Demon at War (The Mike Rawlins Series Book 3)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “Sure, Mike… just get out.”

  “On my way. I’ll be back to take you all home, and if I can’t, I’ll call Dad.”

  Running out to the limousine, Mike noticed Denny already in the backseat with his notebook computer open, and his fingers flying over the keys. Demon had his head out the window in the front, looking at Mike with a very good mimic of a grin. Mike ducked his head in the open rear door.

  “Everything okay, Den?”

  “I’m linked now with Laura. I made sure she understands the situation. Joanie already texted her a moment ago, so she knew what to expect. I’m downloading images on your iPad for Lake Chabot from Demon Inc’s mainframe, complete with topographical data and trails.” Denny looked up. “You and D were going to hang me out to dry, right?”

  “Bingo!” Demon pronounced only to Mike.

  “Absolutely not! It was taking us a few moments to digest the fact you were surrounded by four scantily clad young ladies, including my sister. What? You think D and I read their minds when they were in the back of the limo? Let’s put your love life on hold for the moment, Frodo, while we go try and save a young girl’s life.”

  Denny quickly held his finger inside his mouth while making a contorted face. “Oh gag! Get in the front and let’s go, Captain Darkness.”

  Mike looked stunned for a moment before closing the door and running around to the front. He had the limo on its way to Lake Chabot in seconds, ignoring Demon’s snorting amusement. “How the hell do you know about Farfel’s new nickname for me?”

  “He typed it on my keyboard,” Denny replied without turning away from his work.

  Demon held up his right paw, with one claw extended.

  “I’m getting him his own big ass keyboard so he and I can exchange ideas, and your adventures, without a translator. Laura watches all those child development shows for when her baby arrives. D has been learning our language, Cap.”

  “Oh wonderful. There’s some good news. How about I cut down on the nicknames right now? Call me Captain Darkness again, Frodo, and you’ll be trying to figure out how to communicate with your broken jaw wired shut.”

  Denny squelched a laugh at Mike’s threat. “Oh… sorry… did I say that out loud? Anyway, I have a theory about the abductor. I’m betting they’re ordering roadblocks and cordoning off square miles of city. If this is a legitimate take, and it doesn’t involve a family custody deal, I’m betting the kidnapper took her into the woods surrounding Lake Chabot. Some trails reach all the way to Oakland. Here’s my reasoning: there’s no cameras, with very few people off the main trails. We know this has been plotted out. The kidnapper might have a shelter where he can take the girl to stay out of sight until tonight.”

  “That’s tight, Denny! The Sheriff’s Department is probably doing exactly like you say, but they will have dogs out there to pick up the scent.”

  Demon shook his head. “If Frodo is right, the kidnapper can mask their scent easy, even from bloodhounds. I, the ill-treated, faithful Farfel on the other hand, have the paranormal touch to sense an evil flavor. I’ll be on that sucker like stink on your shoes, Cap.”

  “Demon doesn’t agree?”

  “He likes your idea and he thinks the kidnapper can mask the girl’s scent easy, but not from him,” Mike explained. “In his words, he’ll be on the sucker like stink on my shoes.”

  Denny snickered. “I think we should keep anything we do between us. If we claim to know he’s hiking around the lake, even if Demon’s sure, we won’t know for certain he doesn’t have an alternate way out of the park. If the Sheriff’s Department pulls resources off the blocking maneuver and we miss something, they’d pour that blame over our heads in a split second.”

  “Good point,” Mike acknowledged, glancing over at Demon and getting an agreeing nod. “If D senses him going to ground in the woods, I’ll see if Tom wants to go in with us. He at least believes us, and we can have an official police presence along. Tom won’t rat us out either if something inexplicable happens to that poor kidnapper.”

  “Wait a minute, Cap. What exactly do you mean by that?”

  “Tell Frodo when we find that scumbag we’re going to tune him up.”

  “D says we tune him up.”

  Denny’s head dropped to his keyboard. “Oh boy… you guys do know they send heroes to prison nowadays, right? Even low down monsters that kidnap girls, and are caught in the act, cannot be touched. Those poor monsters have had a bad childhood, been made fun of, or stubbed their toe. Therefore when you catch them with a little girl the monster has kidnapped, you must make sure the monster’s comfortable with every aspect of his apprehension.”

  “I’m thinking I rip his throat out and we claim an easy self-defense plea,” Demon told Mike. “We’re leaving Frodo in the limo, right Cap?”

  “Absolutely,” Mike replied with a grin, silently to Demon. “We’ll be very careful out there, Den. Besides, Tom will be with us. We won’t have to worry about a problem with apprehension techniques with him along.”

  “I was there along with Tom when Demon ripped out the throat of poor old Gary Moseley when he took the Manjetti kid. We lucked out on that one, but you saw how close they actually came to charging us all, Mike.”

  Mike exchanged knowing glances with Demon. “We’ll do this one by the book, Denny.”

  “I saw that.”

  “Tell Frodo to step up or put on his evening gown and high heels.”

  Mike repeated the insult with Demon grinning back at Denny, who wilted under it.

  “Sorry, guys.”

  “Don’t sweat it, Den. We know you were held hostage by four beautiful vixens who contaminated your mind. It’ll take a while to beat down those soul-sucking tendencies to play it safe so you can get back to your harem.”

  Denny hung his head. “That’s just… mean.”

  “It was good, wasn’t it, Den? They had you on the ropes with the negligees and string bikinis, but we saw you were fighting through it.”

  “I do hope you two planned on crashing the party before the game involved your own sister, Captain Darkness.”

  Demon immediately chortled away. “Good one, Frodo.”

  “Okay,” Mike admitted. “It wasn’t one of my shining moments, but the four stunned me too, buddy. That Joanie let the three sinful temptresses browbeat her into donning that costume was a real kick in the head. Back to business. You’re networked and ready to follow our progress if D senses the direction, right?”

  “Yep. I’ll track you every step using the signal from the lapel cam. That video goes nowhere but to my notebook computer. I don’t want any record of this getting out if you two decide to go rogue. Did you bring your earpiece? I had mine in my computer bag luckily.”

  “I’ve got it in my equipment bag. I’m so paranoid lately, I’m thinking of stashing a fully loaded bag in my school locker. Can you input sound and speak to us through your notebook so Tom can have your earpiece?”

  “Yes! Good idea, Mike. If you corner that guy, I may be able to direct you. I have a cam in my bag too. You take yours back, and I’ll give mine to Tom.”

  Mike hesitated, but he was already on Lake Chabot Road that led past the parking lot. They’d be there in minutes. “Forget the mystery making complications, Den. Put Laura on notice to be a second pair of eyes. I don’t want anything happening to that little girl just to cover our asses.”

  “Good call, Mike. On it.” Denny texted frequencies and settings to Laura, networking directly with Demon Inc as he did it.

  Mike stopped the limo at the road block in front of Lake Chabot Regional Park’s parking lot entrance, where two uniformed Alameda County Sheriff’s Deputies were on duty. Mike opened the window with his driver’s license in hand. “Whittier and Pascolli asked us to come help with the search, Sir.”

  The tall lanky deputy with Terrance on his nametag glanced at Mike’s license and stepped back. “They’re waiting for you. Go right in.”

  Mike drove in to the crowded p
arking lot where they still had all people present at the park during the kidnapping being questioned by a cluster of Sheriff’s deputies and volunteers from police departments in the surrounding area. He spotted Tom Huang in his dark blue San Leandro Police Department uniform waving for him to park in a cordoned off area. Mike did as directed while he noticed Whittier and Pascolli jogging over to join Huang.

  “Stay in the limo, Den. We’ll handle negotiations while you and Laura see if you can hack us some new intel.”

  Denny didn’t look up. “I’ve already hacked into cell towers feeding this area. I’m routing the data to Laura so we can find out if there was any chatter in or out of Lake Chabot in the last two hours with some filters like girl, snatch and grab, and everything Laura and I can add for my worm to look for.”

  “Outstanding… scary… but outstanding.” Not for the first time was Mike grateful Denny was on their side.

  “Let me get out there, Mike!” Demon pressed into Mike’s side until Mike opened his door and Demon shot out past the deputies and Tom Huang. Mike slipped his iron spike and sheath under the back of his jacket.

  Whittier immediately sent out orders not to hinder Demon or stop him from going anywhere he wanted. She gestured at the limo. “What the hell’s this, Rawlins?”

  “You caught us in the middle of a teenage group dating gig, Deputy. Forget our ride. Denny’s inside working cell calls. Demon will find out where the kidnapper went. Then we’ll figure out how we can help you.”

  “We already had the dogs on this, Mike,” Pascolli stated. “They know the kidnapper took the girl away from the parking lot. We have an all points out on anything and everyone who might seem suspicious. We called for help from other departments. Tom suggested we bring in you and your dog. God knows the exorcism at the MMA fight is worse than science fiction. What can you do for us that won’t put Anne and me in the looney bin?”

  Mike interrupted Pascolli, seeing Demon streaking towards him. “I can tell you in a minute.”

  Demon landed wildly in their midst. “We have to go, partner! I have him on radar. Lose the albatrosses around our necks from Humpty Dumpty County Sheriff’s and grab your gear!”

  “D has something. The guy didn’t leave in a vehicle. We’ll find him if you’ll spare Tom here to go with us.”

  Denny ducked his head out the door. “I’m tracking all communications from a throw away phone that has made calls for the past three hours in Lake Chabot Regional Park with a filter Laura suggested: baby. All the calls went to the same number. I have the name, address, and phone number of the party he’s been texting. I’m uploading the intel now to Alameda County Sheriff’s hotline. It’ll be on your screens. Here’s the address for you along with my iPad number.” Denny handed a note with the data written on it to Whittier.

  “Look,” Pascolli pleaded. “We can’t let you three traipse off into the woods after a kidnapper. I’ll get people on his trail immediately. You-”

  “They’ll never find him,” Mike interrupted. “Demon’s the only one who can sense this guy. Your department should fan out in all areas this guy could escape through, like access roads and places like the golf course. Once you find out his name from the address Denny gave you, you’ll be able to find his vehicle. It has to be somewhere near the place he plans to exit.”

  “Mike, we can’t let you call the shots on this. We’ll send Demon with a team,” Whittier promised.

  Demon sat down, shaking his head back and forth. “The hell you will.”

  “That would be no,” Tom spoke for the first time. “I’ll go with them. Mike’s plan has merit. All the time we stand here jawing allows this guy to get further out of our reach.”

  Pascolli grabbed his partner’s arm. “Let them try it, Anne. We’ll find out the identity like Mike suggested of the perp’s contact. Then we find out who we’re dealing with.”

  Whittier gestured for Mike, Tom, and Demon to go. “Get moving. Charlie and I will be unemployed and up on charges if this doesn’t work. C’mon, Charlie, let’s go open a vein somewhere and bleed out quietly.”

  Pascolli chuckled. “Let’s go bleed out that contact instead. Good luck, guys.”

  Mike took the proffered earpiece and lapel cam Denny handed him and added Tom Huang. “These will keep us on the monitor, with Denny and Laura watching every move. We’ll get this sucker, Tom.”

  “I believe you. What else do you two have planned?” Tom followed Demon and Mike as they jogged back the way Demon had come.

  “Find the girl and her kidnapper, Tom. That’s it.”

  “He ain’t buying it, Mike,” Demon projected. “Say something touchy-feely so he’ll think he’s not on a kill mission.”

  Tom caught up to Mike, setting a pace to keep up. “If we find this guy in a compromising position I’ll cover your play, but let’s make sure it’s as black and white as Gary Moseley taking the Manjetti kid, okay?”

  “Absolutely. We’ll be very careful, Tom. Our goal is to save Tina Kinsler.”

  “Let’s be clear, Mike. I know you two pretty well, but use your head. I don’t want you in a prison cell over a low-life kidnapper.”

  Mike paid attention to the terrain. Demon had veered off the paved path around the lake on the inland side. Although the wooded area was sparse, and the brush not particularly deep, jogging after Demon required care. Mike glanced at his iPad, noting they were heading cross-country away from the lake. “We’ll do our best. Let’s keep D in sight and make sure neither of us break a leg moving through here too quickly. Listen in while I talk to Denny. Are we heading toward Redwood Road, Denny?”

  “Yeah, Mike, and north, away from the residential areas. I’ll call the direction in and get squad cars roaming both Redwood Road, and Miller Road further on. There haven’t been any more calls to triangulate, but Whittier and Pascolli are already at the address I gave them. I’ll keep you informed. Do you still think he has a place to wait until dark?”

  “Tell Frodo that I do,” Demon told Mike. “He’s slowing down. My radar senses a stronger signal. We’re catching up. I don’t know what this is all about, but this is too goofy not to have some underlying motive.”

  Demon slowed down to a steady walk, threading through brush even Mike and Tom could tell had been trodden over. “The good news is this clown doesn’t know we’re anywhere near him. We have to be quiet from now on, partner. Sound carries out here.”

  “Demon says we have to slow down and stay as quiet as possible. He thinks the guy is close and there’s more to this kidnapping than a pervert kidnapping a kid. Did you get any information from the deputies about the parents?”

  Mike could tell from Tom’s face the authorities had concentrated on the kidnapping rather than motive. “I’ll take your silence as a big no. Maybe-”

  “Mike!” Laura’s voice barked in both men’s ears. “I followed the lead from Denny’s pinpointing of the phone calls. The couple at that address have rap sheets and drug connections. Tina’s parents, Dennis and Maria, have a connection with one of them from high school: Janet Winslow. The guy staying with Winslow is named Jesus Matilia. They suspect him of having connections to Colombian drug cartel contacts. The Oakland PD has him as a person of interest in a case they’re building against two MS-13 gang members.”

  “Where the hell did you learn all that, Laura?” Tom’s voice expressed more than polite surprise. When he heard only silence on Laura’s end, Tom shook his head. “Sorry… sorry… forget I asked. Let’s stick with getting Tina back.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Mike said, keeping his voice down. “Thanks, Laura. Are Whittier and Pascolli getting help on what you’ve turned up?”

  “They’re working on my info now, being very careful on the approach. I’m afraid the deputies were a little put off on my methods too. They also called in help to do a more thorough grilling of Tina’s parents. They need to make sure those two come clean on whatever this is all about, and if they’ve already received ransom threats. You probably have the
same suspicions as I do. Whittier just texted me when they have Matilia and Winslow under guard, she will have them monitored right by the phone. If there are any more calls or complications, Whittier plans to help us with triangulating all incoming and outgoing calls.”

  Mike noticed the rising terrain to Miller Road only fifty yards away. “I know you’re tracking us, but we’ll go silent for now once we cross Miller Road. We’re thinking he’s in the woods between Miller and Cull Canyon Roads. The wind’s picking up which will cover some of our noise. I’ll keep my acknowledgement of anything you two notice within text message answers.”

  Both Laura and Denny voiced their understanding. Demon took off after listening to the conversation. “Wait here with ‘Goody Two Shoes’ while I scramble ahead past the road and scout out the terrain.”

  Mike acknowledged Demon’s instructions, waving Tom to a halt while watching Demon disappear ahead. “D is scouting ahead. He wants us to wait here while he checks out the terrain past Miller Road.”

  “Mike, Whittier has Matilia and Winslow locked down at their place, and Tina’s parents incommunicado,” Denny said. “Pascolli came back personally to let me know. He’ll have the scene here while Whittier works the other angle. Winslow told them the name and car of the kidnapper. It’s Carlos Santiago. He has an old Jeep parked on Cull Canyon Road. The FBI arrived so things are getting dicey. They have agents on the way to secure the car, and all phases of the investigation. Our hunch was right. Tina’s parents were distributing. According to Winslow they’ve been skimming, and Matilia received orders to make a statement. The first part is to recoup the skimmed drug money. The second is to make a statement using Tina. Matilia isn’t saying anything and Winslow doesn’t know what that statement might be.”

  “Thanks, Den. If the FBI tries to end our involvement, make us incommunicado, brother.”

  “Understood.”

  Mike’s fists tightened as his inner battle with the darkness began to fog his mind. It eased as he saw Demon come into view.