Page 101 of Dark Rover's Gift

"That shouldn't be too complicated." Toven leaned back. "You just need to show me the coffee shop and what they serve. It also should be close to where he lives."

"I'm on it." Onegus flipped his laptop open. "I'll provide you with this information in a moment."

"Did you think about a story to put into his mind?" Kian asked Onegus.

"Andrew and I discussed this while waiting for Aru and Dagor to arrive," Toven answered instead. "The ICE story provides perfect cover, as Andrew confirmed that there is no record of this guy entering the country legally. At least not under his real name. Immigration enforcement raids are common enough in Los Angeles that his cell won't question it."

Andrew picked up the thread. "We'll implant memories of him escaping ICE agents by sneaking out of their processing center, where they left him to wait with a large group of detainees, unrestrained. He went to an adjacent building and hid in a dumpster for hours, waiting for nightfall to avoid capture. The fear, the adrenaline—it'll explain his absence and any disorientation he feels. As for why he wasn't answering either of his phones, he will remember turning them off to avoid them accidentally giving off a sound that would reveal his hiding place."

"The beauty of it is that it reinforces their existing paranoia." Toven smiled. "The government finding out about them is a constant stressor, and fear of discovery is deeply ingrained in their psyche."

Kian considered the plan. "If he's been hiding in a dumpster, he should smell like garbage."

"I'll handle that," Max said. "His stuff didn't smell fresh to begin with, but I'll just put his clothing into the trash in the kitchen and give it a few stirs. Maybe I'll open a can of sardines and throw it in there for good measure."

Andrew snorted. "That will make him convincingly rank."

"I'm glad we have that covered." Kian turned to Toven. "The question is how to motivate the guy to get involved with as many of the meetings as possible and maybe even spy on the Doomers."

Toven's expression grew contemplative. "I can implant a subtle suggestion of burning curiosity and being helpful by serving his superiors in every capacity he can, so he will stay close to them. I might also implant a suggestion to find out what the so-called enhanced soldiers are doing. It can't be anything too dramatic that will conflict with his established personality and his position, though. His associates know him. If he suddenly becomes overly eager, they'll suspect something."

"Subtle is good," Onegus said. "We don't need him to be a spy, just to be present where our drone can get us the information we need."

Andrew checked his watch. "We should move soon. Rashid has been missing for nearly five hours now. Much longer and his story becomes harder to sell."

"Agreed," Kian said. "Dagor, where will you monitor the drone from?"

"Anywhere, really. I should probably stay in the keep because it's closer to everywhere Rashid might be going, and I would appreciate the use of your penthouse if it's available. I would like to get Frankie here as well."

"Of course," Kian said. "I'll get Okidu to come over and prepare a few days of meals for you so you won't have to bother while you work."

"No need." Dagor waved a dismissive hand. "Frankie will take care of me."

"Okay." Kian drummed his fingers on the conference table. "Toven, Max, and Dagor, please prepare the prisoner. Max, you will deposit Rashid in the dumpster next to ICE's holding center." He turned to Andrew. "I need you to stay a little longer to discuss the breach of security and possible other locations of infiltration. Your department messed up."

Andrew nodded. "Big time. I need to look into how these Revolutionary Guards and their Doomer handlers flew under the radar. Once I figure that out, I will have a pattern to look for."

Kian nodded. "That's good. Are there any concerns we haven't addressed?"

Toven shook his head. "We should go and take care of Rashid."

Max rose to his feet. "Follow me, gentlemen."

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