The Leap

4-Into The Night

November 24, 1971

    After four trips Tina got everything back to me. By now the passengers were starting to catch on that something had been up the entire time. Cautiously a few looked back at me with wide eyes. I told Tina they could disembark and as they did some took more shy glances at me. Once they were gone and the door was shut Tina came back to sit with me. The phone which was used to communicate with the cockpit began to ring.

    "The pilot wants to speak with you."

    "Where would you like to go Mr. Cooper?"

    "You're to fly a southeast course toward Mexico City. I want to fly at the slowest possible speed that won't stall the aircraft with an altitude of 10,000 feet. Leave the landing gear deployed while we're in the air and the flaps must be lowered to 15 degrees. I want the cabin to remain unpressurized." 

    "Mr. Cooper if we fly that way the plane won't make it to Mexico City on the fuel we have."

    "Can we make it Reno?"

    There was a momentary pause likely the pilot during the math I'd already calculated weeks ago. Once he confirmed that was possible I told them to get moving. I kept Tina in the back with me making small talk and smoked another cigarette. I loosened the tie around my neck but still hated how it felt so I took it off and tossed it in the seat next to me. Not long after we'd been in the air the phone began to ring again. Since the other passengers had left there was no additional noise and I could hear every word they spoke.

    "Tina we think this guy's going to jump and when the door is opened we don't know if you'll be sucked out of the aircraft. I want you to take the nylon cord from one of the parachutes and tie it around yourself and the bottom of two chairs."

    "She's not touching my parachutes." I said loud enough for them to hear. It was a reasonable fear for them to have but I knew she wouldn't be sucked out. From the look on Tina's face that possibility hadn't occurred to her.

    "Okay I want to you to belt yourself in-"

    "You can go forward." I cut the pilot off. "Go sit in the cockpit, close the first class curtain and no one is to come back here." Tina put down the phone, thanked me and went to the cockpit without looking back.

    When Tina was gone I immediately took out my pocket knife and began cutting nylons cords from the two parachutes I wouldn't be wearing. I strapped on a main parachute and a reserve before securing the money and briefcase to the parachutes with the nylon cords. Just in case the next part went bad I didn't want to leave anything behind. It was now or never. I got up and went all the way to the back of the plane where the controls for the staircase were clearly marked. I flipped the switch and the stairs lowered into the darkness. Now was the tricky part. It was raining like the wrath of God and the stairs quickly were soaked. Cautiously I descended them halfway and jumped hard enough that the plane shook slightly. They certainly would have felt that.  

    Mission accomplished and now onto the next phase. I went back up the stairs and stripped off the equipment. Picking up the briefcase I went into the small bathroom just behind the last row of seats. Hopefully I had all the time I needed for this. If I jumped while wearing the prosthetics the wind would likely rip them off causing damage to my face. Ripping the prosthetics off by hand that Sayuri had carefully glued to my face would take skin with it and likely a lot as well. I didn't want that on top of everything else and needed to get them off the right way.

    I set the briefcase on the counter silently cursing how small and poorly lit this room was. I took out the right cylinder and unscrewed the top revealing a vial of liquid and a brush. I dipped the brush in the vial then gently applied the brush to the edges of the prosthetic. The edges came up and I dipped the brush again and then applied it under the face piece. Little by little I got the three prosthetics off. I shoved everything back into the cylinder and replaced it. 

    Next came the contacts, the case I secured them in hidden in the second cylinder. That wasn't all the cylinder held a pair scissors were also inside. I opened the fake dynamite to a small clothing item I'd soon be putting on along with some thin goggles. I unbuttoned my shirt to reveal the thick fabric wrapped around my chest and cut it away. I shoved the fabric in the briefcase and took my first deep breath in hours.    

    I put the bra on grateful that I no longer had to wear the binding that flattened my chest. After making sure everything was secured in the briefcase I locked it and then washed my face. My hair had been dyed to the black shade and would be staying at least until I got home. Sayuri said she'd dye it back to my natural blonde before the kids saw me again. Of course that wouldn't explain why I'd chopped my waist length hair to just above my ears but I'd make something up.

    Not long after we began descending toward Reno. Down below Sayuri would be waiting to pick me up. A small walkie-talkie and flashlight in the pocket of the briefcase would lead her right to me. Standing on the last stair I looked down into the desert I couldn't see. Cursing my ex-husband one more time I fell into the night.