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What’s your strategy? Bella with a steadiness of voice betraying her felt uneasiness asked.

Linda leaned towards her and quickly said with a glint of fierceness and determination in her eyes. "We must determine their motives first. We will not combat an adversary that we know nothing about. I will call in some favors, and contact everyone I know. If there is a scuttlebutt regarding this group, I will discover it."

Bella nodded, more resolved. “And what do I do in the meantime?”

Linda smiled her dark smile. “Play along. They expect you to act as if they have you under control, so do as they expect. Let them believe they are winning. But watch out, Bella. Watch for any activity, anything that may reveal who these people are or what they want. The more we have the information the more the chances of us doing what we are going to do.”

Bella's fear began retreating to a sense of purpose. She was not helpless – not entirely. She had friends, had resources. Most importantly, she had a str