Proof of Life

Man: THIS IS THE CONCLUSIVE

KIDNAP AND RANSOM REPORT FOR MR. PIERRE LENOIR.

CHECHNYA.

POSITIVE.

WE WERE CONTRACTED BY A.G.P. UNDERWRITERS

WHO INSURED THE VICTIM.

MR. LENOIR WAS ABDUCTED JANUARY 21

FROM RUSSIAN-HELD TERRITORY

BY MEMBERS OF THE CHECHEN NATIONALIST MILITIA.

THEIR FIRST DEMAND WAS FOR $5 MILLION U.S.

MY ABILITY TO NEGOTIATE DIRECTLY WITH THE CHECHENS

WAS SUBVERTED BY LOCAL RUSSIAN MILITARY COMMAND,

WHO MONITORED MY EVERY MOVE.

AFTER 36 DAYS,

I'D NEGOTIATED THE FINAL RANSOM FIGURE DOWN

TO $750,000.

FINAL PROOF OF LIFE

WAS RECEIVED MIDNIGHT, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27.

THE NEXT MORNING, I WAS INFORMED BY THE RUSSIANS

THAT I WOULD BE PROHIBITED

FROM PERSONALLY DELIVERING THE RANSOM PAYMENT.

ANY CONFIDENCE THAT THESE MEN

WOULD DELIVER THE RANSOM MONEY

AND RETURN THE HOSTAGE SAFELY

HAD, BY THIS POINT, BEEN COMPLETELY DISSIPATED.

YOU TELL YOUR COLONEL

IT'S HIS RESPONSIBILITY NOW.

HE'S GOT HIS ORDERS.

IF HE FUCKS ABOUT,

I'LL BE THE LEAST OF HIS PROBLEMS.

FACTORING THE TIME-SENSITIVE INTERESTS

OF THE THE GROUP HOLDING MR. LENOIR,

THE LIMITED COMMUNICATION AVAILABLE

WITH THE LONDON OFFICE,

AND THE RUSSIAN INSISTENCE

THAT THEY, AND THEY ALONE, DELIVER THE RANSOM PAYMENT...

I MADE THE DECISION THAT THERE WAS SIMPLY

NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO GIVE THE RUSSIANS

EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANTED.

KNOWING THAT I WOULD RETAIN POSSESSION

OF THE RANSOM MONEY,

I'D MANAGED TO CONTACT THE CHECHENS PRIVATELY.

WE HAD AGREED TO RENDEZVOUS AT AN ALTERNATIVE LOCATION.

TRANSPORT OPTIONS IN THIS AREA ARE LIMITED...

DRIVE!

SO I DID THE BEST THAT I COULD.

THE GROUP HOLDING MR. LENOIR IS RESPONSIBLE

FOR AT LEAST A DOZEN KIDNAPPINGS

OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS.

THIS IS A BATTLE-TESTED GUERRILLA MILITIA.

THEY ARE WELL-ARMED, HIGHLY MOBILE,

AND EXTREMELY UNPREDICTABLE.

MR. LENOIR WAS FOUND TO BE

IN AN EXCELLENT STATE OF HEALTH,

CONSIDERING THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

WHERE ARE YOU? COULD YOU HELP--

AAH!

I SENT THE RUSSIANS AWAY.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME WE GOT, MATE.

FOLLOWING A REVIEW OF THE RANSOM PAYMENT,

MR. LENOIR WAS RELEASED INTO OUR CARE.

AAH! AAH!

THE SUCCESS OF THIS EXTRACTION

DEPENDED UPON A BRISK, TIMELY TRANSFER SCHEDULE.

WE WERE, HOWEVER, NOT QUITE FAST ENOUGH.

AIRBORNE!

COME IN HOT, JOSEPH. THIS PLACE IS GOING LOUD.

EVAC EMERGENCY R.V.

REPEAT, E.R.V.!

AIRBORNE, I HAVE A VISUAL!

THERE ARE 2 DEAD TREES

IN THE CENTER OF THE FIELD.

I'M 50 YARDS TO THE WEST OF THE SOUTH TREE.

DON'T GIVE ME ANY SHIT, JOSEPH.

I'VE GOT INJURED CARGO.

GET YOUR FUCKIN' ASS DOWN!

GET DOWN!

BLOODY HELL!

GO!

AAH! AAH!

AAH!

AAH!

ULTIMATELY, THIS EXTRACTION

DID NOT GO DOWN WELL

FOR EITHER THE CHECHENS

OR OUR RUSSIAN HOSTS.

AS A RESULT, MY ABILITY TO FUNCTION

AS A KIDNAP AND RANSOM CONSULTANT IN THIS AREA

HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY COMPROMISED.

MR. LENOIR WAS EXAMINED BY MOBILE MEDICAL,

AND AS PER HIS INSURANCE COMPANY'S REQUEST,

TRANSPORTED TO ATHENS YESTERDAY

FOR SURGICAL TREATMENT.

AT THE MOMENT, WE HAVE CONTRACTS

WITH ALL 3 INSURANCE UNDERWRITERS

HOLDING K AND R POLICIES

IN THE WEST ASIAN POST-SOVIET REPUBLICS.

THIS AREA IS CLEARLY IN A CRITICAL STATE

OF TRANSITION

AND DEMANDS THE MOST VIGOROUS SECURITY PRECAUTIONS.

WHAT DID THEY BILL LAST YEAR,

OUR 3 UNDERWRITERS?

TOTAL PREMIUMS?

$28 MILLION.

AND THE RANSOM TOTAL?

PAID OUT ON POLICIES?

MM-HMM.

26 MILLION.

BLOODY HELL.

I'LL SET UP SOME PREMIUM MEETINGS,

WAVE THE RED FLAG A BIT.

EXCELLENT JOB, TERRY. THANK YOU.

AS ALWAYS, OUTSTANDING.

SIR.

WHERE'RE WE NEXT?

PAKISTAN...

COLUMBIA...

CUA--CUATRO.

CUATRO.

HELLO?

PETER? IS THAT YOU?

YEAH, HEY, BABY, IT'S ME.

CAN YOU HEAR ME? IT'S ABOUT TONIGHT.

I'M SHOPPING FOR DINNER.

YEAH, WELL, THE GOOD NEWS IS I'LL DEFINITELY BE BACK.

YEAH? GO ON.

WELL, WE GOTTA GO TO THIS THING TONIGHT.

THE--THE DINNER? THE CHARITY EVENT?

OH, YOU'RE KIDDING, RIGHT?

NO, I AM GETTING COMPLETELY SCREWED HERE.

NONE OF MY EQUIPMENT'S HERE,

NONE OF THE STUFF THEY PROMISED ME.

IT HASN'T EVEN LEFT THE STATES.

I GOT 60 GUYS RUNNING AROUND THE JUNGLE,

AND THEY GOT NOTHING TO DO.

SOMETHING IS REALLY MESSED UP HERE.

I GOTTA PIN THESE BASTARDS DOWN TONIGHT.

YOU REALLY WANNA PUT ME

AT A TABLE FULL OF OIL EXECUTIVES?

WELL, THEY'RE BIG BOYS.

I THINK THEY CAN STAND UP

TO A LITTLE HIPPIE LIKE YOU.

CAN I TELL THEM WHAT I THINK OF THEM?

NO, LOOK, IF YOU REALLY WANNA SKIP IT--

NO, NO, I'LL GO. I'LL BE THERE.

I WILL...

AH, AND I'LL BE ON MY BEST BEHAVIOR.

GREAT. THANK YOU, ALICE. I MEAN IT.

WELL, I'LL HAVE TO BORROW

A DRESS FROM NORMA.

YEAH, OH, AND LOOK, CAN YOU GET SANDRO

TO DROP MY TUX BY THE AIRFIELD

BEFORE HE STOPS BACK AND PICKS YOU UP?

YEAH, YEAH, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME HANGING OUT THERE

WITH THOSE PEOPLE!

AND BE CAREFUL.

I WILL. I LOVE YOU.

PETER! WHAT IS HAPPENING?

WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT?

IT'S ALL RIGHT. EVERYTHING'S TAKEN CARE OF.

I'M MEETING THE GUYS FROM QUAD-CARBON TONIGHT.

[LIVE BAND PLAYING LATIN MUSIC]

HIS MOM SAYS HE WAS EXACTLY THE SAME

WHEN HE WAS A BABY.

Man: SHE'S RIGHT, YOU KNOW.

HEY, BABY. OH!

PETER, THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE.

I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU.

I TOLD YOU HE'D MAKE IT.

HI, PETER.

OK, LET'S FIND OUR TABLES.

WE'LL SEE YOU INSIDE.

Couple: OK.

LOOK AT YOU...

ALL DECKED OUT IN NORMA'S DUDS.

IT'S MY DEBUT AS A CORPORATE WIFE.

YEAH, WELL,

WHATEVER IT IS...

IT IS WORKING.

YOU KNOW, I'M, UH, DRESSING LIKE THIS

ALL THE TIME NOW.

YOU OUGHT TO COME AROUND MORE OFTEN.

OOH!

I GUESS I GOT SOME MAKIN' UP TO DO.

I GUESS SO.

QUE LINDA. OH, MY BEAUTIFUL DARLING.

AMIGAS Y AMIGOS...

I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON.

NOBODY CALLED?

NO. I WAS THERE ALL DAY.

HEY, Y'ALL. SORRY WE'RE LATE.

WHERE IS EVERYBODY?

NOBODY CALLED YOU?

ARE YOU SHITTIN' ME?

FELLNER AND BUDDY AND THEIR WHOLE GANG

HAD TO GO TO HOUSTON THIS MORNING.