I wouldn't be surprised if they contacted their families, feigning distress over consequences, PRIOR to refusing the mission. It sounds completely planned and contrived!
Either that, or they were never "confined" at all--just an added detail to make the story more juicy. I'm with Phsstpok on this one: there's just something not right about the story as it's being reported. My first red flag was the recorded phone call--that didn't sound like a scared woman. It sounded like a ticked off woman.
I thought it was a little strange that the "prisoners" were being allowed cell phones to call home to request that a "lot of hell" be raised. Just didn't quite ring true to me.