Sam is a career con man and the self-proclaimed brains behind a kidnapping operation targeting a local family. He acts as the first-person narrator, viewing events with a sarcastic and somewhat condescending perspective. Driven by a desire for fast money to bankroll future schemes, he often leaves his partner to handle the physical demands of their criminal undertakings.

Bill is a large con man who partners with Sam to execute their schemes. Despite his physical size and criminal profession, he is surprisingly passive and ill-equipped to handle stressful interpersonal conflict. He acts as the brawn of the operation but quickly finds his patience and physical endurance tested by their young captive.

Johnny is a ten-year-old boy with distinctive fiery red hair and freckles. He is energetic and highly imaginative. He lacks normal boundaries and exhibits a startlingly rough demeanor, feeling no fear toward his kidnappers. Rather than wanting to return to his emotionally distant father, he embraces his abduction as an exciting camping adventure and dubs himself "Red Chief."

Ebenezer is a wealthy mortgage financier living in the small town of Summit, Alabama. He projects an image of upright morality by participating in church collections, but he maintains a harsh reputation for foreclosing on vulnerable neighbors. He remains emotionally distant from his son and operates heavily on financial self-interest.