Bloch continued, “A third man is positioned near the café entrance, on the sidewalk. He’s talking on his phone.”

She looked and there he was, smiling and chatting in a most carefree manner. He might have been asking his girlfriend on a date, or perhaps scheduling a tennis match.

Bloch’s words fell to a slow, measured clip. “You must do as I say, Christine. For your sake. For David’s sake.”

Christine was holding the table by its edges. She had to hold something. Bloch leveled a still, somber gaze, and she imagined it was a look he had used before with David—right before sending him into the world as Israel’s killing machine.

“They intend to put you in that car. A private jet is waiting at the airport. Right now they’re assuming that I will act out a ruse to deliver you calmly to the car.”

Her eyes flicked across the street.

“What I am going to do is pay our bill, then stand up. When I do, take my arm as we head to the exit. When I give you the order, turn and run. Go inside the main restaurant, straight back through the central hallway. Past the kitchen you’ll find a door at the back. It leads to an alley.”

The table began trembling under her grip. She focused on a glass of water on the table, mesmerized by the concentric rings inside.

“In the alley, turn left.” Bloch pried one of her hands from the table, the one out of sight from the street, and Christine felt him press something into it. She looked down and saw a car key.

“Dark blue Saab, near the mouth of the alley. Drive straight ahead, turn right. There’s no need to go fast, you’ll have a head start and they won’t know what to look for. I’ll hold them here as long as I can.”

She looked at him pleadingly, willing him to stop.

He implored in a low voice, “There is no other way, Christine!”

“But—then what?”

She saw his hand come around the side of the table again. This time it held her missing cell phone.

He answered her question before she could ask it. “We took it from your room last night to isolate you. I’ve powered it down for now—leave it that way. You can be tracked when the phone is on. Just put it in your pocket.”

She did so, not even bothering to ask how they’d invaded her hotel room.

“I’ve already sent a message to David. He’s on the way.”

“David is coming here? What did you tell him?”