Page 121 of The Last Kingdom

Instead, something else lay within.

Odd. Unusual.

“What is that?” Koger asked.

Chapter 69

LUKE KEPT PACE WITH THE CROWD.

People flowed out of the Marienplatz in a mad dash. He hoped no one was hurt in the chaos. That was always a risk with so many people around. He and Toni stayed among the masses, blending in. He’d caught sight of a few police, trying to advance their way into the crowd, but the collective panic was working perfectly, allowing them to exit the main plaza down one of the side streets. The crowds thinned the farther they went from the old town hall. Soon their cover would be gone and he’d already spotted police cars a few blocks away down another street. They were now beyond the pedestrian-only zone and traffic jelled, reacting to the unexpected flood of people.

“This way,” he said.

And they headed down another street, past closed shops, the sidewalks becoming less and less populated. Around him became a patchwork of light and shadow. The next intersection emptied into a busy boulevard, thick with cars whizzing back and forth, and they waited for the traffic signal to change. Sounds of sirens echoed through the night, more flashing lights seen in the distance.

“There’s going to be a lot of cops looking for us,” she said.

“I need Koger,” he said, and brought out his phone. He tried the number but all he got was voice mail. He tried Malone’s number with the same result.

The light changed and they crossed to the other side of the four-lane street. Was he compromised? Had his cover been blown? Or was what happened at the cathedral all directed toward Christophe, who had, after all, played both ends against the middle? Hard to say. The most logical conclusion was that both he and Toni were compromisedand that the prince and the Guglmänner were somehow working together. If that were so, then why allow the black hoods to steal back the book? Just give it to them. Procedure mandated that he report in, but that wasn’t possible. Koger was his only contact. So he started to walk ahead, down the sidewalk, but Toni stood still.

He turned and faced her. “Is there a problem?”

“Where are you going?”

“I have no idea.” But he had one possibility. “We need to find the prince and get some answers.”

“I know where he is.”

“Really, now?”

She produced her phone. “I received a text. He’s at castle Neuschwanstein, along with Malone and Koger.”

“Aren’t you a wealth of information. When were you planning on sharing this?”

She shrugged. “I was enjoying watching you contemplate the situation.”

“What are they doing there?”

“Their jobs, I assume.”

“We need to get there.”

She grinned. “I came to that decision about fifteen minutes ago.”

A car turned the corner and came to a stop at the curb a little ways down from where they stood.

Toni did not seem alarmed.

“You expecting someone?” he asked.

Toni walked over. Luke followed. An attractive, middle-aged woman with long dark hair stared out at him from the rolled-down front passenger’s-side window.

“Meet Trinity Dorner,” Toni said. “Deputy national security adviser. My boss.”

He shook his head. Surprise, surprise.

They both climbed into the backseat and the car motored away.