After driving around the neighborhood nearest the facility for over an hour, Liam parked the car, opened his box of mints, and popped one into his mouth. “You should get the guy with the dogs again.”

“Dogs can’t track someone in a vehicle.” Magnus leaned his head against the headrest.

Earlier that morning, he’d had one of the Guardians call Jorge’s wife with some bullshit story about insurance. The guy spoke fluent Spanish, which had been instrumental in getting her to cooperate.

With a detailed description of the truck and the license plate number, Magnus had been sure they would find it parked somewhere in that neighborhood, but apparently he’d been wrong.

“Not true. I read about a dog that tracked an abducted child over forty miles away. The child had been driven in a van.”

Magnus cast Liam a sidelong glance. “Don’t believe everything you read in the newspapers. And even if that were true, Jeff’s dogs can’t do it.”

“Did you ask?”

“I didn’t have to. They sniffed around the place the gardener was found and then stopped.”

Liam rubbed his jaw. “If I were that Doomer, I would’ve dumped that truck at the first opportunity and got another car.”

“I had William check on it. No cars were reported stolen in a twenty-mile radius from the facility.”

“None would be reported if he thralled the owner.” Liam popped two more mints into his mouth.

“Are you hungry? Or is it some kind of a nervous tick?”

“I think better when I chew on something.”

“How about we pick up a burger instead of you popping those mints like they are candy?”

“I’m all for it.”

As Liam turned the ignition on, Magnus pulled out his phone and rang William again.

“Sorry, mate, but we can’t find that truck for you. It’s an old model, and it has no LoJack.”

Magnus switched the phone to his other ear. “What about the phone? I’m pretty sure the Doomer dumped it in the same place he left the truck.”

“That would have been a stupid move. He probably destroyed it and then dumped it somewhere else.”

“Not necessarily. We are talking about a Doomer here. They are not taught to think independently. They follow orders.”

“If you can get me the phone number and the login information we can track it to its last location.”

“I’ll have Vince call the wife and ask.”

“Let me know when you have it.” William disconnected the call.

“Are you okay with a drive-through?” Liam asked.

Magnus glanced at his freshly pressed slacks. If he got them stained, they’d be ruined. “I prefer to sit at a table if you don’t mind.”

“As you wish. I’ll try to find something.”

After texting Vince, Magnus put the phone back in his pocket. “I still think the Doomer is hiding somewhere in this neighborhood. He could’ve thralled a resident to let him use the garage.”

“As I said before, those dogs could come in useful. We can split up, you, Jeff, and me, each one with a dog, and comb the neighborhood.”

“Maybe. I don’t know if Jeff or his dogs will like your idea.”

“Found it!” Liam said as he spotted an In-N-Out.

“I told you that I wanted a decent place with a table to eat on.”

“They have seating inside. I just love those burgers.”

It wouldn’t have been Magnus’s first choice, or his fiftieth, but when partnering with another Guardian compromises had to be made.

“I thralled Jeff to forget the details from yesterday. I don’t think he would’ve wanted to assist in finding my supposed partner after learning he’d robbed a gardener. If I want him to bring his dogs tomorrow, I will have to drive to his place, wait for him to come back home, and thrall him again to agree. The guy is booked for weeks in advance.”

“I don’t see a problem with that.” Liam got out of the car and waited for Magnus to join him.

“I guess it’s not a big deal. Two consecutive thralls are not going to cause damage, provided they’re done right.” The guy had been easy to thrall, which was an advantage. The lesser force needed for entry, the more precise the thralling could be.

Liam pulled the hamburger joint’s door open. “Maybe the hacker will find the truck by the phone’s last recorded location, and there will be no need for the dogs.”

“I hope so.”