“She will,” Bette nodded. “She has plenty of time to walk back here and take your place.”

Tina glanced around and said quietly, “I saw Candace crouching behind the bushes on the other side of the oaks.”

“Yes, I thought I saw a shadow moving,” Bette nodded.

“It means Helena is there somewhere, as well,” Tina paused and asked, “Speaking of Helena…do you think she alerted the FBI agents regarding this situation?”

Bette shrugged, “I doubt it. Helena wants you. If it was just about getting rid of me, the FBI would be here already. Helena knows that if I go, you are gone too. She would not have that. No, they are here alone according to some evil plan of their own.”

The time was getting closer to the midnight. The darkness was getting thicker. Moonlight didn’t provide as much visibility, which was very fortunate for them. “Hey, I see Alice hiding in the corner. She made it,” Tina whispered. “It’s showtime.”

Abruptly, they separated and Tina walked a few steps as she dropped the envelope with a note inside for Helena to pick up. If they plan worked and Alice was right, Helena would be watching Tina’s moves like a hawk and the switch have to be quick. As Tina reached the large bush nearby, she crouched very low so she can move towards the house unnoticed. As soon as she reached the corner, Alice took her place. Tina briefly squeezed her hand, “Good luck, All. Keep Bette safe.”

“Always,” Alice replied just as quietly and moved back towards the oaks. She began counting a little louder, to make sure that Helena and Candace could hear her. Her voice was just above the whisper and sounded exactly like Tina’s. Bette took a double take when she heard it and smiled to herself. Alice was a natural-born actress.

Bette slowly moved further away from the oaks, thankful for the darkness. She was ready to jump behind the bushes as soon as she heard the last count. Suddenly, the moon disappeared completely. She looked at the starry sky and saw a single dark cloud moving slowly, covering what little they had of the moonlight. ‘Omen,’ Bette thought as she tried to peer into the darkness. “I hope it’s a good one.”