Car doors opened. Car doors closed. I could hear engines dying until there were none left breathing. I dragged V out of the bathroom with me and crouched against the wall. I kept my hand just above her head as I stood up to a window. I carefully found a piece of stained glass clear enough to see through and sure enough, I saw cops in the parking lot. Each cop with his own gun. Eight cops with enough ammo to chop down 48 people.

“V… Get into the Church and pretend everything is okay just like everyone else.”

“But Daddy—”

“Don’t call me Daddy!” My hands were quivering; I could feel the cold sweat flowing down my neck to the collar as I slowly pulled the knife from my sock. V snatched it off me straight away. “Fucking— Give it back!” I fell down to the stone floor, my tail bone was killing.

“You’ll get it back when you’ve proven to me you won’t hurt yourself with it!”

“Least I can’t cut myself with this.” I grabbed a magnum from inside my jacket. “Now… Follow my lead.” I bit my lip so hard it bled.