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

444 OUT OF CAPTIVITYgroup was trying to find us. So when the military issued fake ordersthat we be taken to that location and loaded onto helos, it corroboratedwhat the FARC had already heard about the humanitarian organizationon the news. With fake orders issued from the high command, Enriquehad no choice but to do what he was told. As tired as we’d grown ofhearing that lame-ass excuse, in this case it actually saved us.Enrique and César are still in custody, and their disorganizationseems to be in more disarray than ever. I’d like to think that our beingtaken and then rescued will contribute in a small way to their downfall.We can only hope that somehow our rescue leads to the release of additionalhostages. Most of my thoughts about the FARC now concernmaking sure that those hostages who remain in captivity are not forgottenin this country. The three of us remain as committed to them todayas we were the day of our release. I’m not sure why, but for some reason,here in America, we tend not to think much about our neighborsto the south. It’s only when Chávez is tweaking us or threatening tocut our supply of oil that we pay much attention to what goes on downthere. I hope that what happened to the three of us serves as a lessonthat politics is personal and that human-rights issues strike very closeto home.On the whole, I try not to obsess about the FARC too much thesedays. A few weeks ago, I had a chance to do something that I absolutelylove (besides riding my new motorcycle, of course) with a good buddyof mine. I love the fall in Florida and South Georgia. We don’t get thesame kind of weather and vegetation changes folks up north do, but thetemperatures are moderate and some mornings it is downright brisk.On this particular day, I was out hunting deer, sitting in a tower standthat overlooked a bean field. A bit of ground fog cotton-balled the field,and the early-morning sunlight had torched some of the dew, makingit look like the land was on fire. A couple of does and a buck were nibblingat the grass along the edge. My gun was at my side, but I left itthere and just continued to soak in the scene.