35 pages 1 hour read

Margaret Peterson Haddix

Running Out Of Time

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 1995

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Chapters 16-20Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 16 Summary

The boys jump out of the car. They try to grab Jessie under the guise of giving her a ride, and Jessie notes that they smell like alcohol. They inform her that she is in a city called Waverly, not Indianapolis. They continue to taunt her and grab her wrist. She yanks it away and runs, calling for her father to scare off the boys. She expects them to run after her, but they do not, and she runs into a nearby KFC. She finds a phone inside and calls Mr. Neeley again; this time he picks up the phone.

Chapter 17 Summary

Over the phone, Jessie explains the dire medical situation in Clifton to Mr. Neeley. He asks if she is safe and if anyone knows she has escaped, then assures her he will pick her up from the restaurant and help her. He tells her what he looks like so she will recognize him. While Jessie waits for him, she remembers that he did not ask what she looked like, but shrugs off her suspicion and buys a chicken dinner. Mr. Neeley arrives and reassures Jessie that everything will be fine; he claims he called the board of health and that they will take medicine to the children.