A young American man goes missing in the Philippines. He simply vanishes outside his Cebu restaurant one night and no one has seen him since. In a country infamous for crime, corruption and the kidnapping of foreigners by extremist groups, everyone fears the worst.

John Harvard suspects his younger brother Tyler is a kidnap for ransom victim, which is soon confirmed when he receives a phone call and a ransom demand. If the ransom isn't paid, Tyler dies. It's that simple.

When local authorities seem disinterested in the case, good friend and crime troubleshooter, Dan Mason, is called in to find Tyler. With the help of a local woman, Dan investigates Tyler's disappearance, but the deeper he digs, the less he seems to uncover.

When he finally gets a solid lead he can follow, Dan's confident the case will be wrapped up soon. But nothing could be further from the truth as things quickly spiral out of control.

**Please Note** - Hostage is a long short story of roughly 20,000 words. It is not a novel.