Chapter 3: Framed and Forgotten: A Fight for Truth and Vengeance

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Chapter 3: The Plan

Ethan Cole sat on the edge of his bunk, staring at the cold, concrete wall of his cell. His mind was racing, not with fear, but with determination. In the few months since his wrongful conviction, he had been haunted by the betrayal, the loss of his freedom, and the suffocating injustice that had ripped him away from the life he once knew. But now, after weeks of careful observation, secret conversations, and growing trust with his cellmate Ray, a glimmer of hope had emerged—the possibility of escape.

Ray had been planning this for years. He knew every crack in the prison’s defenses, every blind spot in the surveillance system, and every guard who could be bought or intimidated. Now, with Ethan by his side, they were finally ready to put that plan into motion. But the plan wasn’t simple; it would require cunning, precision, and a great deal of luck. One mistake, one wrong move, and they’d be dead or locked away for life.

The prison routine was predictable. Every day, the inmates would rise at 6 a.m., eat a tasteless breakfast, and be shuffled off to their designated jobs—cleaning, laundry, kitchen duty, or maintenance. It was during these seemingly monotonous routines that the key to their escape lay hidden. Ray had drilled this into Ethan from the beginning: “The system works like a machine, and every machine has its weaknesses. We just need to find the right place to slip through.”

The first step in the plan was gathering intelligence. Silverbrook Penitentiary wasn’t just any prison—it was a maximum-security facility designed to keep the most dangerous criminals locked away from society. However, no system is flawless. Over time, Ray had observed that certain guards were more lenient, particularly the ones working the night shifts. They were less vigilant, tired, and bored, creating moments of vulnerability.

Ethan and Ray began their plan by identifying these guards. There was Officer Harris, a heavyset man who spent most of his time sneaking off to smoke in the stairwell, leaving his post unattended for crucial minutes each night. Then there was Officer Martinez, who was young and new to the job. He was nervous, always looking over his shoulder, and likely to crumble under pressure. Ray had a way with people, and it wasn’t long before Martinez was accepting small bribes in exchange for turning a blind eye to certain activities.

The next part of the plan involved communication with the outside world. Ray had been in contact with an old associate, a man named Victor who had connections both inside and outside the prison. Victor was a smuggler, someone who could get almost anything into Silverbrook—cell phones, tools, even weapons. Ray and Ethan knew they would need equipment to execute their plan, and Victor was their best chance to get it. Over the course of several weeks, they used coded messages and intermediaries to communicate with Victor, arranging for a cell phone and a small, makeshift saw to be smuggled into the prison through the laundry service.

Ethan’s role in the plan was vital. While Ray had the knowledge and experience, Ethan had the skills. Before his life had been turned upside down, he had worked as an engineer, specializing in security systems. His expertise came in handy when it came to bypassing the prison’s electronic locks and surveillance cameras. Ray had entrusted him with the task of figuring out how to disable or loop the cameras during their escape.

Ethan spent hours studying the cameras during his daily routines, making mental notes of their angles, the frequency of guard patrols, and the exact moment when each camera’s field of view overlapped. He realized that the guards, in their laziness, didn’t check the cameras as often as they should have. There was a five-minute window between checks where the cameras were left unwatched—a small opening, but one that could be exploited.

Using the contraband cell phone that Victor had smuggled in, Ethan was able to research a method to hack into the prison’s CCTV system. It was risky, but with the right code and timing, he could create a loop in the camera feed, making it appear as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening while they made their move. The code would need to be precise, and it would only buy them a few minutes of invisibility, but it was enough for what they needed.

The next challenge was finding a way out of the cellblock itself. Silverbrook was notorious for its heavy, reinforced doors and constant patrols. However, Ray had discovered an old ventilation system that hadn’t been used in years. It was located in the maintenance wing, a place that few guards bothered to check. The vents were narrow, but just wide enough for a man to squeeze through if he were determined enough.

To reach the ventilation system, they would have to pass through several locked doors and avoid detection. This was where Ethan’s engineering skills came into play once again. He spent weeks secretly crafting a tool from bits and pieces he had scavenged—wires from a broken radio, a discarded screw from a chair, and a piece of metal from a kitchen utensil. It wasn’t much, but it would work as a crude lockpick.

The plan was coming together, but there were still obstacles. They needed a diversion, something big enough to draw the attention of the guards away from their escape route. This is where Ray’s connections inside the prison proved invaluable. He had cultivated relationships with some of the more volatile inmates—men who were always looking for an excuse to start a fight or create chaos. With a few well-placed words, Ray managed to orchestrate a riot. The riot wouldn’t be massive, just enough to create confusion and pull the guards to the far side of the prison.

With the date of the riot set, Ethan and Ray finalized the details of their escape. They would make their move during the night shift when Officer Harris was on duty and Officer Martinez was distracted. The cameras would be looped, the doors would be unlocked, and they would slip into the maintenance wing, crawl through the ventilation shafts, and emerge on the other side of the prison’s perimeter fence.

But the most dangerous part of the plan was yet to come. Escaping from the prison was one thing—getting out of the prison grounds and evading capture was another. Silverbrook was surrounded by miles of dense forest, and beyond that, a network of highways patrolled by state police. Ray had arranged for a vehicle to be waiting for them just outside the forest, driven by one of Victor’s men. They would have to make it to the rendezvous point undetected, or the entire plan would fall apart.

As the day of the escape approached, Ethan’s nerves were on edge. He had never imagined that his life would come to this—planning a prison break, relying on the trust of criminals, and putting his life on the line for a chance at freedom. But as much as the fear gnawed at him, so did the anger. He hadn’t forgotten why he was here, and every time he thought of the man who had framed him, his resolve hardened. He was going to get out of this prison, and when he did, he was going to find the person responsible for destroying his life.

The night before the escape, Ethan and Ray sat in their cell, going over the plan one last time. Ray had a calmness about him, a confidence that only came from years of experience. But Ethan couldn’t shake the feeling that something might go wrong. They were playing a dangerous game, and one slip could mean the end for both of them.

“You ready for this, kid?” Ray asked, his voice low and steady.

Ethan nodded. “I don’t have a choice.”

Ray gave him a long look, then smiled. “That’s the spirit. Just remember, stay focused. We can’t afford any mistakes.”

As the hours ticked by, the prison fell into its usual nighttime routine. The guards made their rounds, the inmates settled into their cells, and the building grew quiet, save for the occasional clanging of bars or the muffled sounds of distant conversations. Ethan lay in his bunk, staring up at the ceiling, his mind racing with thoughts of what was to come.

He replayed the plan over and over in his head, visualizing every step, every door they had to unlock, every corner they had to turn. The code for the cameras was memorized, the lockpick was hidden in his waistband, and the cell phone was tucked beneath his mattress, waiting for the moment they would need it.

The tension in the air was palpable. Even the other inmates seemed to sense that something was about to happen. They didn’t know the details, but prison was a place where rumors spread like wildfire, and everyone could feel the undercurrent of excitement and danger. Some of them would welcome the chaos, using it as a cover for their own plans. Others would simply try to survive the night.

Finally, the hour arrived. The guards switched shifts, with Officer Harris taking his post near the stairwell, and Officer Martinez beginning his rounds. Ray gave Ethan a nod, and they both rose from their bunks, their movements slow and deliberate. There was no turning back now.

As they stepped out of their cell, Ethan felt his heart pounding in his chest. The shadows of the prison seemed to close in around them, but there was no time for fear. They were about to make their move, and the next few hours would determine whether they escaped or spent the rest of their lives in darkness.

The plan was in motion, and the fight for freedom had begun.