HOSTAGE

[noun] [C] - someone who is taken as a prisoner by an enemy in order to force the other people involved to do what the enemy wantsI was taken/held (as a) hostage by the gunmen.The terrorists have seized 20 hostages and are threatening to kill one a day unless their demands are met.The President gave/created a hostage to fortune (= took a risk and said or did something that could cause trouble later) when he said that taxes would never go up.