The Hostage - Recap

Outside the U.S. consulate in a Central American company, terrorist Robert Siomney reads an article about a hotel magnate leaving the country after three weeks of discussion with the government. The magnate is actually Paris, posing as the man in question to complete a mission. Paris comes out of the consulate and catches a taxi, and Siomney and his lieutenant Frederico follow. The taxi driver is in on the scheme, locks the doors, and pumps knockout gas into the back. Once Paris is unconscious, Siomney and Frederico remove him and drive away. As they head back to their headquarters, Siomney calls the government on behalf Jorge Cabal of the Popular Revolution Front. He demands that the government release three captive terrorists within 24 hours or Paris will be executed.



Siomney takes Paris to the PRF base and Cabal tells them to treat him with courtesy for the moment. As Frederico take Paris to the cell, he notices a bush with some berries, “accidentally” trips, and secretly grabs the berries. Once he’s locked up and alone, Paris eats the berries.

When Paris doesn’t report in, Jim checks with the consulate and confirms that Paris was abducted. His cover was perfect and the abduction had nothing to do with their completed mission. No one knows where Cabal’s stronghold is, but Jim is confident that Paris will figure out a way to contact them.

Cabal and Siomney watch a newscast about Paris’ abduction and the government’s refusal to negotiate with the two vicious killer. The anchor notes that one of the prisoners is Cabal’s son Luis. Frederico tells them that Paris is dying and Siomney, a former medical student, confirms that Paris is suffering from fever and convulsions. Siomney concludes that Paris has Hodgkin’s’ Disease and gives him an injection. When Paris revives, he laughs at Siomney and confirms that he has the disease but won’t survive without the proper weekly doses. He tells Cabal that if he doesn’t get medication with 72 hours then their hostage will be dead.



The rebels contact the government and ask for medication for Paris. The team hears the newscast and Doug notes that he and Paris had discussed Hodgkin’s’ a few weeks ago. Jim comes in and informs the others that the government has refused to release the prisoners. They’ll cooperate with the IMF, but the team must deliver Siomney in return. Doug has a vial of fake medication prepared and Barney puts a transmitter in the cap that they can home in on.

Siomney and Cabal receive word that they should send a courier to get the medicine. However, Siomney refuses and tells the government to drop the medication by parachute to an isolated location.

Doug and Barney take a helicopter to the location and make the drop following Siomney’s radioed instructions. Siomney orders them away immediately on a designated course so he can make sure no one is following him. Once the helicopter is clear, Siomney and Frederico get the canister and take it back to the rebel stronghold. Meanwhile, Barney follows the tracking signal and radios the coordinates to Jim and Dana, and Jim has a U-2 film the stronghold from 70,000 feet where it will be invisible.



Jim, dressed as a prison guard, meet with the prison commandant, who warns that Siomney and his people are ruthless. They then have the three prisoners brought out before the press. The commandant explains that Jim is a special prosecutor with the Inspector General office and will supervise the handling of the prisoners. Jim then gives a statement rejecting the terrorists’ demands and charges the prisoners with murder, finds them guilty, and sentences them to summary execution the next morning. They will be executed one at a time, three hours apart, but Jim will commute the sentences if Paris is released.

At the rebel headquarters, Siomney and a shocked Cabal watch the newscast. Cabal has Paris brought to his office. While they wait, one of his men, Ortega, insists that Paris isn’t worth Luis’ son. However, Siomney believes that the government is bluffing. When Paris is brought in, Siomney tells him that the local government has written him off . He offers Paris the chance to send a message to the U.S. government asking for his release, but Paris refuses, saying that they won’t given in to blackmail. Siomney draws a gun and Paris reluctantly tapes a message saying that he’s in good health and well treated. With Siomney’s permission he then adds a personal message. It’s a code and describes where his cell is within the compound. Barney goes over the U-2 photograph and confirms where the terrorists are keeping Paris. They notify the newspapers that Dana is on her way to the prison.



Dana, posing as Luis’ girlfriend, arrives at the prison and the reporters talk to her briefly. She says that she wants to save Luis and Jim escorts her out. Cabal admits that Luis had many girlfriends and he doesn’t know Dana, but figures that anything can help his son.

Jim has Dana review the route that she’ll take to the stronghold and informs her that she’ll be driving Luis’ car. As she goes, Jim warns her that Cabal might negotiate but Siomney wants a violent confrontation and will kill her and Paris both if it serves his purpose.

The next morning, the first prisoner, Carlos Marchese, is taken out to the prison courtyard for execution by firing squad. Jim pronounces sentence on Marchese on national television, and Siomney and Cabal watch on television as the prisoner begs for his life. Once he’s taken briefly off camera on his way to the courtyard, the guards switch Marchese for a dummy and carry him to a post. They tie the dummy in place, put a hood on it, and step back. Jim gives the order and the guards “execute” Marchese.



Doug and Barney fly the helicopter to a field near the stronghold and Barney proceeds on foot, wearing a rebel uniform. He spots a passing truck and jumps down onto it from a tree, and then hides in the back. Meanwhile, Dana drives to the stronghold in Luis’ car.

Three hours later, Jim has Torres, the second prisoner, executed.

Dana comes to a rebel roadblock and they recognize it as Luis’ car. She tells the sergeant in charge that she is Luis’ fiancée and the sergeant has one of his men drive her into the compound. Meanwhile, the truck with Barney arrives in the compound and he slips away.

At the prison, Jim brings in Doug as a representative of the U.S. government. Doug says that he’s there to negotiate with the PRF and leaves the room.

When Dana arrives at the compound, Siomney demands to know what she wants. She refuses to talk to him and accuses him of murdering Luis, but Siomney has her locked up. Frederico puts Dana into a cell next to Paris and confirms that he’s okay. Siomney then goes to see Cabal, who accepts Dana’s story. However, Siomney warns that Luis is too clever to tell Dana where she could find his father. Cabal dismisses Siomney’s suspicions and goes to see Dana. She asks him to surrender the American and save Luis’ life, but Cabal insists that his son is a soldier. Dana continues to hammer at Cabal, saying that Siomney doesn’t care about Luis and will kill Paris just to prove a point regardless of the cost. Cabal tells Siomney to free Dana and leaves to take a radio message from Doug, and Siomney has Frederico free her.



Siomney talks to Doug over the radio and the agent says that the government’s position is irrevocable unless Paris is freed. Dana comes in and looks pleadingly at Cabal and then runs out when Siomney tells Doug that they refuse to negotiate. Realizing that she may get through to Cabal, Siomney secretly tells Frederico to kill Dana as soon as she’s alone.

The time approaches for Luis’ execution and Doug suggests he make a personal plea to his father. Luis refuses and Jim sends him to a priest for final confession. He then addresses the camera directly, suggesting to Cabal that he not let his son die in vain. Cabal starts to go to the radio but Siomney stops him.

Dana is praying in the village church when Cabal comes to see her. He insists that their cause is more important than any one person, even his son, and Dana refuses to forgive him. After a moment, Cabal looks at the statue and hopes that He can forgive him, and then walks away. Dana then checks her watch and confirms she has ten minutes left until Luis’ execution. Frederico advances on her with a knife but Barney arrives to knock him out. He then applies quick-drying plastic to Frederico’s face and creates a mold for a rubber facemask while Dana goes to get Luis’ car.



Jim has Luis escorted to the courtyard and Cabal watches on the television as sentence is passed.

Barney, now disguised as Frederico, dumps the unconscious Frederico in the trunk of Luis’ car. He then goes in and indicates to Siomney that Dana is dead. Siomney then tells him to kill Paris while Cabal remains glued to the television. Barney gives Paris a curare compound and then spreads fake blood on his shirt.

Cabal swells with pride as Luis refuses to wear the traditional hood. Jim gives the order and the men prepare to fire, but Doug comes in and stops them at the last second. He tells the reporters that the White House has asked for and received a fifteen-minute reprieve. In return for Paris’ release, Luis’ sentence will be commuted. A shot rings out and Cabal runs to the cell. Barney is standing over Paris’ seemingly dead body. Cabal goes back to his office and calls on the radio to beg Jim to spare his son. He claims that Paris was shot trying to escape and Jim says they will accept Siomney and Frederico in return for commuting the death sentence. Siomney laughs but Ortega and Cabal draw their guns and hold the two men prison. Cabal tells Jim that he agrees to the deal and will return Paris’ body for burial as well.



As the rebels take Siomney, Barney, and Paris’ “corpse” to the rendezvous, Dana briefly takes Cabal’s hand in thanks and then drives away as well. At the rendezvous, Siomney stares in shock as Doug revives Paris and Dana arrives. Jim frees Barney, who removes his Frederico mask while the guards take the real Frederico out of Dana’s car. The IMF team leaves while the soldiers take Siomney and Frederico away.

Share this article with your friends