Read Online A Prayer for the Devil by Dale Allan - Free Book Online

the park. But he found himself thinking the whole time, Why in the world would Aaron be hiding a gun?

     

 
    AFTER SAYING GOOD NIGHT to his parents and Deb, Luke left the house through the kitchen door and carried three boxes of coats to the back of the property. Hoisting each box to the top of the wall, he gently pushed them over and loaded the car. With the backseat full, he headed to Boston Common.
    “The Common,” as it was commonly referred to by Boston locals, was a national historic landmark. Used as a cow pasture in the early sixteen hundreds, the park has played an important part in Boston’s history. Mary Dyer was hanged from a large oak tree for preaching Quakerism in 1660, and British soldiers occupied the grounds before the Revolutionary War. Protesters filled the park to denounce the Vietnam War in the 1960s, and many famous people, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Pope John Paul II, have given important speeches there.
    In August of 2007, two teenagers were shot on the Common, causing a strict curfew to be instituted for visitors. This restriction was protested by the homeless population who inhabited the park grounds after dark. Weeks after the shooting, the local police turned a blind eye, and the homeless returned.
    Walking past Brewer Fountain, Luke thought that to today’s generation, the park would forever be known for one thing: the bombing in Boston. He had been to this park many times to encourage the homeless to go to the local shelters during the cold winter months. He and his fellow priests often brought clothing and food to those who refused.
    Luke sat down on a bench and started to open the first box of coats when someone yelled, “Stop right there!” Startled, he saw a police officer walking toward him, with his right hand inside his coat pocket, obviously holding a gun. “Stand up slowly and move away from the box,” the officer commanded. Doing exactly as instructed, Luke stood and waited for the cop to approach. Realizing that his scarf was covering his priest collar, he innocently moved his hand to expose it. “Put your hands up and leave them there!” the officer yelled. Luke quickly complied. Moving closer, the officer cautiously examined the box, pulling open the top with one hand while still holding the gun with his other. Seeing the coats, he asked, “Who are you?”
    “I’m Luke Miller, a priest from Saint Leonard’s parish. I’ve come to give some old coats to the homeless.”
    “Can I see identification?”
    While unbuttoning his coat, Luke realized that he still had Aaron’s gun in his pocket. Noticing the officer moving closer, he started to panic.
    “Are you the one whose brother was killed in the bombing?”
    “Yes.”
    Recognizing him and now seeing his collar exposed in the bright moonlight, the officer pulled his gun hand from his pocket and shook Luke’s. “Nice to meet you; sorry for your loss.”
    Seeing that several of the homeless had gathered after hearing the commotion, the officer said good-bye and walked away into the darkness.
    Luke stood with his heart pounding and began giving coats to the waiting people. When he carried the third box from the car, he saw that word had spread, and a dozen or so more were standing by the bench in the frigid air. Handing the last coat to an elderly woman, he noticed that there was still one man waiting in the distance. Luke’s heart was breaking as he thought about what to do. Without hesitation, Luke turned his back to the man and untucked his shirt. He quickly removed the gun from the coat pocket and placed it in his pants, covering it with his shirttail. Turning around, he saw the man still waiting. Walking slowly toward him, Luke took off the coat and handed it to him. Obviously grateful, the man quickly put it on. As Luke started to walk away, the homeless man said, “Thanks. Are you the priest whose brother was killed?”
    Luke stopped and turned. “Yes, I am. How did you know that?”
    “I’m