THE NIGHT KNOCKER - 1 - story excerpt

Oct 8, 2026

The document presents an excerpt from a narrative titled “THE NIGHT KNOCKER,” beginning with a delayed Delta Air Lines flight departing Tampa for New York. It follows Tim Jamieson and the tense cabin negotiations as passengers are offered escalating compensation and hotel vouchers to give up their seats for a federal officer. The excerpt shifts into Tim’s impulsive fantasy of escaping by hitchhiking north, then continues with his overnight voucher hotel stay and his bank cashing of the approved check.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages595

Reading Time15 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

THE NIGHT KNOCKER

Flight delay and seat offer negotiation

Tim’s escape fantasy and overnight voucher stay

Cashing the approved check

Thank you for downloading this Simon & Schuster ebook . Get a FREE ebook when you join our mailing list. Plus , get updates on new releases , deals , recommended reads , and more from Simon & Schuster. Click below to sign up and see terms and conditions. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP Already a subscriber? Provide your email again so we can register this ebook and send you more of what you like to read. You will continue to receive exclusive offers in your inbox. For my grandsons: Ethan, Aidan, and Ryan And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines . . . And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left. And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himselfwith all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life. Judges, Chapter 16 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew, Chapter 18 According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, roughly 800, 000 children are reported missing each year in the United States. Most are found. Thousands are not. THE NIGHT KNOCKER 1 Half an hour after Tim Jamieson’s Delta flight was scheduled to leave Tampa for the bright lights and tall buildings of New York, it was still parked at the gate. When a Delta agent and a blond woman with a security badge hanging around her neck entered the cabin, there were unhappy, premonitory murmurings from the packed residents of economy class. “May I have your attention, please!” the Delta guy called. “How long’s the delay gonna be?” someone asked.“Don’t sugarcoat it.”“The delay should be short, and the captain wants to assure you all that your flight will arrive approximately on time. We have a federal officer who needs to board, however, so we’ll need someone to give up his or her seat.” A collective groan went up, and Tim saw several people unlimber their cellphones in case of trouble. There had been trouble in these situations before.“Delta Air Lines is authorized to offer a free ticket to New York on the next outbound flight, which will be tomorrow morning at 6 :45 AM—” Another groan went up. Someone said,“Just shoot me.” The functionary continued, undeterred.“You’ll be given a hotel voucher for tonight, plus four hundred dollars. It’s a good deal, folks. Who wants it?” He had no takers. The security blond said nothing, only surveyed the crowded economy-class cabin with all-seeing but somehow lifeless eyes. “Eight hundred,” the Delta guy said. “Plus the hotel voucher and the complimentary ticket.” “Guy sounds like a quiz show host,” grunted a man in the row ahead ofTim’s. There were still no takers. “Fourteen hundred?” And still none. Tim found this interesting but not entirely surprising. It wasn’t just because a six forty-five flight meant getting up before God, either. Most of his fellow economy-class passengers were family groups headed home after visiting various Florida attractions, couples sporting beachy-keen sunburns, and beefy, red-faced, pissed-off-looking guys who probably had business in the Big Apple worth considerably more than fourteen hundred bucks. Someone far in the back called,“Throw in a Mustang convertible and a trip to Aruba for two, and you can have both our seats!” This sally provoked laughter. It didn’t sound terribly friendly. The gate agent looked at the blond with the badge, but if he hoped for help there, he got none. She just continued her survey, nothing moving but her eyes. He sighed and said,“Sixteen hundred.” Tim Jamieson su

FAQs

What problem delays Tim Jamieson’s Delta flight?

A federal officer needs to board, and the airline asks someone to give up a seat, causing escalating delays and compensation offers.

How do the compensation offers escalate during the cabin announcement?

The airline starts with an offer including a free ticket, then increases the amounts step by step (with hotel vouchers and additional cash) as no passengers take the deal.

What does Tim do after waking up at the voucher hotel?

He waits for the banks to open and then cashes the approved check, taking the money in smaller bills.

Oct 8, 2026

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