Sofie recoiled. “No. Of course not,” she snapped back, disgusted. “To Hearts United.”
Liesel blinked. “The charitable organization? That Hearts United?”
“You know any other?” Sofie asked, then added, “Yes, that one. But Hearts United isn’t what people think it is. It never was.”
Caspian scoffed. “Come on. Hearts United is one of the most respected NGOs in the world. The good they’ve done—”
“Stop. Just stop!” Sofie said. “You know nothing, Caspian. Nothing!”
Liesel raised her hand, coming to Caspian’s defense. “No, he’s right, Sofie. Hearts United’s reputation is beyond reproach. If you’re telling us otherwise, you need to give us more than riddles.”
Sofie glared at them. “I shouldn’t have come. Asking for your help was a mistake.”
Then, from the corner of her eye, Liesel noticed two men cutting across the promenade. They were heading straight for the restaurant. There was something about them that stood out. They didn’t fit with the crowd of vacationers and sunburned families who were searching for a restaurant to enjoy dinner. The men’s clothes were utilitarian and looked nothing like what most tourists wore. Their eyes were scanning as they walked, not lingering on anything for too long. One of them met her eyes briefly but then quickly looked away.
Sofie must have noticed them, too, because she said, “They found me.”
“Who found you?” Caspian asked.
“These two were part of the team who grabbed my contact this morning,” Sofie said, rising from her chair. “Follow me. There’s a rear exit behind the kitchen. Come now, or you’ll die.”
Liesel froze, her mind spinning.
Part of the team who grabbed my contact this morning ...
Then something clicked in her brain.
“Paul Hobb. Your contact was Paul Hobb?”
Sofie, who had already taken two steps toward the restaurant, turned to her, eyes wide. “How ... how did you know?”
Before Liesel could answer, Sofie jerked backward, violently shoved by an unseen force.
And then something hit Liesel, hard, and she was thrown sideways, her world spinning as her shoulder slammed into the tiles of the terrace.
Chapter Thirteen
Ses Oliveres Restaurant
Port de Sóller, Mallorca, Spain
Sniper!
Caspian, recognizing the moment for what it was before Sofie had even hit the ground, didn’t hesitate. He launched himself toward Liesel, tackling her sideways as the sniper’s next round zipped past.
The world around him exploded into chaos. Screams cut through the air, tables crashed over, and shards of glass skittered across the tile as wineglasses shattered. Someone behind him yelled in pain.
Caspian landed hard on top of Liesel, his body protecting hers as they slid along the floor. Liesel let out a grunt, and for a moment, fear clutched at Caspian.
“You good?” he asked, quickly patting her down, checking for blood.
His hands came back clean. No blood.
Thank God.
“Where’s my sister? Where’s Sofie?” Liesel asked, frantically looking around.
Behind them, an older man was down, clutching his face. Blood was gushing through his fingers, staining his white shirt. To the man’s right, Sofie was sprawled on the floor, the front of her blouse darkened by blood. She moaned as she tried to sit up.
