Demon (The Mike Rawlins Series Book 1) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Demon Series Book I:

  Demon

  by

  Bernard Lee DeLeo

  *****

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Bernard Lee DeLeo

  And

  RJ Parker Publishing

  Demon Series Book I: Demon

  Copyright © 2013 by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  *****

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. Please respect the author’s work. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real life persons, events, or places is purely coincidental.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.

  Chapter 1

  Demon

  Laura turned away from her girlfriends, Janis and Connie. They huddled under one of the elm trees lining the houses along the street. A cool breeze made the bright half moon play hide and seek with rapidly moving slate gray clouds. She sighed, pulling up her jacket collar so the breeze blew across as little of her as possible. Another string of curses from under the hood of Connie’s 2001 Buick indicated the two guys trying to find out why the car wouldn’t start were having no luck fixing the problem. The abandoned house fenced in near the aqueduct had been their destination. Stories abounded of ghosts and strange noises witnessed by other adventurous teens on Halloween nights past. Jerry Clark convinced the teens Halloween night at the aqueduct would be a thrill. Jerry sat in the driver’s seat, turning the key periodically when the cursing teen under the hood, Stan Brickwalter, told him to. Laura liked the two handsome football jocks. One of them always invented some weird escapade for the group to pursue. Laura flipped open her cell-phone. Janis snatched it out of her hand.

  “What the hell you think you’re doin’, girlfriend?” Janis held the phone away.

  “Calling for help.” Laura tried unsuccessfully to get her phone back. Connie edged in front of Laura.

  “Don’t screw this up for us, Laura,” Connie pleaded with her best friend. “Jerry and Stan will get it started.”

  “Face it. Jerry and Stan couldn’t start an old VCR.”

  “Can too!” Stan moved over to the sidewalk. “In the case of the Buick, I’m afraid Laura’s right. I don’t see anything that-”

  “Hey…” Jerry interrupted, “isn’t that Mike Rawlins coming down the street. I’d recognize his walk even in the dark, like he’s doin’ the ‘Robot’ all the time. He works at his Dad’s auto shop every night after school.

  “If he knows so much about cars, why doesn’t he have one?” Stan asked.

  “He’s not sixteen yet,” Jerry answered. “Mike’s a sophomore. He’s okay. My Dad gets his car fixed at his Dad’s shop. Oh… I see… you bunch don’t want a tenth grader showin’ us up, huh?”

  “It’s embarrassing,” Janis muttered.

  “If he can fix the damn car,” Connie cut in, “I don’t care if he’s a first grader.”

  “Didn’t he get into trouble at the end of last year?” Laura watched the tall, lanky Rawlins walk toward them.

  Rawlins began crossing the street before reaching the older teens.

  “Hey, Mike!” Jerry called out. “C’mon over for a minute.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, Mike paced reluctantly toward them. Laura remembered seeing the well over six foot tall Rawlins in school before. He kept to himself and ate lunch off campus or by himself in the cafeteria.

  “Oh… hi, Jerry.” Mike shook hands with Jerry and then Stan. Both had to look up at Mike, although Stan was an inch over six feet and Jerry nearly two inches over. “Stan… is it?”

  “Yeah, we have a problem,” Stan explained. “We made a mistake tonight. We stopped the car to pick up Janice. Now it won’t start.”

  “Asshole.” Janice slapped the back of Stan’s head.

  “Has the car been starting normally up until now?” Mike recognized the red headed Laura. He didn’t know her name. She looked away from him when they passed each other in the hall. To Mike, she was stunning.

  “I drive it every day to school and have had zero problems,” Connie told him.

  Mike sat in the driver’s seat. He turned the key to the start position. Nothing happened except all the dash lights came on. Mike turned off the ignition, looked at his watch, then turned the ignition back on and left the seat to rejoin the teens on the sidewalk.

  “It’s the security system. After-”

  “I don’t have a security system,” Connie interrupted.

  Mike waved Connie into a position where she could see the dash. “See the blinking red word that says security?”

  “Oh… I see it.”

  Mike went around to the car engine compartment. He twisted each battery cable. The negative cable moved.

  “Your negative battery cable end is loose. A momentary power loss may have caused the body control computer to lose the key code. If we leave the ignition on for ten minutes and the blinking light goes out it will mean the sensor inside the ignition cylinder housing sent the relearned key code to the computer. The car will start then. Can I pop the trunk open and check for tools?”

  Connie nodded. “Sure, my Dad has a small toolbox in there.”

  Mike worked the trunk release and went around to the trunk. He returned a few minutes later with a small pair of channel lock pliers. Mike tightened the negative terminal end and put away the pliers. He shut the trunk while looking at his watch.

  “It’ll be a few more minutes.”

  “I’m Connie Emmerich. That’s Janis Jefferson and Laura Fahrenbach. I guess you already know Jerry and Stan. Jerry told us you’re a sophomore.”

  “Yeah,” Mike admitted with a shrug.

  “Thanks for helping us,” Laura spoke for the first time.

  “Better hold that thought until we see if I did help.” Mike smiled at Laura. He glanced down at the dash. The security light was out. Mike sat in the driver’s seat again, motioning Connie over. “After the ten minutes, turn the key to start momentarily and then turn it back off.”

  Mike turned the key to start and momentarily cranked the engine, but shut the key off immediately.

  “It cranked!” Connie said excitedly.

  “Wait a second and then start the engine.” Mike turned the key and the Buick engine cranked and started. “If it happens again Connie you may need to get the ignition switch and cylinder replaced. Those key code sensors go bad on these models.”

  “Outstanding!” Jerry clapped Mike on the shoulder as the sophomore closed the hood. “Let’s go do the spooky old woods.”

  Mike grinned. “What spooky old woods?”

  “You know… the house over by the aqueduct.”

  Mike’s face lost all levity. “Man… Jerry… you guys don’t want to fool around down there. It’s dangerous.”

  Stan laughed derisively. “Oh come on. Mike the Mech is a big girl.”

  “Mike got the car started,” Connie retorted. “What’d you do?”

  “You’re not scared, are you?�
� Janis peered up at Mike’s grim face with a big smile.

  “Yeah, I am,” Mike admitted. He angled around the group in the direction he had been going. “See you all in school.”

  “Ol’ Mike ain’t having any,” Jerry commented, with reluctant admiration. “Let’s get going.”

  “What if the Buick won’t start when we get down there?” Laura glanced away from Mike’s retreating figure for the first time. “We have to drive at least two miles in on that dirt access road and then walk the rest of the way. I don’t know about you bunch but I’m not too crazy about getting stuck there.”

  “Laura’s right,” Connie said, causing Jerry and Stan to groan in anticipation of what Connie would say next. “My Buick ain’t goin’ anywhere unless you figure out some way to entice Mike the Mech to come along.”

  “Just wait ten minutes like Mike did and start the car,” Stan directed. “This gig wouldn’t be fun if there wasn’t a little danger.”

  “Mike goes or no one goes.” Connie crossed her arms, shunning Stan and Jerry.

  Laura smiled. She assumed the same position as Connie. Janis joined them, unwilling to be on the same side as Stan and Jerry against Laura and Connie.

  “Okay… okay…” Jerry relented. “Get this boat movin’. I’ll see if I can talk Mike down off the cliff.”

  A few minutes later, Connie slowed the Buick next to Mike. Jerry jumped out. He hurried over to put an arm around Mike’s shoulders.

  “We need you Mike. Come with us. I won’t let any bogeymen hurt you.”

  “You promise?” Mike turned, his eyes bright with false excitement, eliciting giggles from the three girls.

  “Cross my heart and hope to die.” Jerry went through the motions of crossing his heart, going along with the gag.

  “No.” Mike walked away.

  “Let the chicken-shit go,” Stan jeered.

  Stan’s taunt had no effect on Mike. Jerry held up his hand in a calming manner to his friends.

  “We’ll make you an honorary junior, Mike,” Jerry called out. “You hang with us from now on.”

  This stopped Mike. He weighed what he had witnessed as a twelve year old at the abandoned house next to being near Laura in school. Shit, I am out of my mind, he thought. Mike turned around. Jerry caught up to him and shook his hand while Connie drove alongside.

  “There’s one condition. We go buy fifteen pounds of salt and drive by Saint Joseph’s church. It’s on the way. I’ll pick up some holy water there. You had some empty water bottles in the trunk, Connie. I’ll need them.”

  “You’re joking, right?” Stan leaned out the rear window with a look of disbelief.

  “That’s the condition. Take it or leave it. You’ve all seen Supernatural. The salt and holy water work. We’ll need them if we’re going to the aqueduct.”

  “You’re scaring me.” Connie looked over at Janice next to her.

  “Good,” Mike said. “What’ll it be?”

  Jerry shrugged. “Sounds okay to me. Stan?”

  “I’m good if it makes bolt-head comfortable. It adds a little chill.”

  “Laura, you’ll have to sit on someone’s lap,” Connie directed.

  “Climb aboard.” Jerry got in the car and patted his knee.

  “I’ll sit on Mike’s lap.”

  Her three friends shared a laugh at Jerry’s expense. Janis felt relieved. In spite of her frequent sarcasm when speaking with either Jerry or Stan, she had a crush on Clark.

  The teens rode in silence to the small supermarket two streets over. The feel of Laura on his lap had Mike doing the alphabet and multiplication tables. He tried baseball averages, the seven dwarfs’ names, and finally praying, all to no avail. Laura noticed, smiled, and shifted intentionally on Mike’s lap. Mike’s left hand gripped his knee hard enough to pop the joint. His right clutched the Buick arm rest in a death grip. He grinned sheepishly, his face the color of paint on the proverbial red barn.

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be,” Laura whispered.

  Connie parked in front of Big Sky Supermarket.

  “I’ll get the salt,” Jerry volunteered, exiting the Buick. “Mike gets the holy water.”

  “You’ve been to the aqueduct, haven’t you?” Laura asked Mike.

  “I went there with my cousin. I was twelve. We stayed until dusk. We ran to our bikes and pedaled full bore home.”

  “What’d you see?” Connie shivered at Mike’s tone.

  “Things flew at us in the dark. Loose stuff on the floor whirled into the walls. We didn’t stay to see anything else.”

  Stan laughed. “I know guys who’ve went there. They didn’t see anything.”

  “Laura asked me what I saw. Hey, play it for laughs. If nothing happens, great. If I wasn’t hallucinating, the salt and holy water gives us a chance.”

  “You’re not scaring me out of this.” Janice shifted in her seat to peer around Laura. “We’re going, and that’s it.”

  Jerry returned with the bag full of salt. “On to St. Joe’s.”

  “Mike’s been telling us all about the monsters,” Stan said.

  “Let’s get to it. I’m pumped,” Jerry replied.

  * * *

  “Holy crap!” Connie parked where the dirt access road ended at a broken down chain link fence. “It’s pitch dark out here. Mike was right. This is nuts.”

  “How… how far to the house?” Janice asked, unable to hide the tremor in her voice.

  “About fifty yards,” Mike answered. “I know you all have flashlights. It would be better to leave them off. The moonlight will be enough to see by when our eyes get used to the dark. The path to the house is bare of any brush. With the flashlights on, our night vision will be only a couple feet.”

  “That makes sense,” Jerry agreed. “It doesn’t seem as dark since Connie turned off her headlights. Look, you can see the path real plain, even from inside the car. Let’s go.”

  “Are your legs asleep yet,” Laura whispered to Mike as the others exited the Buick.

  “Not hardly,” Mike whispered in reply. “I’m just glad it’s dark.”

  Laura giggled. She squirmed across Mike’s lap unnecessarily before reaching over and opening their door. She slid out slowly, enjoying Mike’s discomfiture. Jerry handed Mike the doubled up plastic grocery bag containing salt bags and bottles of holy water Mike had been able to get inside the church rectory.

  “These are your idea. You get to pack them.”

  Mike accepted the bag without protest. “We should wait a couple minutes while our eyes adjust.”

  “I’ll lead.” Stan began moving toward the path. “Follow me. I can see the path pretty well. Where the hell are all the leaves from these trees all around?”

  “The wind blows across here at a steady clip.” Laura shivered, arms clutched tightly around her chest for warmth.

  “What’s the hurry?” Connie asked. She followed anyway. “It’s only 9:30.”

  The group proceeded down the path with Stan picking his way carefully in the lead. Mike and Laura trailed behind the others. Prompted by a steady wind, the elm trees growing sparsely throughout the area waved their barren branches with only one or two leaves hanging on against becoming future mulch. The teens glanced away from the path, furtively making sure they were not alone. Raspy sounds from the windblown branches surrounding them stalked their footsteps. Laura grasped Mike’s free hand. Mike squeezed her hand reassuringly, surprised how cold it felt. The sound of water flowing in the aqueduct added a swishing, scraping background to the wind as the water stirred dead leaves along the cement aqueduct walls. Shadowy outlines of a structure became more pronounced as the group cleared the last line of trees before entering the brush and weed filled lot fronting the wide two story house. The abandoned dwelling jutted toward the sky with pointed spires and rectangular brickwork. A bent weathervane twirled in the stiff breeze, adding a squeaky repetitious metallic whine to the eerie background noise. Laura and Mike moved nearer the group as they stared
up at the creaking porch with warped and rotting boards. Although the stanchions appeared steady, the porch roof sagged. It seemed to move slightly with the wind.

  “You’re the expert, Mike,” Jerry said. “How dark is it inside and how safe is the floor?”

  “Inside makes out here seem like morning light.” Mike felt Laura grip his hand tighter. “I haven’t been here in three years. The floor was rotting even then so take each step like the wood will splinter at any second. One of us should stay out here. You all have cell-phones. If anything happens like a collapse, at least one person should be able to call for help.”

  “Everyone goes inside,” Stan argued when he saw the rest of his friends nodding in agreement with Mike. “We didn’t come here to do this with a safety net.”

  “We didn’t bring the ‘Ghostbusters’ or a building inspector either,” Mike pointed out.

  “Let’s go.” Jerry climbed up on the porch, gingerly staying away from the staircase middle where some loose boards were visible. He stopped short of the door which was partially open.

  “Is it like you remembered, Mike?” Laura asked.

  “The boards are more rotted looking. Walking around in haunted houses is one thing. Falling through the floor into whatever slimy stuff lies underneath is another.”

  “Now I don’t know why the hell I thought this would be fun.” Janice waved her hand around for emphasis. “We wasted our time bringing sandwiches and beer. I’m glad we didn’t carry them with us from the car. I ain’t eatin’ anything in this nasty old place.”

  Everyone but Mike had a flashlight which they used now to light the way inside single file next to the jammed door. Their beams flickered across the debris covered floors. The beams reflected off a myriad of cobwebs so thick in places they looked like curtains. Mike released Laura’s hand. He immediately picked out a relatively clear spot on the large living room floor. With Laura using her flashlight to illuminate the area, Mike poured holy water around in a large circle, using up two of his bottles. He next spread the salt in a heavy line on the holy water which helped hold the salt in place. When Mike finished the circle, he knelt, made the sign of the cross, and whispered, “In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, Amen. (In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit)