Demon at War (The Mike Rawlins Series Book 3)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  Denny shouldered his bag. “I’ll handle it, and get on to a ‘Shark’ just as you described. We need our operations protected, but we also need a ‘Shark’ that believes in us. You’re right. We’ve been lucky before, depending on the authority’s word on our involvement. This is getting to be too much for only relying on our video clips. Let’s go to school, boss.”

  Mike laughed. “Boy, am I the strangest leader of all time?”

  “Or the most intuitive,” Denny replied. “I’m going into English and ride the wave with my peeps.”

  Mike busted out laughing, perceiving exactly that scenario. “Good one, Frodo. We need to get clear of the FBI crap. I thought of a way we can go on offense with the Haunts. I haven’t had enough time to run it by D though. I’ll tell you about it at lunch… if we’re not arrested by then.”

  Denny shook his head as he split off from Mike. “You just had to say it. You might as well leave now, collect D, and head for the mountains.”

  “Don’t think I haven’t considered that,” Mike called out. When he turned his attention back to where he was heading, he nearly ran over a girl with red hair Mike recognized as being one of Arroyo High School’s cheerleading squad. “Sorry Sandy, I should have been looking where I was going.”

  Mike started to move around the girl he remembered well as having been Laura’s rival for Arroyo’s former quarterback from Laura’s senior class, Tom Metger. Her name was Sandy Albertson. She had never glanced twice at him before, even though they had shared a few classes in the past. Sandy was in his history class this quarter. When he tried to go around her, she put a hand in halting fashion on his chest.

  “Hi, Mike. I was looking for you.”

  Mike did a double take. Albertson had long red hair, falling loosely around her angular face. Her eyes were a striking pale green color. The top of her head came to no more than his chin, even with the high heeled black shoes she wore to match the thigh length black skirt, clinging to her like a second skin. She wore a low cut, dark blue sweater top, covered only partially by a waist cut black leather jacket. Death and disorder flowed in his veins now. Teenage cheerleader antics meant even less to him than the football team’s pursuit of a trophy. He cared about his teammates – Arroyo cheerleaders, not so much. Mike stared down at the hand Sandy had on his chest until she removed it.

  “I…I know we haven’t been real close or-”

  Mike smiled while moving around her. “You’re right, Sandy. We haven’t been very close.” Mike kept walking until Albertson caught up and grabbed his left arm.

  Mike slowed, looked skyward for a moment, and did his best to control the darkness. Teen illusions no longer fogged his thoughts or the emotions he held in iron check since becoming contaminated with Haunt DNA. He glanced down while continuing to walk. “Hey, look Sandy, I have to get to class. Is there something I can do for you?”

  “You… you could be a little more friendly.”

  Mike gave up avoiding Sandy’s attention. High school revolved around angst, fear, popularity, and clichéd groups such as jocks, band geeks, etc. He didn’t want to be one of the factions messing with the students’ minds. Mike knew nothing he did would appease all of his fellow high school travelers, but he didn’t want to be rude to anyone. He stopped and faced Sandy with a smile.

  “Sorry again. I’m not trying to blow you off, but we’ve been attending classes together here for a long time. I remember a few times back in our first days at Arroyo where I said hi to you without getting even a look in return. I also remember sharing classes with you where you didn’t even acknowledge I existed, including last year’s classes and our present history class. I don’t hold that against you, Sandy. I never was popular. What is it that has your attention about me now?”

  Sandy grasped Mike’s arm, inching closer to him. “Hey, I’m human. You know how things work. You’re a person of interest now. You could be the starting quarterback for Arroyo if you wanted it. I’m the Arroyo head cheerleader. We should get to know each other.”

  “What ever happened to you and Tom Metger, last year’s first string quarterback? You beat out Laura for his attentions.”

  Sandy shrugged. “He moved on to college coeds. I moved on to Brad Sanderson, but you’ve displaced him into nonentity status.”

  “And you would like to do what?”

  “Get you to replace Brad, give me your class ring to wear, and get me into a position to be noticed on TV.”

  By then the two of them were standing in front of the building where Mike had first period Spanish. “You’re honest. I’ll give you that. I’m not like you, Sandy. I have real friends that I’d give my life for. Notoriety on TV doesn’t mean squat to me, nor does taking Brad’s quarterback position. Why in the world would I get into a fake relationship with you? We’re complete opposites, and I’m trying to be polite, not rude. Demon Inc isn’t a game. We sell our videos to Sy Fy channel to fund an operation against a very real danger. Thanks for your interest, but the Haunts have killed my notions of teen high school drama. Have a great day though.”

  “I know about a Satanic group opening a portal soon, and it’s well hidden. You and your Demon Inc won’t ever find it without me,” Sandy called out as Mike reached to open the door into where he needed to go for first period. She stumbled backward as Mike released the door and strode into a confrontational position, his face peering angrily into hers.

  Mike clenched his hands into fists, filtering the darkness creeping into his mind. “I told you this is not a game! Let me show you.”

  For the first time Mike grasped someone’s hand to will obedience. He did not hold back, but he blocked all thought of attraction. Pulling Sandy out of the flow of curious students going to class, Mike maneuvered her away from the building entrance. Arrogant presumption disintegrated from Sandy’s face in seconds into open mouthed denial. Her pupils contracted, eyes narrowed, and horror displaced confidence.

  “No…” she whispered. “No… Mike… don’t… please. I-”

  * * *

  Anger raged through Sandy as she watched Mike turn away. Never had she considered the possibility she would have to play her trump card this soon. The moment Mike turned back on her, Sandy’s assumption she could wheedle her way into his inner group fled in the terrifying way his eyes darkened, and the scar on his face seemed to glow. When he grabbed her hand, she shivered. Cold, black tendrils pierced her under Mike’s unrelenting grip to creep stolidly up her arm in a terrifying feeling of utter helplessness.

  * * *

  “Please what, Sandy?” Mike pulled her closer, sensing the success of his ploy, but he did not stop. “Our world is at risk. This is the front line of battle. If you think for a second I will allow an empty headed twit like you help the Haunts launch an offensive that may end in the deaths or maiming of my friends and family, you’re even more devastatingly shallow than I thought.”

  Mike looked around quickly, noting the flow of students had thinned as the first period time neared. Sandy lolled in his grip staring at him blankly, testament to his will. He leaned near her ear to whisper in measured tones. “You will meet me for lunch in the cafeteria. You will tell me everything then about this portal opening. Until then, go to class in a normal manner, whatever that is for a self loving bitch. Don’t even look at me in history class. I will see you at lunch. Do you understand?”

  Sandy nodded as if awakening from a trance. “Yeah… meet you for lunch… tell you everything. Sure… see you then, Mike. Thanks.”

  Mike released her. She smiled at him with a disconcerting empty look before wandering away. He watched to make sure she entered another one of the buildings from the quad before entering for his first period class. The consequences of what Sandy hinted at drove all guilt or other concerns from his mind along with any hint of remorse. Tierra Alvarez, his Spanish teacher awaited his arrival with a grim look. He took a quick look at his watch, noting he was still a few minutes early.

  “Hi Ms. Alvarez. You’re looking at
me like I just shot your dog.”

  Alvarez smiled and shook her head. “Nope. I’m out here waiting to see if you were missing any pieces after the weekend you had. I now follow your adventures on Demon Inc’s YouTube channel with my hands over my eyes. Now, I hear you were the main participant in a kidnapping case, and that you saved an FBI Agent’s life in a shoot out after the rescue. Care to comment?”

  “I gave my word I would not talk about it until an agent named Ruiz contacted me. No news of the details was supposed to be released until he and I talked. I haven’t even had a chance to see what’s been written myself. I’m okay and so is Tina Kinsler.”

  Alvarez sighed, yanking on Mike’s arm to get him moving inside the classroom. “Very well, but I’m making you read the first three pages of the assignment from Friday in Spanish. Don’t disappoint me.”

  “Piece of cake.”

  * * *

  Mike saw a student walk into his second period Chemistry class and hand his teacher, Mr. Grozny, a note. Grozny nodded and dismissed the student. He looked over at Mike after checking the clock.

  “Mike. You’re wanted in the office. I’ll have a rehash and the assignment for tomorrow on my webpage.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Grozny.” Mike gathered his things and stuffed them in his bag. He exited the class with every eye on him. Having exchanged texts with Denny, Mike knew about the media already having been briefed on most of what occurred on Sunday. Denny confirmed the news reports had eerily outlined the kidnapping and gun battle almost as if they had someone at both scenes.

  When Mike reached the office, he saw Denny standing near the office counter talking to Mary Ansel. “Hi Ms. Ansel. They brought you in too, Den?”

  “The people talking to Principal Franz asked for both of you to be called in, Mike. I was telling Denny I wasn’t here when they came in so I don’t know who they are.”

  “I have an idea it’s the FBI looking for scapegoats, Ms. Ansel. I’m Mike the goat, and this is my sidekick, Denny goat.”

  Ansel laughed while Denny nodded his head in agreement. “That’s exactly what I’m thinking. We’re a day late and a dollar short on your lawyer move, Mike.”

  “It looks that way. At least you have video proof of what really happened in case the feds decide to start playing make believe.”

  “Mike?” Mary Ansel hesitated as if lost for words. She looked down at the counter rather than at Mike. “Did you really kill that guy?”

  “Mike-” Denny began to protest, but shut up when Mike waved him off.

  “No matter what’s been hinted at in the news, Ms. Ansel, or what they accuse us of, we haven’t spoken of what happened because we gave our word not to.”

  Ansel nodded, but kept her eyes focused away from Mike. “I understand. I wanted you to know I-”

  Principal Franz’s office door opened. She ducked her head out and motioned for Mike and Denny to come into her office. “C’mon in, boys. Hold all calls, Mary.”

  It wasn’t much of a surprise to find Agents Navarone, Ruiz, and Tobian waiting for them. Ruiz and Tobian were standing while a pale Navarone sat on a chair between them, her arm in a sling. If the FBI agents expected two scared kids, fearfully inching into Franz’s office, terrified at what might happen, they were disappointed in Mike and Denny. The two teens stopped in front of the agents, mild interest the only emotion on their faces. They waited silently for the feds to speak first. Principal Franz moved to a position between them on the side.

  “Boys, I’ve told the FBI I’d be representing you. Any objections?”

  “None at all, Ms. Franz,” Mike replied with a smile.

  “Good, because if I don’t like the way this conversation is going, I’m going to end it. Let’s all keep our inside voices. You were going to start this off, Agent Navarone.”

  “I’d like to know why you two put yesterday’s operation in the headlines of every local newspaper, thereby making it into a national blast I’m sure by noontime today?” Navarone’s features warred between the residual effect of Mike’s touch and her rage at being portrayed negatively in all the articles.

  “Not one word was released by anyone from Demon Inc,” Denny stated. “We have full control of all videos taken too. If Mike or I had wanted to out yesterday’s near disaster, I would have put out the movie. You already suspect we didn’t have anything to do with this, but you’re unwilling to do an investigation into possible leaks from local law enforcement on scene yesterday, or your own agents.”

  “Why you little…” Navarone had leaped off her chair to get in Denny’s face, only to have Franz standing in her way, hands on hips.

  “Sit down, Agent Navarone, or this ends right now. I think young Stossle has it just right. Since they have complete video proof of everything that happened yesterday, why in the world would they leak an incomplete story to the papers? Even the stunted version of yesterday in the papers had their involvement as finding a kidnapped girl while coordinating the search, being on hand when the kidnapper was killed, and Mike saving your life at the risk of his own after he tried to warn you away from the ambush.”

  While the discussion had went on, Mike studied the agents’ faces. Ruiz seemed surprised at Navarone’s take on the matter at hand, almost as if she hadn’t shared it until now. Tobian’s face remained neutral, but a small smile formed at Franz’s recitation. Navarone could not conceal her angst at having been made out to be incompetent in the news reports. She also could not keep from glancing at Mike with something more than just anger.

  Ruiz reached out gently to grasp Navarone’s good arm. “C’mon, Al. We’re not here to crucify these kids. Stossle has a point. If they have videos of everything that went on, why would they leak partial information where their involvement is twisted too? Mike was made out to be some kind of cold blooded killer, along with the derogatory way your leadership was portrayed. Maybe we need to start working together here. If Stossle could put together a video we could all agree presented the facts in a better light, I think we should go for it.”

  Navarone shrugged off Ruiz but sat back down with Franz moving again to her initial position. Navarone pointed at Denny. “I want all the videos immediately, Stossle!”

  Denny grinned. “I don’t think so. I have copies in a multitude of hands and places. You try a snatch and grab, they get released unaltered to the public. Let me tell you something, Ma’am, if you think you look bad in the media’s written version, you don’t even want those unedited videos hitting the streets. Some of those clips look like ‘The Blair Witch Project’ with you as the star. I’ll work on a more favorable condensed version which will clear up some of the slant in the news, but there’s no way to cover all the mistakes you made. You underestimated us, the kidnapper, and the murderers you nearly let ambush your own team.”

  Mike watched Navarone’s face contort and her hands ball into fists as Denny spoke. Realization began to creep into her features as Denny finished. Tobian spoke for the first time. He moved around from her side.

  “We can’t threaten these kids, Al,” Tobian said. “Stossle’s only fifteen. If not for him and Demon Inc, we’d never have found the kidnapper. That damn dog they have is incredible, and I’ve never seen anyone cooler under fire than Rawlins here. Maybe you do need to see the video of him carrying your butt out of the ambush site with bullets zipping by all around him. I’m with Manny on this. Let Stossle put together a video for us.”

  “Fine!” Navarone stood again and headed for the door. “Thanks for your time. I need that video yesterday, Stossle.”

  “You’re welcome,” Mike spoke for the first time.

  Navarone spun around at the sound of Mike’s voice, her hand steadying the arm in a sling. “Welcome for what?”

  “For saving your fracking life.”

  Navarone blushed, but left without a word, her two companions following. Mike reached out and grabbed Ruiz’s arm. He turned back to face Mike with Tobian slowing to hear what he had to say.

  “I have a
student who thinks a cult of Satan wannabes is planning to open a portal in a hidden place for what seems to be a suicidal plan to release the Haunts into this world. She’s going to help me stop them. When it happens, would you guys like to see the actual reality of the threat? Demon Inc will be handling it, but I need witnesses in authority.”

  “I’m in, Mike,” Ruiz agreed. “You have my card.”

  “Ditto,” Tobian added. “Stossle. Please get something put together quickly. You have our site address.”

  “On it,” Denny stated.

  “Get out here you two!” Navarone ordered.

  Ruiz glanced at the office doorway. “C’mon, Jack. Duty calls.”

  “Wow, I’m glad I don’t work for her,” Principal Franz remarked, watching the two FBI agents stride out her door. “What’s this about a cult?”

  “We’ll let you know as soon as we know, Ms. Franz,” Mike replied. “I haven’t even had time to go over it with Denny yet.”

  “Very well, boys, keep me in the loop. You two are something else. I still can’t believe I witnessed two teens eat the FBI’s lunch. I heard you got roped into the football follies, Mike.”

  “Yep. I agreed to be the mascot.”

  Franz laughed. “Get out of here, and stay out of trouble.”

  “May as well ask us to bring world peace.”

  “Stossle!”

  Denny waved on the way out of Franz’s office. “Sorry, Ma’am.”

  Chapter Seven

  Portal Problems

  Before splitting off outside the office, Denny blocked Mike off. “Hey, Cap, what’s this about cults and helpful students?”

  Mike hesitated. “Best I show you at lunch. It’s bad, Den. I had to use something new I’ve been considering. It worked frighteningly well. She’s meeting us for lunch. Touch base with everyone on the sly if you think you can get a message out without FBI data mining it.”