[ WP ] After escaping from a federal prison and going into hiding , a man rises through law enforcement ranks until he is put in charge of the coldest cases . His first case : himself .

“ Mike! ” Jerry called as he stepped into his employee ’ s cramped cubicle. “ Just wanted to let you know that the Muffin Man behind bars for life. I ’ ve got another assignment for you, this one ’ s a good one. ” 
 
 The information passed far over Mike ’ s head as he lazily grabbed his coffee mug and took a sip. “ Mhm… ” he hummed as he watched the computer flicker to life before him. “ What ’ ve you found this time? ” Behind his slurred words was a brain beginning to fire with excitement once again. He ’ d always loved getting new cases. They gave him a chance at that first hunt of information that he craved. It had once been his stumbling block, but now it was his stepping stool into the other side of society. 
 
 “ A prison break. ” 
 
 “ Hmm… seems pretty standard. ” 
 
 Jerry stepped further into the cubicle and leaned onto Mike ’ s desk. “ A federal prison break. ” 
 
 Mike ’ s eyebrows poked upward. “ You have my attention, ” he said as he spun to face his boss. 
 
 “ I thought that might get to you. You see, this one ’ s one of the strangest cases we ’ ve seen. A man, about 20 years ago, broke from FDC Philadelphia without a trace. ” 
 
 “ No trace means no lead, ” Mike muttered as he turned to login to his desktop. “ I ’ m not a miracle worker. ” 
 
 “ We don ’ t know how he got out, but we have a grainy picture with a timestamp. ” 
 
 “ I thought you said this was going to be a difficult case, ” Mike quipped as Jerry placed the photo onto the desk. “ I ’ m surprised you didn -- ” Mike froze. There, on the table before him, was one security camera he hadn ’ t avoided as he made his escape that night. Every repressed memory of Philadelphia came rushing back in a torrent of fear, anguish, and pain. 
 
 “ You ’ ve already got a lead, don ’ t you Mike? ” Jerry said with a smile. “ I knew you ’ d love this one. ” 
 
 “ You might say that, ” Mike whispered 
 
 “ Well, I ’ ll let you get to it. ” Jerry spun on his heels and left. 
 
 Mike turned to his computer and opened the databases he had used as his tool for years now. Suddenly, they felt evil, sinister, like the fates had finally decided that he was now under their oppressive watch. “ Hmmm… ” he hummed as he finished his coffee and let his mind begin to venture back into his dark past. “ When did Mike Halverson die? ” 

