Chapter 13 – The Gas Station Heist

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Rebecca enters a gas station with intent to steal. She feels guilt and shame about the theft, but reminds herself that stealing has become necessary for survival. She scans the aisles and finds a pegboard of cheap prepaid phones. The clerk, Martin, notices her interest and offers refurbished iPhones from a box under the counter, claiming they are clean. He demonstrates one works. Rebecca feigns interest for her daughter, haggles the price from $175 to $165 plus a pack of Marlboros. When Martin turns to fetch the cigarettes, she snatches the phone and runs out.

Key Events

Rebecca enters the gas station and mentally prepares to steal, acknowledging her guilt.
She browses phones and selects a cheap smartphone as her target.
Martin the clerk initiates a conversation about the approaching snow and offers refurbished iPhones.
He demonstrates a phone’s functionality using a SIM card.
Rebecca negotiates the price down and pretends to look behind Martin as a distraction.
When Martin turns to get Marlboros, Rebecca grabs the phone and flees.

Character Development

Rebecca: Her internal conflict between guilt and necessity deepens. She is a practiced thief, attuned to opportunity, and skilled at manipulation (feigning interest, using distraction). The theft of a phone (rather than food or cash) suggests she is thinking ahead, perhaps about communication or escape.
Martin: Presented as a friendly but shady entrepreneur. He sells potentially stolen goods from under the counter and is easily manipulated by Rebecca’s charm. His willingness to haggle and his eagerness to make a sale reveal his own moral flexibility.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Theft as Survival: Rebecca’s rationalization of shoplifting as equivalent to doing laundry or hunting cottontails frames crime as a normalized part of her fugitive life.
The Phone as a Double-Edged Tool: A smartphone represents connection, information, and a possible lifeline—but also a means of being tracked. Rebecca’s choice to steal one indicates a calculated risk.
The Plexiglass Barrier: The screen between Rebecca and Martin symbolizes both protection and vulnerability. Martin feels safe behind it, but it cannot stop her from snatching the phone through the gap.
Christmas Irony: The chapter takes place on Christmas Eve, heightening the contrast between generosity (Martin’s “Christmas” deal) and exploitation (Rebecca’s theft).

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter reinforces Rebecca’s resourcefulness and moral ambiguity. It shows her evolving from passive scavenger to active manipulator, willing to use charm and deception against a stranger. The phone she steals will almost certainly become a plot device—either for contact with someone, or as a risk that draws pursuers. The scene also raises questions about Martin’s operation: Who supplies his refurbished phones? Could this lead to repercussions? Finally, the theft juxtaposes the holiday season with the harsh reality of Rebecca’s life, deepening the story’s tension.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Rebecca feel guilty about stealing from the gas station, even though she has done it before?
Rebecca’s guilt stems from a residue of moral conscience. The clerk is a fellow human being, and she recognizes that she is taking advantage of his trust. The guilt transforms into resentment, a defense mechanism that makes the theft easier to commit. Her self-awareness shows she is not a sociopath but someone forced into crime.

2. How does Martin’s behavior hint that the phones may be stolen?
Martin keeps the phones in a box under the counter rather than on display, offers them at a steep discount, and becomes defensive when Rebecca asks if they are stolen. His eagerness to demonstrate the phone with a SIM card and his willingness to haggle suggest he is desperate to sell quickly—likely to move hot merchandise.

3. What does Rebecca’s choice to steal a phone (rather than food) reveal about her priorities?
Rebecca has likely already secured immediate necessities (food, shelter). The phone signals a shift toward long-term planning: she needs to communicate, gather intelligence, or arrange a next move. It also indicates she is willing to take a greater risk (a bulkier item, closer to the clerk) for something more valuable than basic supplies.