Private Monaco

Chapter 10

“If you pay attention to what I say and do exactly what we tell you, both you and your woman will be unharmed,” said the machine-altered voice.

I swallowed my anger at the dehumanizing description of Justine as my “woman,” and the fact that this coward was using intimidation and threats of violence against her to coerce me. I focused on remaining as dispassionate as possible and applying my experience as a detective to the situation.

Their choice of phone was the second indication we were dealing with professionals. Mo-bot had tapped my cell and the hotel line, and her team was ready to run a trace at a moment’s notice. If the police were in any way competent, they would have at least covered the hotel switchboard, but here was an unexpected element, and like the scale and discipline of Justine’s abduction, it suggested we were facing people with a high degree of experience in serious crime.

“No,” I said, gesturing at the phone expressively, so I would be seen by Sci and Mo-bot via my computer webcam.

On-screen, I saw their reactions as they registered who I was talking to. Sci shrugged in frustration, and Mo-bot threw up her arms in exasperation. They realized the kidnappers had circumvented our plans to trace them.

“No?” the machine voice answered. The growling distortion was so effective, it masked whether the speaker was a man or a woman, but even through the vocal disguise, I could hear hesitation.

Good.

“No,” I repeated. “I’m not new to this and neither are you. Professional to professional, let’s show each other proper respect. You know what I need from you next.”

I’d spun that out for as long as I could because every second gained meant further grounds for hope. Mo-bot was marshaling all the means at her disposal, poised to act upon any slip-up, phone log, mast relay or data packet she could trace while I was on the line to the kidnappers.

“Proof of life,” I continued after stretching out the pause. “I need to know you have Justine and that she’s safe and unharmed.”

I didn’t bother with macho threats uttered to serve my own ego. We both knew what would happen if she had been harmed, and I’d already settled on the best way to deal with this person when I got my hands on them. I didn’t need to broadcast it. They would find out soon enough.

“Proof of life?” the voice sneered.

“Proof of life,” I reiterated coolly.

“Okay,” the voice said before hanging up.

I lowered the phone.

“Is it over?” Sci asked.

I nodded.

“You give me the number of that phone you’re holding, Jack. Right now,” Mo-bot instructed. “And I want all the data off the SIM.”

“And when you’re through with it, you’d better tell the Monaco police,” Sci suggested.

I nodded again and walked to my computer. I picked up the SIM card-reader and prayed Mo-bot would be able to work her magic.