Is this destiny?

"Aiden and Sarah have other identities, and they are not a simple couple." Marija said with irritation obvious in her voice. "If I tell you what all they are capable of, you will probably not believe me. But believe this: they are the glue which keeps Whites, Smiths, Longs, and several other families together. They are not only training other's bodyguards, but they have a bunch of youngsters who can break you without blinking. We will attack seemingly random targets, forcing Sarah and Aiden to split their resources and come out of their hideout. I have people who will take care of them. Once they are out of the picture, everyone else will be alone and vulnerable. At that point, I will give you guidelines and tips on achieving your goals. It will be up to you if you wish to act on it or not. That is how much I can tell you at this point. If you want to know more, accomplish your tasks. I will send you the information on your tasks shortly. If you try talking to anyone about this, I will know. If you fail to accomplish your task within a given time, I will assume that you backed out of this."

"Wait!" Victoria called when she felt that Marija is about to end the call. " There is one thing… I want Longs, David wants Smiths, Chelsea wants to climb back up the social ladder. Let's say that I believe how Aiden and Sarah are in the center of our problems and that you can help us. What's in it for you? Why would you help any of us? And how do we know that you are not putting us at risk while giving orders from safety?"

Marija was annoyed. Why is Victoria so full of questions? Marija can see that Victoria is trying to get on top of the situation, but Marija has no intention of allowing her to do so.

"I will not deny that this mission is risky. I'm sure that you thought about it before coming here. You didn't leave so far, and that is telling me you are willing to gamble because no matter how big the steaks are, the potential gain is too tempting for you to back off. The next step is a test for you, show me that you are capable. As for reasons why I'm doing this… Let's say that we have a common enemy. I will not tell you more than this. Not now, at least. Prove your commitment, and you will find out more."

"How do we contact you?" David asked.

"You don't. I will be in touch." Marija said and ended the call.

David, Chelsea, and Victoria stared at the phone for some time before exchanging glances.

"Do you believe this 'Dice' person?" Chelsea asked Victoria and David.

"No." David responded. "But getting the blueprint is not a difficult task, and I want to find out what the end game is. I mean… she talks about getting to Sarah and Aiden, but I still don't see how will that weaken Charles and how can she help me take over the Smith family. Once I hear that, I will decide if I'm in or not."

Victoria agreed with this. "It's easy to make promises. I don't want to end up being cannon fodder. She talks about removing Steve like it can be done with a snap of the finger. Steve fought for his current position, and he had help from a number of powerful parties, not only Sarah and Aiden. Personally, I don't think that those two are of big importance to Steve. They are friends, and maybe they have some skills, but to get the position of the head of the Long family, it takes more than friendship and a few punches. How I see it, Los Angeles would be shaken up enough to weaken Smiths and Longs only if we take down Jeffrey White. However, he is too big to be taken down. The stories of what happened to his Uncle Marcus and all the people who faced Jeff as enemies are still fresh, and I don't want to be a part of that saga."

Chelsea's eyes were glued to the camera in the top corner of the room. "We should not talk here… where we might be watched."

Victoria looked at the camera and sneered. "Let her watch. I want her to know that I'm not a fool who can be manipulated. If she has a good plan that can help me get what I want, I'm in and I won't even question her motives. But I'm not a pawn to be kept in the dark until it's time to step onto the battlefield."

David nodded in agreement. "Let's accomplish these tests she gave us. That will prove our commitment. Then we can ask questions. If she refuses to answer, we can bailout."

They all agreed with David. The tasks Marija asked them to do are not a big deal. And after that… they will see.

…

At the same time, in Belgrade, Serbia…

Marija is watching on her monitor Chelsea, David, and Victoria who are leaving the VIP room.

She is upset because she contacted several other people, but they didn't show up.

Marija needs them to come to her willingly, like these three because only like that she can confirm how they are hungry for more. If any of them does not have enough drive (aka greed) to join, they might falter halfway and reveal the plan to others. And that would make all these years of planning to go waste.

Marija is careful not to reveal her identity or leave any traces that might lead to her. In case the mission fails, those suckers will be left on their own, and their survival will depend on their capability.

Chelsea, Victoria, and David look promising. Marija has enough dirt on each of them, and her plan covers their stubbornness. That is not a problem.

The only thing Marija is concerned about is that she was hoping for more than three people, but three is better than none. She decided to try winning over a few more people in several days. 

Marija's estimate was that in about one month they will be ready to strike, but that mostly depends on the progress Nick makes with the Drachma she gave him.

Nick found that the signal is being sent to California, but he was unable to determine where exactly because it hits a server and after that, it branches further. Sarah and Aiden own two properties in California, so it must be one of those two locations because this is an SOS signal and it should not be making too many jumps before it reaches its destination. Unfortunately, both of those properties are in the blackout, and Marija hopes that Nick can come up with some miracle to find out what is hiding on those properties. It must be something big if it requires the restriction of signals, and Marija's concern is if it can impact their plan or not.

Nick wanted to know the details of the plan, but Marija told him to be patient. After all, she wants to be the only one who is in contact with all the parties. That puts her in a position of power, and knowing Nick, if he has all the cards, he would not hesitate to kick her out. 

The success of this mission depends on them acting as totally non-related people, focused on their targets. If Nick finds out that this will put Sarah in danger, he would not only abandon the mission but alert Sarah as well.

Marija needs to control Nick and ensure he does what he is supposed to do. He is the key player and she can't afford to lose him.

Marija exhaled while looking at the printout of the map on her left. She needs to send instructions to Chelsea, David, and Victoria, and head out within an hour, or she will be late. Those blasted people are also needed, but they live off the grid. Her next stop is… Russia.

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