Operation Bad Blood

The University of England's main campus is a maze of ancient, stone structures and rolling green lawns. Pinehearst's email points you to a building tucked onto the edge of campus.

Inside, you pick through knots of students until you reach a skinny, frosted-glass door labeled "PROFESSOR PRISCILLA VAN CLEEF." The door opens at your knock, and there stands the chairwoman of Pinehearst's Strategic Human Initiatives Committee.

"You look surprised," Priscilla Van Cleef says.

"I didn't expect you to answer your own door," you say.

"Why not? Good exercise. Come in."

"Professor Van Cleef?" a student asks, eyes on you. "I had a question."

"After my meeting, dear," Priscilla says.

"Are you really a professor?" you ask as you enter the dim, book-crammed office. Dust hovers in the air like cigarette smoke.

"Mostly," Priscilla says.

"That student had a taser under his jacket," you say.

"We live in dangerous times, my dear. Please, sit down."

Priscilla settles behind her antique, wood-paneled desk.

"As you know, Pinehearst recruits talented people with abilities," she says. "We recently made contact with a young woman named Elle Bishop. Elle was in quite a pickle, although she didn't know it. A small group of heavily armed and very determined individuals was planning to murder her. One of our RARU tactical teams was able to divert her mysterious attackers before she was even aware of them."

"And now you want me to track the rest of the group down?" you say.

"No," she says. "I'd like you to join them."

"Sorry?"

"They have intelligence and resources far beyond their means. Infiltrate them. Find out who they work for. Find out what their long-range intentions are."

Priscilla stands.

"Find out if we're at war," she says.

She hands you a slip of paper with an address.

"One of their operatives was wounded during the attack. He is hiding in an underground medical clinic in the city. Go there. Convince him to recruit you."

• Head to the medical clinic...