THE REVEREND JOHN LESTER - DESTINY’S DAMNED

In a dramatic moment outside the apartment house where Eric Caldwell was murdered the reader meets the Reverend John Lester, minister of the Calvary Gospel Church, San Francisco.

As if thunder suddenly struck from a dry, clear sky, a scream rolled across the lawn and hit them. Sybil turned.
Her eyes on fire, her voice shrill as a whistle, the woman on the porch next door was shrieking in long desperate cries, setting them all on edge. Darting from side to side, her gaze a flurry of fear, she was frozen, unable to stop what was happening.
Outside an open gate and in the middle of the street, a curly haired toddler without a coat, in blue and pink overalls and shirt, was squatting, trying to pick up a penny, oblivious to the dinosaur about to consume him. Less than twenty feet from him, a 60’s vintage Lincoln with gray fender and dented passenger door, was about to run over him.
A middle-aged man with close cropped hair and thin, taut lips was driving, not paying attention to the road. His mouth agape, he was staring at them instead, ignoring the mother’s frantic screams.
With no time to move or otherwise react, Sybil picked up a stone and threw it as hard as she could at the passenger window. Sailing in the direction of the driver’s eyes, he started, clasped the wheel, and as the stone chipped the window, screeched to a stop. Exploding with rage, he opened the door on the driver’s side and got out, rounding the front fender to come after her. Grabbing the hood ornament to pick up speed, he cursed, “You bitch, I’ll get you for this!” He was pushing off the ornament when he heard the mother’s cries.
She was just feet in front of the car. Her arms around the toddler, weeping.
“Jesus,” he whispered, realizing what almost happened.
His anger turned to fear. Taking one last hateful look at Sybil, he retreated, jumping back into his brute of a car. Racing the engine and shoving it into reverse, his tires squealed as he careened backwards down the street. Wheels smoking, he backed around the corner, gunned the engine, and roared away.

Excerpt from DESTINY'S DAMNED


© Shawna Ryan
Author: thrillers DESTINY'S DAMNED & SATAN'S SCAT
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