Summary

In Chapter 69, Cristian and the other young prisoners were forced to kiss the effigies of the dictator and shovel human feces. The guards continued to bring children into the cell in Chapter 70. Shortly after, they forced them back into the van to relocate the prisoners to a juvenile jail. Liliana untied Cristian’s binds during the drive and implored him to run and get help. In Chapter 71, the narrator ran the U.S. embassy in hopes of speaking with Mr. Van Dorn. The guards outside would not permit him to enter but a passerby gave him a ride to the apartment building on his bicycle.

In the following chapter, Starfish helped Cristian escape detection as he headed toward the hospital. The medical building was crowded with wounded civilians and “people [running] by shouting and carrying bloodied bodies” (257). When he was finally able...