Chapter 11 - The Informant in Cellblock C
Before the assault on Thorne's estate could begin, Caleb needed one crucial piece of information: the biometric access codes to Thorne's underground server bunker.
There was only one person alive who possessed those codes besides Thorne himself: Eli 'The Viper' Vance, Commissioner Vance's estranged brother, who had been serving a life sentence in maximum security Cellblock C after Thorne framed him five years earlier to consolidate power.
Disguised as federal transport officers with Sarah Vance's Department of Justice credentials, Caleb and Marcus walked through the reinforced titanium gates of Blackwood Maximum Security Prison.
In the private consultation cell, Eli Vance sat shackled to the floor—a gaunt, scarred man with piercing eyes who looked like an older, broken version of the Commissioner.
"You've got nerve bringing Daniel Reed's boy into my cage," Eli chuckled darkly, his voice sounding like grinding stones. "What do you want, little prosecutor?"
"We want to destroy Frank Thorne," Sarah said calmly. "And we know you want revenge for the five years you spent in this hellhole."
Eli leaned forward, his chains rattling. "Thorne is a monster, little niece. Your father sold his soul to him decades ago. But Thorne's private server room in Ridgeview is protected by a 12-digit retinal encryption that changes every twenty-four hours. You can't hack it from the outside."
"We don't need to hack it," Caleb said, stepping forward. "We know the master override sequence was coded into Thorne's original offshore shell company in 2004. You built that architecture, Eli. Give us the bypass key."
Eli stared at Caleb. He saw no fear in the young man's eyes—only the absolute, relentless spirit of the detective who had almost brought them all down eighteen years ago.
"Why should I help you?" Eli asked. "What's in it for me?"
"When Thorne goes down, Sarah files a petition for judicial review based on fabricated evidence," Caleb replied. "You get a retrial. You get your life back."
Eli looked at Marcus Hale, standing quietly in the corner. "You riding with this kid, Marcus?"
"He's the only honest thing left in this city, Eli," Marcus said earnestly. "Don't die a bitter old convict. Help him finish it."
Eli fell silent for thirty long seconds. Then, he leaned in and whispered a string of alphanumeric characters into Caleb's ear.
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"If you make it out alive, kid," Eli murmured, "tell my brother Walter that I'll see him in hell."
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