guiding tour groups through the jungle near the Colombian
border. Born in Ecuador, José had become an American
citizen and was working as a paramedic in New York City
when he and Julie decided to set up an ecotourism business
in his native country. José loved the Ecuadoran jungle, and
he’d long dreamed of teaching visitors about the monkeys
that swung through the trees and the flowers that perfumed
the trails.
The business grew as ecotourists fell for the pair’s
obvious passion, and on August 20, 2003, José and Julie
took eleven people on a white-water rafting trip down the
Mira River. After a great day on the water, everyone was
smiling and soaked as they piled into Jeeps and pickups for
the ride to an inn in a nearby village. José told tall tales as
he drove the lead truck, Julie to his right with their eleven-
month-old baby in her lap.
They were five minutes from the inn when three men
jumped into the road and aimed guns at the truck. A fourth
man emerged and held a revolver to Julie’s head as the
thugs pulled José from the car and forced him into the truck
bed. The kidnappers then ordered the caravan through
several small towns to a fork in the road, where they got out
and walked José past Julie’s seat in the cab.
“Just remember,” Julie said, “no matter what happens, I
love you.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine,” José answered.
And then he and his captors disappeared into the jungle.
The captors wanted $5 million. We wanted to buy time.