Out of Captivity : Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle

Proof of Life 145“What else did he say? Did he let us know how the proof of life wasgoing to go down?” I asked.“He said that we would send a communication to our families andthat would fuel an interchange. He didn’t give me any more detailsthan that.”Marc scratched at his neck, trying to rid himself of newly cut hairs,“Why would they go through all this trouble to let people know we’realive if they weren’t going to release us? They must have worked somedeal.”“I wonder if the journalist is from CNN? Christiane Amanpour doesa whole bunch of their international stuff,” I added.Tom said, “I don’t care who they send, just that this proof of life getsback to our families.”Marc smiled and shook his head. “I know. Shane and my mom aregoing to see this and they’re going to be excited. Can you imagine sittingat home and seeing our faces come up on-screen? After all thistime. They have to have known that we were alive, right?”Marc returned to a question that had been on all our minds for solong. We knew the military had seen us alive that first day when thehelo gunner and I had made eye contact. Without any proof of life sincethen, did any of them wonder if the FARC had executed us? I had topush that thought away.“Somebody in our government has been in touch with them, Marc.They know we’re out here. We aren’t forgotten. This proof of life isprobably a demand from somebody through channels that lead to D.C.They know, bro.”Following a mostly sleepless night, Sombra retrieved us the nextmorning. We’d been told to prepare for an overnight stay, so wepacked light. The Frenchman, Milton, Smiley, and a couple of otherguards accompanied us. At one point, we had to stop for refueling ona small island. Sombra walked off with Ferney and we were left with