RAY: A lone hijacker commandeers a jetliner that's on its way from Boston to Los Angeles with a stopover in Chicago. At gunpoint he instructs the pilot to land the plane at O'Hare, whereupon he further instructs the pilot to call the authorities and tell them that this hijacker wants a million dollars in cash and three parachutes. Sure enough, they show up with the stuff, and since they did this, he agrees to release half of the hostages on the plane.

So, half the passengers get off, they load in three parachutes and the million dollars, and the plane takes off headed for Los Angeles. He then tells the pilot to lower the altitude, he opens the door with the million dollars in the suitcase attached to one parachute, and himself attached to another parachute, and he escapes.

The question very simply is: what's with the third parachute?