Aiden is a fifteen-year-old inmate serving time at a juvenile corrections facility after his parents are convicted of treason. Formerly a rule-abiding teenager from a comfortable background, he wrestles with the harsh reality of life among hardened youth offenders. Following his accidental starting of a fire, he flees the facility and gradually accepts the necessity of breaking laws to survive on the run. He relies heavily on rational planning and draws survival inspiration from his father's fictional detective novels.

Meg is an eleven-year-old inmate who absolutely refuses to accept her parents' treason conviction. She initiates the escape from Sunnydale Farm, recognizing the fire as their only opportunity to break free and clear their family name. She frequently utilizes her innocent appearance and quick thinking to lie to adults, manipulate authorities, and secure resources. Her impulsive bravery balances her brother's cautious approach during their cross-country flight.

Miguel is a fifteen-year-old serving time for manslaughter after accidentally killing his abusive stepfather. He operates with a cynical understanding of the justice system, believing that wealth and luck dictate outcomes rather than truth. He provides the sheltered Falconer siblings with essential street smarts, teaching them how to steal vehicles, change their appearances, and evade police blockades. Despite his rough exterior, he demonstrates a profound need for family and safety.

Frank is a covert CIA agent who recruited the Falconers to write terrorist profiles before vanishing completely. The federal government denies his existence, leaving him as the sole individual who can clear the Falconers of their treason charges. He exists largely in photographs and memories, representing the children's only hope for justice.

Emmanuel is the FBI agent responsible for capturing the Falconer parents and securing their treason convictions. He struggles with a growing sense of guilt, suspecting that his aggressive pursuit of the case led to a miscarriage of justice. Operating outside his official jurisdiction, he attempts to track down the escaped children to protect them from the dangers of life on the run.

Hairless Joe is a pale, bald man who actively hunts the Falconer children. He breaks into their former summer rental home and demonstrates professional combat skills during a violent confrontation. He seeks to eliminate the siblings to prevent them from uncovering the truth about their parents' case.

John is a criminology professor and author of detective novels who receives a life sentence for treason. He and his wife secretly drafted terrorist profiles for the government before those documents allegedly fell into enemy hands. Though locked away in a federal prison, he continues to help his son indirectly through the survival tactics written into his Mac Mulvey crime thrillers.

Louise is a criminology professor serving a life sentence in a federal prison for treason. She insists that the government framed her and her husband after they provided profiles of terrorist cells. Her calm, logical advice frequently returns to her children's minds, giving them the emotional strength to survive dangerous situations.

Seth is an inmate at Sunnydale Farm incarcerated for creating a computer virus that shut down a network of ATMs. He lacks practical physical skills and panics immediately when a kerosene lantern sets the henhouse on fire. He flees the scene to find a supervisor, leaving Aiden to handle the flames alone.

Freddy is Miguel's older brother living on parole in a small apartment in Union City, New Jersey. He prioritizes his own freedom and his pregnant girlfriend's safety over his brother's needs. He provides Miguel with cash but permanently banishes him from the home to avoid drawing police attention.

Adler is a bureaucrat working for the Department of Juvenile Corrections who oversees facilities like Sunnydale Farm. He focuses entirely on institutional order and plans to heavily penalize the escaped children rather than understanding their motives. He views the fugitives strictly as administrative problems that need to be locked away.

Jane is Frank Lindenauer's girlfriend who accompanied him on a summer vacation with the Falconer family in Vermont. She features prominently in a hidden photograph that gives the children their first real clue.