STANDING IN THE SHADOW OF DEATH

BOOK 3 OF 3 IN THE DEMON GORGE TRILOGY - THE FINALE

Gideon couldn't believe what he was seeing. He was spellbound and awe-stricken.

The apparition glided nearer and nearer. The detective could now see clearly that the spirit was carrying in her arms an actual baby child, alive and well, one that was as beautiful as one of the cherubim of heaven with a yellow halo of light encircling its form. It was only the light that illuminated the woman's form.

Gideon remained frozen, not moving a limb of his body.

The apparition glided over to the dry well. Then, with her back to Gideon, the baby clasped to her chest, and her head bent over the edge of the well, she looked down into the deep, dark shaft below her.

"Oh, my God," Gideon whispered, "by all that is Holy!" cried the detective. "By the power of the Holy Spirit, be it ghost or flesh and blood, I will not allow her to throw that child into the well!"

And with that said, he began running up to the well where the woman or spirit stood, ready to kill another child. Finally, he got there where the radiant form of the woman with the baby in her hands and her eyes fixed on the depths of the well in front of her!

Gideon reached her, intending to seize her from behind and whirl her with the child from the brink of the dry well. But ---."