Tammy knew the color drained from her face.

Someone had leaked information to a hate group, someone close to Justice North. She’d never met him but she’d seen him in interviews on television since he was the most well-known New Species. His people had voted him into leadership as though he were some kind of president. He made most of the decisions for them.

Someone obviously was spying on him and telling these men what was being said. Worse, they knew about her and Valiant. Not good.

Four pairs of eyes studied her. Tammy glared back.

She guessed the only way out of the mess would be to convince them they had the wrong information. She could only hope they wouldn’t kill her.

“I don’t know who you’ve been talking to but it’s bullshit. That never happened,” she bluffed. “I’d find someone more reliable if you’re paying that person to feed you information. Maybe you should hire them to write fiction since they seem to be good at making up stuff. Is your informant some reporter for one of those gossip rags? Did an alien attack me too?”

“She fucked one of those animals?” Terry sounded stunned as he stared at her as if she were something he’d never seen before, something disgusting. “You screwed an animal?”

She closed her eyes, counted to five, and opened them. “Listen, cowboy. Did you just hear me? Whoever told you this crap is full of it.”

“That’s what we were told,” Paul confirmed. “He hauled her up off the ground and carried her away. Our informant heard the conversation between the head animal and his security dog.”

“I think his head of security is a cat.” Ned shrugged.

“Does it matter? Dog? Cat? What’s the difference?”

Terry snorted. “They are animals that walk around on two legs thinking they are as good as us but they aren’t.

They are nothing more than test rats that grew brains.

I’m so sick of them breathing and seeing idiots on the news praising those abominations for what they are doing by setting up their own living environment. It’s like patting a bird on the back for making a nest in their cage with newspaper bits. They are tainting our country and now they are putting their dirty paws our women. We’ve got to stop them.”

Ned stared at Tammy. “Maybe he brainwashed her.

We know it’s possible.” He leaned over, staring at her. “Is that why you’re protecting your animal lover? Did he torture you into submission? Maybe he bit her and infected her with some disease that makes her one of them. Is that it? A re you infected? Have you started to grow a tail or fur?”

Tammy couldn’t believe she’d been kidnapped by such morons. It made her almost feel ashamed that they’d succeeded. “Why don’t you come over here and take a look?” She wanted to kick the son of a bitch since legs that weren’t tied down.

He stood and walked toward her. Tammy tensed.

When he was close enough she twisted and kicked him as hard as she could in his shin. He screamed, jumped back and fell on his ass.

“You bitch!” he yelled.

“You moron!” Tammy shouted back.

“Enough,” Paul demanded. “Stay away from her.

She’s obviously sick in her head if she let one of them touch her. We’ll have the doctor take care of her. He’s a vicious son of a bitch.”

“It’s a good thing those animals are shooting blanks or she could have a litter of puppies if she got pregnant by that thing.” It was the unhurt man who spoke while he studied her. “Do you think, if it was possible, that she’d have as many as a dog bitch would have? My pit bull had six puppies last time.”

“Shut up, Mark.” Paul shot him a glare. “Everyone knows they are sterile so don’t even go there. It makes me sick. That’s a blessing they can’t have kids. They probably would breed like animals, with litters. Let’s just get some sleep, rest up, and in the morning we’ll hike out of here and take her to the house. Our reinforcements will hit town the day after tomorrow with the doctor. We just need to keep her alive until he arrives. That should give us plenty of time to make her tape a statement that we can send out to the press to show everyone that those things are dangerous.”

Ned stumbled to his feet and glared at Tammy. “Two days waiting around with her is a long time. She loves animals, obviously. I think I know how to pass the hours.” He reached for the front of his pants and started to unfasten them.

“Don’t,” Paul ordered. “The doctor wouldn’t be happy. I know what kind of experiments he’s into. He’ll castrate you if you injure her in any way that might screw up his plans.”

“She’s already done an animal. Who really gives a fuck what we do to her as long as we don’t kill her?” Ned opened his pants, shoving them down his hips.

Terror gripped Tammy as she realized he planned to rape her. Mark, the unhurt guy, stood quickly. “We don’t screw with the doctor. Pull your pants back up, damn it. I don’t ever want to see your dick again.”

“Mark is right.” Paul stood too and moved between Ned and where Tammy lay bound on the ground. “The doctor would go ballistic if you raped her. You’re the new guy on the team and don’t know much about what he does but he’d kill you if you jeopardize his work. He’s the one who signs our paychecks. Find a whore if you want to get your rocks off or take a walk out into the woods and jerk off.”

“But she’s the bitch who broke my nose. I’m not just going to take that shit without some payback.”

“I understand.” Paul’s voice lowered. “I’m angry too.”

He held up his arm. “I have to explain how the hell this happened to my wife when I get home. She’s not stupid and this looks just like what it is. Fingernail marks. She’ll be convinced I cheated on her. That pisses me off but the doctor scares the hell out of me. You can’t rape her.”

Mark turned his head to glare down at Tammy, his dark eyes narrowed, and he smiled in a way that turned her blood to ice. Pure glee transformed his features as he turned to face her. Whatever plan he’d hatched wouldn’t be good for her.

“We won’t rape her or do anything the doctor would get mad about but we need to get that statement from her.” He turned his head to grin at Paul. “Do you have the video camera with you? I don’t know about you guys but I’m not tired and we’re stuck here until morning. I say we use the time well.”

“I’ve got video camera function on my phone.” Paul had a confused look as he dug it out of his back pocket.

“But she isn’t going to agree to say anything bad against them. You heard her. She’s somehow been brainwashed by those animals.”

Ned jerked up his pants and zipped them. “The animal infected her. I’m telling you they carry diseases.

The doctor probably wants her because he knows that. I bet he’s going to document it when she becomes one of them. That would definitely turn the public against them and help our cause. Everybody will panic, they’ll want them dead before it spreads past their gates, and we’ll finally get to watch them die.”

“What are you thinking, Mark?” Paul stepped closer to study Tammy before he glanced at the other guy. “We can’t do any damage. The doctor wants her healthy. He calls her a money-making opportunity. You know he’s in a financial jam now. A ll of them are.”

Mark’s grin widened as he peered down at Tammy too. “There’s a lot you can do to a woman without doing permanent harm or causing internal damage. We’ll get her to say whatever the hell we want and make our boss happy at the same time.”

Tammy whimpered at his vicious glare, knowing whatever he planned had to be horrific. She struggled against the belt that held her wrists together but they didn’t allow her to wiggle out of them. When Mark dropped to his knees next to her and his hands grabbed her shirt, she cried out in fear as he shoved her onto her back and pinned her arms under her. He leaned over until his face hovered inches above her own and she could make out his hazel eyes clearly from the firelight.