Proof of Life

This is the conclusive Kidnap andRansom

Report for Mr. Pierre Lenoir.

Location:
Chechnya.

Result:

Positive.

We were contracted by AGP underwriters

who insured the victim.

Mr. Lenoir was abducted January 21

from Russian-held territory...

...by members ofthe Chechen

Nationalist Militia.

Their first demand was for $5million.

My ability to negotiate directly

with the Chechens...

...was subverted

by Russian military command...

...who monitoredmy every move.

After 36 days...

...lhadnegotiated the finalransom figure

down to $750,000.

Finalproofoflife was received

midnight Wednesday, February 27.

The next morning,

l was informedby the Russians...

...that I wouldbeprohibited

from personally delivering the ransom.

Any confidence that these men

would deliver the ransom money...

...andreturn the hostage safely, had,

by this point, been dissipated.

Tell your colonel...

...it's his responsibility now.

He's got his orders. He fucks about...

...l'll be the least of his problems.

Factoring the time-sensitive interests

of the group holding Lenoir...

...the limited communication available

with the London office...

...and the Russian insistence...

...that they, and they alone,

deliver the ransom payment.

lmade the decision

that there was simply no alternative...

...but to give the Russians

exactly what they wanted.

Knowing that l'dretain possession

ofthe ransom money...

...l'dmanaged to contact

the Chechens privately.

We hadagreed 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...

...was responsible for a dozen kidnappings

over thepast two years.

This is a battle-testedguerrilla militia.

They are well-armed,

highly mobile and extremely unpredictable.

Mr. Lenoir was found to be

in an excellent state ofhealth...

...considering the circumstances.

l sent the Russians away.

l don't know how much time we've got.

Following a review ofthe ransom payment.

Mr. Lenoir was released into our care.

The success ofthis extraction depended on

a brisk, timely, transfer schedule.

We were, however, not quite fast enough.

Airborne!

Come in hot, Joe. This place is going loud!

Evac emergency RV. Repeat, ERV.

Airborne, I have a visual!

There are two dead trees

in the center of the field.

l'm 50 yards to the west of the south tree.

Don't give me any sh*t, Joseph.

l've got injured cargo. Get your ass down!

Go!

This extraction didn't go down well

for the Chechens or our Russian hosts.

As a result...

...my ability to function as a Kidnap

andRansom consultant in the 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 this time, we have contracts

with all three 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 three underwriters?

Total premium?

-$28 million.

-And the ransom total?

Paid out on policies?

$26 million.

Bloody hell.

Set up some premium meetings.

Wave the red flag a bit.

Excellent job, Terry. Thank you.

As always, outstanding.

Sir.

Where are we next? Pakistan?

Colombia?

Hello.

Peter, is that you?

Baby, it's me.

Can you hear me? lt's about tonight.

l'm shopping for dinner.

The goodnews is, l'll definitely be back.

Yeah? Go on.

We've got to go to this thing tonight.

The dinner. The charity event.

You're kidding, right?

No. l'm getting completely screwedhere.

None ofmy equipment's here.

None ofthe stufftheypromised.

l've got 60 guys running around thejungle

with nothing to do.

Something is really messed up here.

l'm going to pin

these bastards down tonight.

You really want to put me

at a table full of oil executives?

They're big boys. They can stand up

to a little hippie like you.

Can I tell them what I think of them?

lf you really want to skip it--

No, l'll go, l'll be there.

And l'll be on my best behavior.

Great.

Thank you, Alice. I mean it.

l'llhave to borrow a dress from Norma.

Get Sandro to drop my tux by the airfield

before he stops back andpicks you up.

Yeah, don't worry about it.

Please don't leave me hanging out there

with thosepeople.

Andbe careful.

l will. I love you.

Peter, what's happening?

What about the equipment?

Everything is taken care of.

l'm meeting with the guys

from Quad Carbon tonight.

His mom said

he was exactly the same as a baby.

She's right, you know.

Hey, baby.

l was worried about you.

-l told you he'd make it.

-Hi, Peter.

-Let's find our tables.

-We'll see you inside.

Look at you,

all decked out in Norma's duds.

lt's my debut as a corporate wife.

Whatever it is...

...it is working.

l'm dressing like this all the time now.

You ought to come around more often.

-l guess I got some making up to do.

-l guess so.

l just want to know

what the hell is going on.

-Nobody called?

-No.

l was there all day.

Hey, y'all. Sorry we're late.

-Where is everybody?

-Nobody called you?

Are you shitting me?

Fellner, Buddy and their gang left

for Houston this morning. A powwow.

Peggy said if he was going, she was going.

l guess all the girls jumped on that.

So, it's just us.

Better late than never.

So, lvy tell you?

Houston.

This morning. All of them.

Fellner chartered a plane.

What's in Houston?

New money.

Peter, look.

How did it get so bad so fast?

Come on, man.

Where the hell have you been?

l've been trying to build a dam.

Pick your head up every now and then,

take a look around.

You're building a charity water project.

As for the company, you're nothing

but a humanitarian window-dressing.

Quad Carbon came down here looking

for a lucky break and we got nailed.

We've a billion-dollar pipeline

that hasn't spit out a gallon yet.

Oil prices are going through the roof.

We can't take advantage of it.

You know, market close today...

...Quad Carbon stock down $10 and falling.

The vultures are circling.

Which vulture is in Houston?

lt's Octonal.

They're the only ones big enough

to come and get this thing on track.

Peter, look!

Peter, look!

Maybe you missed it,

but this happens to be a big deal for me.

l think I know that.

You sure don't act like it.

Maybe it's a sign. Maybe it's just a sign

that we should go home.

You tell me. This all falls apart,

this goes away, what was the point?

-The point of what?

-l don't know. How about everything?

How about Africa? How about Egypt?

How about Thailand?

How about eight years of sh*t postings?

Eight years of working for a**holes.

Eight years of working

on somebody else's bad ideas.

Wait. I don't get it here.

Suddenly the last eight years,

that's just all sh*t now?

-ls that what I said?

-l thought...

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