Plot

Alice hires a professional negotiator to obtain the release of her engineer husband, who has been kidnapped by anti-government guerrillas in South America.

Americans Alice and Peter Bowman have traveled from third world country to third world country working on humanitarian projects. They are currently in Tecala, a country nestled in the Andes, as Peter, an engineer, has been hired by QUAD Carbon, an oil company - the moral "enemy" - to lead a project to construct a dam to prevent what is the constant flooding in the country. Alice and Peter eventually learn that QUAD Carbon cares nothing about the dam, which is just a smoke-screen to get an oil pipeline approved and built. Despite loving each other, they have had problems in the marriage of late because of being in Tecala, where Alice has not been able to find her place, and needing to deal with the aftermath of Alice's recent miscarriage. On his way to work one day, Peter, along with a group of others, are random kidnap victims of left wing guerrillas, the Liberation Army of Tecala (ELT), whose reason for being has changed from a political agenda to a monetary one, primarily getting said money through kidnapping and the drug trade in cocaine. The ELT may believe they can get good money for Peter being an oil company executive, despite he not being wealthy as he is not on the oil side of the business. Luthan Risk International, who is the contracted agency for QUAD Carbon's kidnap and ransom (K&R) requirements, dispatches Australian-British Terry Thorne to negotiate Peter's release, Terry an ex-special ops soldier who is known as the best in the business within his own circles. But QUAD Carbon's financial troubles may prevent Terry or anyone else from Luthan Risk helping to get Peter back. Regardless, Alice has to decide whether to trust Terry, the global expert, or locals assigned by QUAD Carbon whose actions are on the surface more promising despite Terry's assertions to the contrary. All, however, need constant proof that Peter is indeed still alive to continue with their work to get him back. But what Alice and Terry begin to feel for each other ultimately factors into what they decide to do in relation to Peter.—Huggo

In a mountainous South American country, drug-dealing rebels kidnap Peter Bowman, a US engineer who works for an oil company's subsidiary. The company calls in a negotiator, Terry Thorne, an Aussie ex-soldier based in London. When the subsidiary goes bankrupt, the oil company washes its hands of the matter and pulls Thorne. Bowman's wife Alice begs him to stay. She and Peter's sister cobble together some money, Thorne talks ransom terms with the cash-strapped rebels, and Peter, chained high in the mountains, is sustained by a photo of Alice. When the politics of the situation change, so must Thorne's strategy. And what can Alice and he do about the attraction growing between them?—<jhailey@hotmail.com>

Alice Bowman (Meg Ryan) moves to the South American country of Tecala because her husband, Peter (David Morse), has been hired to assist with building a dam for oil company Quad Carbon. Though Alice is unhappy at this most recent move, she agrees to stay. Peter is later told by the local head Jerry (Stanley Anderson) that Quad Carbon came to the country to find oil and the dam was a side charity project. Quad Carbon built a billion-dollar pipeline but had no oil to transport. Alice wants to go back home to the USA, but Peter says that the dam is his passion project and wants to see it through. Peter says that he is not working for an oil company but building a dam that will save people's lives.

Alice wants to have a kid but is reluctant to fall pregnant again in a 3rd world country, especially after they lost a child during pregnancy in Africa. Peter is told by his superiors in Houston that Quad Carbon is reeling under financial strain and will be taken over by rival Octonal. Peter knows that Octonal does not care about community projects and the dam project will be the first project to be shut down once the takeover is complete.

When Peter is in the city one day, a convoy of automobiles (including his) is ambushed by guerrilla rebels of the Liberation Army of Tecala (ELT). Believing that Peter actually works for an oil pipeline company, ELT soldiers abduct him and lead him into the country's jungles. Jerry tells Alice that the company had no idea of what has happened to Peter.

Terry Thorne (Russell Crowe), an ex-Australian SASR soldier, who later served with the British SAS due to lack of action in Australia, arrives in Tecala, fresh from a successful hostage rescue in Chechnya. The hostage was kidnapped by the Chechen Nationlist Militia.Their first ransom demand was for $5 million. Thorne's efforts to negotiate with the Chechens were subverted by the local Russian Military command. After 36 days, Thorne negotiated the final ransom down to $750,000. The money was released after a final proof of life was received from the kidnappers.

The Russians insisted to deliver the money, and Thorne knew that they had no intentions of doing so. So, he gave the Russians a dummy package, while he made private contact with the Chechens to make the exchange. Thorne was able to get possession of the hostage, but the angry Russians attacked. Thorne manages to evacuate the hostage by calling in a helicopter rescue. Thorne works for a company that specializes in hostage extractions in conflict areas. They are usually engaged by the Insurance companies who provides cover for people working in high-risk zones.

Because of his expert skill in kidnapping-and-ransom cases, he is hired by Peter's company to assist in bringing about Peter's safe return. Due to his hectic travel, Thorne is separated from his wife, and even his own son Henry (Merlin Hanbury-Tenison) addresses him as "sir".

Unfortunately, it is learned that Quad Carbon is on the verge of bankruptcy and takeover, and therefore has no insurance coverage for kidnapping, so they cannot afford Thorne's services. Despite Alice's pleas to stay, Thorne leaves the country. Alice gets teamed up with a local hostage negotiator, who immediately urges her to pay the ELT's first demand: a $50,000 "good faith" ransom payment. Not knowing what to do, Alice agrees, but the transaction is stopped by Thorne, who, following his conscience, has returned to help. He is aided by Dino (David Caruso), an ex-Green Beret.

Over the next several months, Thorne uses a radio to talk with an ELT contact, and the two argue over terms for Peter's release, including a ransom payment that Alice can afford. With much downtime between conversations, Thorne and Alice talk, and an implicit attraction between the two seems to emerge. After much negotiation, it appears that the ELT will release Peter for a sum of $650,000.

Meanwhile, Peter is led through the jungle by a group of younger rebels before arriving at the main jungle camp. There, he meets another hostage, Kessler (Gottfried John), a missionary and former member of the French Foreign Legion, who has lived in the camp for nineteen months. The two concoct a plan to escape through the jungle. During their attempt, they are tracked by the ELT. Kessler falls into a river and manages to evade capture, but Peter steps on a trap and is recaptured. Encouraged by Peter to flee, Kessler leaves him behind and later hears a shot fired. Kessler is shot in the shoulder by rebels and falls off a cliff and into a river.

Kessler is found and hospitalized. In the hospital, he meets Alice and, having heard a gunshot at the time Peter was recaptured, tells Alice he believes her husband is dead.

Thorne refuses to believe this, but he is unable to contact his ELT radio negotiator. Luckily, Alice's housekeeper's daughter reveals the true identity of the ELT radio contact; she knows his voice quite well because she has done laundry service for him in the past. Thorne goes to the Tecala Armed Forces Demonstration Parade and confronts the ELT contact, who is actually a high-ranking government official. The contact confirms that Peter is indeed alive, but because Peter has seen secret ELT maps the opportunity for a deal has passed, and the ELT army will no longer negotiate.

At Thorne's urging Alice convinces the Tecala government the ELT is about to mount an attack on the pipeline being built through their territory. The government army crossing the river draws the bulk of the ELT army out of the camp to counter-attack. This provides an opportunity for Thorne, Dino, and several associates to insert by helicopter and raid the ELT base. They overcome the resistance of the minimal defense left holding the camp and free not only Peter but also an Italian hostage held there as well. And so Peter is rescued and brought back safely to Alice. Thorne and Alice share a final moment together wherein the unrequited bond between them is painfully expressed. Alice departs with Peter on an immediate flight to the U.S.