The narrative returns to Tuesday, September 6, when armed men barge into the Claiborne house. The men appear to be law enforcement, though Zeitoun is unsure as their uniforms appear mismatched. After asking Zeitoun who he is and having him hand over his identification, the officers arrest Zeitoun and everyone else, including Todd, who arrives just as they are being put onto a large fan boat. Zeitoun initially thinks that they are being forcibly evacuated, as they were supposed to have left the city some time before, so he isn’t too worried. He’s sure that everything will be straightened out in shortly.

When the men are treated roughly and shipped off to a makeshift station, Zeitoun begins to wonder if there hasn’t been some mistake. He hears a few soldiers refer to them as Taliban and Al Qaeda, and though he wants to dismiss what he’s heard, things don’t seem to be going well for any of them. He’s always dreaded this day, the day he’d have problems with the law as a result of his race and religion. When the officers question the men, they find $10,000 in Nasser’s duffel bag, which Zeitoun didn’t even know about.