Demon Inc (The Mike Rawlins Series Book 2)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  Hesitant hands all went up slightly. Mike nodded. “That’s a start. How many of you’d like to give Coach Larkin a nice shit sandwich?”

  All the hands went up, accompanied by chuckles and heartfelt ‘oh yeahs’.

  “Good. I know your Coach is the most important figure you need for guidance. All I’m asking for on this play is for you to get in the way of the guy opposite of you. Okay?”

  A lanky black kid raised his hand. “Ah… what about passing?”

  “You’re an end, right?”

  “Yeah,” the kid answered.

  “You’ll get your chance… ah…” Mike pointed at him questioningly.

  “Alexander Graham Bell,” the kid answered without any hesitation, and a big smile.

  “The Alexander Graham Bell?” Mike asked, drawing appreciative laughs from Bell and his cohorts. “Pick someone to hit, Bell. We’ll get to the passes in a moment. I have to show Coach Larkin I’m serious.”

  “You got it,” Bell replied with pumping fist.

  “You guys have run plays against the defense in practice, right?” Mike got a slew of affirmatives from the guys around him. “Where’s my backs?”

  Three hands raised briefly.

  “Nothing fancy. Run straight ahead through the line and downfield. Then get in the D-backs’ way. I’m running around Bell’s end. Okay, let’s do this… on hike!”

  A heavyset teen a few inches shorter than Mike, grabbed his arm. “Rawlins, I’m Luke. I’m the center. Any special way you want me to snap the ball?”

  “Just get it in my hands, and then get in someone’s way.”

  “Hey!” Larkin called out. “Today, Rawlins, today!”

  Mike waved to the coach. He walked up behind center as his second string teammates went into their stances. “Hike!”

  Mike drifted back a couple yards while his running backs ran straight into the line. He then ran right, where Bell was sealing off the defensive end. A linebacker with a big grin ran around to intercept with what Mike thought looked like maiming in mind. Tucking the ball tightly under his right arm, Mike lowered his center of gravity slightly. Instead of trying to avoid the hit, he exploded into the linebacker with a left forearm blow. His would be tackler went flying backward into the defensive players swarming after Mike with him. In a split second he was into the secondary, where his running backs did a competent job of getting between Mike and the pursuing defensive backs trying to pick an angle to intercept the ball carrier. Only the safety ended up with a final shot at Mike, who sped past the rest. He vaulted the safety’s dive for his legs easily. Having faced opponents in MMA enough to know never to let your guard down, when Mike crossed the practice field goal line, he tossed the ball aside and turned ready to hit. The defensive players still pursuing him veered off.

  Mike picked up the ball, jogging back toward the former line of scrimmage amid cheers and pumping fists from his offensive teammates. Larkin was over reaming out the defensive line. Mike could tell the way the players on defense glanced over at him they weren’t happy. Larkin screamed for what Mike figured was about three minutes solid as he bumped fists with his offensive squad. Denny and Joanie waved at him from the sidelines, where Denny had recorded the first play. Larkin finally tired of berating his first string defense and walked over red-faced in front of Mike.

  “Bet you can’t do that again, Rawlins!”

  “Why don’t we find out?”

  “Tee it up, you arrogant prick! Don’t take twenty minutes in the huddle this time.”

  Mike nodded and gestured at his offense. “Huddle up, guys.”

  When they were in a close huddle, Mike looked around, seeing smiling faces. “You guys did just like I wanted. The Coach thinks I’m going to run it. We’re going to pass it. Bell runs full out for the goal line. When you get there, hook left along the goal line. To give you time to get there, we’re going to do a double reverse. I’ll handoff to my right halfback. Right halfback hands off to my left end running from the other side, who will then hand it off to me. Everyone else blocks the best they can. I know you’ve never practiced this play, but is there any objection to trying it?

  A thin six footer on Mike’s right gave him a wave of acknowledgment. “I’m Mel Stottlemeyer, your right half. I’ll do it. Chris Gaynor’s your left end. You want a piece, Chris?”

  “To see that look on the big bad again… hell yeah! I’ll pass you on the outside, Mel, and give it to you as I pass by in front, Mike. That way I can block when I hand it back.”

  “That’ll work, gentlemen. Snap it on the second hike this time, Luke. Want to bet they jump offside? Let’s do it. Break!”

  On the line of scrimmage when Mike saw that everyone was set, he called ‘hike’, and the entire front line of defenders jumped offside. Mike looked at Larkin, amidst chuckles from his offensive crew. “Shall I try that again, Coach?”

  “Next player on defense jumps offside runs sprints until their eyeballs pop out!” Larkin screamed as his defenders lined back up.

  Perfect, Mike thought. They’ll be a split second slow coming in. He crouched over center and barked out hike twice. Luke snapped him the ball on the second one. His offensive line drove the defense back, because they were hesitant to get off at the snap of the ball. Mike handed it off a little roughly to Mel who streaked left. He passed off smoothly to Chris while decoying half the guys with him. Chris ran it back, passing inside of Mike and handing off the ball before nailing the right linebacker with a roll block. By this time, Bell was nearing the goal line having left behind all the defenders by ten yards. Mike sprinted back and threw a perfect spiral sixty yards down field, hitting Bell right in the numbers as he hooked to the left. This time both the second string offensive players and their first string counterparts except for Nate Denkins on the sidelines were cheering the play, with Bell running back and forth along the goal line pumping the ball up and down over his head. Mike also noticed Denny and Joanie whooping it up on the side too.

  Larkin was stunned. He didn’t bother berating the defensive squad. He walked away for a moment, his hands jammed into his jacket pockets. Mike got swarmed as the celebration went on for a few more moments before Larkin returned, gesturing for silence. When everyone had quieted down, Larkin shook his head.

  “Those were the damnedest two plays I’ve ever seen run by a nut-cake who has never taken a snap from center in an organized game. You’re in on Friday night, Rawlins. Run through plays for the rest of practice with the first string and get the timing down. Adjust things as you see fit. I’ll check it all out after you’ve had a chance to take some snaps.” Larkin surveyed his grinning second string offense. “Hell of a job guys. You made Rawlins look good. I want you to run plays at my defense the same way. Make it up as you go along and have some fun. It’ll sharpen up the defense. Rawlins? Is there anything else you can do?”

  “I was thinking about it, Coach. I could rush the quarterback on passing downs as a free linebacker. I think I could prevent them from ever throwing a pass.”

  “Twenty minutes ago I would have laughed in your face. I ain’t laughin’. We’ll try your theory out Friday. Bell, you go over and alternate at right end with first string. That was a first class hook up between you and Rawlins. Try some variations of it with the plays you do know are official. Let’s freelance for the next forty-five minutes and see how things go.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Warning System

  “You sure called that one,” Joanie said as they watched Bell alternate with another end to get increasingly sharp looking passes from Mike. “He looks like he’s been playing quarterback for years.”

  Denny glanced over at Joanie. He continued filming, although the danger had passed for confrontations Mike could get into trouble for. “When Mike hit that fast as the Flash end with a sixty yard bomb on his first attempt with a pass, even I couldn’t believe it. I had expected the run where Mike could blitz over a couple guys like that linebacker. I didn’t expect him to adlib a pass p
lay on the fly like he did. Coach Larkin’s happy as hell. He even apologized to the defense for coming down so hard on them.”

  “I hope this doesn’t make things tough for him when he leaves the team,” Joanie remarked. “Do you think he’d change his mind if they win Friday night?”

  “No way. No how. Mike will be back working for your Dad after school the moment he gets done Friday night. I told your Dad I’d network this like we do the missions, so he and your Mom are enjoying this slice of normalcy right now on their own TV. It does look like he’s making friends with a lot of his sworn enemies on the football team. That was a fact I did figure on. It’s hard to dislike a stand up guy like Mike on the football team.”

  “Boy, my folks probably tore the living room up during Mike’s two plays. Watching Mike try out for the football team is a lot better than watching you guys wipe out the Haunt nest at Ansel’s house. There were a couple times I thought you were all dead. I keep hoping I’ll be able to get used to it, and be more soldier-like on the intercom from Demon Inc, but I was worse yesterday.”

  “You did fine, Joanie. Hell, do you think my heart’s not up in my throat during the mission when Mike’s not there to rely on. When he crossed over with Demon for backup, it was the worst. I pretended. I acted like we had him covered to ease his mind. It was killing me because there were so many Haunts. You want scary? Think about how many dummies play around with spell books, Ouija boards, and that goofy Wiccan stuff. We only found out about Kincaid and Ansel because the Haunts targeted us. What if they possess a bunch of strangers we don’t know, and they lay low while opening portals to their hell dimension all over?”

  Joanie stared in horror at Denny, all football practice frivolity disappearing in an instant. “Oh my God! Thanks for that, Denny! Do you have any ideas as to what we can do?”

  Denny glanced away toward the scrimmage. “I’m working on it. This Haunt damage projection gig is an inexact science. The only thing I’ve come up with so far is sending out an ultra sonic signal keyed into our Demon Inc network. If I can figure out a way to filter into a security database I may be able to narrow a threat down. I haven’t studied the signal breakdown in the movies we’ve taken. Like I said… I’m working on it.”

  “Work faster.”

  Denny grinned, still looking at the scrimmage action. “On it, boss.”

  “Hey… are you still figuring on being a player on a group date?”

  “I’ve talked to Mandy. We reshaped the group date for a Sunday matinee, dinner, and a kick back at her place. Mike said he’d drive us all. He suggested Brennan’s with the Demon Inc room to ourselves.”

  Joanie stuttered out a mishmash of outraged comments that had Denny bent double laughing. He gripped her shoulders finally.

  “You’re part of it. What’re you getting so mad about? I have to corner for Mike with your Dad Saturday night. I promised the date, Joanie. Can’t we all go out on Sunday and have a good time after this week from hell? I bet we could forget the Haunts for a few hours.”

  Joanie shrugged, spinning out of Denny’s hands. “I’m sorry… you’re right… as usual. Mandy and the rest don’t even know how much time we spend together. I don’t know why I’m getting mental for no reason.”

  “Maybe you like me. It’s not so hard to imagine that you don’t want to see me with other girls. I get that.” Denny gripped Joanie’s hand. “I like you too. Do you think it wouldn’t bother me seeing you with another guy? We’re fifteen, Joanie. I know it’s easy to figure we’re facing a danger that makes our high school drama into smalltime crap, but it’s also our grip on reality.”

  Joanie smiled, facing Denny, and taking both his hands. “You’re a little too smart, and you’ve been hanging around Mike too long. You’ve stretched your sense of responsibility into the unknown country. I’m in for the Sunday group hug, but if Mandy feels your leg up again, it’s so on.”

  “It’ll be so on, all right,” Denny replied, looking up at the sky dreamily. He started running before Joanie recovered from the gasp phase.

  * * *

  “I’m thinking of moving past the tryout phase in our relationship,” Janis said, sitting in Jerry’s Toyota passenger seat as he drove toward Berkeley. “You’ve changed, Jer. The Haunt war with portals from hell has moved us past the old days. I’d like to evolve from our flirting and clowning around stage.”

  Not knowing for sure if Janis was screwing with him or not, Jerry kept his mouth shut. He had been in love with Janis since seventh grade. She made him laugh. She was so intensely loyal, she’d take a bullet for him in a heartbeat. Demon Inc had proven to be a blessing and a curse. They had everything now in the future: money, friends they’d both die for, college, and each other. What they also had was the knowledge all life on earth could end if the very thing they were cementing their future with triumphed: the Haunt world.

  Janis turned to eyeball him with that cute little snarl Jerry couldn’t get enough of. He grinned while keeping his eyes straight ahead on the road. His exemplary peripheral vision was a blessing at times. Janis was a woman to be counted on. Never mind the sarcastic comments, lighthearted banter, and killer looks. She stepped up without any prompting. She had however rocked him back with a few well placed zings which he had learned to handle. They were opposites, but Janis understood friendship between guys like no other woman he had ever known, other than maybe Connie. She smacked him in the back of the head.

  “I’m talkin’ to you!”

  Jerry glanced over at her. “I love you. I know your Dad hates me, and no, I’m not going to turn the world upside down because there’s danger. I’m here no matter what. I’ll do anything you want as far as changes in the relationship, except go away.”

  “My Dad doesn’t hate… you…you love me?”

  “I’ve loved you since seventh grade. It hurts me deeply you didn’t notice.”

  Janis giggled. She leaned over and put her hand on his thigh while leaning her head on his shoulder. “Hearing you say it is the best thing that’s happened to me ever. God! I was so wound up telling you I wanted to take our relationship more seriously I did my usual blunt stomping around. How the hell do you put up with me?”

  “Because I love you. Demon Inc, the money, the fame, the danger – I deal with it because you’re with me. I’ve seen those celebrities and big time sports jocks screw their lives up because they never know what they want, and when they get what they want, they screw it up anyway. I don’t know if we’ll beat the Haunts, but I’m glad I have you here next to me.”

  Janis choked back tears. “Damn it! I’m sorry I’m so-”

  “Don’t Jan.” Jerry put his right arm around her. “If I couldn’t handle the way you are with all that’s happened to us since Demon came along, we wouldn’t even be in the same car together. That Halloween night back when we met up with Mike and the Demon seems like a hundred years ago. When you, Connie, and Laura stood up to the football team on ‘Gravity Hill’ after they were getting ready to do damage to Stan and me, I never forgot it. It would have been easy for anyone else to just laugh and play along.”

  “You’re right about that. If I’d had a gun I’d have put a bullet right between Nate Denkins’ horns. By the way… I love you too.”

  Jerry grasped her right hand and kissed it. “I was hoping so, babe. Now, about your Dad hating me, do I have to remind you of his stunningly anti-Jerry comments and actions or could we just log them in as facts and move on?”

  Janis began an angry retort, but held it in. Her Dad didn’t hate Jerry, but he had done everything he could do to break them up from even the toned down dating they’d been doing. “Maybe he figures an interracial relationship can’t work. I don’t know. How do your parents like me? They seem to like me.”

  “Boy, after I explained how you put your life on the line at the Rave on Halloween night, they never said a word other than positive… not that I keep asking them or anything. I always thought our relationship was up to us, but I know how tough i
t can be if we can’t even get the parents on board.”

  “Being honest,” Janis replied, sitting up in her seat, “they didn’t like me associating with a honky, low life, cracker like you.”

  That statement nearly led to Jerry pulling over to the side of the road as both he and Janis laughed uncontrollably while Jerry slowed to a halt. They were in a section of Berkeley, CA by that time on a side street leading to Jerry’s destination without traffic. “Babe… that was funny.”

  “You wouldn’t think so if you ever heard my Mamma raking your white ass over the coals… babe.”

  Jerry straightened, his body language stating outrage. “Your Mamma loves me. Don’t even think to take her name in vain… Brandy.”

  Janis immediately launched for Jerry’s throat, her hands clutching empty air as Jerry caught both wrists. “Remember the love, Brandy.”

  “That damn dog! You... you… oh hell!” Janis laughed with escalating audio. After another couple minutes, Janis clutched Jerry’s hand. “Quit sayin’ my Dad hates you.”

  “I will… the moment he stops looking at me like if he could shoot death rays out of his eyeballs, I’d look like a 4th of July charcoal briquette. As to D, Mrs. Rawlins called him Farfel.”

  That statement led to another few minutes of Janis losing all control, rocking back and forth in her seat, tears streaming from her eyes. “Oh… oh… oh my God… my ship has come in. Oh Farfel, you are so mine!”

  “You can’t say anything. Mike told me that in strictest confidence. He was warning everyone that D guaranteed a trip to the emergency room if anyone else called him that.”

  Janis gawked at Jerry in disbelief. “Are you sayin’ I can’t use that ace on Farfel? You have gone stark ravin’ mad, my love. Oh Farfel, this will be a gift that just keeps on givin’. Mrs. Rawlins is a genius. Only she can put that cavorting, arrogant Gestapo, tail wagging mutt in his place!”