“What the hell was that all about, troublemaker?”
Mike chuckled, climbing the steps to the weigh-in officials. “Just Terry trying to drum up controversy for the match, Jer.”
Stan took Mike’s robe. “He does know we’re not getting paid for this, right?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you can still catch up to him and ask.”
“Pass.”
“I thought sportsmanship was what it was all about at this level,” Jerry commented.
“Two guys trying to beat each other’s brains out probably don’t embrace that term until the final bell.”
Stan grabbed Mike’s arm before he climbed on the scale. “Then how come you’re all cool and calm, Dempsey?”
“I’ve got so much crap on my mind it’ll be a relief to finally hit something that hits back.”
* * *
“What the heck’s that supposed to mean?” Stan asked in a whispered aside while Mike filled in forms and had a routine check-up by the organization’s staff doctor. “Big Mike rarely says anything since we started two-a-day practices at Davis. He sees how banged up and sore we are and I think it makes him feel better.”
Jerry nodded. “This is only Wednesday, brother. Two more days of hell week left before the bad news bears break training. We whine so much, Mike feels bad complaining in front of us. Besides, I think he considered it a close call with Gail’s Father only finding a place for us three days before Laura arrived to surprise us all.”
“Hey, we whipped up some furniture and appliances in short order,” Stan pointed out. “We even made our parents happy when we drove away with all the stuff they’d stored for years. It took them off the ‘Intervention’ list for that show on TV… ah… ‘Hoarders’. She’s all set up. Besides, Laura didn’t realize she was getting the boot down in Florida that soon. You think she’s on Mike about something?”
“Yep - already ragging him about MMA, Gail, and what he has planned,” Jerry grumbled. “Connie and Jan are doing their best to calm down Ms. Raging Hormones but I think she’s getting under Dempsey’s skin.”
“I hear from Jan Moomoo’s trying to get in touch with Laura.”
“That ain’t happenin’, Stan.”
“I know that and you know that, but Moomoo… not so much. I guess his Father wants into some kind of custody mess and Laura’s parents want her to give the baby to him. When Connie tried to hear what Laura thought about the idea after telling it to them, Laura nearly went postal. I don’t think Moomoo is going to get his way, not that he cares one way or the other.”
“And Mike’s getting blasted with it every time he’s with her I’ll bet,” Jerry added.
“Blasted with what?” Mike took his robe from Stan.
“La Laura,” Jerry answered.
Mike sighed. “I’m not taking any more crap from her about Gail or anything else.”
Stan and Jerry glanced at each other and started laughing.
“How… how you going to pull that off, partner?” Stan asked.
“I’m going out to the Equinox and tell Gail and Demon we’re dropping them off to set Laura straight.”
More laughter.
“C’mon,” Mike walked toward his Dad. “Gail will be lighting up our cell-phones in a moment wondering what the hell’s taking so long. How many times did she say ‘next time, you guys stay in the van with Demon’?”
“I lost count, but your Dad volunteered for van duty to shut her up. Why’d she come in the first place? D doesn’t mind waiting alone.”
“Think about it, Jer,” Stan said. “She knows Laura will hear about who went to the weigh-in.”
“Mama Mia!” Mike concluded.
* * *
“Uh oh.” Dan put his arms out to halt progress to the parking lot. “We have company.”
Terry Santana, and what looked to be another four guys, walked out in front of Mike, his Dad, Stan, and Jerry. When Mike glanced back at the school auditorium where the weigh-in took place he saw three others cut off his group from the school. Dan began to stride toward Terry but Mike hurriedly moved around him with his hands in a stopping gesture. He knew his Dad didn’t take crap from anyone, and he was not afraid of anything Mike knew of.
“Let me handle this, Dad. Let’s not make this into a paramedic scene unless we have to.”
Dan never took his eyes off the leering Santana. “This is wrong, Mike. I don’t know what the hell’s the matter with these guys, but there’re too many of them for this to be a negotiation.”
“I’ve got it, Sir,” Stan said, holding up his phone. “I have the cops on 911 right now.”
“And I’m taking a mug-shot movie,” Jerry used his cell-phone on low light setting to take a movie of Santana’s entourage in front and back. “I’m sending it live to a couple friends of ours.”
“That won’t be in time to save your ass!” Terry shouted angrily at Jerry.
“That’s what you think, pal.”
In the next instant Demon hurtled into the midst of Santana’s front group, a snapping, growling, menacing apparition of death. He gave no quarter, nor reacted to pleas from the scattering men. Demon herded them. Leaping atop random men with snapping jaws inches from their faces, he knocked them to the parking lot surface until they scrambled in terror away from the scene, before focusing on the three in Mike’s rear. Bounding toward them, Demon cut sideways as a shot rang out. He took down the gunman before another shot could be fired, ripping at the wrist he chomped down on in the attack with vicious abandon as the other two men scattered. The gun clattered away from the screaming gunman, who fell sideways beneath Demon. Sirens sounded in the distance, rapidly approaching the chaotic scene. Mike ran over to where the gun lay, not picking it up, but blocking anyone else’s approach to it. He gestured in a motion for Demon to hold. The dog angled across his quarry’s body, teeth bared at his throat.
* * *
Gail ran up wide eyed amidst her friends. “Holy crap! What the hell’s going on?”
“Just the usual,” Stan gestured with open arms.
“The trouble magnet?” Gail nodded her understanding.
“Hey, that’s my son you’re talking about, young lady,” Dan retorted. “Thanks for showing up with the Rawlins’ family protection arm.”
Gail surveyed the parking lot scene as two police cruisers jetted in from the street. “That shot was damn scary. I thought maybe one of you could be dead.”
“That makes two of us, sister of the traveling pants,” Stan joked. “Good Lord! That dog is something else. Now what?”
Dan grimaced, watching as police spilled out of their squad cars with weapons drawn. He raised his hands high. “We wait and do exactly what we’re told.”
Stan, Jerry, and Gail mimicked Dan’s gesture.
* * *
The over six foot tall, nearly dark skinned police sergeant with Gilmer on his name tag listened to Dan recount what had happened, glancing down at the now docile Demon with a smile. When Dan finished Sergeant Gilmer exchanged appraising eye to eye contact with his partner, a stocky, auburn haired woman taking notes next to him. She met his attention with a shrug.
“We’ll round up this Terry Santana and the rest of his buddies. That was a nice move taking a movie of it. I’ve already confirmed your side of this from the officials inside as to what happened between your son and Santana during the weigh-in. I’m glad your son gave me Tom Huang as a reference. He says Demon is an official member of the San Leandro police department crime consultant force… whatever the hell that is. Anyway, he vouches for all of you, and says I should add Demon to San Jose’s consultant list too. I’m glad you didn’t pick up the gun that moron dropped.”
“I read about this dog rescuing a girl at Alcatraz, Joe.” Gilmer’s partner with Natallia on her name tag hunched down and petted Demon. He immediately shook hands with her. “The YouTube video I saw of it looked like a horror movie. Is this the dog they used up in San Leandro to find the Amber Alert girl?”
; “Yes,” Mike answered. “Demon found the girl and the guys holding her.”
Gilmer chuckled. “That’s what Tom Huang told me earned Demon the consultant’s badge, Callie. You think we need a consultant too?”
Natallia straightened up after a final pat. “I’ll take any help I can get. I think we have enough details from you all. We have your contact info if we need more. We’ll let you know once we have Santana in custody on exactly what he had in mind. We have his gunman so we’ll be having a long chat with him until he lawyers up. If Santana knew the guy who fired the shot was bringing a gun along as an intimidation tactic, he’ll be sitting next to him in a cell.”
“Terry thought my friends and I were laughing at him, which we weren’t,” Mike replied. “Hell, I’m scheduled to be fighting him in the ring Friday night. If he wanted to give me a beat down for some disrespect he thinks I gave him, he would have had a chance in the ring. This makes no sense.”
“We can’t go into detail,” Gilmer said, “but this isn’t the first complaint about intimidation from Santana. It is the first involving a gun and shots fired. We’re not letting loose of this.”
“We’ve watched him fight before, but he’s always won,” Jerry said. “This is the first time we’ve met up with him at a weigh-in though.”
“We’ll be in touch,” Gilmer replied as he and Natallia walked away.
Dan watched the police officers trek toward their squad car while shaking his head. “Man, your Mom is going to go ballistic when she hears about this.”
Mike laced his fingers behind his neck while throwing his head back and taking a deep breath. “Oh crap!”
“Maybe you can keep from telling her,” Gail suggested, drawing looks of amusement from her companions until they realized she wasn’t joking.
Dan took his own cell-phone out, fingering number one on his contact list. “Now that this is settled I’m calling her right now. You don’t know my wife Jenny very well, Gail. Take my word for it that is not an option. She will find out, and if it’s not from us first, there will be hell to pay.”
“Even D don’t mess with Mrs. Rawlins,” Stan added. “Right D?”
Demon nodded on cue, providing the only truly funny moment since they left the auditorium.
* * *
When Mike saw Laura’s Saturn Ion in front of their house, his lips tightened into a sour looking smile. “Oh boy, we have company. Are you sure you guys don’t want to come in for a while?”
“Pass,” Jerry stated. “As much fun as it would be watching you get triple teamed by the Fem Force, Stan and I have practice tomorrow morning. Are you still planning on coming over tomorrow to watch us get our brains beat out?”
“I’ll be there for the afternoon scrimmage game unless I get swamped at the shop.”
“You won’t,” Dan piped in. “We have a light schedule Thursday and Friday. Are you coming in, Gail?”
“I’m baling too. My Dad wants a complete report of tonight’s adventure. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to attend anymore weigh-ins in the future. It’s sure never boring hangin’ with you bunch. I think Dad was more worried about Demon getting shot than me.”
“Don’t think for a second I won’t tell him you said that, young lady,” Dan waved a threatening finger at Gail as her companions laughed. “Well… let’s get inside Dempsey and face the music. Your Mom didn’t say much on the phone so I figured she was saving it up for a face to face.”
After the others left them, Dan, Mike, and Demon trudged in toned down form toward their front door. The door opened before they could get to it with a noticeably pregnant Laura grabbing a startled Mike by the shoulders. She shook him while his Mom and Joanie giggled together behind her.
“You are done with all things MMA, Mike Rawlins!”
Demon growled, evoking a gasp of indignation from Laura who immediately looked down at him with hands on hips. “Oh no. You did not just growl at me!”
Demon growled again.
Mike picked Laura up with very little effort and moved her to the side of the porch. “Dad and I promised D a beer when we got home for saving our butts. You’re in the way of it.”
Demon trotted in with a smiling Dan right behind him. Jenny put an arm around his waist and her head on his shoulder. Joanie followed her parents toward the kitchen with only one glance back at where her brother stood fronting the red faced Laura. Mike looked over Laura with a tired grin. She wore black shorts and a dark green maternity top with her red hair tied back in a ponytail.
“I bet my Mom cautioned you against pulling that greeting stunt.”
“Demon growled at me,” Laura complained without admitting what Mike had surmised.
“It was a long day at the shop and a little too much excitement tonight. D sensed you were out of line.” Mike sat down on the front step without waiting for Laura to comment. She sat next to him after a moment and took hold of his hand.
“Sorry.”
“Is anything wrong over at your place or did you hear about tonight through the grapevine?”
“I was already over visiting with your Mom and Joanie. It gets lonely over there. Connie called with a movie of the MMA meltdown. You can imagine how that went over.”
“Thank God Dad called right away. He knew instinctively Mom would get the news real quick. I doubt he figured on her getting the video of it that soon though. I need to slow down the Jerry and Stan grapevine a little. Those two should know by now anything sent to Jan and Connie will go national in two seconds flat. Your place is like Fort Knox once the doors are locked and you have the Stun-gun and pepper spray I gave you. There’s no need for you to feel uneasy over there.”
“What part of lonely don’t you understand, you unfeeling-”
“Woe there, Princess. Don’t make me pull the Demon card on you. Let’s see. We set you up against your own parents’ wishes in a very nice place of your own. We furnish it. We talk your parents into helping with your transition to Cal East Bay in spite of shunning you. I think they’re coming around to the idea by the way now that you’re over halfway along. We employ you in our enterprise so as to help with expenses. We-”
“Fine! I’m a selfish bitch and I don’t like being by myself. Joanie wants me to bunk in with her and your Mom agreed… just until I get settled back into classes.”
Mike’s jaw dropped before his mouth tightened up again in a grim slash. He pulled his hand out of Laura’s. “It’s not that I don’t care about you; but damn girl, it’s bad enough taking crap from you over the phone without having it dished out to me every night when I come home.”
“I…I thought you’d be happy about it.”
Mike grabbed Laura’s arm before she could angle her way up off the step, tears welling up in her eyes. “Hold on. You caught me by surprise.”
Laura hugged him with a sob, burying her head in his chest. Mike held her. “I’m… I’m such a mess, Mike. I promise not to bug you about anything. Being pregnant and alone in the Ghostbusters’ clubhouse is freaking me out a little. Plus, I just can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt or worse.”
“Okay, but I’ll sic D on you if I get another greeting like tonight,” Mike replied. When he heard Laura’s chuckle he went on. “Do we need to go over and get some of your things?”
“When your Mom suggested it over the phone, I brought a suitcase with me. I’ll leave early to man the phones at Paranormal Central tomorrow. Gail’s Dad already has an iPad set up for me to monitor all calls anyway from wherever I am. He’s coached me on how to instantly coordinate any kind of an emergency with all the programmed numbers and data. Can I show you?”
“Sure.” Mike gave her a helping hand up. “We have DSL so show me out here.”
Mike watched her hurry inside to retrieve the iPad thinking his ability to absorb surprises was at the saturation point.
* * *
“You did what?” Dan had frozen in mid beer pour, earning a quick yip from Demon. Dan chuckled and finished filling Demon’s
bowl. “Sorry D. Couldn’t we have talked about this before you decided to invite Mike’s pregnant ex-girlfriend to live with us? The kid’s already a little loony with everything he’s dealing with now.”
“But Dad, Laura was really freakin’.”
“You stay out of this, little missy. Your Mom doesn’t need you handling her light work.”
“Laura sounded so down on the phone I didn’t know what else to do,” Jenny admitted. “Then her cohort here started in on me when she got the gist of our conversation and they rolled me. Hey, I managed to see that neat video of the mayhem at the weigh-in thanks to Laura getting it firsthand from Connie. Thank God you’re all safe.”
A rumbling growl/burp sounded a warning. Jenny immediately crouched to hug Demon as Dan and Joanie laughed. “I didn’t forget about you, D. If it weren’t for you being there tonight only God knows what would have happened. Thank you.”
Demon nodded, immediately extending his paw for Jenny to shake. Jenny batted it away with a giggle. “How many times do I have to warn you about nodding your head like you understand every word you hear? It gives me the goose bumps.”
Demon sat up on his hind legs, head tilted comically to the side. While his human audience gasped in delight over his antic, Demon pranced over to the refrigerator, pulled open the door with his paws, and went into a birddog pointer stance with his nose next to a package of Ballpark Franks on the second shelf.
“Looks like D wants a hotdog.”
“Really? Ya’ think?” Jenny looked suspiciously from Demon to her husband. “If I find out you two planned this out beforehand there’ll be two bunk-buddies in the doghouse tonight.”
“Yeah, right.” Dan reached in and removed the hotdog package. “Like Demon needs me to finagle a hotdog from you. I could go for one myself. You were saying about getting rolled?”
Demon (The Mike Rawlins Series Book 1) Page 14