Chapter 206 of All the Colors of the Dark delves deeply into Patch’s efforts to prevent the impending execution of Marty Tooms, the man who had previously abducted him. With the execution date rapidly approaching, Patch is overwhelmed with a sense of urgency and takes several crucial steps in an attempt to halt the process. He begins by writing letters to the Supreme Court, urgently requesting a stay of execution, hoping that the court might grant a reprieve. In addition to these legal efforts, Patch reaches out to a variety of ministers from different churches, pleading for their help in appealing to the district attorney, attempting to generate enough pressure to delay the execution. His desperation grows as he immerses himself in legal research, studying capital punishment law in detail. Patch scours through cases of past executions that were overturned, hoping to find a similar situation that could serve as a legal precedent for Tooms’ case. However, as he digs deeper, he quickly realizes that the legal loopholes he had hoped to exploit are not applicable in this particular situation. With each passing day, the feeling of helplessness creeps in as Patch watches time slip away, realizing that the system is moving forward with an unstoppable momentum that he cannot counter.

Amidst these efforts, Patch discovers Teddy Fawn Durston, a Democratic candidate for governor of Missouri, who has publicly supported implementing moratoriums on the death penalty. This discovery offers Patch a new avenue to influence the political landscape surrounding capital punishment. Driven by a sense of urgency, Patch contacts Sammy and instructs him to make a large donation to Durston’s campaign, believing that the contribution could sway public opinion and potentially delay the execution. Patch’s decision to support Durston’s campaign is an attempt to leverage political power in an effort to stall the execution. He believes that if the political atmosphere could shift, perhaps there would be a chance to buy more time for Marty Tooms. However, even as Patch directs all his energy into supporting this political cause, he is acutely aware of the limited control he has over the situation. The mounting pressure and the fleeting hope of political intervention only add to Patch’s mounting anxiety, as he grapples with the reality that every step he takes may be futile against the looming threat of the execution.

The situation takes a grim turn when Patch is handed a copy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch by Cooper, which details the latest developments regarding the execution. Despite his attempts to remain optimistic and his belief that he might still be able to influence the outcome, the article delivers the hard truth. Patch reads with growing disbelief and horror that Marty Tooms is scheduled to be executed in just over two weeks. The finality of the situation hits Patch harder than he expected, and the weight of the impending execution becomes unbearable. As Patch processes the information, his thoughts turn to Grace, a significant person in his life whose fate is closely tied to Tooms’. He realizes that Grace will also face grave consequences as a result of the execution, and this thought weighs heavily on him. The chapter concludes with Patch consumed by a profound sense of loss and despair. He is left grappling with the interconnected fates of those around him, particularly the inescapable realities of the justice system. The emotional turmoil and sense of desperation that Patch feels reflect the larger themes of the chapter: the limitations of individual power against an indifferent system and the overwhelming force of fate. This chapter marks a pivotal moment in the narrative, emphasizing the crushing burden of inevitability and the emotional complexity that defines Patch’s journey.