"What's the emergency mom?" Michael asks with no real urgency in his voice as walks into the house, unsure of his mother's current 'emergency'. "What is it this time? Can't get the digital alarm clock programmed? Need a lightbulb changed?"
Madeline sits on the couch and lights up another cigarette, happy to see her son walk through the door but at the same time annoyed that he would think she would call him over to help with some minor task. "Michael, this envelope came for you."
"You called me just to give me mail?" He instinctively looks around.
"It was on the doorstep, it had time sensitive written on it so I thought you needed to get it as soon as possible."
"How did it get here?" Michael eyes the postmark free envelope, addressed to him in an unfamiliar scrawl. He feels the envelope, no noticeable wires or bumpy explosive devices. "Did you see anyone drop if off? or hang around the street?"
"No Michael, there was a knock on the door, I looked out and didn't see anyone, I opened the door and there it was."
His phone rings a moment later.
"Don't be afraid to open it Michael." Comes Carla's commanding voice. "I promise it won't bite you. I'll even wait on the phone while you open it."
"Ok. Just a minute."
He walks out to the garage to open it. Inside is a newspaper clipping of an obituary for a man and several photographs of a man and a young lady.
"Her life is in danger; and I'm the only one that can help her. You have 72 hours to find her and bring her to me."
"Who is she and why?"
"71 hours and 59 minutes Michael. I'll be checking on your progress." Then the call comes to an end.