One man's leap

***The following story is a ‘Made for Vocal’ fictitious account of an American Mystery. ***

"Do you even know why I'm doing this?" Mr. Cooper asked the flight attendant. She shook her head with eye's wider than the Mississippi. She didn't know how to answer the direct question from the hi-jacker. He continued with his calm rant,

"My mother once told me; you can't go anywhere in life until you've failed miserably. It was the worst insight she ever spoke of. Why would I want to join the millions of poor people in the world. Why would I join the army, just to be killed or maimed in the line of duty. The Vietnam war is a big costly mistake! You just watch and when you hear the truth, you'll say Dan Cooper said it first!"

The hundred- and thirty-one-foot Boeing 727 had just departed from Seattle Washington, headed for Mexico City. She carried a flight crew of four and a Hi-jacker, who would later be named DB. Cooper.

Short hair, business type with the charisma of a Hollywood movie star, Mr. Cooper's uneventful past was sparkling clean. Where did he go wrong?

He sat in his original seat of 18-E, after letting passengers out in Seattle. He wore an unbuttoned, brown pin-striped leisure suit jacket. Attached to his chest was a bomb. It resembled a bullet-proof vest which is designed to protect, but instead, it was geared to explode upon the discretion of Mr. Cooper.

Another flight attendant, Mary O'Connor, nervously pushed a rattling drink cart down the aisle, towards him.

"Sir, If I may offer you a drink, we have Tab, Fresca, water or maybe a coffee. I can get you a hot cup of Sanka if that's what you like."

"Yes...yes I do need a drink. But something a little more potent. Do you have any bourbon, young lady?"

Dan could see the uneasiness in Mary's indicative glance. She acted as anyone would in this situation. Her white and blue skycap fell from her head as she reached down to search the cart for airplane sized bottles of hard liquor. Dan saw her hat land in the aisle, he reached to the floor with a gentleman's touch to pick it up. He stood up from his seat and placed it back on her head. Mary smiled at him, although she was apprehensive of anyone touching her. She was inches away from a device that could send them all plunging to the earth in flames. She was not in the best place in her mind to act as if nothing was wrong. As an anxious individual in a real hostage situation Mary did a much better job than most of us would have.

"Relax, Mary." Dan calmly said after reading her name tag. "I'm not going to hurt you, or anyone on this plane. As long as they take me where I need to go, everyone will go home to their families tonight. Okay?"

She quietly answered, "Sure, Mr. Cooper. I understand." She then handed him a bottle of Jameson, "Will this do? It's all we have."

"Call me Dan." He looks at her with piercing brown bedroom eyes; the kind you have a hard time saying no to. "You know who you remind me of? A young Betty Davis. You are very pretty, Mary. Please don't be afraid of me. Matter of fact, why don't you sit with me for a bit. I need someone to talk to for a moment."

Mary's tension was apparent. She pivoted her neck and shoulders in order to face the front of the plane. She looked down the aisle to her colleagues peeking from behind a blue curtain. One of the men quickly nodded yes, like he was encouraging her to go out on a date with a man she just met. He was really wanting her to do anything to keep Dan calm. They didn't want to agitate this fugitive who had all their lives at the tip of his fingers.

"Okay, Dan. I think that would be nice."

She pushed the cart up against a row of seats. Dan stood up and moved over to the window seat, allowing her to sit in the aisle seat.

"Mary Mary, quite contrary, how did we meet this way? If things were different, this is the part where I begin flirting." They both smiled at his candid words. "I used to have a secretary like you. She was nice, and very good at her job. I could always rely on her to lend me her ears when I felt down on myself."

Dan took a sip of Jameson and handed the bottle to her. "Here! This will ease your nerves... if you knew me, you would know I'm really an even-keeled, nice guy. I'm trying to help you understand, there is nothing to fear."

Mary took the bottle and puts it up to her lips. She took a squig and automatically scrunched her face but managed to swallow it down. The potent vapors of the ninety-proof drink made her sneeze. The involuntary jerking motion caused some of the brown liquid to fly out the bottle and onto Dan's jacket. They both looked at the arm of his jacket where most of it landed. Mary then looked at Dan's face with an expression that said, I didn't mean to do that. It was a harmless, unintentional accident. Dan's reaction was that of laughter.

"You're a lightweight, aren't you? Let me show you how it's done."

He put his hand out, gesturing for her to return the bottle. He put it up to his lips and tilted it all the way up. They both watched the remainder of the bottle's contents disappear into his gullet. He scrunched his face too, only a little. This wasn't his first time throwing back a shot.

"Ahhh, now where were we. Oh, yeah, I was taking about Jillian, My secretary. She was the greatest! She once drove twenty miles to come pick me up when my car took a spill on the road. It was hot as hell that day. She was a thoughtful soul indeed. She shows up with a cold bottled of Iced tea, my favorite. Retrieving me was a big inconvenience for her but she said it was alright, only that I owed her one. I repaid her generous act by giving her a raise soon after that day. Do you have anyone that would do that for you, Mary? Someone that would stop in their tracks to come and save you?"

" I I I, I don't know." She hunches her shoulders like she had nothing to add.

"C'mon, Mary... A conversation is between two or more people...right? I would like to hear you talk. Losen up a little, will ya."

Mary nodded her head in agreement. She put her arms down to her sides and took a deep breath.

"Well, I did have a best friend once. Her name was Samantha. She could make anyone laugh. It didn't matter if you were at a baptism or a funeral, she would find something silly to say. We got into a lot of trouble growing up. Our parents were uptight and thought it was best if we didn't associate anymore. But we couldn't stay away from each other for too long. We went behind their backs and met on the weekends. Sadly, it all ended when we got caught shoplifting at a Kmart department store. She never spoke to me again because I lied. Everyone thought she was the ringleader that brought us down. When in fact... don't ever tell my mother this but it was my idea to lift a couple bottles of Chanel no.22, you know, the perfume that every girl my age had to have. I was scared and let everyone believe it was Samantha's idea. At the time, I apparently cared what people thought if they knew it was my idea. I miss her so much."

Mary was staring into space as she dwelt on her adolescent memories.

Suddenly the plane jarred from turbulence. Neither one of them wore a seatbelt and got knocked around a bit. Mary lost control of her equilibrium and found herself in Dan's lap. She turned to look at the bomb that the back of her left shoulder was now touching. She quickly pushed away from it, losing her hat again. She alternated glances between Dan's face and the bomb as she pulled herself back into her seat.

"It's alright Mary, it's not going to go off unless, unless I... there is nothing to worry about, Okay?

In an attempt to ease Mary's nerves, Dan partially closed his jacket to cover the bomb. They were still experiencing turbulence, but it was manageable. Dan picked up Mary's hat and gave it to her. She placed it in her lap.

"Dan, can I ask you a serious question?"

"Sure, Mary. Anything you like. I'm an open book for you."

She stares at the seat in front of her, trying to figure out the best way to ask,

"How does a charming man like you get caught up in something like this?"

Mary felt slightly more comfortable conversing with Dan. Her confidence level rose. She felt he was telling the truth about being a nice guy.

"Listen Mary... It's complicated. I'm complicated! All my life I did everything according to the book. I was polite growing up. I opened doors for women. I always said please and thank you. I never talked over anyone but listened to what they had to say. I obeyed laws, listened to my parents, went to church every Sunday. I got good grades in school and was recognized as an outstanding troop leader for the boy scouts. I couldn't do anything wrong. I'm a perfectionist, I guess you can say... Well, a year ago, I lost my business, got a divorce, was audited by the IRS who claims I owe 9,000 in back taxes and my mother passed away. My father won't even talk to me. I guess he really won't talk to anyone, the timing of it is just unfortunate. I decided that all my good efforts towards society was going unnoticed. I give give give! For what? Just so people can take take take! It was time for me to take something back even if it wasn't right to do so. I just didn't know what it was I wanted to take. I thought about robbing a bank, but that was too risky. I thought about stealing diamonds from the jewelry store, but what was I going to do with them once I had them. I was angry at my life and what the government was doing to me. It wasn't fair. Then I thought about this - what I'm doing right now, that is. I thought about it for a long time. I planned it out in my head and ran through every scenario I could think of. This here... will even out the grudge I have on society."

Mary tilted her head like she was trying to understand his reasoning. The effect of the Jameson allowed her to boldly ask,

"But aren't you creating worse problems for yourself by doing this? I mean, this can't be taken back... You have control of this humongous plane. You got the money you wanted. It seems everything is going your way. I hope for your sake you get away with this. I want you to get away with it. Don't ever tell my mother I said that."

"You're right, Mary! Everything is going as planned. I'm sorry you happen to be working tonight. The very night I went through with it. But I'm also glad in a way, cause we would have never met."

Dan smiled at Mary, knowing nothing could ever come from his genuine interest in her. Reality then slapped him awake. He looked at his watch and then looked out the window.

"Mary, It's time. I need you to tell the pilot to slow down to 170 knots. I'm getting off this plane in five minutes."

"What are you talking about? We're in flight! I thought we were taking you to Mexico City!"

"This is part of the plan. We both know what will happen in Mexico City. I'll be surrounded by hundreds of law enforcers and will never get away. I might as well be a suicide bomber at that point. Tell the pilot to slow down and tell the crew to get ready to open the door. I'm jumping out in four minutes. Don't worry, the plane can handle this. Go, NOW! And thank you for your time, Mary. I wish only the best for you."

Dan grabbed Mary's right hand and kissed it. He winked at her as she stood up and rushed toward the cockpit. He then strapped one of the parachutes on that he acquired in Seattle. He strapped another one to the ransom money he demanded for the plane and crew. He grabbed the empty bottle of Jameson and managed to trickle a few more drops onto his waiting tongue. He chucked the bottle into his seat and began a slow saunter down the aisle way.

Once the door opened and the staircase lowered, the plane’s cabin pressure dropped dramatically, causing the plane's nose to tilt upward. Wind from the open door blew magazines and trash all around the cabin before being sucked out the opening. The crew gathered at the cockpit door. Mary was the last one in before the door was closed and locked. She caught a final glimpse at a desperate man who aimed to complete the unrehearsed feat of jumping from a plane traveling at high speeds. He was scared and uncertain but came this far, there was no turning back. He turned one last time to look for Mary, but she was gone. He used a rope tied to one of the seats and the other end tied to the opened door in order to guide himself through the gusty cabin to the stairwell. He stepped down on the first step and had to use strength to grab hold of the railing before letting go of the rope. He then took the leap of his life and disappeared into the frigid emptiness of the night.

The crew wasn't sure if he was still aboard. They used the intercom to try and communicate with DB but didn't receive an answer. They immediately alerted authorities that he had jumped.

DB Cooper's story ends here. Although some of the money was found, and several ongoing investigations brought new evidence to light, no one knows what ever happened to him. It remains cold mystery...

Thank you for stopping by.