The Demon Conspiracy (31 page)

Jon shook his head curiously. All at once
Kurt sucker-punched him hard in the gut. Jon doubled over. His eyes
flashed yellow. Kurt started to laugh.

“Now you know! Ha-ha-ha! How’d that feel,
wimp?” He laughed hard and pointed at Jon. “Ha-ha-ha-ha….” All at
once he froze in place and became utterly silent. Jon straightened
up and continued down the hall as if nothing had happened. Kurt
remained stuck in the laughing position with a stupid look on his
face.

Spider freaked out when he tried to move
him. “Kurt? What’s wrong, man? Why don’t you move?”

“What’d he do to him?” Robbie waved his hand
in front of Kurt’s face. His eyes never blinked. “Kurt! Wake up,
man!”

Jon arrived at the foyer and right away
noticed two sturdy policemen waiting at the doors, alert and ready.
Principal Dillon was there, too. He said something into his
walkie-talkie and marched toward Jon. Jon knew Dillon preferred to
handle confrontational matters personally. He’d been expecting
this.

Dillon stopped before Jon, a serious
expression on his face. “Jon, can we talk?”

Jon nodded. “Sure, Mr. Dillon. What do you
want to talk about?”

“About your trip to New York. Young man, it
simply isn’t going to happen.”

Two male physical-education teachers
appeared at Jon’s left. They blocked one of the hallways. To his
right, three other male teachers blocked the way. One of them was
Dr. Parrish, who looked at Jon with pleading eyes. Jon was
surrounded.

“It must happen,” said Jon calmly. “I have
much work to do. I must work hard and fast.”

“Jon, your foster mother is very worried
about you. I get the impression she really loves you and your
brother and sister. All she wants is to have Thanksgiving dinner
with all of you together. Now what’s so wrong with that?”

“Nothing is wrong with that. But I must go
to New York. I am the greatest magician in the world.”

“I understand. I heard about what you did
the other day. The problem is nobody knows you’re the greatest
magician in the world yet. And why would you walk? If you don’t get
any rides, it could take you weeks to get there.”

“I need to arrive at least six days before
New Year’s Eve. Then the world will see the greatest trick ever
performed in public.”

“You’re not listening to me.” Dillon crossed
his arms and stood before Jon like he meant business. “Your foster
parents have legal custody over you while you’re in their care and
still under the age of eighteen. Do you see those policemen by the
door? Well, if you try to leave, they’re gonna lock you up in juvie
to make sure you don’t go any place. Now I’m thinking you’d rather
spend Thanksgiving with your family than with a bunch of strangers
in jail. Jail’s a rough place, Jon.”

“I have much work to do. I must work hard
and fast.”

“Does that mean you’re still going to New
York?”

“Of course.” Jon turned and started for the
door. The cops moved toward him. The teachers all moved toward him.
Suddenly, Maria and Brandon burst in. Maria ran to Jon. She pleaded
with him.

“Jon, please don’t go. For me, okay? Don’t
you remember what we had?”

“Yeah, Jon,” said Brandon. “You can’t leave
now, man. I’m gonna buy another camcorder, okay? We’re gonna make
that movie, the one I wrote a script for, like what we talked
about. Let me show you the script, it’s in the car.”

Jon paused ten feet from the door. The cops
stopped, the teachers stopped, and Brandon stopped. Maria hugged
him. She kissed him on the lips, but he was unresponsive.

“You don’t love me anymore, do you Jon?” she
asked in a low voice.

“Actually, Maria, I
have
never
loved
you.” Jon’s response was icy cold. Maria shook her head and backed
away from him.

“I hate you,” she said just above a whisper.
Brandon fell in stride with her as she went away.

“He didn’t mean it,
Maria,” Brandon said to her. He looked back at his friend. Jon
half-smiled at him. “He’d have to be nuts to say something like
that to
you
.”

Maria rubbed some
gathering tears from her eyes. “It doesn’t matter, I’ve put him out
of my heart.” She stopped and looked back at Jon one last time.
“And I’m not letting him back in.
Ever
.” Having said that, they
left.

One of the cops stepped up to Jon. “Jon
Bishop, we need you to come with us. We’re going to take you home,
or we’re going to take you to jail. The choice is yours.”

Jon looked out the windows by the doors.
Angie, Kelly and Travis were outside waiting for him. He returned
his gaze to the cop.

“You just do not
understand, do you?” he said, smiling. “I
am
the greatest magician in the
world. I have a show to do and I need to start my journey. Watch
for me on TV.”

He smiled at them and calmly crossed his
hands in front of his waist. Then he vanished.

KELLY

Travis and I watched the whole thing through
the front window. For a moment I thought maybe some glare had
interrupted my view of Jon. But Angie saw it too.

I looked at Travis, astonished. “Did you see
that? Where’d he go?” Travis only shrugged.

“I don’t know.” Angie stared unblinking.

“Maybe he really
is
the world’s greatest
magician!” said Travis. Angie gave him a tragic look of
confirmation and hurried inside the school.

Mr. Dillon, the cops and the teachers gawked
at the empty space in front of them. Nobody moved except Parrish.
He went to the spot where Jon had stood and looked up and down and
all about. He got on his knees and felt around on the floor. He
stood up shaking his head. “He’s gone all right. And he sure didn’t
use any smoke and mirrors.”

“So how’d he do it?” asked one of the cops.
“Did he say he was a magician?”

“The
greatest
magician,” said Dillon. “He
thinks he’s going to be on TV.”

“If he can do stuff like
that, he
will
be,” said the other cop. “Do you still need us, Mr.
Dillon?”

“No. Thank you, officers.
We’ll look around some more, but I doubt we’re going to find him
anywhere in this building.” Dillon went to where Jon had been
standing and stomped his foot on the floor. “Tile on top of solid
concrete. Unless I’m mistaken, that was no trick. Somewhere along
the way that boy has picked up some
real
magic!”

JON

Traffic on Route 50 was heavy and so was the
pall of dark clouds that promised to bring rain or snow very soon.
Jon Bishop walked along the road with a determined smile on his
face, carrying nothing at all. Several cars had slowed and nearly
pulled over, as if the drivers were considering offering him a
ride. But instead, they sped up and took off. Few people in
northern Virginia picked up hitchhikers and this guy wasn’t even
sticking his thumb out.

But one car did slow down. Sitting behind
the wheel of his high-performance Chevy Nova, Robbie Leach slowed
the car to match Jon’s pace and pulled up along side of him. Kurt
Lazarus was in the passenger seat, with Spider Dedmon in back. Kurt
rolled down the window and leaned outside. He was furious.

“You made me look like a
jackass, Bishop! I’m taking care of you
right
, this time!” Kurt withdrew a
small caliber handgun from his pocket.

In the back seat, Spider panicked. “No,
Kurt! Are you crazy? I don’t wanna go to jail!”

Jon stopped walking. He smiled at Kurt.
“What do you think you are going to do with that, Kurt? Take a cold
shower?”

“I’m poppin’ you good!” Kurt squeezed the
trigger. Nothing happened. He looked down at the gun, which had
somehow changed into a common bar of soap. Kurt was so shocked he
dropped the soap. “Get outta here!” The car sped off. Jon continued
his walk as it began to rain.

A few minutes later a pickup truck pulled
off the road. The elderly man inside the truck leaned over the seat
and opened the passenger door. “You need a ride, son?”

Jon nodded. “Yes, thanks. I have much work
to do. I must work hard and fast.”

“Well, I don’t know how fast I can get you
to work in holiday traffic, but it’ll be faster than walking. And a
whole lot dryer. Hop in.”

Jon got in and closed the door. The truck
drove off.

25

CHRIS GOES
INSANE

KELLY

When we got home, Chris was pacing through
the house and mumbling to himself like something really bothered
him. He walked right by us three times, nodding or shaking his
head, but never seemed to notice we were there. It was like he was
having this great internal debate, but I couldn’t read his mind so
I had no way to tell if anybody was winning the argument.

We followed him back into the den where I
noticed right away the TV was turned off. Did that mean he’d gotten
over his infatuation with soap operas? As weird as Chris had been
lately I’d never seen him like this. When he walked by us for the
fourth time, Angie caught his arm and made him stop. Chris stared
straight down, as if all his problems were located on the
floor.

Angie spoke to him in a soft voice. “Chris,
honey? Did you lose something?”

Chris snapped his head up suddenly, the look
in his eyes pure madness. He waved his arms dramatically. “I’ve
done my work! I worked hard and fast! I don’t know what to do
now!”

I sent Travis a mental
message.
I think I know why I haven’t been
able to read his mind since the cave. If he was possessed he’d be
human and I’d still be able to read him, right? I mean, I can read
anybody unless they’re crazy, so he’s got to be crazy! Should we
call the police?

Not yet
, thought Travis.
I don’t feel any
ghost fingers. Angie’s nervous, though.

She ought to be. If he’s crazy anything
could happen!

Travis nodded in agreement, but never took
his eyes off Chris.

Angie held Chris’ hand and stroked his arm
to calm him. “Chris, listen to me. Jon went to New York all by
himself. I’m so worried about him. We all are.”

“Yeah,” said Travis for support. “He
disappeared in fronta everybody! Bam! He was gone!”

Angie looked at her husband pleadingly. “If
I hadn’t seen it myself, I never would have believed it. Chris,
what are we going to do?”

We all waited while his disturbed gaze
darted back and forth between us. It was like he could no longer
focus on any single thought or object.

Chris continued, still
animated. “Jon
had
to go to New York. He has much work to do. But I don’t. Now I
got nothing!” He wandered off into the living room again, wringing
his hands.

About then Granny came downstairs, clearly
not in the mood for more weirdness from Chris. She watched him
intently as she spoke.

“He’s been like that for over an hour,” she
said. “I think he’s lost it, Angie. Maybe we should call the
hospital?”

“And tell them what exactly? Stay out of it,
Matilda.” Angie was defensive. I zoomed in on her thinking and
found out she was on the verge of a breakdown herself. Her love for
Chris was unconditional and she wasn’t about to admit he was
insane. Not yet, anyway. She didn’t want her prodigal mother giving
her advice.

“Sure,” said Granny a little put out. “So
where’s Jon? Did the police take him?”

I quickly explained what had happened at
school. Granny was amazed.

“He just disappeared, you say? Right in
front of everybody?”

“Vanished!” said Angie. “The principal was
standing barely five feet away from him. This day is turning into a
nightmare. I need coffee.”

“Better make that two,” said Granny. “And
make it strong.”

“Three, please,” I said.

Travis frowned. “I don’t like coffee, but I
need somethin’, too.”

Angie turned before she headed for the
kitchen. “And one hot chocolate?”

Travis nodded vigorously. “Thanks,
Angie.”

When Angie was gone, Granny whispered to us.
“Do you think Chris has gone loony?”

I nodded. “What should we do?”

“I don’t know. Of course, it’s not all bad.
He did come up with that Majik Juice stuff and I’d say he’s done
right well for himself. Wish I could cook like that.”

“If you don’t mind cooking
with cockroaches and human hair,” I said. “Trust me, Granny, you
don’t
ever
want
to drink it.”

“Cockroaches, you say? He put ‘em in the
drink? I’ll take your advice, then. Never liked bugs in my beverage
all that much, unless I felt like a crunchy snack, of course.”
Under her breath I heard her mutter, “It’s a good thing I showed up
when I did. Something strange is going on around here.”

***

Angie was absolutely determined to have her
first Thanksgiving dinner with her family, even if part of the
family was missing. She, Granny and I spent the rest of the evening
cooking and preparing the big meal for the next day. Angie acted as
supervisor and head chef, since neither Granny nor I had any idea
how to cook. Travis helped, too, for a bit, because he knew where
everything was that they needed to make the meal. But eventually we
ran out of things for him to do, so he went into the den and
watched TV. We worked until well after ten, at which point we came
into the den and crashed on the couch beside Travis. I had no idea
cooking was such hard work.