Vehicle 19

Michael is an ex-con breaking his parole conditions to visit the ex-wife he hasn’t seen in five years. He’s late, and a power outage at the car rental company mixes up his booking. While he’s driving, a phone, not his, beeps. Stuck in traffic, Michael, scratching around under the car seat, feels a gun. The phone rings. “You were meant to acknowledge receipt of the message.”

Michael can’t afford any trouble, but has no idea what to do with a gun in the vehicle. This is not good. The phone rings again. The voice, friendlier now, explaining that Michael got the wrong car, and that it was meant for an undercover policeman, gives Michael directions to drop off the Minivan and get another vehicle.

When the back seat flips forward, a kidnapped woman rolls out of the trunk bound and gagged. She has to testify in a major corruption trial. Without her testimony, the prosecution has no case.