Demon VII: Disciples of Darkness (Mike Rawlins and Demon the Dog Book 7)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  At nearly 2 am, Mongo streaked into the front entrance with Demon dozing nearby. “Nothing, dog. Have I missed anything?”

  “Nope. Everything’s quiet so far. I told you Loretta wouldn’t go for the early hit. We’re right on time. Grab your cam. We’re going in.”

  Demon and Mongo, with recording cams on, slipped into Mike’s room with silent care. Instead of his usual ploy of popping out of the covers on the bed, Demon positioned himself under the blanket overhanging on the bedside. Mongo remained weightless at the ceiling. Demon had nudged the door open a small amount to make the entrance more enticing.

  * * *

  Loretta left her black thong in place. She tied a whisper of black silk around her breasts. Satisfied at the reflection in the mirror, Loretta crept from her room with impressive stealth. Checking all open exposed rooms like the kitchen and entertainment center, Loretta made sure no one lurked unseen. Staying close to the wall, Loretta quietly made her way to Mike’s room, cheered at the sight of the door open nearly halfway. After clearing the doorway in silence, Loretta slipped onto the foot of the bed in a crawl position, moving ever so slowly toward the sleeping Mike. She reached to stroke his face.

  * * *

  Mike grasped her hand gently. “Oh my. This was not a good idea on your part.”

  Loretta kissed him, writhing provocatively against Mike’s now sitting form. “You know you want me. Take me, baby,” she whispered with urgent need.

  Mike sighed, knowing what was coming. “Sorry, Loretta.”

  Demon perked up over the bed. “Where did you want to go, Loretta? My… that is a lovely outfit.”

  Loretta toppled toward the floor with a scream of horror. Mongo steadied her in human form. “Hello, Loretta.”

  “Oh… my… God!” Loretta clutched Mike’s top cover around her. “What the hell is this?”

  All of Demon Inc, except Nazer, arrived with weapons in hand. Janis was the first to speak. “Oh crap… the Demon Inc morality police trapped another one.”

  “Yep. This will be another episode in the Demon Inc archive of lost souls,” Connie added. “I see both Demon and Mongo have Denny supplied video cams. Welcome to Demon Inc, Loretta.”

  Stan waved. “It wasn’t a classic, like the chick fight between Sack and the Holy Grail, Loretta. Mike had to hold the two of them in the air to keep the casualty count down. Goodnight.”

  Stan walked off with Connie. Jerry and Janis did a shaming gesture at Mongo, doing the audio in sync. “Bad Mongo!” They followed Stan and Connie while Mongo did a hands-on hips outraged pose.

  Denny shook his head, with his arm around Joanie, who was peeking at the scene from between her fingers. “No use in playing the innocent card, Mongo. Goodnight.”

  “You and the lovely Joanie better be separating shortly, or you’ll be next, Frodo,” Demon warned. “I told you we’ll never top the night of Sack vs HG, brother.”

  “Were you in on this, Mike?” Loretta remained, clutching the top cover around her.

  “I thought after our talk, you would wait until we solved your problem with the X-rated video, stolen by your boyfriend. I let my paranormal brothers prank me once again by talking me into leaving my door open and shields down, because of the Radalia attack through my ceiling. In their defense, they simply snuck in here and waited for you.”

  “You could have warned me.”

  “How would I have done that exactly? HG warned you earlier tonight. As you pointed out, you’re not a high school teen. I would think my warning you not to slip into my room and seduce me would be thought of as an insult. I could have blocked you from entering, but the Radalia attack precaution was a good one. These two would have entrapped you in the corridor anyway. We have video cams throughout the complex for security reasons.”

  “I want the video of me erased!”

  Mike made sure he wasn’t sticking out of his pajama bottoms and retrieved a robe for Loretta. “I can’t do that. Demon owns Denny. They have the archive of lost souls in a secret file on the ‘Dark Web’.”

  “Do your mind thing on Denny and find the file.”

  “I explained to you about the darkness. I don’t use it on my friends, or anyone else for that matter.”

  Demon and Mongo enjoyed the scene as if it were a tennis match. Demon reaffirmed Mike’s statement. “No one touches the archive of lost souls, Lore. May we escort you back to your room? You’ve been a lovely contestant in the Demon Inc Hall of Shame. Mongo will get you a small Brandy to help calm your nerves.”

  Loretta draped Mike’s robe around her, inching out of bed while adjusting it. She glanced back at Mike’s chiseled features, bare chest, and rock-hard abs with both anger and desire. “I guess so.”

  “Good one, Ripper,” Demon projected silently as he led the way.

  “Bad Bluto,” Mike replied. Out loud, he said, “goodnight, Loretta.”

  Loretta didn’t respond. Mongo hurried to the kitchen, returning with a small amount of Brandy in a snifter. She accepted the drink and sat on the edge of the guest room bed. “You two really got me tonight.”

  “You’re not the first,” Demon replied. “We’ve never been able to prank the guys. They know better than to take on the paranormal dynamic duo. In all honesty, we’ve only been able to get the girls interested in Mike.”

  “Did you get Mary?”

  “No. She didn’t sneak in. Once Mike puts the shields up, his room becomes an audio and video dead zone.”

  “I should have waited. Has Mike ever snuck into anyone else’s room?”

  “No,” Mongo answered. “He could, but he never has.”

  “Maybe he will tonight.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up, Lore,” Demon replied. “You’re a good sport and very attractive, but Mike doesn’t pursue. It has to do with his power. He fears the concept of altering perception. We’ll help you today with your problem. Depending on how things go, maybe you’ll be with him tonight.”

  “Thanks for the Brandy. Goodnight, you wankers.”

  The Muttley snicker echoed in Loretta’s mind.

  * * *

  Mike and Mongo made breakfast for everyone, teaming to do Demon’s staple of Mike’s special omelets, bacon and sausage, with rye toast. By the time they finished with everything in heated serving dishes, Demon had already eaten two helpings. The others arrived at the table within a twenty-minute span of time, enjoying the coffee from large carafes already brewed. Loretta arrived last to a smattering of good-humored applause. She blushed, but smiled and did a little bow.

  “Good morning from the Demon Inc Hall of Shame,” Loretta joked.

  “Don’t be too tough on yourself,” Janis said. “Demon and his minion constantly guard the place, so anything happening here happens within their purview.”

  Demon peeked over the table. “A video is worth a thousand words though.”

  Mongo made Loretta a plate with omelet, rye toast and bacon. “Thanks. I usually don’t eat breakfast, but this looks great. What time should we leave for my burglar’s house?”

  “As early as possible. Denny will go along too. He can check the heat signatures while we go check on the house,” Mike answered. “Kenny may be armed. I want to know if he’s alone or not.”

  “How…how will you be able to get him to give my belongings back?”

  “I said I don’t use the darkness on friends and family. I didn’t say I don’t use it against criminals. I won’t hurt him. I will learn if yours was the only house he’s stolen from.”

  “The rest of us will stay here until you return, Mike,” Jerry said. “We relax and be available if you need us for anything.”

  “Thanks. I forgot to mention if you guys have any maintenance needing done, I have the afternoon shift at my dad’s shop this week.”

  “I think we all need the regular service,” Connie said. “Do you want to drive them in one a day like you did the last time?”

  “That works best,” Mike replied. “I’ll trade with each one for th
e day with the Buick like before.”

  “Does your MMA coaches have room for us to start working out, Mike?”

  “Sure, Stan, or I can work with you all here at Demon Inc. We have everything we need in the workout room. Denny, Naz, and I go over to Derek and Carl’s place, because Denny and Naz want to compete in matches soon.”

  “That would be much better for us,” Connie said. “What would you teach us?”

  “I’ve been working with Derek, learning the Israeli martial arts form: Krav Maga. Stan and Jerry already know a lot of the jujitsu moves from when they worked my corner during MMA bouts.”

  “Carl’s still trying to talk Mike into fighting pro,” Nazer added. “He would be representing their dojo. They know he would be unbeatable.”

  “We all know that can’t happen,” Mike stated. “I could kill someone by accident easily.”

  “Could you teach me too, Mike?”

  “Why don’t we get through the day first, Lore.”

  “Okay… that’s reasonable. I’m being pushy, huh?”

  “In a word… yes,” Demon answered. “That’s okay though. We like pushy… and scantily clad.”

  * * *

  “Getting anything yet, Denny?” Mike drove toward Loretta’s ex-boyfriend’s house with Denny next to him. Mongo, Demon, and Loretta sat in the back.

  “Six heat signatures, Mike.”

  “Six?” Loretta leaned over the seat to look at Denny’s screen. “He must be renting rooms or something. It is a four-bedroom place.”

  Mike stopped the Buick. “It looks clear Mongo. Go straight up, over and into the house. Stay near the ceiling. If you can check the place without them noticing, keep going until you can’t. I’ll do a remote viewing like we did at Rayden’s.”

  “Yes, El Capitan Darkness.” Mongo flew through the Buick’s roof with Loretta closing her eyes to Mongo’s change into full Haunt form.

  “Mongo makes a very scary Haunt, huh Lore?”

  “You’re all scary to me, Bluto, but especially Mongo. I can see he’s the greatest at checking out a situation like this.”

  “Quiet,” Mike said. “We’re in. Flashing to your screen now, Denny.”

  Through Mongo’s eyes, Mike looked down from the ceiling at five men and a woman, all dressed casually. He also noticed handguns and rifles in abundance. Every room Mongo moved through housed stacks of stolen goods. The bedrooms sported room enough only for a bed and small nightstand with lamp, plus contraband. Mongo drifted into an unoccupied storage room nearly filled with items.

  “Get close to those big screen TVs, brother. Find the serial numbers and I’ll have Denny run them against the police and FBI database for a match to open cases.”

  “On it.”

  Denny crosschecked the numbers in a search of all burglaries in the area. “Uh oh… we found the baby killers. Those TVs were stolen from houses in San Lorenzo, listed as house invasions, Mongo has been patrolling for. You’re lucky they didn’t rob you while you were home, Loretta.”

  “What do you mean by baby killers?”

  “A baby was gagged during a home invasion, and died because of it,” Denny explained.

  “Come back, Mongo. We need to make another plan, so we can turn these people over to the Alameda County Sherriff’s department and FBI.”

  “On my way, El Capitan.” Mongo was back in place a moment later.

  “Let the darkness flow, Ripper. I’ll go in with you afterward and find Lore’s stuff. Anything she’s touched, I can find.”

  “Agreed. I don’t see any other way that doesn’t involve them reaching for weapons. Call Alisha, Den. Tell her we have the home invasion gang and all the evidence she could possibly want.”

  “Okay, Mike.”

  “I want to get close to the front door, so I can do this in an exact manner. I’ll need you and Mongo watching my back, D. Keep us in the loop if one of them moves to the door, Den.”

  “Alisha’s on the line.”

  “I’ll put her on our network.” Mike walked casually to the front door. He leaned against the door frame with Demon and Mongo facing away toward the street to intercept anything at Mike’s back. Mike threaded the tendrils of darkness into the house, feeling for human presence. Each person he found, Mike caused to pass out. Before five minutes passed, the home invaders were on the floor, or sitting where they had been, out cold. Mike pulled on Nitrile gloves and tried the door. It was locked, but no match for the darkness. Inside, Mike and Mongo restrained each of the home invaders with plastic ties Mike brought along. They sat them in a line against the boxes in the living room.

  Mike next gathered all weapons and ammunition, with Demon’s delicate sense capable of pinpointing even trace amounts of gun powder residue. “You can come get them now, Alisha. Bring a team and trucks. They filled this house.”

  “Be there in less than an hour, Mike. Thanks for this. It’s a bonanza.”

  “See you then. You can come in now Lore. D will try and find your belongings.”

  It took Demon only a moment to find the corner where he could smell Loretta’s distinct odor – a pleasant and subtle perfume. He then pinpointed a safe in the filled den. “Her DVD is in there I believe, Mike.”

  Seconds later, the safe opened to the darkness. “We’ll have Lore pick out her DVD from amongst all this. I have extra Nitrile gloves. Kenny must have been holding for the group too.”

  Loretta entered after a brief pause next to unconscious ex-boyfriend, Kenny. “Are those people okay?”

  “They’ll be fine,” Mike replied, handing Loretta a pair of Nitrile gloves. “See if you can pick out the DVD. Demon could sense it immediately so we’re sure it’s in there. Look as gently as possible. We’re disturbing a crime scene the FBI will be investigating.”

  Loretta saw the pink shaded outer cover and tugged it out from under the others. She glanced at the writing on it. “This is it, Mike. I’ll go confirm it on Denny’s laptop.”

  “Take your time. It’s in your hands now. I’ll leave Kenny’s stash for the FBI. I think he’s been in big trouble for quite a while.”

  “Couldn’t we leave Kenny out of this?”

  Demon, Mongo, and Mike exchanged confused looks. Mike voiced the obvious. “You do understand Kenny houses the home invasion group, stores the goods, and stores the more valuable stash in his safe, right?”

  Loretta mouthed words, but her lips tightened into a thin line, refraining from saying anything.

  “You’re beginning to worry me, kid,” Demon said. “Mike still needs to learn who the baby killer is. It could be your ex. Tell us now if your moral compass only works on strangers, because if that’s the case, you need to go wait in the Buick.”

  Loretta folded arms over chest. “And if I refuse?”

  “Then I will escort you there,” Mongo said.

  Although in human form, Mongo’s human face expressed the hidden violence below the surface. Loretta gestured with open hands. “Fine… I’ll go wait in the Buick. Don’t hurt Kenny.”

  Demon snorted. “Another ‘South Park’ fan… ‘oh my God… they killed Kenny’. We won’t kill him, Loretta Thong. Mike will investigate a baby’s murder. Guide Ms. Thong to the Buick, Mongo. Don’t take no for an answer.”

  “By your command, Dark Bluto. Come with me, Loretta.” Mongo had no problem with an adjusted attitude Loretta.

  “Didn’t see that one coming, Ripper,” Demon said. “Apparently, Ms. Thong is a bit conflicted. You need to find the murderer or murderers in this group before Alisha gets here.”

  “Agreed. I’m on it right now. Let’s start with poor old Kenny.”

  “Yeah… and don’t narrow your scope this time.”

  “I learned my lesson with Rayden,” Mike agreed. “I won’t make that mistake again.”

  Mike crouched next to the unconscious Kenny. He carefully guided the tendrils of darkness past the puny defenses Kenny used in his subconscious. Mike learned Kenny acted as the invasion team’s base camp. He also learn
ed who killed the baby. Mike exited, leaving one thought in Kenny’s mind, help the FBI completely.

  Mike pointed at the woman, Dottie Bracken. “She killed the baby with a smile on her face. Let me go in and kill something inside her. Be right back.”

  “Careful, Ripper,” Demon warned as Mongo rejoined them.

  Mike faced the real Dottie. The baby was not her first victim. Mike released the darkness inside Dottie’s head. They fed on her darkness like a ‘Happy Meal’ at McDonalds. By the time they finished, Mike confirmed what she had done. He left her with only one idea in mind: confess. He exited Dottie’s mind with the feeling he had been bathing in black oil.

  “We saved a few lives getting Dottie off the streets, D.”

  “When I can smell the evil lacing into their aura, it means we need to put them on the list to never be free while we’re alive,” Demon replied. “I’ll have Denny add Dottie to the list. Do you want to go mind diving on any of the rest?”

  “No. Kenny and Dottie will rat the rest out to everything. The ensuing chaos will convince the authorities they’re the ones to focus on. It won’t take long for the other rats to abandon ship. Dottie was their killer. She’d be partying with the Radalia if we didn’t need leverage with Alisha and Colemeyer.”

  “Don’t forget a nice payday from SyFy. Remote viewing a gangster operation will draw a nice payday. You and Mongo have that worked out to perfection, especially with being able to load it into our reality network for Frodo. Hey… what say we go to the park by your folks’ house and you can throw the ball? I need to work off some partying and we can say hello to your folks on the way. We’ll stop at Demon Inc for some sipping whiskey, pick up Infidel, and see if anyone else wants to come. Frodo can drive us.”

  Mike smiled at Demon without saying anything.

  “What?”

  “You’re thinking of canoodling with Abby, the Iris Setter from the house behind the park.”

  Demon growled. “Count on you to remember Abby. Stow it, or I take a piece off your calf muscle. We’re going to Bonaire Park. If I disappear for fifteen minutes, play with yourself until I get back.”

  “By your command, Demon the Magnificent,” Mike agreed.