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

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “Should we tell Mom and Dad,” Joanie asked.

  “No need to,” Mike answered. “This wasn’t a moral dilemma. If you can’t help yourself because it bothers you, tell them what happened.”

  “I know you didn’t have a choice in stopping them. I think knocking them out would have been enough though.”

  “And leave them to kill someone else, Gidget,” Demon said with some exasperation.

  “The gang tried to rob you and attack us in the park,” Mongo reminded her. “We should come back to the park regularly and make sure the knife man’s friends do not return to rob and terrorize others.”

  “I second that,” Demon said. “Even if they’re not there, I’ll make my Abby visit and play a little ball.”

  They ate and visited for a while before hearing multiple sirens in the direction of Bonaire Park.

  “That’s a lot of sirens,” Dan noted.

  “Sure is,” Mike agreed. “I’ll be in to work at three, Dad. I guess we better be heading home. We had a long day as I explained.”

  After the farewells, Denny drove to Demon Inc. “Do you think Joanie will tell your folks what happened?”

  “If Dad suspects anything, he’ll break Joanie in seconds. If he sees the news tomorrow, he’ll grill me tomorrow. I probably should have told them tonight. I didn’t feel like talking about it. I’ve lost my gangster and thug compassion. Tonight, they watched for when we approached the parking lot. They didn’t have a clear shot when we were at the picnic table, and didn’t want to risk getting close to me again. It would have been premeditated murder.”

  “In other words, your dad will see the news concerning people with guns found in a car across the street from the park no longer breathing, and put two and two together,” Demon replied.

  “Yep. That sums it up nicely.”

  “You did the right thing, El Capitan,” Mongo stated.

  “I’m hoping Jet Li and Denzel weren’t the ones to find the car,” Demon joked, referring to their San Leandro police contacts, Tom Huang and Jason Travers. “You know they’ll suspect us. If they need answers, I hope they call us instead of going to your parents first.”

  “You haven’t tried out your new flying power yet, Mike,” Denny said.

  “I’m a little leery about launching myself at night like a weather balloon. I’m not a Haunt. I could lose control and crash. Mongo and I will go up together, so I have backup, and it won’t be until I test it inside Demon Inc more.”

  “Check it, Mike. News vans.” Denny slowed his approach.

  Mike looked up from his iPad where he was searching for Bonaire Park news. “We haven’t put the movie of anything on YouTube. I don’t see any offended Moslems. Are we famous for something else I don’t know about?”

  “Those two coma cases barely received any media attention,” Denny replied. “They had happy endings, so the media skipped them. They don’t appear to be led by the ‘offended of Islam’. I think your last attitude adjustment worked on the offended.”

  “We might as well learn what they want. I’ll do the talking.” Mike connected with Nazer. “We’re all connected, including Naz.”

  “These people arrived fifteen minutes ago, Mike,” Nazer said. “I asked them what they wanted. A dark haired, pointy bearded man with weird face tattoos stated he would only talk with you. Tall, dressed in a black outfit like a suit, only with a black hood attached, he had a deep commanding voice.”

  “Thanks, Naz. I’ll let you know when to open the gate.”

  “Okay, Mike.”

  Denny parked in front of the gate. “Stay in the Buick, Den. Record everything. Mongo, Demon, and I will confront the beard. I don’t want him getting too close a look at you until he explains what he wants.”

  “Will do, Mike. I’ll pipe it in real time to our friends.”

  Mike exited the Buick and opened the door for Mongo and Demon. A dark clad figure, an inch or two taller than Mike’s six-foot, five-inch frame, stalked toward them, his hands clasped together in front of his waist. The media reporters with camera operators followed him sheep-like, as if part of his flock.

  “You have done much damage in the paranormal world, Mike Rawlins,” the man’s smooth bass voice accused. “I came to learn the fate of my acolyte, Rayden Kirk.”

  “Who are you, and why should I care?” Mike felt a questing force trying to thread into his mind, only to be shattered by the darkness within. He smiled. “Try that again, and I’ll show you what a mind invasion really feels like.”

  “I am Lucifer.” The man smirked at Mike in a brooding arrogance, used to getting his own way in everything. “That was but a small questioning touch.”

  “I love that show, Ripper,” Demon projected on their private network.

  “Bluto and I never miss a Lucifer Morningstar show,” Mongo added. “I like his demon woman best: Maze. She has not been on many episodes this season. I miss her.”

  “Like in the TV show?” Mike smiled at his friends’ remarks. Some of the media people chuckled, angering bearded Lucifer. “My friends want to know what happened to Maze, your demon on the show.”

  “That show is an outrage! I do not punish evil! I am evil incarnate!”

  “This guy is so cute,” Demon said. “I wonder if Rayden was his acolyte.”

  “He stinks of evil, El Capitan,” Mongo stated. “He oozes it from his very pores.”

  “Whoopie do…” Mike said aloud. “What is it we can help you with here at Demon Inc? We don’t do parties and if you had anything to do with what Rayden Kirk did, you’ll be going to prison.”

  “I demand to know where Rayden Kirk went.”

  “He disappeared into hell,” Mike answered. “The police can’t find him. What are all the reporters doing here with you?”

  “You have been involved with the disappearance of a woman follower of mine: Drusilla Bentley. What have you done with her?”

  “Who?”

  “Do not play games with me, boy. Did you think I would not feel your presence at her residence? Drusilla and Rayden, if accused of criminal activity, should have a fair hearing and trial.”

  “Well… what are you doing here? You’re the Devil. Go find them. They’re your acolytes, not mine,” Mike replied to continued humor from his audience.

  “Don’t test me!” Lucifer gestured warningly at Mike, stepping closer.

  Mike stifled humor while listening to the Muttley snicker. “If you can’t keep track of your minions, why would you think I do. You’re beginning to bore me. If you have anything else to say, it better be more interesting than what you’ve spewed out of your pie-hole so far. Don’t bother making threatening moves at me. You touch me, and I will make you cry in front of the cameras.”

  Mike’s complete disregard for Lucifer’s threatening presence backed him off a step. “Are you threatening me?”

  “Yep. If you try anything physical with me, I will bitch slap your beard right off your face. Spit it out. What do you really desire?” Mike poked fun at the man by using the TV show Lucifer’s favorite line.

  Lucifer’s rage, palpable even in the darkness, caused more silent hilarity amongst the Demon Inc crew. Lucifer clenched his fists and continued. “The media accompanied me to record the challenge I make to you now. Spend one night with your Demon Inc crew in the stone ruins where the old Sutro Baths burned down in the 1960’s, and I will pay you fifty thousand dollars. A representative from the SyFy Channel you work for came with me.”

  A woman with an executive air about her, walked forward to shake hands with Mike. In black high heels, expensive looking ankle length coat against the October chill, dark hair and angular smiling face, she radiated confidence. “Hi, Mike. My name is Doreen Winslow. I normally go through your agent, Steve Corbett to handle negotiations. Lucifer’s approach intrigued me to the point I decided to come along with him.”

  “Nice meeting you, Doreen, but you should have contacted Steve. Since you’re here with cameras rolling, why not tell me what in
terest SyFy has in all this?”

  “When I met with Lucifer this morning, he related a theory you somehow murdered his acolytes. I saw the edited feature with Demon Inc saving those poor hostages from Rayden Kirk. You allegedly destroyed a mystical being called a golem while your team fought demons inside the warehouse. Your dog, Demon, took down Rayden Kirk.”

  “Uh oh,” Demon said. “We may need a massive juicing here, Ripper.”

  “He did. Rayden disappeared. The police found no sign of him,” Mike explained. “My associate Sandy and I were outside the warehouse at the time. Kirk didn’t leave through any doors. We never saw him again. Why, what’s your take on this, Lucy?”

  “Don’t call me that!”

  “Calm down, Sir,” Doreen urged. “If you will record the night at the ruins, SyFy will add a guaranteed fifty thousand dollars to Lucifer’s offer.”

  “The price sounds good. What is it you want us to do in the ruins overnight?”

  “Survive,” Lucifer answered. “The ruins will wring the truth out of you. I will remotely have the answers to my questions. I need not be there to feel your fear as you blubber for mercy.”

  “Grab Ripper, Mongo.” Demon head butted Mike’s leg while Mongo gripped his shoulder. “Easy there, Cap.”

  The instant fury subsided slowly as Mike battled the urge to rip into Lucifer. He pointed at the bearded man, while looking at Doreen. “If you wish to go along with this fraud’s circus, I will contact my crew tomorrow and give you our answer.”

  “Thanks, Mike. Have Steve contact me one way or the other. I hope to talk with you soon. I think we’re done here.”

  “How dare you call me a fraud!”

  Mike grinned. “You’ve been measured, found wanting, and dismissed. Run along. Make sure you arrange for Ms. Winslow to hold the money, Lucy. I can tell a piker from a mile away, poser.”

  Lucifer shot a hand out to grip Mike’s throat. Mike caught it, squeezing, and slowly forcing the larger man grunting in pain to his knees. “No touching, Lucy. Remember what I told you about the money.”

  Three other hooded figures forced their way through from behind the media people, only to be met by Demon in Haunt killing mode - growling, hackles raised death, backed by Mongo. Demon stopped the three in their tracks. “Oh yeah… come get some.”

  Lucifer’s minions wanted no part of Demon. Mike pushed Lucifer aside as he released him. “Go on now before you make me mad. Believe me, you don’t want that.”

  Lucifer scrambled to his feet scurrying away with a final threat. “You will pay with your soul for this outrage!”

  The reporters filled the void left, eager to expand on what proved to be an entertaining confrontation. A man in the front shouted out a question. “What do you think of the devil?”

  Mike gestured at the retreating Lucifer. “That guy? The only thing that comes to mind is ‘the porch light’s on but no one’s home’.”

  Doreen and the reporters showed amusement over Mike’s dismissal of Lucifer. “I hope to hear from your agent, Steve Corbett, tomorrow. Goodnight.”

  Mike and Mongo said goodnight with the reporters moving in tightly once again.

  “What do you think Lucifer has planned for you, Rawlins,” a woman asked.

  “I don’t know, but I’ve explored those Sutro Bath ruins. I never heard anything about paranormal happenings. Maybe he plans to introduce something there he thinks will scare us. He didn’t bother mentioning what would happen if we decided not to stay all night.” Mike chuckled. “It gets damn cold in those ruins near the ocean. I think the main problem would be staying warm. I promise if we can end this interview now, I will make a full report to all of you if we stay in the ruins.”

  “That sounds fair,” the first man with a question said. “You sure handled the Lucifer guy like he was a child. I thought he would tear you apart.”

  “He probably thought so too. Goodnight, folks. I will get my agent Steve Corbett to contact all of you if we decide to take the ‘stay all night in the ruins’ gig. Once we get through whatever it is this guy has in store for us, we will do a press conference.”

  Mike, Demon, and Mongo got in the Buick. “Open up, Naz. We’re coming in.”

  The gate opened. Mike blocked the area around the Buick as Denny drove in to prevent anyone else getting in. He smiled as a few reporters bumped into his shield as Naz closed the gate. “Well, that was a new encounter of the strange kind.”

  “This Lucifer has power,” Mongo said. “I could feel it. I cannot sense the origin of it though. It was the same with Rayden Kirk.”

  “I wanted to advise you to juice him at first,” Demon admitted, “but I didn’t want you diving into his head not knowing what the hell kind of forces he controls. I’m curious about this ‘night at the ruins’ business.”

  “Same here.” Mike led the way inside. “You’re right about my being reluctant to get into his head. He tried to get into mine and got smacked down. It will be interesting to hear what Steve says about it. Did you include him on the list you sent a recording to, Den?”

  “He got it. I haven’t heard from anyone, so I think this surprised them. They’re probably mulling it over. That’s a lot of money for one cold night. Lucifer wouldn’t challenge us to stay there if he planned on making it easy. We have school in the morning too.”

  “This will wait. We need to hit it early tonight, D. You and Mongo can have anything you want. I’m done for today.”

  “I do not need to patrol. I could do a flyover recon of these ruins,” Mongo offered.

  “We’ll talk about it in the morning. I would want to do a remote viewing with you, and bolster your strength if we decide you should do it. That will need to wait for another night, brother. Go easy on the Klondike Bars, D. You ate so much spaghetti and meatballs, I thought we’d need to roll you to the Buick.”

  “I hear you. I overdid it. I think I’ll need to go over to the park tomorrow.”

  “I wish we could, but we need to stay away from the area for a couple days,” Mike replied. “Besides, it’s an endless cycle. I take you to the park for a couple tosses. You hit Abby, and then stuff yourself at my parents’ house. You realize you overdid it and we’re right back where we started from.”

  “And your point is?”

  “Nothing, I guess. Do you and Mongo want to go with me to the shop?”

  “Sure,” Demon agreed. “It’s a great place to people watch.”

  “I would like to go too, Mike,” Mongo added.

  “I’ll pick you guys up at a quarter to three. Den and I work out after and he tutors Joanie and her friends.”

  “Long day again tomorrow, Mike,” Denny said.

  “Think of it this way – no witches, Satanists, demons, golems, or gangsters. Goodnight.”

  “Good point,” Denny called out.

  Chapter Eight

  Date with the Devil

  “I’m glad we did all our homework on Friday,” Denny remarked while parking the Buick in their Arroyo High School far corner parking spot.

  “It’s never a good idea for us to put off anything,” Mike agreed. “We’re keeping our grades up and keeping Demon Inc going. We did have a little off time. D goes nuts if we don’t keep busy. You saw him last night. If those Lucifer minions would have taken another step, we’d probably be heading for Utah.”

  “I think Mongo would stop him,” Joanie said.

  “I don’t want to see that match.” Mike shut his door. “Demon can hurt Mongo. He never would on purpose. Because they share my mutated DNA, Mongo can’t become transparent. If Demon attacked him, Mongo wouldn’t disappear like a Haunt, but he would be hurt.”

  “Hey… that’s Ms. Franz jogging toward us.” Joanie pointed at the approaching Arroyo High School Principal.

  Mike jogged toward her with Denny and Joanie keeping pace.

  “Mike! Two men in Ms. Alvarez’s Spanish class with machetes! They won’t say what they want or why they’re here! Deputies are ten minutes out.”
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  Mike threw his pack to Denny. “I’ll be on with you. Get a satellite reading if you can on heat signatures.”

  “On it.” Denny dropped down at the curb, getting into his backdoor hack while Mike ran full speed for his Spanish teacher’s class.

  The halls, normally full of milling students, now empty of all life, echoed every footstep. Mike halted outside the closed classroom door. He heard sobbing and groans of pain. “Talk to me Denny. I need a likely direction of the assailants once inside to prevent the them from killing someone.”

  “Two heat signatures, milling in front of classroom to your left. I see you. They appear to be dragging someone around… probably Ms. Alvarez.”

  “Thanks, Den. That’s all I need.”

  “Ms. Franz says the classroom door is locked.”

  “No problem.” Mike used the darkness to undo the locking mechanism, allowing him to simply pull open the door.

  The moment he opened the door, one of the men raised his machete to hack down on the collapsed Tierra Alvarez, but did not live to finish the stroke. Mike sent the darkness full blast into the two men. The darkness slashed through their brains, pulping the gray matter. The men collapsed like discarded hand puppets. Mike rushed over to his Spanish teacher. She had a gash in her shoulder. Mike tore the front part of his shirt off and clamped it over the wound.

  “Danger done. Send medics quickly!”

  “On it.”

  Mike looked up for the first time as he cradled the wounded Alvarez. “Is anyone else cut or injured?”

  “Just smacked around a little,” one of the girls said.

  “Stay in your seats then, so the Deputies and medics know you’re not a threat.” Mike felt Alvarez grip his arm weakly.

  “Mike? Oh… this… is all my fault. Are the kids… okay?”

  “Yes. They are unharmed. Help will be here soon. Stay quiet. I know it hurts. Let me do something to help with the pain.” Mike eased into her mind, numbing the nerve pathways through her shoulder.

  Alvarez’s eyes widened in relief. “How did you do that, Mike?”