Original subtitles

We're about to dump health security.

This feels really, really stupid.

You have 90 hours to live.

If we don't get money for you, we're going to kill you.

Good guy.

With an AK -47.

Ventures from my head.

My life's just damaged.

Just had one single gunshot.

Basically taken her out of the mosque and they've executed her.

I was 36 years of age.

I'd just finished a year working at a regional newspaper in Australia.

I got on a plane and flew into Mogadishu.

Amanda met me at the airport.

And it was actually Amanda who had called me and said, would you be

in doing a trip to Africa with me again?

I'm a photographer. She's a video journalist.

We had travelled together in 2006 through Ethiopia.

Wow, it's so great you're here.

You too, babe. We're both excited to be working together.

Ready?

Yes.

As soon as we came out of customs, it was wall -to -wall people.

It was chaotic.

And we were the only two white people.

Someone from the government forces had...

How are you doing here?

We're freelance journalists.

We're here for seven days.

You just said it.

It's very dangerous here.

Very dangerous.

I knew there was a massive risk involved.

Somalia was in the top five most deadliest countries in the world.

I wouldn't have said it was going there for an adventure.

It was certainly going there to get some great stories and trying to make a name

for myself.

The first person that we'd met was a Somalian guy. Nice to meet you.

She'd organised the fixer. This way.

We had a vehicle waiting for us to be picked up. This is security and this is

our driver.

We're two guys with AK -47s in the vehicle.

It was comforting to know that we did have some sort of backup sitting in the

back seat.

Having watched stuff like Black Hawk Down, I knew Mogadishu was a pretty

volatile place to be going into.

I didn't know the war had taken its toll on the city.

There was a transitional government in place at that stage which controlled

about eight square blocks of Mogadishu.

And that was it.

And outside of that area was incredibly unstable.

I didn't actually tell my family that I was going.

I thought I'll shoot some stuff and I'll be back out in seven days.

The next day we went to a number of feeding stations which was organised

the World Food Programme.

To be in a capital city where there are so many hungry people was pretty

shocking in this day and age.

I guess that was my whole reason for going. I wanted to document this.

People need to see this.

Because the capital city was so unstable, you never know where the front

is.

You don't know where bullets are going to start flying.

I guess when you're out in the open like that, you're a bit of a sitting duck.

Bang, you're dead.

We have to go.

We stayed too long. I said, you know, listen to your fix of when he tells you

go, go.

Amanda!

We've got to go.

Amanda's like, well, no.

I'm just finishing my work. I'm doing my work here. Let's go, let's go now.

Amanda! All right!

I knew that kidnapping was a possibility in Somalia.

Let's go! We're now putting up a major risk.

Now!

Certainly by day four, there was a bit of friction between Amanda and I.

Things here cost a lot more than we thought.

No Western Union money transfer.

We'd organised to go out of Mogadishu to one of the smaller camps with about 45

,000 people.

We were travelling out into a militia -run area.

We'll pick up the extra security all along the way, OK?

Great. No money transfer.

Amanda and I actually had a bit of an argument right before we left.

I wanted to use some of her memory cards that day.

Amanda, can I borrow some of your memory cards?

No, you can't. We were both being really harsh, I guess, with each other.

Hang on, we're meant to be working together. You're not going to be using

No.

Okay, Abdi, let's go.

It was very close to saying, I'm out, you can go by yourself.

But it is stressful.

You are under stress the whole time.

It takes its toll when you're in a working climate like that.

So we left, I think, at about 9 .30.

We're heading out of Mogadishu.

I'm guessing the trip shouldn't take any longer than 20, 25 minutes.

Our security are in the back.

with their weapons.

Just as we get to the outskirts of town, we come to a stop.

Two guys that are in the back of security, they get out of the vehicle

us farewell.

We're expecting them to be coming with us.

What's going on? This is the limit of the government area.

For them to go into a militia -run area would be incredibly dangerous.

If those guys are seen by the militia, they will kill them.

Hang on, these are our security and we're about to dump our security. This

really, really stupid.

I thought we'd arranged extra security for today.

Yeah, they're waiting five kilometres down the road.

I guess we had two options.

Turn around and go back to the hotel and call it a day or take the risk of

driving those 5km without any security in the car.

Do you want to turn back?

I guess there's risk involved in anything you do in life.

This was certainly pushing the edge.

OK.

All right, let's go.

We should have turned around at that point.

Hindsight's a beautiful thing, I guess.

Kilometer down the road.

There was a vehicle pulled up on the left -hand side that was flashing its

light.

This feels really strange.

I just had a gut feeling. This guy's not good. This guy's a bad guy.

There's a guy standing there with an AK -47.

Your brain just can't compute what's going on.

All the moisture in your mouth just vanishes.

You're trying to swallow and it feels like you're swallowing dust.

And I'm seriously stupidly thinking they're just going to rob us.

In a matter of seconds.

Ordered into the back of the Land Cruiser.

The man was... What's going on?

What's going on?

Shut up! Don't stop! Don't stop!

We had two guys who were behind us pointing their guns at her. No one

bump them.

The car pulls in to a massive compound. The gates are closed behind us.

Things were moving so quickly.

It had obviously all been planned.

No idea who these people were.

No idea what they were going to do with us.

I could actually see Abdel basically being pushed into this room.

This is not good.

This is really not good.

This guy had the most intense evil set of eyes I've seen in a long time.

Do you have our passport?

He demanded our passport.

We left them at the hotel.

He turned to me and he said... Do you have a cell phone?

At this stage I still have my mobile phone in my pocket. You know, I wanted

keep it.

May as well just cough it up now.

Yeah.

We've just been kidnapped.

This is the reality of what's occurring.

It was absolutely stifling hot.

And they left us for a period of time and then came back.

They asked us who we were and what we were doing and we explained to them, I'm

photographer. And she's a video journalist.

And they said, both your governments are in a crusade against Islam, so we're

going to hold you for a ransom.

Pity your stomach just dropped out.

What do you think, a fair ransom?

Amanda and I explained that neither government would pay a ransom.

They won't pay.

The government won't pay a single dollar. They will pay money for you.

And they said, all governments pay.

The government isn't going to give you any money.

Laglan? No money.

No life.

No, your life spins on a coin.

My life's just basically vanished.

I knew that kidnapping was a possibility in Somalia.

I didn't think that was ever going to happen to me.

At that stage, I had no idea what the ransom price was being asked.

I've seen stuff that has gone on in Iraq with ransoms.

Looking at a million dollars ahead.

I don't believe for a second the Australian government is going to cough

that. I knew that my family were going to end up having to pay for the price of

my return.

I feel pretty stupid.

The fact that I'm about to turn their lives upside down.

Because of my ambition.

And my following my dream.

It was very early the next morning.

I've spoken to your family.

He'd spoken to my sister. They said that they were holding a ransom and they

wanted money within 24 hours. No money, no life.

That's not possible.

For them to say, if we don't get any money within 24 hours, we're going to

execute you, was pretty terrifying.

That's not possible.

Sit down.

Terrified.

We meant nothing to them.

They could just think, well, we've given them 24 hours.

Bang, we're not going to waste our time.

Over those next few hours, they used to come in and taunt us.

19 hours.

You have 19 hours to live if we don't get money for you.

we're going to kill you.

Are you going to die?

How do you answer that?

Well, you may as well kill me now.

I was sort of thinking, this is way too explosive language.

You know, they say in hostage situations, remain grey.

Don't be outspoken because they will look for the hero in a group to make an

example of.

Okay.

He glared at her and said,

I'll take you outside now. I'll shoot you.

I'm going to backpedal very quickly.

Of course, I'm not ready to die.

It's a living thing. It's a horrible thing.

You have no control. Absolutely no control.

Came back late that evening and said... You have spoken to your family.

We realise it's going to take some time. For them to get their money.

So the 24 -hour deadline has been squashed.

You know, sigh of relief, I guess, first up, but these guys could just be

completely lined.

And having absolutely no idea what's being discussed outside of that room to

family or to whoever they're talking to.

What's to stop them from just dragging us out at any stage and getting rid of

us?

I was angry at Amanda for having suggested going to Samoa.

I guess I didn't want to blame myself for my situation.

I started to withdraw from her.

I need you just as much as you need me.

We really only had each other.

Stop being so miserable.

If we continue to think that we're going to die, then the likelihood of that

occurring is highly likely.

I guess we went back into that protective, positive, we've got to be

here, we've got to think positively.

For me, it was really important to try and get them to see me as a human being.

So it would make it harder for them to kill me if it did come to that point.

As -salamu alaykum.

As -salamu alaykum.

They were Muslim and they were interested in what our religious beliefs

Are you Christian?

Yes, I am.

He said to become Muslim would be the best thing that we could do.

But if you don't convert, then the likelihood would be that they would get

ransom for us and then kill us.

I've read the Quran.

It wasn't really a decision that we had much option in.

If we don't, then they're going to kill us anyhow.

I've told them we're ready to convert.

I'd been reading the Quran for about three days.

Hang on a minute, we've got to talk about this.

I was so underprepared. We have to convert or they'll kill us.

I was terrified that if it wasn't convincing, what were the consequences

being found out?

This is a massive decision.

She said, well, I've told them we can't go back on it now.

They're going to be here in the next hour or two.

If you convert and don't have true belief, then you're basically worse than

infidel.

They believe that they have the right to kill you.

In that situation, you're never going to feel ready.

We didn't know what we

were doing.

If they thought we were faking it, then it was...

potentially life -threatening.

I would sort of do everything a few seconds after then.

I didn't feel like we were convincing at all.

I felt like a complete fake.

And then after that, we were Muslim.

I don't think I got any greater sense of security from the conversion.

I wasn't really sure how long this blast was going to have to last for.

It was around the eight -week mark.

They came in and said...

Stop talking.

What's going on?

Where are we going?

Okay, where are we going? Where are we going?

Okay. I think I was terrified.

Okay. You have no idea what they're capable of.

They've lost sight.

They're just going to drive us out and kill us.

We're then driven a short distance onto another howl.

Frog marched out of the room that Amanda's in.

It did actually terrify me.

It scared the life out of me.

It's then explained to me, if they catch us trying to communicate, that they

will beat us.

For the two of us to be together for those first eight weeks and now all of a

sudden we were split was completely gutting.

To now no longer have someone to talk with was devastating, absolutely

devastating.

I thought I was going to go south pretty quickly.

My room with the back of the house, Amanda would have to walk past my door

to the bathroom.

On that first day, she actually pushed my door open slightly and flicked a

of paper.

If we did get caught, they would beat us quite harshly.

I was terrified as I sort of pulled it open.

She'd written, just remember that we're still together, there's just a wall that

divides us.

It was such an important, I think, lifeline for both of us to have that

ability to communicate.

It got to a point where I wasn't planning further than one day ahead.

Mate, you have no control.

There's nothing you can do.

You've just got to sit in and hope that eventually you'll get out.

Mental torture from them really starts to ramp up.

At about nine o 'clock at night, I heard someone walk into Amanda's room.

This doesn't feel right.

Where are you taking me? Where is it?

She was put into a vehicle and then driven away.

I was thinking the worst at that point and I thought that I was not going to

her again.

She may not be coming back ever.

I was pretty sure that they were about to kill her.

Jeez.

No longer part of this game, I guess.

Two and a half hours later, I heard the car come back and heard her completely

hysterical as she was being walked down the hallway.

And she came straight over to our joining wall.

They said they were going to execute me.

She was... pulled from the car and pushed down onto her knees and had a

put to her head and cocked.

She was then put on the phone to her mother and had to explain to her that if

they weren't forthcoming with any money, they would execute her.

I can remember feeling like I was going to vomit just hearing that.

Just sad, so sad.

I couldn't do anything to stop it.

That threat of knowing she may very well be killed.

It is like having someone on death row.

Amanda?

I'm going to have to write a will.

Because if I actually get out of here alive, the first thing I'm going to have

to do if they kill you is go and see your family and explain to them what

occurred.

Both of us were completely demoralised, depressed, incredibly negative.

I guess at this stage I was sort of pretty sure that they were going to kill

her.

For five months we were held with Abdin and our driver.

It was in early January and saw them being ushered out of the house.

And was a little bit concerned.

Woke up the next morning and I tried to ask... What happened to Abdin and the

driver? They were gone.

Gone where?

And he said they were executed this morning.

The fact that these guys had sort of gone through five months with us and now

more than likely dead was devastating, you know.

I thought we were going to end up the same way.

They killed Abdi.

We have to get out.

If they can do that to guys that had been Muslim forever, what

were they going to do with a couple of...

people that had converted for not even five months

made a

decision to take matters into our own hands.

We had a shared bathroom and we had the ability

to leave notes for each other.

Amanda, after what she had been through, she was pretty desperate to get out of

the house.

The decision to escape was, I guess, something that we felt we had to do.

I'd actually been looking at our bathroom window.

The mortar was only dabbed in each of the corners.

I was pretty sure if I could get the middle four blocks out, that would

give us a hole that would be big enough for both of us.

I've got the route.

We're going out the bathroom window.

I needed Commander to be a lookout for me.

Her door to her room actually looked straight down the hallway.

So while I went backwards and forwards to the bathroom, slowly to the left, she

would stand at the door.

If anyone came,

she would bang on the door.

And then it was just like, my God, I'm going to have a heart attack here.

I was going to be caught absolutely red -handed.

All it's going to take is for him to see this massive hole in the wall.

But put the bricks back in, walk back to the room.

I think the stress had taken its impact.

I was just so exhausted.

We knew that the mosque was close to us, so we thought, well, if we can make it

to there, we will be safe.

Right on midday prayer, I was going to follow Amanda into the bathroom, and I

heard Amanda walk past.

I just froze.

I couldn't make myself walk out that door.

I was so scared that we were going to get caught.

Amanda actually came back from the bathroom.

What the hell are you doing?

And I said, I'm terrified.

We could very easily die today.

And she said, just have the courage to do this.

Nah, sucked in a couple of big breaths.

And went, righto, I've got to do this.

Sprang open my door and we both slid down the hallway into the bathroom.

I think both of us absolutely terrified.

At the same time, exhilarated.

If I'm going to die, then it's going to be on my terms and I'm going to decide

when I actually die.

Took out the ball brick and then hoisted Amanda up into the window.

And watched her contort herself for what seemed like minutes. It was probably 30

seconds, I don't know.

And watched her with great excitement disappear on the other side of the wall.

excited with like I can't believe that we've just got out and then

that exhilarations just completely turned to fear we

just started running

we knew that the mosque was close and we

legged

We ran down between our house and the next -door neighbor's house and looked

left.

I can remember seeing the minaret of the mosque.

We completely burst in.

Help! Please, help!

I am Muslim!

Every single head in the mosque turns to us.

I am Muslim!

We are Muslims! Please, please help!

Turn around.

And there is a masked gunman trying to pull me back out.

And all of a sudden, this protective circle came around us.

We have been kidnapped. This group are going to kill us if they don't get money

for us. And we told them that our lives were at risk.

We'll protect you.

He explained to us that the Imam would interview us and if we were in fact

Muslim, then they would protect us.

Thank you. Thank you.

This is our chance.

We can get out.

We thought we'd pulled off the unimaginable.

And then all of a sudden, everyone just ran.

They kidnapped us.

Pushed their way through the crowd.

I just thought, right, he's going to shoot us.

We were both ripped off the ground.

I had just heard one single gunshot.

100 % positive that she'd just been killed.

They've basically taken her out of the mosque and they've executed her.

I just think you literally have a minute before I think I'm going to die.

Oh, it's really depressing how calm.

I was at that point.

It was like I was looking down on myself.

I actually really, really wanted to have the ability to ring Mum and Dad and

tell them how sorry that I was.

And then just tell them that I love them.

I seriously thought that I was about to, well, I

guess I'd use my nine lives.

And I saw her and I had a complete and utter release. Probably not the

right words.

Exhilaration, maybe, that she was still alive.

And Amanda then sort of said, I'm so sorry for making you escape. And I just

said, babe, you didn't make me do anything.

You know, I chose.

I said, at least we had a go. At least we had a shot.

We were both terrified that they were going to take us into the bush and

us.

We'd been driving for maybe five minutes and we found a complete dead stop.

dragged us out and brought to the head.

Please. No, no.

Please. Please don't kill us.

Please. Please don't kill us. Please don't kill us.

Please, please don't kill us.

And he was angry. He was incredibly... He had just said anything.

No, no,

no. No, no, no.

And the next thing...

We had made them look like complete amateurs.

Two people had been able to get away from 13 armed men.

We were shackled, basically chains around my ankles.

I've now become a slave.

And he said, if you run again, we're going to kill you. We'll kill you.

And I said, yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what you'll do.

From that point on, things changed dramatically.

After 12 months, you come.

To the realisation that you can't do anything and you accept your

It's got to sit in and hope that eventually you'll get out.

The 25th of November 2009.

I hear Amanda's chains walking down the hallway. Where are we going?

Where is Nigel?

I'm actually starting to think that they are going to either separate us

completely or that they're going to fill her to someone else.

What's going on? What's going on, what's going on? And I'm then ordered to stand

up. Come on, please.

Tell me what's going on. No one's talking.

Please give me microphone.

I want to have this book. This is my security.

Don't take anything.

Move, move, move, move.

It was just a terrifying experience.

Move!

Go, go, go, go, go.

We're thrown in the back creek together.

And we sort of interlocked hands and she was like... What are they doing?

I don't know.

I had no idea.

Don't talk.

We drove for quite a long time.

It was tense.

It was really tense.

I guess at this point I had sort of convinced myself that they were just

to drive us out.

And then all of

a sudden a utility with a massive 50mm cannon comes out of nowhere.

I didn't have any idea whatsoever who they were.

What's happening? It was like a rerun of the ambush.

What are you doing with us?

This is going to end in a bloodbath. Everyone is going to die because there's

going to be an all -out war for these two prized Westerns because they're

nothing.

Both of us are pretty hysterical.

And we're taken out of that vehicle and thrown into this vehicle.

There's a guy, and he's saying, be calm, be calm, be calm, and you're safe.

Is this real?

Is this actually happening? Is this a dream?

And that's, I guess, the first time that I actually believe that we've

been free.

I'm absolutely, you know, bawling like a baby.

And it wasn't sad, it was happy.

The fact that I was going to get to see my family was astounding.

Words can't really explain.

For 462 days, our family has hoped that this day would come.

This has been an unbelievably harrowing and wearing ordeal and nothing could

have prepared us as a family for what we have gone through since Nigel's

capture. I made a decision very early on not to be a victim, not to come home

and in some respects have that poor mate pull me out of pain through the trauma.

Does it feel so good to be home?

It's hard to believe I'm standing here safe on Australian soil.

I must confess there were times when I wondered if this moment would ever come.

I actually believe that I'm a better person for it and I'm more compassionate

and understanding and less driven by money

and success and it's more about...

being in the moment and enjoying the people that you love in your life.