Michael Montana ~ The Consultant (Preview of Upcoming Series)

“How did you get my private cell number?”

Explaining how he had found the number on a napkin at a diner, the lady on the phone burst into sobbing.

“Did you see the man that left it? Was he ok?”

Bill looked into his memory at the two men that had sat at the booth before he had cleaned it. The one that had sat on the side that the napkin was on had to be the one she was asking about.

“Short red hair, three day’s growth of beard, I’d say about 5’8”, slight of build.”

Closing his eyes, he looked closely at the memory in his head, the man appearing as a picture in his mind.

“Also,” he added as another detail came to the fore, “He had a small blue birthmark on his left cheekbone.”

“Oh my God, that’s him!”

Another bout of sobbing ensued but ended quickly as a determined voice took over the lady’s attitude.

“I don’t know who you are, but listen carefully. The man you saw is my husband. He has been abducted, and they are holding him for a million dollar ransom.”

Bill was shocked at her pronouncement, his mind quickly processing the story.

“They told us no cops, but I have hired a Hostage Recovery team. It’s worth $10,000 to me if you tell me where you saw him. I can send the team there; maybe they can find him with your help.

Bill’s mind was really swirling then, the pieces of her story falling into place quickly in his mind. Simultaneously factoring in everything she had said with everything he already knew, he was as surprised as the woman with what came out of his mouth next.

“How much do they make?”

“Excuse me?”

“How much does the Hostage Recovery team make?”

“That’s none of your business!” the lady yelled into the phone. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

A confident smile crossed Bill’s lips at that moment, the first one he could remember ever having in his adult life.

“I’m the man that knows where your husband is. The best I can tell, I’m probably the only one.”

“Are you trying to blackmail me?” the lady asked with indignation.

“No m’am, I’m trying to help. I can get your husband back; I just need to know how much to charge.”

The line was silent for a long time as the woman digested Bill’s sudden proclamation.

“You are either the dumbest man I’ve ever met, or the boldest. Do you even have any qualifications for something like this? How in the world do you expect me to trust a voice on the phone?”

Bill was ready for her questions, spilling out a string of lies masked as qualifications.

Starting with a stint as an Army Ranger and ending with a five-year stretch as an NYPD detective, Bill added as a final flourish that his corporation had never lost a hostage.

“Why wouldn’t I just back trace this call and send my team in anyway?”

“Two reasons,” Bill came back confidently. If you traced this call, it would come back as a pay phone at Union Station inChicago.Chicago’s a pretty big town; you won’t get anywhere that way.”

Silence for thirty seconds. “And the second reason?”

Bill hung up the receiver, his hands trembling with the realization that he may have just given up an easy $10,000.