The Pink Jungle

Ben Morris arrives in Guadagil with Alison to shoot a lipstick advertisement. The helicopter that brought them is stolen almost at once, leaving them stranded in a remote village. Their sudden predicament sets the stage for a tense series of encounters with locals and criminals.

Colonel Celaya, a security officer eager for a promotion, questions Ben and searches his baggage. He is convinced Ben is a CIA spy, though the baggage only contains camera gear and lipstick. The heightened suspicion adds to the sense of danger in Guadagil.

In the town bar, Ortega is introduced as the man behind local trouble, and two thugs ambush the nearby helicopter pilot and kill him. Ortega's presence confirms a menacing undercurrent in the village. The bar scene foreshadows the conspiratorial web surrounding Ben and Alison.

The hijacker Sammy Ryderbeit forces Ben and Alison to help him after stopping their car on the road. He boasts of a map to a fabulous diamond mine and demands money to fund an expedition. The group reluctantly begins to tag along with him, hoping to keep control of the situation.

In a town bar, Stopes is introduced as Sammy's partner and a potential ally; Ortega and his men observe the gathering. Ben and Alison grow skeptical of the diamond-mine story, suspecting a con. When Stopes is murdered in his hotel room, the trio becomes suspects and ends up financing the expedition to avoid immediate trouble and a way to escape.

Stopes's murder triggers a police pursuit and sudden pressure to join the expedition; Ben reluctantly commits funds so they can slip away with them. The group sets out with McCune, Stopes's supposed partner, and Sammy, hoping to reach the mine. The uneasy alliance is built on mutual distrust.

McCune, an Australian, appears on the trail claiming to be Stopes's former partner and possessing the 'real' map. He manipulates events by substituting Sammy's map with his own under false pretenses, and he tries to take leadership of the expedition. The three reluctantly agree to include him, setting the stage for further tension.

That night McCune presses his demand to bed Alison, prompting a confrontation with Ben. Ben and Alison privately confess their love for each other. After the confrontation, McCune slips away from camp to plant a message and the forged map along the trail.

During the hot daytime rest, McCune bolts with supplies, abandoning the group to perish of thirst. They pursue him, and his wrong turn allows them to close the gap. As he prepares to shoot Ben, Sammy shoots McCune dead to prevent the betrayal.

They search McCune's body for the map and realize he must have left it for others. A helicopter is heard overhead, and Ortega sits by a tent counting diamonds. The helicopter returns with more diamonds, triggering a firefight in which the trio prevails and Ortega is captured.

Sammy flies Ben, Alison, and Ortega back to Guadagil, claiming to know someone there who will buy the diamonds. As soon as they land, Sammy betrays them and takes off with all the diamonds. Ortega remains a prisoner, but the trio heads toward home with mixed relief and frustration.

Ortega turns out to be an underground rebel leader long sought by local authorities. The authorities are thrilled to have him in custody, and they shrug off Ben and Sammy's questionable actions in light of finally catching him. The political stakes of the mission become clear.

Colonel Celaya congratulates the operation but refuses to arrange exit logistics for Ben and Alison. He also apologizes for having mistaken Ben as a CIA agent, reflecting the messy improvisation of the mission. The couple remains effectively stranded as they seek a way out.

Ben converts his camera into a two-way radio and broadcasts his true role as a U.S. government agent tasked with quelling Ortega's revolution. Because of Sammy's aid in the operation, Ben asks his contact to allow Sammy to slip away with the diamonds and continue the mission from the shadows.