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

282 OUT OF CAPTIVITYknown for manufacturing gliders and the Schweitzer SA2 we all spottedabove us could easily be mistaken for one. With its long wingspan, itcould stay aloft even after the pilot significantly cut power to its engine.A special muffler system further quieted the plane, making it nearlysilent. Because it didn’t have the distinctive whine of the Pig, didn’tsend rockets down to crater the earth, or spray bullets like the OV-10,the FARC underestimated its capability. Doing so would prove to be adeadly mistake. The FARC were afraid of missiles. We were afraid ofthe intelligence that the Cross produced and the rescue attempt or attackthat might follow any detection of our location.Our concern stemmed from the fact that we knew the Cross wasoutfitted with some of the most advanced surveillance equipmentavailable. Because it could fly so slowly and had a FLIR system thatenabled it to effectively penetrate the jungle, the pilot and operatorcould pinpoint targets with great accuracy. Those targets were thengiven to the pilots of the Pig and the Kfir interceptors and they executedthe precision bombing runs that so frightened Milton. TheFARC failed to connect the dots. If it weren’t for the work of theCross, the rocket attacks would not have been nearly as precise. PresidentUribe was not about to carpet-bomb the countryside. While hesaid that he would use blood and fire, instead he was using the microscopeand the scalpel.As 2005 drew to a close, we fled the Exercise Camp into the mountains,but we couldn’t avoid one bit of news: Lucho and Ingrid had escaped.This led the guerrillas to tighten their security on us a bit, seizingour flashlights and increasing the number of guards on duty. Wenoticed one equipment change for the FARC. Many of them startedcarrying compasses. We could tell that we were marching north, butwe made frequent stops so that Milton and his brain trust could consulttheir compasses. It was clear that they had no idea how to followthe heading they were given. The Plumber told us that they’dbeen instructed to follow a 010 heading—essentially due north. He