Page 5 of N8
It all became crystal clear. Cydney glared at him in undisguised anger and disgust. “Are you telling me you want me to sleep with him? You want me to get p-pregnant?”
Dorsey held up her hands in a vain attempt to calm her. “We’re only saying that if he’s willing to take any steps to further a relationship with you—”
“You want to pimp me out?” Cydney blurted. For a split-second, she regretted her words, but in the next instant, she no longer cared. For all their skirting around the issue, the words had to be said.
Bill immediately went stone cold with suppressed anger. Getting to his feet, he advanced on her until she felt her back press against the wall. His eyes almost blazed behind his glasses as he got close enough to where she could smell the cigarette residue on his breath. “Now you listen here, Miss Huddleston. You signed a contract with the company, including an NDA. And if you’d read through all those pages, which I’m assuming you didn’t, I’m letting you know you essentially sold your soul. Anything we need to advance the cause, we’ll do. You know N8 is the one Chimera who hasn’t shown any sign of an advanced ability. Now, we don’t know if his is undeveloped, nonexistent, or it just hasn’t had the chance to present itself.”
Dorsey joined them, blocking her only way to the door as the woman insinuated herself between Cydney and escape. “It may be that his abilities could be passed to his offspring. If that’s the case, you will be well and fully compensated to the point where you’ll never have to worry about money issues again. That includes your parents.”
Cydney felt her mouth open in shock. She shouldn’t have been that surprised to know they were aware of her circumstances. Lord knew she’d probably been through more grilling interrogations than CIA spies during her job interviews.
The woman cast her another insincere smile. “We’re only asking that you, umm, relate to the young man. Let him get to know you better, and you him. You can’t deny you’re attracted to him, too.”
Dropping her gaze, Cydney bit her lips to prevent herself from saying anything that would get her fired on the spot. These people had her over the proverbial barrel. They knew her circumstances, which meant they also knew her weaknesses. And the worst part of it was that they were playing on her emotions. They’d seen she had a soft spot for N8, and they were willing to compromise both her feelings and her morals to obtain what they wanted.
Now she understood the gossip she’d overheard about the high turnover rate in this place. The thought of what else they’d demand of her if she went ahead with their plans made her sick to her stomach.
And yet, the idea of having carte blanche with N8, getting to know him better, getting permission to maybe form a relationship with him…
“If you’re so anxious to see if his children will have an ability, why don’t you use artificial insemination?”
“Don’t you think we’ve tried?” Dorsey spat contemptuously.
“We’ve run every imaginable possibility,” Bill informed her. “We’ve been trying for years, ever since they hit puberty, but without success.”
“We’ve come to the conclusion that the only way it might happen is the way they were originally conceived themselves,” Dorsey stated.
“Originally conceived?” She gave them both a questioning stare. “So they weren’t test tube babies?”
“No,” Dorsey answered her. “Their parents were Chimeras themselves, only they weren’t aware of the fact. Neither did any of them show any sign of any sort of excessive abilities. Once they were identified, we monitored the fetuses.”
“You…monitored them. I guess that’s secret speak for you manipulated the babies’ genes and all to make sure you got what you wanted,” Cydney flatly stated.
Bill took a step back. “Call it what you want. It had to be done.”
“Done to how many?”
“Hundreds. Thousands. From every nationality and country,” Dorsey informed her.
Cydney held up a finger and pointed it behind her. She didn’t try to mask her confusion. “Thousands? And you ended up withsix?”
“There were more,” Bill countered. “They all died within a few months after they were born. All but these six.” His brows lowered and his face reddened. “So what’s it going to be, Miss Huddleston? Will you or won’t you be cooperative?”
Her mind raced. Everything in her wanted to tell them to go fuck themselves.
If you go along with this, that’ll mean they’ll have control of you. They’ll be able to run your life the same way they’re running the lives of the children.
Running the lives.
Ruining the lives.
A thought came to her. An idea. Although incomplete and tenuous, it gave her a moment’s pause, and two moments of hope.
Wait. What if… What if…
No. She couldn’t think it. Not now, anyway.
One step at a time, Cyd.
