“Listen, Frodo, I don’t pretend I know how a father thinks, but I do know what I’d think, and I’m not even a father. He’s considered the mind rape potential already – guarantied. A double date would be very good.”
“Gail might not think so.”
Mike remained silent for a moment. “Sometimes we need to act like we’re just high school teens, and not presiding at a wake for the end of our world. Besides, you’ll need to ask Joan if she wants to go. Maybe she has other plans.”
“That’s okay. I’ll just ask Mandy.”
That statement elicited raucous laughter from Mike and a snorting bout of enjoyment from Demon. “What? You guys think I’m wearing her ring in my nose or something?”
“No… no… Den. You go ahead and play that card. We’ll make sure you don’t get a one way ticket to Haunt-land, where your restless spirit will be floating around wondering what the hell happened on that date with Mandy, right D.”
“Arf!”
Chapter Thirteen
Moving Out
Mike mumbled something unintelligible under his breath as he spotted news vehicles and people in front of his house. They had blocked off his driveway and front sidewalk. He had to park down the street on the opposite side. “It’s nearly 11:30! My Dad must be getting ready to go postal!”
“Let me handle it, Cap.”
Mike shook his head no, answering Demon out loud. “We can’t keep doing that, D. They really will come and put you in the animal shelter. It looks like Laura made it inside already. Maybe we could adlib something scary without actually attacking, D.”
“Arf!”
“I’ll do the talking, Den, at least what there will be of it.”
“You got it. I’ll be recording anyway just in case.”
Mike led the way to his house with Denny and Demon on either side. Having seen what happened to their compatriots earlier in the day, the news people kept their distance. They began shouting questions at him with the cameras rolling the moment he was spotted. Mike said nothing. When he reached his front porch steps, Mike turned and gestured for attention.
“I’m sorry, but I have no comments on anything. I’ve been instructed by my lawyer to say nothing to anyone.”
“What lawyer, Rawlins?” A lady near the front shouted out.
“That would be my lawyer Demon here. Show these nice folks what no comment means in a non physical way, D.”
Demon shot in front of Mike, hackles raised, fangs bared, and drool dripping. A sound only the Haunts heard just before Demon ripped their throats out elicited screams and retreat. Demon then padded back behind Mike.
“That was the non physical no comment. When I come back out here to take my friend home in fifteen minutes, if there are any more of you around, my lawyer will be demonstrating the very physical no comment. Please, for your sakes, don’t be around for the demo.”
“You can’t threaten us like this!” The same lady shouted out, but from a much greater distance.
Mike shrugged. “Gee, I hope you don’t think it was an empty threat, ma’am. Fifteen minutes folks. You have only a hard time ahead of you and no comments. Pack your equipment and be out of here when we come out.”
Mike went inside with Denny and Demon.
“Good speech, kid,” Dan said, shaking his hand when they were inside with the door closed. “Think they’ll take the hint? We’ve already tried everything short of firing at them.”
Mike hugged his Mom and Joanie, while Laura waited quietly at the side. “Sorry about all this. I’m thinking of moving over into Demon Inc. We’re having a security fence built around it. It’ll give D some extra room, and make things easier since I don’t see any end to this crap. At least over there I’ll be able to lock them out.”
“That’s probably a good idea, Mike,” Jenny said, seeing her husband nod in agreement. “That place is huge. I can handle the life and death situations, but I’m going to kill someone if I have to endure these parasites at my door day and night.”
“My folks asked me to move back in with them,” Laura said. “I’ve been meeting my Mom for lunch, and she’s been wonderful to me. She knows I have enough money to do anything I want to do. If it doesn’t work out, I can still get a place of my own easily after the baby is born.”
“You never said anything at Brennan’s about it,” Mike said.
“I was going to right after dinner but then Officer Travers pulled you out to rescue Tom, and I missed my chance. I’d already told your folks and Joanie. You’ll still be my birth coach, right?”
“You bet.” Mike put an arm around her shoulders. “We’ll move our belongings out of here this weekend with the Demon Inc van. I’m glad your parents saw the light.” He met his parents’ grim faces with his own serious one. “Thanks for understanding. I’ll be over all the time. I’m not going anywhere. I’m just leading my entourage away from your front door.”
“We know that. You all have school tomorrow, so wrap this up. Your Mom and I are going to bed. Goodnight.” Dan and Jenny headed upstairs.
“Goodnight, Cap. I’m ready to drop.” Laura hugged Mike and waved at Denny, Joanie, and Demon before going upstairs herself.
Denny waited until Laura was upstairs. “Would you like to go to the movies and dinner with me on Saturday, Joan? Mike’s taking Gail out, and we thought a double date would be best.”
Joanie looked suspiciously at Denny, her brows furrowed. “With the rest of your harem?”
“Just you, me, Mike, and Gail.”
“Okay then,” Joanie agreed, kissing Denny with what turned into an embrace Demon had to head-butt them out of. “I… I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
“You bet. Goodnight.” Denny watched her all the way up the stairs.
“My mind reading ability is expanding,” Mike said. “Don’t make me have to pound on you.”
Denny turned with a stricken look on his face, only to be met with Mike’s smiling countenance and Demon’s snort of amusement. “You got me, Cap. Take me home. I want to see if you’ll need to juice a couple of the news people.”
“Not going to do that. With great power comes great responsibility.” Mike quoted Spiderman’s Uncle Ben on the way out.
“Oh barf!” Denny commented.
“Ditto!” Demon spiked into Mike’s head.
The news people had vacated their vigil, seeing no logic in facing off with Demon to get nothing in the end for their trouble.
“Wow, there’s one more right thing that happened tonight. I’m getting my own place. Laura’s parents took her back, and I didn’t have to juice any news people.”
“I thought you just said you’d never do that,” Denny countered.
“I lied.”
* * *
“I told my folks I’m moving in over at Demon Inc too,” Denny announced as he got into the backseat with Joanie. “They weren’t thrilled, but my Dad told me he trusted my judgment on it. He understands what we’ve been going through with all the publicity and attacks. It all hinges on whether you mind my moving in over there too, Mike.”
“With the coming attack into the Haunt dimension, I think it’s a great idea. You have your lab there, and your folks sure don’t have to worry about your grades suffering. The way you and Steve have arranged everything in our video editing room, I’m even interested in helping and learning more about doing it. We’ll move you in at Demon Inc on Saturday too.”
“I don’t turn sixteen for a couple more months so I didn’t want the driving me around to be a problem. I figured with the money I have, I can call a taxi anytime I want. We have to stop thinking smalltime, Cap. We have funds for anything we want to do.”
“Very true, and the Demon Inc building sure has the room,” Mike replied. “I’m glad Steve had the foresight to purchase the place rather than rent.”
“I called the fence company this morning I found on the internet. They’re going over to start the project today. They said they can have it done by Monday if we don�
�t mind paying the overtime. Maybe even sooner once he checks his stock.”
“Let’s go for it, Den. We need the security. I love my folks, but I’m looking forward to moving in at Demon Inc.”
“I feel the same way about it,” Denny said. He turned to Joanie. “Hey, you haven’t said much. Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah, it’s just that everything is changing so fast. I really liked having Laura living at the house. I always wanted a big sister. Plus, I thought her and Mike would always be together.”
“We will be, Sis,” Mike replied, glancing around as he stopped at a light. “Not everything can be as simple as we’d like. Just like with you and Denny – you both are only fifteen, and your feelings will change. It’s a good thing not to get too involved right now with all we have ahead of us. I hate sounding like I’m fifty, but things are going to change even faster once we launch this attack into Haunt land.”
“Is this input in relation to keeping the Denny harem active?”
Mike laughed as he continued on toward Arroyo. “No, but you need to remember that group date was a lot of fun for all of you. At fifteen, fun times are not a bad idea. It would be nice if you’re mature enough not to overwhelm the weapon’s master. Continue with the tutoring sessions and group dates. Concentrate on your studies, and let’s pretend we’re normal teens. It will sure make Mom and Dad’s life a little easier through this. I’m not planning on losing this fight. We’ll need something beyond to look forward to.”
“You get off on killing Haunts, Mike,” Joanie replied. “The power you’ve siphoned from being wounded by them has made you into a mutant. I think you try to get sliced and diced every time the team goes out, so you can acquire a new twisted Haunt power. One of these days you’ll wake in the morning, look in the mirror, and you won’t have a damn reflection. Even D looks at you funny. You’re damaged goods… you freak.”
By the time Joanie finished her monologue, Mike thought he’d have to pull off the road until he could quit laughing. Denny was nodding, laughing, and fist bumping Joanie at his expense. “Okay then… no more guidance advice. I can take a hint. Just don’t go postal when Frodo asks for another lingerie contest.”
That sentence turned off the good times in the rear seat instantly to Mike’s enjoyment. “Gee, did I say something wrong?”
“You’re just mean. I’m not talking to you.”
“Oh no! Not that! Hey, look. We don’t have the police, FBI, news vans, or football fans meeting us in the parking lot today. I must be losing my touch.” Mike parked his Chevy in the usual spot, far away from the school.
“I forgot that game with Concord is right after school,” Denny said. “Are you really planning on only suiting up?”
Mike opened his door. “That’s the plan. Coach Larkin let me have a DVD he had on Concord during their first few games after I went in to see if our football fan greeting party echoed the way he felt. He was excited about free lancing me, so I took the DVD, and I think I have a few ideas on how to surprise them. It should be fun. Do you mind sticking around doing homework or something until the game starts?”
“We’re due to have a tutoring session anyway,” Denny replied as Joanie clucked negatively. “We’ll do it at the library and stay on for the game. I’ll ask if they want to see the game with us. C’mon, Joan, it’ll be fun.”
Joanie got out of the car and joined her brother and Denny in front of the car. “I know it will. I’m trying to be less of a self absorbed toad. It’s a work in progress. I know the harem will want to stay for the game. We’ll have a great time. I have to quit being such a baby.”
Denny put his arm around Joanie’s shoulders. “Like you say, we’ll have a great time, and Mike will invent a mutant masterpiece play to surprise Concord’s unwary football team.”
“Thanks for that, Frodo. Think you can video it back to my Mom and Dad?”
“They will have our view of the game. I’ll try and give them a good shot of it. Your Dad has set up our feeds before, so I don’t see any problem with them having a nice living room viewing of the mutant massacre.”
“Very funny,” Mike said as Denny and Joanie once again fist bumped Denny’s quip with enthusiasm. “You two are quite the team. I hope you can take it just as well as you dish it out.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I like a good laugh at someone else’s expense too, Sis. Strap in, I’m game.”
“I don’t think I like the tone of that, Mike,” Denny replied, trading uneasy looks with Joanie. “No need to put the Mojo on us over a little verbal fun, Cap.”
Mike grinned as he walked alongside. “I’ll keep that in mind, buddy. Seriously, this is a great morning. No cops, Haunts, or bad boy greeting parties. It almost seems like a regular day in the life of a high school teen.”
Denny chuckled. “Of course you know, you’ve upset the cosmic balance by even saying that, right?”
“Isn’t that Brad Sanderson over there near the entrance?” Joanie pointed at a male figure leaning against the building wall, his attention diverted toward the student’s rushing around the quad.
“Yep, but he’s okay, Sis. His Dad’s a standup guy. He’s playing quarterback against Concord.”
Sanderson noticed the trio approaching the building. He spotted Mike’s tall figure and waved. “Mike! Can I talk to you for a moment.”
“Uh oh,” Denny muttered.
“Calm down, Frodo,” Mike whispered out the side of his mouth. “Hey, Brad, how’s your Dad?”
“He’s great,” Sanderson shook hands with Mike. “I’m on a step by step program of earning my way back into his good graces. He’s been helping me realize what an idiot I’ve been.” He turned to Joanie. “I’m really sorry for the way I’ve acted, Joanie. It will never, ever happen again. I hope you can forgive me.”
Joanie was stunned. “Ah… sure… thank you.”
Brad held out his hand to Denny, which Denny clasped. “You’re okay, Stossle. I hope we can be friends. You guys have done a lot of good in a very short amount of time. I’ve been watching all your YouTube Channel videos. My Dad wants to know if there’s anything he can do to help with this Haunt business. I thought it was special effects, but he says there’s no way it could be.”
Sanderson held out a card to Denny. “This is my Dad’s private number. He told me to tell you if he can help in any way, to contact him day or night.”
“Thanks, Brad, I’ll see you later before the game,” Mike said. “I have a couple ideas for Concord.”
“Man, I hope so.” Brad ran a hand through his hair. “Those guys have been T-boning everyone they’ve played. I’ll see you later then.”
As Sanderson disappeared inside the first building, Joanie turned on Mike accusingly, her hands on her hips. “You juiced him, didn’t you, Captain Darkness?”
“I did no such thing. His Dad worked the magic you just witnessed. I think he may have lost track of Brad temporarily, but the incident in front of the school set off the parental alarms big time. He seems to have brought Brad back from the brink. I’m going to class unless you two want to accuse me of anything else.”
“We’ll see you at lunch though, right?”
“As long as you both don’t mind eating a meal with a monster, Den,” Mike called out over his shoulder.
* * *
Denny watched Mike walk away. “Do you think we hurt his feelings?”
Joanie yanked Denny toward their English class. “No. He can take it and dish it, so we’d best be prepared. I saw that blush when he nailed us with the lingerie contest remark. You were thinking about it, weren’t you?”
“I’m male. I’m alive. I’m fifteen. I’m breathing, and you four put on a show out of a teen guy’s dream world. How did you think I’d feel about it? It looked like you all had a good time watching me squirm, so if your performance branded me for life, who shall I thank for that?”
Joanie giggled. “Yeah… we were cruisin’. My friends ar
e a bad influence on me.”
“You looked real good… real good.”
“Did I win the contest?”
Denny chuckled. “I might need a replay to make a decision like that.”
Joanie punched him in the shoulder. “You snot! In your dreams, playboy.”
“I’ll talk to Mandy about it. Maybe they can get a fill in for you.”
Joanie laughed. “Okay… that was funny. I was only half kidding about how he’s dived into this Haunt business. You don’t think he’d really try to get sliced a little in order to mutate a new power, do you?”
“Hey… that was your idea,” Denny replied as they neared their English classroom. “He’s scary enough at the present power level. Mike’s gotten D’s attention. We’ve been working on his typing tablet, so D’s been filling me in on some of his thoughts on our planned attack, and a few things in general. He told me in his dimension the survival rate of someone raked by a Haunt was about twenty percent. The survivors who showed any signs of enhancement because of their wounds deteriorated mentally. D doesn’t know what to think about Mike’s mind and strength gains. He let me know that Mike is thinking about it too.”
“I can hardly wait until you get D a means to communicate with us all. He’s in Mike’s head all the time, which isn’t a bad thing,” Joanie said, as they leaned against the wall outside their classroom. “It’s too bad about him and Laura.”
“I think you have it wrong there. Laura’s coping because she realizes she’s in control of her own future in spite of an unforeseen pregnancy. Mike’s making it as easy for her as he can. Think about where she’d be if we hadn’t stopped the Jamils from kidnapping her out of the country. Besides, he and Gail have some real chemistry too.”
“She’s happy to be going home. I think being around Mike was starting to wear on her. She didn’t want to nag the crap out of him, but she couldn’t help herself.”
Denny laughed. “I think even Mike was considering a little mind nudge.”
“Tell the truth. Do you ever get a little anxious around him now, knowing he could warp you a little if he wanted?”
Demon at War (The Mike Rawlins Series Book 3) Page 20