THIS IS THE HOUSE THAT JACK BOUGHT - Synopsis

          In 1988 a Grant Airlines flight between Los Angeles and Houston is hijacked by G. T. GOFORTH. He redirects the flight to Salt Lake City. There he demands ten million dollars, and releases all the make passengers. He directs the flight to Seattle, but parachutes out of the plain over Comfort, Idaho. Upon arrival in Seattle, one of the Flight Attendants disappears. She had false identification, and had assist the hijacker. Neither the monies, the hijacker, nor the Flight Attendant are ever found. There is a half-million dollar reward for the return of the money.

          In October 2003, fifty-two year old JACK HUNTER downsizes, quit his job,  and purchases an old rundown home on ten acres in VERNONIA Oregon. He had written one unsuccessful novel, and wanted to retreat and write his great American novel, and live the simple life. On arrival in Vernonia he has dinner at Millie’s Cafe. There he meets a younger black man, BULL WILLIAMS. Bull runs the local gas station, and is married to the white waitresses sister, JOY. The waitress, CYNDI BROWN, suggest that Jack get a room at her families B&B; the cook at the cafe is also the owner, and Cyndi’s father ROY BROWN. At the B&B Jack meets the only other guest LILLIAN MARKS.

          How do these two character tie in together? (TO BE CONTINUED)

Opening Pages - pre-published version: 

Chapter One  April 1, 1988 - 12:15 pm (IN PART)

Goforth exited the lavatory wielding a hand gun, and what appeared to be a detonation devise. Pandemonium broke out amongst the passengers. That which many had feared; tragedy in the air-had come upon them.

     He shouted, Everyone shut up, and no one will get hurt! This plane is being commandeered. No one moves, or you’ll be shot! There is a bomb on board, and if anyone tries anything we all die!

     He demanded that everyone stay in their seats. There was a Flight Attendant standing close to him. He slapped her rather hard. He then grabbed her, and put the gun to her head. She began to cry.

     Please don’t hurt me! I have two young children! Please Mister!!

     Anyone move and she’s dead!

     The Flight Attendant trembled, and wept as Goforth held her, and began working his way toward the forward cabin.

     Goforth used his hostage to enter, and take control of the forward cabin. He forced the Houston bound Flight 703 to reroute to Salt Lake City. Before their arrival in Salt Lake, he had demanded a refuelling. He also advised the authorities that he wanted ten million dollars in unmarked bills delivered to the plane in Salt Lake, in two duffle bags. If the money was not there, or if it was tampered with in any way, or had a honing devise of any kind, he would detonate the bomb located in one of the cargo bays.

     Goforth was tested when the ground authorities advised that they would have to wait for the money. Instead of landing, as it was suggested from the ground, Flight 703 took to a holding pattern around Salt Lake.

     The communication from the ground said, You’ll have to bring her in! You will run out of fuel before we have time to gather the money!

     Goforth advised the pilot to radio back, If we run out of fuel, we will all die. We will maintain the holding pattern over only populated areas. If this plane goes down, in addition to it crashing and killing everyone, the bomb in the cargo bay will explode. We may even direct it to crash downtown.

Chapter Two  Vernonia - 15 years later (in part)

Jack was almost to Vernonia. The entire area was covered with dense fog. Jack would have preferred a bright sunny day, but as he remembered, those days were few and far between in this part of Oregon. Mocking the adventures of Indiana Jones, Jack wondered, have I chosen wisely? Jack had lived the last twelve years in the Las Vegas areathe sun was always out there with a vengeance. He hadn’t been in Vernonia for over forty years, not since just after the making of the movie Ring of Fire, back in the last century, in 1960; those were some of his few good memories.

     Jack remembered it well; he was only a boy of nine at that time. The entire town had been in a tizzy; they were making a big Hollywood movie, staring David Jensen and Frank Gorshin, and the old mill was going to be burnt to the ground. Almost every citizen of Vernonia Oregon, and many other small towns around, like Banks, were there on the day of the big fire. Most of the fire spectators had also been in the movie, most as Extra’s. Jack, and his parents were part of both crowds.

     Jack remembered it well. Action, the Assistant Director yield thought his battery operated mega phone.

     Everyone ran at the camera, screaming, looking back at nothing, waving their arms in the air. The AD (Assistant Director) told everyone that they were to act as if pandemonium were breaking out. They were supposed to be running from the burning mill, and explosions in fact, the entire film burns in the film. The mill hadn’t been torched yet, that was set for the following week. The extras had been instructed, Don’t look at the camera. That was like telling a child not to look in a box. There must have been twenty takes from each camera position, and there were no less than five of those. The AD kept saying, One more for safety. His one more was usually more.

     With one exception, this had been an exciting time in the life of Jack Hunter. The exception was the destruction of the old mill. Before closing, the old mill had represented the life blood of Vernonia for almost half a century. Jack’s father had work there, as did his grandfather. Jack new to be careful in having too much fun watching the making of Ring of Fire, and watching the old mill burn to the ground.

     One of the most exciting memories during that time was when singer-songwriter Johnny Cash came to town. He, and his wife June Carter Cash, were writing and recording  songs for the Ring of Fire sound track; the song Ring of Fire, written by June, being the most popular and sustaining. Jack’s parents loved Johnny and June. This love, and the love of grass roots music, was passed down to Jack. They actually had the honor of meeting this American Roots icon. When they ask Mr. Cash for an autograph, he actually spent several minutes speaking with Jack’s father. Jack believed that Mr. Johnny Cash had received some of his musical inspiration from his father. Johnny Cash’s autograph was on a small piece of faded white paper that Jack Hunter now kept in a five by seven frame. Good memories.

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