The Running Man
by Stephen King
Contents
…Minus 037 and COUNTING… “We’re in Derry,” she said. The
Overview
Richards and Amelia reach Voigt Airfield in Derry, where Richards turns the live cameras and Amelia’s terror into leverage against the authorities. By pretending he wants to surrender to the Airline Police, Richards forces the tank-guarded gate to open and gains access to the airfield instead of being killed outside it.
The chapter shifts Richards from flight on the roads to a desperate, public confrontation at the airport. Wounded and nearly cornered, Richards prepares what he calls his last stand at Lot 16.
Summary
Richards and Amelia Williams reach Derry, where the streets are packed with spectators watching the chase like a public spectacle. As Amelia follows signs toward Voigt Airfield, Richards says he intends to try to skyjack a plane, though Amelia insists he cannot succeed.
During the drive, Amelia asks whether the woman shown in the Network pictures is really Richards’s wife. Richards confirms Sheila is his wife and that their young daughter Cathy was sick, explaining that Cathy’s illness is what pushed him into the Games. When Amelia criticizes Sheila’s appearance, Richards tells her the Network doctored the picture, further exposing the Network’s manipulation.
At the airfield entrance, a tank blocks the open gate while police, crowds, and cameras surround the road. Richards orders Amelia to stop near the tank and then tells Amelia to announce that Richards is wounded, unstable, and wants to surrender to the Airline Police. Richards hopes the authorities will believe he is clinging to the old rumor that surrendering to the internationally governed Airline Police might bring amnesty.
Amelia leans out and delivers the message in genuine terror, saying Richards is shot and half out of his mind. Because the cameras capture Amelia’s plea live, Richards senses that the authorities must keep up appearances. After a short delay, the tank moves aside and the amplified voice orders Richards to proceed to Lot 16, where Airline Police will supposedly take him into custody.
Inside the airfield, Richards remains alert for an ambush and stops the car before reaching Lot 16. Richards has Amelia demand a bullhorn, which a uniformed man places in the road. After Amelia retrieves it, Richards measures the distance to the main building and the lot, then tells Amelia to drive to the entrance of Lot 16, calling it the place where he will make his last stand.
Who Appears
- Ben RichardsWounded fugitive who bluffs his way into Voigt Airfield and prepares a last stand.
- Amelia WilliamsTerrified hostage who drives Richards, delivers his surrender message, and retrieves a bullhorn.
- Sheila RichardsRichards’s wife, discussed when Amelia questions the doctored Network photograph.
- Cathy RichardsRichards’s sick daughter, whose need for medicine originally drove Richards into the Games.
- Airfield authoritiesPolice, tank operators, and announcers who contain Richards while maintaining the televised spectacle.