How Somali pirate kidnappings actually work, according to a former hostage

Jessica Buchanan is an author, humanitarian aid worker, and kidnapping survivor who spent 93 days held hostage by Somali pirates. Originally a schoolteacher from the United States, she relocated to Africa to work as an education advisor for a nongovernmental organization. While finishing a routine field mission on October 25, 2011, she was abducted at gunpoint and held for ransom. Forced to live outdoors in brutal conditions, Buchanan's health deteriorated until she was rescued in a highly…