The Running Man
by Stephen King
Contents
…Minus 043 and COUNTING… They got farther than they had any r
Overview
Richards and Williams evade detection through Augusta and make it as far as Camden, extending Richards's escape beyond what Richards thought possible. The chapter turns the flight into an imminent public standoff when a police roadblock blocks the way and Richards prepares to use Williams as a hostage.
Richards's plan depends on visibility: cameras and witnesses may prevent the police from killing Richards outright. The encounter raises the stakes by forcing Richards out of motion and into a confrontation with armed authorities.
Summary
Ben Richards and Amelia Williams drive much farther than Richards expected, reaching Camden, a coastal town more than a hundred miles from where Richards first forced Williams to take him along.
As the pair enters Augusta, Richards anticipates that police may identify them. Richards tells Williams that if a police car appears, Williams must pull over, open the door without leaving the seat, and announce that Benjamin Richards is holding Williams hostage and will kill Williams unless Richards is allowed free passage.
Williams bitterly recognizes that Richards needs Williams as a hostage. Richards argues that public attention from freelance cameramen seeking Games footage would force the authorities to treat the standoff openly rather than simply shoot Richards and blame Williams's death on Richards.
No police stop them in Augusta. They continue for another hour and a half along the coast, passing fields, bridges, fir trees, and glimpses of ocean as afternoon advances.
Near the Camden town line, Richards and Williams come upon a roadblock with police cars and troopers checking vehicles. Richards orders Williams to stop before the checkpoint and follow his instructions. When Williams stops, one trooper signals Williams forward, another reacts with confusion, and a third begins urgently speaking into a cruiser radio, signaling that the confrontation Richards feared has begun.
Who Appears
- Ben RichardsFugitive contestant who plans a hostage tactic when police finally block the road.
- Amelia WilliamsRichards’s unwilling driver and hostage, resentful but controlled as the roadblock appears.
- Police troopersRoadblock officers checking vehicles near Camden and reacting when Williams stops short.