<P>Ben Lopez spends his life traveling the world, bartering with people who value money over life. Working for governments, law enforcement agencies, multinational corporations and private clients, Ben is an expert K&R (Kidnap and Ransom) consultant. He can be called out anywhere in the world to set up and command the negotiator's cell where he'll bargain with religious fanatics, hardened criminals, and other desperate people in order to save the lives of their captives. His arsenal of psychological techniques is just as powerful as brute force. He'll spend as long as is it takes to get the job done. And then he'll disappear.</P><P>This extraordinary book reads like a thriller -- but for those involved in the stories within, the drama and the tension are all too real. In the high-stakes world of hostage negotiations, every call is a matter of life and death.</P>