Complex Three (The Savage Horde Series Book 3)

by Chris Bostic

  Then he realized he didn’t have a towel.

  “Oh, well.” He shrugged and hopped into the water, letting it warm and blast a heavy layer of grime from his tired body. It felt phenomenal, but he moved quickly, both wanting to save time and to keep from falling asleep. The second he quit moving, he felt like he would sleep for a week.

  “Babe, bring me a towel,” he shouted once the black cloud of swirling filth had washed down the drain and the shower water ran off clear.

  “Yeah, right,” Leisa called back. “I’m pretty comfortable in here.”

  “I am too, but…whatever,” Joe grumbled and looked all around the shower for an option. Seeing none and having no other ideas, he was about to turn off the water and step out when the shower curtain pulled back.

  Jade’s head poked inside.

  CHAPTER 10

  “What the heck are you doing here?” Joe exclaimed and turned away from her.

  “Just bringing you some of my creator’s clothes.”

  “Babe.” Leisa slurred words came from the bedroom. “Are you done yet?”

  Leisa must have fallen asleep, Joe realized, and there was no way he wanted her to find Jade anywhere close to him. Even though she hadn’t been flirty recently, it would have been the worst possible time for that to restart.

  “Get outta here,” he whispered harshly, and pointed for the room opposite Leisa’s.

  Her typical smile switched to an instant pout, and he apologized before shooing her out of the room.

  “Almost done, babe,” Joe called as soon as Jade was gone. “It’s your turn.”

  Still dripping wet, he jumped into a pair of underwear. When Leisa didn’t come right in, he looked under the sink and found a stack of towels.

  Joe pulled out a towel and exited the bathroom with it wrapped around his waist. He came face to face with Leisa. Allergies and an untimely nap left her pretty green eyes spider-webbed red and puffy. Still, there was no one prettier in his mind. He stopped in the doorway to embrace her.

  “I’m clean,” he said, arms spread wide.

  “And soaking wet.” Arms held back to keep from touching him, she leaned in for a kiss.

  Of course, Jade picked that moment to interrupt.

  “Are the clothes to your liking?”

  “Fine.” Joe grabbed Leisa by the waist and refused to let go of her. Jade lingered awkwardly in the doorway, and he eventually asked, “Is dinner ready or something?”

  “Nearly. I need your help, though.”

  “Go on.” Leisa pushed past him and closed the bathroom door behind her.

  Joe sighed and went to the bedroom to dress. Of course, Jade followed behind him and sat on the bed like a dog waiting for her master.

  “Do you have to watch?” he asked.

  “It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked.”

  Joe nodded, realizing that was true. During outdoor shower time at the prison camp, Jade had been in the next section of cages over from his.

  “Thanks for reminding me.” Joe turned his back to her and dropped the towel. He practically leaped into the pants, which fit better than he had anticipated. As he continued dressing at a breakneck pace, Jade provided a play by play.

  “Good to see the pants fit well. My creator is about the same height, though a touch thicker in the middle. You’re definitely in better physical shape.”

  “Can we just go?” He hurried to the door.

  “Of course. We’re headed downstairs.”

  Joe took the steps two at a time, and had to wait at the bottom for Jade. “Is Sarge coming?”

  “He’s already there. He had to delay his shower. We’re having a little trouble with Mira. She’s not liking the idea of reassignment very well.”

  Though curious, Joe didn’t ask. He waited at the bottom of the steps for Jade to lead him toward the access door to the subterranean vault.

  Their journey started out as a trip to a very ordinary basement. Tucked in the back corner behind the heat pump, Jade pulled open a door that looked exactly like the rest of the unadorned concrete walls.

  “This way,” she said, and led him down a set of wide steps one level lower. “This is the primary workshop.”

  Jade gestured for Joe to have a look around. He stared in amazement at a room that seemed as big as the cafeteria at his old tech school, and infinitely more advanced than any of the science labs.

  Off to the side of the main room, a number of smaller office-type rooms lined the entire distance all the way to the back.

  “Wow,” Joe said, admiring endless countertops lining the massive room, and the variety of different workstations scattered throughout the open floor. “This is amazing. Where did he get all this equipment?”

  “I believe he manufactured most of it himself from other parts. Mostly older stuff that was repurposed or otherwise reimagined. Smig would know better. He helped make a lot of it.”

  “And what about the raw materials?” he wondered aloud. “There are so many tools, like way more than in the barn.”

  Jade shrugged. “Anyway, this is my home sweet home. Unfortunately, Mira is being a little obstinate about coming upstairs.”

  At the very same moment, from a room tucked off to the right, an emphatic feminine voice shouted, “No!”

  “I ‘spose that’s Mira?”

  “My sister is a bit stubborn.”

  Smig rolled out of the room. “As the humans might say, you can say that again.” He glanced back toward the room before rolling toward Joe and Jade. “Our sister is not responding to reason. We might have to employ a little physical persuasion.”

  Joe looked at Jade incredulously. “You’re gonna beat her up?”

  “Oh, no. We wouldn’t do that. We’re not programmed that way.”

  “I-I, uhm, I don’t understand.”

  Jade pulled him over toward the other two. “We’re going to have to do a quick override, but we’ll need you to restrain her.”

  “Sounds like Connie might be a better candidate.”

  “He appears to have taken a liking to Barta,” Smig said, drawing a scowl from Jade. “They were going to find me some restraints, but they have been gone exceedingly long.”

  “He’s still not back?” Jade raised her voice to call for him. “Sarge!”

  “We’re coming, darling,” came the reply from the back corner.

  Connie stepped out of the last room. He was trailed by an extraordinarily tall female. She lurched a bit as she came toward them, but otherwise had none of the troubles that Faith had with walking.

  Joe inadvertently whistled as Barta drew closer. She was another stunner, though not quite as fully lifelike as Faith or Jade. Still, she appeared plenty human from a distance.

  Barta sported the longest hair of the siblings, which was pulled back in a ponytail. It hung all the way to her shapely behind, and swished side to side as she jerkily walked toward them.

  “Would this work?” Connie said, holding up what looked like leather straps.

  “Perhaps,” Smig said. “It may require a little more effort. However, between us all, we should be able to subdue her.”

  “That little thing is that strong?” Connie asked.

  “Oh, hon, she’s a wildcat,” Barta answered in a syrupy voice. She blinked unnaturally slowly. “Fast as one too.”

  “We’ll handle her,” Connie said with his usual bravado. He handed a strap to Joe. “Now that you’re all prettied up, let’s put you to work.”

  Joe slapped the leather across his palm and wondered what he was getting into. He looked over his shoulder at Jade and raised an eyebrow.

  “I’ll be there to help hold her down,” she volunteered. “If you can get her on her stomach and tie her wrists and feet, we can take it from there.”

  “Barta will help you too,” Smig said. “One of you will need to hold her head so she doesn’t bite. I would suggest you have Barta do that while Jade sits on her back.”

  Joe nodded, and inhaled a giant breath. Th
e basement was surprisingly neither cold nor damp, but that didn’t keep Joe from feeling a chill creep up his spine.

  “Don’t let her relative size fool you,” Smig called out from behind them.

  Joe swallowed and failed at easing the anxiety. A healthy exhale didn’t do much for him either.

  “Let’s do this,” Connie said.

  Joe peeked around the corner and recoiled at the sight of a tiny android that barely came up to his chest.

  Mira’s skin was as pale as Joe’s sickly mother’s. Her light brown hair was rough looking, like a cheap doll a child might own. But it was the teeth that really caught Joe’s attention. Each one had the same pointy shape as the savages’, as though they had been filed down to resemble piranha teeth.

  Totally freaked out, Joe backed away from the doorway.

  “C’mon,” Connie urged, but he made no move to enter the room either.

  “Barta,” Mira said in a raspy, yet feminine, voice. “Who are these people?”

  The towering blonde pressed up against Connie’s back and rested her head on the sergeant’s shoulder.

  “Nothing to worry about, Mira. They’re here to help us.”

  “Frederick did not authorize this.” Mira scooted back to the corner of the small room, which had an old desk on one sidewall and a cot on the other.

  Mira crouched defensively next to the end of the bed. Brown eyes zipped unnaturally fast from Connie’s face to Joe’s and back again. “They shouldn’t be here,” she rasped.

  “It’s okay, Mira.” Barta slipped between Connie and Joe. In a couple long strides, she was in front of her sister. “They’ve come to help you.”

  “We’re to accept no help from any outsider.” Mira reached under the mattress and pulled a metal file out from under the pillow. Joe stood transfixed in horror as she jammed it in her mouth and sharpened away at her front teeth.

  “Three count,” Connie whispered. Joe cringed, but couldn’t argue. His stomach knotted as he heard the metal file drag across Mira’s teeth, but he wouldn’t let his sergeant down.

  “One…two…”

  Connie flung forward, knocking Mira back against the wall. Joe was right behind him. He wrapped his arms around Mira’s feet.

  In the tiny corner of the room, a pile of bodies grew as Barta and Jade jumped on. A foot grazed Joe’s cheek. He held on for dear life as Mira thrashed.

  The sound of teeth chomping made him hold on that much tighter.

  Gripping both feet together, Joe sat up to tie them. A foot popped loose and Joe had to dive for it. In the arch of Mira’s bare foot, a wheel whirred madly but caused no damage.

  He crushed her feet to the floor and quickly hog-tied them. Finally, he was able to look up to see Connie pinning Mira’s hands to her side.

  “Flip her,” Joe said, and helped Jade get Mira on her back. Connie had her wrists tied up as the teeth continued gnashing between garbled words.

  Barta held Mira’s head between her hands and talked to her softly as Smig rolled over.

  “You can go,” Jade said as she continued sitting on Mira’s back. “I have her under control.”

  “She’s a tiger,” Connie said and hobbled over with Joe to get out of the way. “That was…insane.”

  “Sarge, you’re bleeding,” Joe said, pointing to Connie’s forearm.

  “The dang teeth got me. Sharp as a frickin’ shark.”

  “More like savage,” Joe whispered.

  “That too.”

  The gnashing and thrashing stopped a moment later once Smig and Jade got to the back of Mira’s neck to disable her.

  Barta let go of her sister’s head and stood. She had to duck to exit the office.

  “I thought you didn’t want to do that?” Joe asked once Smig and Jade came outside too, leaving Mira on the floor.

  “Not to worry,” Smig replied. “She will be perfectly fine. Right now, it’s time for you to eat.”

  Joe kept looking at the tiny little Mira tied up on the hard floor. “What about, uhm…you know? Will she…”

  “I will need to modify her programming, but we can do that anytime…unless you would like to carry her upstairs now. I can remove all of Frederick’s critical imperatives while you eat.”

  “I’m not sure I’m hungry anymore.”

  “Sure you are.” Connie clapped Joe on the back. “You’ll feel better with a nice meal. At least you got to shower already.”

  “And you need a bandage.”

  “You do, Sarge?” Jade asked. She hopped around Joe to get a look at Connie’s arm. She took his hand and gently twisted to where she could get a good look at the cut. “At least it’s not too deep. I can get you cleaned right up.”

  “Ooh, let me,” Barta said. “I’d love to do that.” She grabbed for Connie’s uninjured arm and pulled him toward the steps.

  Jade wouldn’t let go of his other arm.

  “Ladies,” Connie protested. “Thank you, but I can take care of it. As much as it hurts, pulling my arms out of their sockets isn’t gonna help.”

  “I’m sorry, Sarge,” Jade said and quickly let him go.

  Barta didn’t and continued to yank him toward the steps. Smig disappeared to apparently stay with the subdued Mira, so Joe trailed the others back the steps.

  They made it back to the basement level and kept heading up. Joe was winded and definitely rethinking the climb by the time he made it to the top, but he wouldn’t complain. Especially not when he saw what his sergeant was about to endure.

  Once Connie was in the kitchen, Faith joined the scrum. While balancing herself on one arm against the countertop, she fawned all over his injured arm with the other.

  “Let me take care of you, big guy,” she purred.

  “C’mon,” Connie said, jerking his arm away. “There’s no need to be so…helpful. Just show me to the bandages and I’ll take care of it.”

  Faith tripped over Barta trying to get to the right cabinet, and they both collapsed in a heap in the floor. Jade took the opportunity to go around the center island the long way and plucked the gauze and cleaning solution from the cabinet.

  “Here you go, Sarge,” she said, ignoring the groans from her two sisters on the floor.

  “I should clean up first,” he said.

  “I’ll show you to the shower.”

  “You already did. Wait…” Connie took Jade by the hand. “Maybe you could help clean me up a bit, darling?”

  “Of course,” she said. “Happy to.”

  “Not just the cut.” He winked at Jade, eliciting a giggle. “I know how much you like to shower.”

  Thanks to the prison camp, Joe knew as well. Jade had no problems with showering in front of the guys. He shook his head as Connie offered her a hand to lead her upstairs. He didn’t feel badly for his sergeant anymore.

  “Figures. I can’t get a second of time with Leisa,” Joe grumbled under his breath. Jade grinned and sprang up the steps, leaving her sisters behind struggling to get up.

  CHAPTER 11

  “What happened to your eyes?” Connie asked Leisa when he came down the stairs quite a while later. “They’re like all puffy.”

  She wiped at her nose and scowled. “Allergies.”

  “That’s rough,” he replied without compassion. “Now how about some dinner?”

  “It was delicious.” Leisa sniffled again. “About time you joined us.”

  “Hope you saved me a little.”

  “Not much,” Joe said. “It was pretty good.”

  “Anything’s good after a steady diet of soy grit and pebbles.” Connie had to slip behind Faith and Barta to get to the stove. He sniffed the pot as Faith looked on expectantly. “Not too bad. Guess you guys did leave me some.”

  “Of course,” Joe said. “It was tempting, but…”

  Connie filled a bowl beside the pot with several heaping scoops, and walked over to the table.

  “I thought one of your ladies might like to serve you dinner in your room,” Leisa said with
a grin.

  “I’m sure they would.” Connie shoveled in a giant mouthful. He patted the chair next to him for Jade to sit as he wolfed down the rice.

  Joe was amazed at the speed with which Connie ate. While he had undoubtedly choked down his own bowl quickly, his famished sergeant had doubled the pace. The big man was headed back to the pot for more in record time.

  “This is really good,” Connie mumbled between giant bites, once he’d sat back down again. Faith beamed.

  “Don’t encourage her,” Jade whispered, drawing a reproachful look from Faith.

  “Tell us more about you guys,” Leisa said, seemingly wanting to change the subject. “We know all about Jade and Smig’s names. What’s the deal with the other acronyms?”

  “Would you like to introduce yourself?” Jade asked, looking at Barta.

  “Of course,” Faith said, lunging in front of her sister. “I thought they’d never ask.” She tucked her long blonde hair behind her ears and smiled. “I’m Faith, the prettiest-”

  “We know, Miss Fully Ambulatory,” Jade interrupted. “My friends were asking Barta about her acronym.”

  Faith pursed her lips and sulked. Barta took a few jerky steps toward the island and rested her arms on the surface.

  “My name stands for Bipedal Android, Rapid Thought and Action,” she said in her syrupy voice.

  “Android?” Joe looked at Jade. “I thought you said that wasn’t politically correct either?”

  “It isn’t anymore. At the time she was built, there apparently wasn’t such a stigma associated with the word.”

  “Ah, whatever,” Connie groused. “Robot, android…what’s the difference? Why can’t people just tell it like it is?”

  “Because you might hurt someone’s feelings,” Jade replied.

  Connie stood up and walked over by Barta. He had to look up at her. “She doesn’t seem bothered at all by the android business. Are you?”

  Barta shook her head and smiled. “It’s my name.”