Going After Cacciato: Chapter 36 Summary & Analysis

It is midnight, on the night before the soldiers are scheduled to be executed in Tehran. The soldiers’ necks are shaved once again. They’re fed, and then sent to a shower stall where they’re washed and cleaned. Then they’re sent back to their cell. There, Doc and Oscar write letters, while most of the soldiers sleep. Paul Berlin can’t sleep—he stays up, wondering what will happen next. Eventually he falls asleep, thinking of his mother and father.

In his dreams, Berlin imagines Cacciato’s round face. Suddenly, he feels Sarkin shaking him awake. Sarkin tells him that he needs to go, immediately. Berlin imagines Cacciato whispering, “Go.” There’s a sudden explosion, and the gate of the cell blows open. Berlin and his fellow soldiers race out of the cell, following by the sound of gunfire.

Berlin runs away from his cell. Outside, he continues running, and imagines a getaway car, too—“why not?” he thinks. Oscar drives everyone away from the prison. Berlin sits with Sarkin in the back seat. Oscar drives through Tehran, eventually driving onto a huge traffic loop. Suddenly, the soldiers notice a tank, carrying a squad of soldiers, pursuing their car. Oscar manages to drive away from the tank while avoiding fire.

The soldiers continue to drive away from their pursuers. They’re silent, but extremely tense. Berlin looks out the window of the car and sees the stars and the mountains in the distance. He remembers the vote the soldiers took—everyone touched the grenade. The only exception was Cacciato—while he “touched” the grenade, he gave few signs of understanding what he was being asked to support. As Berlin considers this, Oscar drives the car across the border—the soldiers have arrived in Turkey. Shortly before dawn, they arrive in Ankara.

Oscar tells Berlin to take the wheel while he gets some rest. Berlin obliges. They drive for hours, until they reach “the sea.” Berlin murmurs “It can be done,” and Doc agrees with him.