| Jane | Austen | An English novelist. |
| Charlie | Bagnold | Head of the kidnappers. Aka: Charles. |
| Michael | Bagnold | Charles' brother. |
| Paul | Davidson | Anna's husband. |
| Charles | Dickens | An English novelist, story writer and social critic. |
| T.S. | Eliot | A poet and essayist. |
| Sean | Ferris | One of the kidnappers. |
| Benjamin | Franklin | Founding Fathers of the United States. |
| Gerald | Hendricks | Leah's husband's. |
| Katie | Hendricks | Leah's daughter. |
| Leah | Hendricks | A wealthy designer of outdoor equipments. |
| Bernard | Iverson | Charles acquaintance. Aka: Bernie; Mr. Big. |
| Elizabeth | Jarrod | Heath's daughter. |
| Heath | Jarrod | Anna's friend. |
| Ted | Kaezyaski | American domestic terrorist, mathematician and anarchist. |
| Niccolo | Machiavelli | A diplomat and author. |
| Dorothy | Parker | An American poet and writer. |
| Anthony | Perkins | An American actor and director. |
| Anna | Pigeon | A ranger for the U.S. Park Services. |
| Arnold | Schwarzenegger | An Austrian-American actor. |
| William | Shakespeare | An English playwright. |
| Frank | Sinatra | An American singer and actor. |
| Richard | Speck | An American rapist and murderer of eight student nurses. |
| James R. | Spinks | One of the kidnappers. Aka: Jimmy. |
| Max von | Sydow | A Swedish actor. |
| Herve' | Villechaize | A French actor. |
| Reginald | Waters | One of the kidnappers. Aka: Reg. |
| Mr. | White | Heath's sixth-grade teacher. |
| Cleo | | A terrier. |
| Gwen | | Heath's aunt. |
| Molly | | Anna's sister. |
| Sarah | | Heath's acquaintance. |
| Taco | | Anna's dog. |
| Tanya | | An au-pair. |
| Wily | | Heath's dog. |