Page 98 of The Last Kingdom

Knight sprang to his feet.

“Stay right there,” Koger said. “Or I’ll shoot your sorry ass.”

Cotton found the gun he’d kicked away, a 9mm, then assumed a position behind Knight so there was nowhere to go except right or left into the pews. Little good that would do. No escape was possible.

“I am calling the police,” the priest said in English.

“No need,” Koger noted. “We’re leaving.”

The priest seemed unfazed and stuffed a hand into his cassock, removing a cell phone.

Koger stepped over and took it away, saying, “Sorry, Father. But we don’t need the police.”

“Move,” Cotton said to Knight, pointing the gun.

The main doors swung open and four uniformed officers rushed inside. Koger saw them and they saw his gun, the police reaching for their own weapons.

“Hold on, big fellows,” Koger said.

But the officers were not listening. They leveled their pistols and yelled in German for Koger to drop his gun. Then they noticed Cotton’s weapon and issued the same command.

“I don’t think we should argue with them,” Cotton said.

Koger slowly laid his gun and the phone on the floor, then raised his hands. Cotton followed suit, stepping forward so they could see he was cooperating. Knight, who was unarmed, raised his hands, too, drifting back toward the altar with slow, even steps.

“On the floor,” one of the policemen yelled. “Facedown. All of you.”

He glanced at Koger, who shrugged.Like we have a choice?

And he agreed.

“Do it,” Cotton said to Knight, and he slowly descended to his knees.

But Knight bolted toward the altar.

Cotton realized what was coming and flattened out on the floor. Shots rang out. Knight dove forward, his momentum sliding his body across the slick marble like a ballplayer gliding into second base headfirst. Rounds thudded into the wooden pews. Knight body-crawled forward, the pews offering excellent cover.

Cotton started to rise, intent on going after him.

“Don’t,” Koger yelled.

He turned back and saw that it was good advice. The other officers’ weapons were trained on him and Koger.

They’d fire the moment he stood.

Knight was still on the floor, crawling forward toward a curtain that separated the nave from the rear of the altar, where the priests and attendants prepared themselves for Mass. Two of the police rushed forward, trying to find a better angle through which to fire. More shots. But the pews still blocked them. Knight disappeared through thecurtain.

“Stay down,” the police ordered again. “Don’t move.”

Two of the uniforms rushed ahead toward where Knight had gone.

He stared at Koger.

Who shook his head.

Dread swept through him like water emptying from a sink.

This was not going to be okay.