I stared up at the demon, maybe the same one who’d dropped the sheriff to his death, and I could see by the look in its narrow eyes the kid was right. If I wanted Billy Fuller, I’d have to take on the creature first. I put my piece back in the holster and began to selectively transform myself. My hands changed to claws, my jaw sprouted wolf-teeth, and I increased my bulk just enough to not tear apart my clothes.

I was ready for a fight.

The creature took Billy by the shoulder and stepped around him. It rattled its wings and licked its long nails.

I waited.

It made the first move. It came at me shrieking and tackled me head on. I took the blow and fell backward, but managed to rake my claws across its lower back. It yowled and rolled off me. As it turned back to attack, I slashed its throat wide open. The shrieking stopped. Blood sprayed.

The demon tried to struggle away, but I knew I had it down for the count. I lunged on top of it and brought it down hard. I tore at its wings, pulling one completely out of its back. Finally, the creature stopped moving.

Just to be sure I’d killed it (and to put a scare into the kid), I pulled out my piece and blasted a slug into the demon’s head, blowing its supernatural brains all over the shag carpet.

Victorious, I stood and shook the blood from my body like a dog after a bath. But I’d miscalculated.

Billy Fuller was gone, and so was the rip in the air.

Before I left the Fuller house I covered the dead demon with a sheet and took a hit off the kid’s bong. I knew I’d sort of freaked the last time I got high, but it looked like the kid had some pretty good stuff.

I told Sam what happened on the way to the cemetery. Billy Fuller had more tricks up his sleeve and we had to stop him before he realized how much damage he could do. If he’d actually made a deal with some sort of demonic power, the repercussions could be catastrophic for both the kid and Los Angeles.

Sam, of course, was an unstoppable ballbreaker about the whole thing.

“Well, little Cal fucked up again. I woulda killed the little fucker when I had the chance.”

“Lay off. I ain’t killing no little kid, no matter what he did,” I said, driving through the cemetery gate.

“You are such a pussy. I don’t know how you survive.”

That was it. I slammed on the brakes and stopped the car. The box with Sam in it went flying to the floor.

I grabbed it and leaned in. “I just saved your ass, old man. Don’t you think it’s about time for a little respect?”