Demon (The Mike Rawlins Series Book 1)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “We better lead them down to the beach before we have a rebellion of whiners on our hands, Dempsey.”

  Mike wiped the sweat from his face with a towel he had wet from their water jug while growling comically at his new nickname. He looked over at the boy-scout encampment fifty yards away where young boys were already swimming under the supervision of adult scout leaders in the water of Hetch Hetchy Cove. “I don’t know Stan. Maybe it’d be alright to swim here during the day.”

  Jerry gasped, hiding his eyes. “Oh my God! Did Mike Rawlins just hint at breaking away from his Dad’s sterling advice?”

  “He sure did but in this instance we’ll have to bring this bad boy in line, Jer. They have a concession stand, bathrooms, and real sand on the main beach. Forget the lake ghost. I don’t want to wade around in that muck here,” Stan replied. “I’m taking my beach chair, beer, snacks, and sun block over to a real beach. You’ll need to bring the cane along with your sunglasses, Dempsey. They don’t allow dogs and we’re not going anywhere without the Demon.”

  “I’ll bring the big umbrella too,” Mike agreed. “It’s a good thing my Dad loaned us his shop shuttle. Without it, this damn place would have been the pits to get down to. It’s great we’re away from the regular campsites but you know if we mentioned hiking to the main beach some of Joanie’s friends would faint dead away.”

  Jerry laughed, nodding his head in agreement while pointing toward where Joanie sat with three of her girlfriends. “Joanie helped with setup but did you see those three move at all today? I think they’ve been in a camp trance since we got here.”

  “Yeah, I bet they’ve never been camping,” Stan remarked. “They probably thought it would be like Disneyland or something. At least Connie and Janis don’t sit around looking like invalids.”

  Connie and Janis, along with several teenage onlookers, played Frisbee with Demon who elicited many gasps of amazement from his retinue with one impossible catch after another. When one anxious young man attempted to extract the Frisbee from Demon before the dog tossed it on the ground Demon spent the next few minutes playing keep away until the teens gave up.

  Jerry pointed at a tall, sandy haired form in cutoffs and t-shirt ambling toward Joanie and friends. “Looks like Bradley is making his move. Ah… that’s so cute. Look how the girls perked up. Good Lord, if they’d have been that active during setup we would be on the beach right now. I can’t believe Coach Matthews wants him playing quarterback.”

  “Because he throws fifty yards downfield,” Stan replied. “If not for Rumbaugh being a senior I have a feeling Matthews would have benched him to get Brad ready for this year. Uh oh.”

  Brad put an arm around Joanie’s shoulders as the four girls clustered around him laughing at something he said.

  Jerry grabbed Mike’s arm. “Don’t toast him, Dempsey. The team needs a quarterback in the fall.”

  “Lay off me. I’m not throwing Brad around for being interested in Joanie. We talked it out. She realizes he’s a player. Unfortunately, I think she’s considering living by that old clichéd phrase ‘use me ‘til you use me up’. When it gets dark, Joanie agreed to the Demon chaperoning discreetly.”

  Stan chuckled, shaking his head while watching the teen mating ritual. “Better keep those cutoffs up, player. You’ll be singin’ soprano in the church choir if Deadly D gets wind of you moving past first base, Bradley, my boy.”

  “They need cooled off. Let’s round up the stuff and get everyone loaded for the beach,” Mike said. “It’s a pain but we have to get a head count going both ways since the parent chaperones haven’t arrived yet.”

  “I’ll get the head count while you and Jer load. You still up for designated driver, Dempsey?”

  “Yeah, but on one condition… stop calling me Dempsey.”

  “No deal. Get him moving, Jer.”

  “On it.” Jerry tugged the glowering Mike toward their equipment.

  Mike parked the shuttle and eighteen teen campers made a loud exit with Mike reminding them pointedly about not wandering off anywhere. Mike tensed slightly watching Brad exit with Joanie, his right hand on her hip. Connie gave him a light tap on the head from behind. Mike realized Stan, Jerry, Janis, Connie, and even Demon were watching him. Mike shrugged.

  “Hey, I’m human. I can imagine what my Dad would do if he saw that.”

  “Relax, Dempsey,” Connie urged. “Joanie needs to work this one out on her own. Janis and I had to learn the hard way how to handle ‘Dumb and Dumber’ here.”

  “I resent that,” Stan spoke with the right amount of outrage. “I am a perfect gentleman.”

  “Which one of us is ‘Dumber’?”

  “If you have to ask…” Janis waved Jerry to silence while slipping past him to the door with Connie giggling as she followed. “Just sayin’.”

  “That leaves us with the cooler and umbrella as usual,” Stan remarked. “Are you allowed to carry something and be blind, Dempsey?”

  Mike nodded, putting on his sunglasses and grabbing up the cane near him while Jerry helped Demon get into his guide-dog harness. “I’ll be the blind packhorse. Lead me to a spot about ten feet behind Brad and Joanie, D.”

  Demon immediately sat down, shaking his head to the raucous amusement of the three young men.

  “Okay… but take us somewhere we can at least keep an eye on our group.”

  “Arf!” Demon led the way after Mike locked up the shuttle. He picked a place in the center beach area where they could see most of their charges easily. A lifeguard with blond ponytail monitored the activity closely in the rather small area designated for swimming.

  Stan and Jerry set up the umbrella, towels, and ice chest while Mike unfolded the fabric beach chairs in an appropriately feeling type manner as he maintained his blindness cover. Jerry arranged the chairs within reach of the ice chest and Demon plopped down in the shade on their towel. The young men sat on the beach chairs, selecting what they wanted to drink – beer for Stan and Jerry, soda for Mike, and bottled water in a dish for Demon.

  The rest of the teens set up a makeshift dance area near the water with their portable boom-box next to their own ice chests. The lifeguard made her presence known and nodded at the acceptable music volume level. Although less crowded than a Saturday there were still a sizeable number of families enjoying the beach from the camping areas. Once Mike saw everything lapse into a less hectic scene he relaxed in his chair.

  “Did you guys check the ice chests?”

  Stan pointed at Jerry and then his watch. “You owe me a buck. It only took Dempsey thirty seconds to start his mother hen routine. Pay up.”

  Jerry chuckled, handing Stan a dollar bill. “You’re costing me money, Momma Dempsey.”

  Mike shook his head. “Okay… I’ll bite. How long did you have me down for?”

  “Five minutes. Stan blew me right out of the water.”

  “And yes, we checked the ice chests,” Stan added. “You know the drill though. We’ll still have to watch them like hawks to make sure none of these underage drinkers are drunk when the adults get here.”

  “You two are underage drinkers.”

  “Yeah, but we have adult supervision… you. Besides, we’re very responsible, right Stan.”

  “Of course we are.”

  “You two are as responsible as a couple of baby ducks. What did you two confiscate?”

  Stan traded glances with Jerry before speaking. Jerry grinned and looked away. “It was a good bust. Three pint bottles of rotgut and one of Smirnoff. I think it was a good haul because they went for the old hide the stuff under everything in the ice chest. When we went diving immediately the groans convinced us we nailed most of the stash. I think they really believed we’d search all their personal stuff. The dopers know better. We can’t say what kind of pharmaceutical stuff made it past us caring teen advisors. Me and Jerry ain’t doing any illegal search and seizures, buddy.”

  “I don’t expect you to,” Mike replied. “I’m glad they probabl
y lost most of their booze supply. Although volunteering for this was a favor to Joanie, you guys know who gets the rap if anything happens here, even with four adults present.”

  Jerry and Stan ducked their heads and pointed at Mike simultaneously with Demon finishing off the silent accusation with a credible birddog stance.

  “Damn D,” Jerry exclaimed, patting Demon’s head, “how much English do you know?”

  Stan laughed. “If he hadn’t already saved our friggin’ asses a couple times he’d give me the chills when he does that stuff.”

  “You should see him at the house. We never know what the little freak will do next.”

  Demon immediately upended Mike’s beach chair to the immense amusement of Stan and Jerry.

  “You nearly made me hit my nose you psycho!” Mike righted his chair again. “I was going to give you a couple hotdogs tonight but you can forget it.”

  Demon immediately rolled over on his back and played dead. Stan and Jerry hurriedly jumped up with their beers in hand, moving a few steps back.

  “Tell him apology accepted, Dempsey,” Stan advised. “You know what happens next if you don’t put the treats back on the table.”

  “You should know better, Mike,” Jerry agreed. “Demon lives by the Klingon Code ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold’. He’ll nail you tonight when you least expect it.”

  Mike considered playing out the threat but good judgment and the memory of what Demon had done to him in front of his friends the last time tilted the argument toward magnanimity. “Okay… okay, you get the hotdogs.”

  Demon assumed his former position on the towel. “Grummf.”

  Stan slid into his seat once again. “You should have seen your face when Demon trotted into the living room with your pink jockstrap in front of Laura.”

  Jerry shook his head sorrowfully but ended up laughing. “Oh man, that was deadly. Good one, D. That ace will live on forever.”

  “Arf!”

  “Don’t encourage him! I thought dogs were colorblind. You guys didn’t help when I was trying to explain how my Mom mixed it with the towels by mistake in the wash.”

  “The girls were screaming in laughter so hard we couldn’t save you,” Stan countered. “Not that we would have anyway. That’ll learn ya’ not to withhold the promised steak bone.”

  “The paranormal pup don’t play that, homey,” Jerry said. “You have to pay the piper when you mess with the Demon’s treats.”

  “My Mom gets away with it all the time.”

  “D knows the chain of command, Dempsey,” Stan pointed out, “and you ain’t in it.”

  “Small doubt about that.”

  Jerry pointed at two figures chest deep in the roped in swimming area. “Joanie and Brad are sure getting cozy out there in the water.”

  Mike kept scanning everything but Brad and Joanie, ignoring Jerry’s needling. The rest of their group danced, grab-assed, and generally remained one step below the lifeguard’s bad behavior radar that would get them kicked off the beach. His options would be limited if they caused that kind of problem. So far no one had questioned Demon’s presence on the beach. Mike figured to walk out of the designated swim area with Demon and cool off out of sight from the lifeguard.

  “You have your lifesaving card, Dempsey. How come you never got one of these cushy lifeguard jobs for the summer?”

  Mike chuckled. “Think about it, Stan. I make journeyman’s wages at my Dad’s shop. I’d be taking a monstrous pay cut to sit out here baking in the sun and yelling at kids all day.”

  “Money ain’t everything, genius.” Stan waved a hand at the bikini clad girls running around on the beach. He quickly pulled his hand back when he saw Connie and Janis staring at him.

  “Oh great, now you’ve attracted the wrong attention.” Jerry groaned under his breath as he watched their weekend dates pick up the towel they were sharing and walk toward them. “So ends a hot afternoon of girl watching.”

  “Says you. I’m not married to Connie. I only flinched because I saw Janis getting ready to come over and bitch slap you.”

  Janis arrived a few steps ahead of Connie. “You three need to quit gawking at underage girls. We want beer and suntan lotion massage… in that order.”

  Jerry reached into the cooler and brought out two beers. “I thought you dark skinned princesses didn’t have to be protected from the sun, Jan.”

  Janis accepted the beer from Jerry and plopped down in front of his chair. “We burn, you muttonhead. Sit down and do my back.”

  Jerry laughed and handed off the other beer to Connie who had already sat down in front of Stan. He slipped into his seat behind Janis, taking the proffered tube of lotion. “We were just raggin’ Dempsey about turning wrenches instead of putting his lifesaving card to good use at a beach somewhere.”

  “Demon gets to lie around at the shop,” Janis pointed out, taking a long sip of beer. “I took my car in for an oil change last week. Demon practically runs the place. I doubt he’d go for a gig in the hot sun all day, right D?”

  “Arf!” Demon shook his head, drawing laughter.

  “My Dad’s made him into the shop mascot. He makes a great complaint department too. When an irate customer starts raising the decibel level Demon trots over, sits next to my Dad, and cocks his head to the side. He’s so funny nobody’s been able to keep from laughing yet.”

  “What kind of entertainment do we have planned for tonight?”

  “We don’t really have any input on that front, Connie. My sister and a few of her girlfriends are in charge of doing the Friday 13th stuff. Adult chaperones merely observe, stay out of the way, and ruin any plans for underage drinking and drugs.”

  “I pick stay out the way,” Janis stated. “If anyone gets testy tonight just sic Demon on them.”

  “Arf!”

  “Dempsey has D’s dance card filled for tonight. The paranormal pup will be stalking Joanie and Brad,” Stan explained. “We should tell the story around the campfire about how Demon came along.”

  “Everybody in the school’s heard that one along with all the variations you guys added to it,” Connie said. “So, you don’t think fabulous Brad is trustworthy, huh?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Mike answered. “Demon will observe only… unless Brad gets out of line. Joanie agreed it’s better than me watching over her shoulder. Tonight should be fun. All we do is kick back and listen to the stories.”

  Jerry snapped his fingers. “Maybe we should tell the story your Dad mentioned about the college kid who drowned in front of his sister and is haunting Hetch Hetchy.”

  Janis shook her head. “I don’t think reciting a real life tragedy is a good idea.”

  Jerry shrugged. “You’re probably right. We should stick with listening to fiction. I’ll be glad when the parents get here and we’re not in charge of the head count.”

  “Yep.” Mike stood up. “Hand me my cane, Stan. I’ll walk down the shore for a ways and let Demon get in the water. I brought his ball along.”

  Mike heard his friends not quite succeeding in holding back laughter as he and Demon did their guide-dog act down to the water. Demon turned right, guiding Mike past the last markers indicating where the swimming area and beach ended. From there, the two walked along a shaded bush strewn path bordering the water. A slight breeze through the surrounding trees added a welcome respite coupled with being out of the sunlight. Demon danced around excitedly, eager to play fetch in the water. Mike undid the harness. Demon leaped into the water and back out watching for Mike to throw his ball. Knowing the dog’s fondness for the game, Mike heaved the ball out about fifty yards from shore with Demon in hot pursuit.

  “Did you know where to throw that ball by smelling the water, Mr. McGoo?” A lilting amused voice from behind him asked.

  Mike kept his eyes on the water and Demon’s rippling wake. Stunned someone had followed him and Demon without them noticing, Mike answered with what he hoped sounded like plausibility. “Yes, and a little help f
rom my dog pointing me in the right direction.”

  Laughter. “Yeah, I’ll bet. Give it up, Rawlins. I know you’re not blind.”

  Sighing, Mike turned toward his accuser. The blonde lifeguard from the beach gave him a little finger wave. A head shorter, she peered up at him with an amused expression before deliberately giving Mike a once over with hands on waist. Her one-piece red uniform swimsuit clung to her like a second skin.

  “It doesn’t appear my cousin damaged you too badly.”

  “Huh?”

  “I saw your MMA fight. You were matched up with my cousin Vic. I never figured you’d come back from the elbow.” The lifeguard’s eyebrows crinkled slightly as she made a closer examination of Mike’s face. “Hardly a mark left except for some bruising. Vic’s talkin’ rematch to everyone within earshot. Can I tell him it’s on?”

  “I fight who they put me in the ring with.” Demon bounded out of the water, ball in mouth, sitting next to Mike. “You can tell Vic it’ll be a while before my face heals up. That should ease his disappointment.”

  The lifeguard stuck her hand out and Mike shook it. “I’m Gail Corbett. I’m on a break. Do you mind some company?”

  “If it’s okay with Demon, it’s okay with me.”

  Gail knelt in front of Demon, holding her hand out which Demon put his paw on. Stroking Demon’s head while shaking his paw, Gail bonded with the dog quickly. The moment she stood up, Demon spit the ball out at Mike’s feet and streaked into the water. Mike made another long throw to appease his water-dog. Gail shook her head at Demon’s speed in the water.

  “Damn… he’s like a motor boat.”

  “And he can pretty much keep it up all day long. Where do you go to school?” Mike had made a hasty assessment of Gail’s age.

  “I’m a senior at Livermore this year. You and Demon are pretty famous after last year’s Halloween party out at ‘Hanging Tree’. A few of my friends were at the little ‘Rave’. They thought you brought a monster along.”

  “It was a problem between me and some of my school’s football team, they decided to take out on my sister and friends. Demon helped me straighten out the misunderstanding.”