women have shared what was done to them during the testing the doctors did to their bodies away from us.” He shivered. “They would have killed the women anyway, if they had managed to survive the breeding and tests. I would prefer to die. It was fast and painless. It was kinder to kill them before they were tortured to the point of insanity.”

“That’s what is in store for me?”

He nodded grimly. “You are stronger. You didn’t scream and cry loudly when they brought you. You put yourself into a corner and talked to me. You said things that made me know you might be strong enough to survive and I realized you were honest. You must survive and give your Valiant time to find you. I will not harm you and will treat you as well as my own females if they make us breed. You must survive the testing when they torture you. You must do what you have done with me if they take you to other males. You need to talk to them and do not scream. They will scent me on you. You must keep your mind strong. Our females survive it because we comfort them. I will comfort you, Tammy.”

Tammy wanted to cry but fought tears. The man was so calm about telling her what kind of hell she might have to endure. 927 slowly moved closer. Tammy didn’t protest when he lifted her into his arms, walked to the bed, and sat with her on his lap. His arms hugged her tightly to his warm body.

“I will protect you in weakness. You cry, little one with pretty eyes. You have been very brave. I will hold you and you know I am here.”

“Thank you.” Tammy let go of the small bit of control she had left. She clung to the man holding her and cried softly against his chest.