Runner

Chance realizes that what he is doing is not a game. Smuggling is extremely risky and can lead to prison or death. Yet Chance can’t fully grasp the seriousness of the situation. For days, there’s no package, but Chance still gets paid.

Chance’s dad interrupts his running schedule by making him go to the food bank. On the way, Chance tells his dad he has a new job receiving and delivering packages. If they pool their money, they can pay October’s moorage fee. Chance’s dad wants Chance to give him the money, but Chance thinks he should be the one to handle the money. His dad hands over six $20 bills, keeping around three $20 bills for himself.

At the food bank, the people are quiet except for a woman in a Washington State Cougar sweatshirt who wants to know if they have different kinds of crackers or Oreos. The man at the food bank tells her everything they have is on the shelves. Chance worries about his running schedule—it’s getting late, and Chance and his dad must take the bus back because the boxes of food are too heavy to carry.

Melissa drives by in her Jetta and offers them a ride. Before Chance can say no, his dad says yes. Melissa didn’t know there was a grocery store nearby, and Chance says there isn’t, but Melissa doesn’t probe further. She asks if Chance still runs. He says sometimes, so his dad clarifies: He runs every day.

Chance’s dad wants to eat dinner together, but Chance must run. As night approaches, Chance curtails his usual route and cuts right to the beach, but it’s already dark. He feels around for a package, but he can’t find anything. Back in the boat, Chance thinks he missed the package. He wants to go back to the tree and look again, but he doesn’t.

Friday morning, the “fat guy” gets out of his silver Acura and confronts Chance, who tells him about the food bank and the delayed run. The “fat guy” says there was a package, and Chance says he’ll get it right now. The guy says Chance has to go at his normal time. The guy gives Chance a phone number: If he’s going to miss a run, he is to call that number and leave a message saying, “Chance is out of the race today” (82).

In the afternoon, Chance finds the package. He also finds a package on Saturday. On Sunday, there are four $50 bills in the backpack’s front pouch.

On Halloween, Chance tells his dad he has enough money to pay for everything. His dad quips that now Chance doesn’t need his dad for anything. At the marina office, Chance pays the moorage fee in cash, so the employee tells him people typically drop a check in the box outside. Chance feels “suspicious” and vows to open a checking account. He spots the “fat guy” in the office and ignores him.

The running becomes a part of Chance’s routine, and Chance believes he understands the smuggling operation. Boats constantly arrive in Puget Sound, and if the boat is from another country, the captain must call a customs agent and an immigration official, giving the smugglers time to sneak someone off and stash the drugs in the rocks under the tree. If the drugs were marijuana, the smugglers could make over a million dollars per year. If the drugs were cocaine, they’d make more.

On Career Day, Melissa and Ms. Dugan (the vice principal) argue because Melissa tries to keep students away from the Army recruiting table. Chance leads Melissa away and tells her there are worse outcomes than joining the Army, like jail. Melissa asks what Chance looks for in the rocks. The solarium in her home overlooks the beach, and she sees Chance. Chance wonders if Melissa is spying on him. She calls him “paranoid.”

Feeling bad about snapping at Melissa, Chance lies and tells her a mother rat and her babies live in the rocks. Melissa says Chance could write about them for her newspaper and invites him to a meeting at the Blue Note Cafe. As Chance has money and can afford a slice of cake and mocha, he agrees to attend.

Chance and his dad treat Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays like normal days. The day after Thanksgiving, Chance’s dad gives him $130 to pay the moorage fees. His dad earned the money helping people prepare their boats for winter.

That night, Chance attends the newspaper meeting and pays for Melissa’s food. He meets the other staff—Thomas Dowell, Annie Comstock, and Natasha Martin—and they talk about prestigious colleges until Melissa steers the discussion toward the newspaper.

Melissa suggests writing about the rats, but Thomas doesn’t think the newspaper should cover “cutesy crap.” Natasha suggests writing about terrorism. Her dad’s friend works for the FBI, and the agency worries about an attack on the ports. There are countless boats, and authorities can’t check all of them. Thomas mocks the idea of a terrorist attack in Shilshole, but Natasha thinks it’s realistic. Thomas jokes about catching the terrorists and winning a Pulitzer so Melissa can get into Stanford. Melissa thinks Chance could write about the salmon runs.

In his backpack, Chance finds an Army brochure from career day. The Army isn’t as great as the brochure describes it, but it’s better than the Tiny Dancer, smuggling, washing pots at Ray’s, or other “crummy jobs.” Plus, it’d give him money for college.

Using a payphone, Chance calls the recruiting office and says his name is Todd Jones. The man suggests meeting in person. Chance could enlist within 10 days if everything works out. Chance promises to call back. The man tells Chance the Army doesn’t have room for “cowards.” Chance isn’t a coward. The man replies: If Chance is brave, he should use his real name when he calls back.