An omniscient, third-person narrator opens The Chain in the present tense. Chapter 1 focuses on Kylie O’Neill, the 13-year-old daughter of the protagonist, Rachel Klein (previously Rachel O’Neill). Kylie checks social media while she waits for the school bus. Suddenly, a man puts a gun to her head, blindfolds her, and instructs her to get into a car that’s being driven by a woman.

The man and woman explain that Kylie has been kidnapped, but they don’t wish to hurt her—however, they will do so if Kylie’s mother doesn’t meet their demands. Kylie thinks the kidnappers must have mistaken her for someone else, as her mother doesn’t have much money. The kidnappers clarify “it’s not about the money” (4). When Kylie asks why they kidnapped her, the woman tells her to shut up. Kylie knows this area (Plum Island, Massachusetts) well and tries to track the car’s route despite her blindfold. She feels horrible for her mother, who is currently on her way to her oncologist’s office.

The woman drives too fast, and a police officer flashes his lights to signal that he’s pulling her over. The kidnappers panic: Their car is stolen, which the officer might not realize, but he will notice the blindfolded child in the back seat.