Mark Thundercloud News Today

prisoners. a mother and son kidnapped by terrorists. >> we need 10 million u.s. dollars for the release of your family. >> 10 million? from me? are you losing your mind? >> a harrowing international hostage drama. >> its a big operation, its not this ragtag group of people. >> anything can happen, there are no guarantees. >> kind of father turned negotiator help bring them home. >> we prepared him for the worst. >> i am getting so worried. >> a lot of people were praying for them. a lo...

>> and this is dateline. >> i just cant imagine to be held in captivity. >> dad, just send the money. thats all they want. >> they have an american kid. a 14-year-old kid in the middle of the jungle. theyre thinking they have the jackpot. >> they were vacationers turned prisoners. a mother and son, kidnapped by terrorists. >> we need 10 million u.s. dollars for the release of your family. >> 10 million, from me? are you losing your mind? >> a harrowing international hostage drama. >> t...

Kidnap for ransom. abu sayyaf had taken american hostages before. some were released eventually, but some were beheaded. heiko was frantic, had no idea what to do where to turn. that very day, the cavalry came running in. >> my boss from work called, come on over to work, the fbi is here for you. >> what was it like to hear the fbi was actually paying attention to this? >> it is really real now. this is a real thing. >> we never know how families are going to react, obviously. but almost in ever...

Jungle stitch lashed together with mark. no roof, no protection from the elements. but a key gesture cure as any cage in any prison. there were guard tents on either side of the cage. and a sniper on the hill above, watching them. and right beside the cage, a seemingly bottomless cliff, planted with land mines, said their captors. i know youve been walking for about 36 hours or something. how did you feel? >> well, exhausted physically, spiritually, mentally. >> and then they present you with th...

In lynchburg to, try to find the money. and mark thundercloud moved his operations from the familys kitchen to a hotel room in manila. and there as one month passed, and then another, they tried to help gerfa deal with mr. so. >> december 6th was the last day with that we talk with mr. so. basically he was saying, look, what you are offering is not enough. this might be the last communication that we ever have. we still expected calls. but on the seventh, nothing. on the eighth, nothing. on the ...

With a bag over her body. but to her complete surprise, they didnt kill her. instead, they dropped her off on a footbridge nary village and told her, they would be in touch, soon. >> the started to disappear in the dark ocean. and i knew right than, that my connection to kevin was gone. it was worse than being in prison. there was no freedom for me. >> she got in touch with the philippine military. was evacuated to manila, the philippines capital. back in lynchburg, lead fbi negotiator mark thun...

And said, if you want me to come home, im ready. but i want you to let these two boys, guide them out of that jungle. its in your hand now. >> reporter: they put gerfa on a boat. put a bag over her body. but to her complete surprise, they didnt kill her. instead they dropped her off on a footbridge near a village and told her theyd be in touch soon. >> they started to disappear in the dark ocean. and i knew right then that my connection to kevin is gone. it was worse than being in prison. there ...

Here for you. >> what was it like to hear the fbi was paying attention to this? >> that its really real now, this is the real thing. >> we never know how families are gonna react, obviously. but almost in every case, theyre in a state of crisis. >> reporter: mark thundercloud was the leader of a special fbi hostage negotiating unit, formed precisely for an emergency like this. more than a dozen agents descended on the lunsmann house, covered the windows, set up a surveillance system in heikos ki...

>> their intent was to let her go to help raise more money. now shes out. and now shes gotta talk to these people. >> right. >> someone needs to be there with her. >> reporter: heiko decided he should stay in lynchburg, try to find the money, and mark thundercloud moved his operations from the familys kitchen to a hotel room in manila. and there, as one month passed, then another, they tried to help gerfa deal with mr. so. >> december 6 was the last day that we talked with mr. so. basically he w...

Negotiator mark thundercloud thought he knew why the kidnappers released gerfa. >> their intent was to let her go to help raise more money. now shes out. and now shes got to talk to these people. >> right. >> someone needs to be there with her. >> reporter: heiko decided he should stay in lynchburg, try to find the money, and mark thundercloud moved his operations from the familys kitchen to a hotel room in manila. and there, as one month passed, then another, they tried to help gerfa deal with ...