Chapter 53 — 1.5 Million Dollars & the Hawkeye Perspective
"Who?"
Veronica blinked, clearly not recognizing the name Sebastian Balfor.
At the same time, she couldn't help feeling that today's client was… strange.
He wasn't asking about charges or evidence — only throwing random personal questions at her.
And the way he looked at her, almost like he already knew her, made her uncomfortable.
So she didn't know Sebastian.
Which meant the timeline was far away from the events of Prison Break.
But William wasn't concerned about Michael Scofield's future jailbreak or the prison politics between gang bosses. What burned in his mind was one person — or rather, one pile of money.
D. B. Cooper.
The legendary man who hijacked a plane and hid 1.5 million dollars, currently serving time in Fox River Prison.
Of course William was tempted.
Only a fool would not be tempted by that money.
But William wasn't blessed with perfect recall — he only remembered fragments of the show.
He knew the money was hidden beneath a house… but the exact address?
That, he didn't know.
Meaning if he wanted the money, he'd have to do what Michael did — get close to D. B. Cooper, gain his trust, and extract the location.
"Mr. Blake?"
Veronica's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Hmm?"
"You mentioned someone named Sebastian Balfor. Who is he? Does he have anything to do with this case?"
Veronica might look gentle, but she was a sharp, capable attorney.
The reason Lincoln Burrows' case became a national scandal wasn't because someone incompetent happened upon the truth — it was because Veronica dug and pushed and refused to stop.
So yes — she could sense when something was off.
William met her gaze, returning a polite smile that revealed absolutely nothing.
It's a shame, really — in the end, Veronica Donovan was erased by a couple of federal rounds to the chest.
And right on cue, the system chimed:
Ding! [Mission triggered:
Intercept the romantic encounter between Veronica Donovan and Sebastian Balfor.]
[Reward: Eagle-Eye Vision
EAGLE-EYE VISION — description:
A bloodline-based special ability.
When activated, the user sees people as glowing silhouettes indicating their relationship to the host:
Red — enemies / threat / bloodshed
Blue — allies
White — information nodes or hidden points
Gold — primary targets or persons of interest]
William: "????"
If the system had given him a mission to save Veronica from her tragic fate, sure — that would make sense.
But steal her lover?
That was… spectacularly petty.
System, you might be broken.
And I love that for you.
Not that taking someone else's woman was the point — the real prize was Eagle-Eye Vision.
Straight-up Assassin's Creed extrasensory perception.
Even in a non-supernatural TV-world, that ability would be insanely useful.
And who knew — maybe tomorrow Iron Man or the Hulk would crawl out from some crossover corner.
Better to be prepared.
So yes — William had to complete this mission.
He spaced out again. Veronica waved her hand in front of his face.
"Mr. Blake — are you listening?"
She wasn't happy.
She wasn't a supermodel, no — but she was a lawyer, one of the three most admired professions in America: doctor, lawyer, executive.
And yet this man across from her looked like he could barely be bothered to stay conscious during a consultation.
Was her charm fading?
"Sorry. Something came to mind. Let's go back to the case."
William deflected with a dry laugh.
Sebastian was off the table — now that the mission existed, he wasn't about to let Veronica meet her future fiancé.
Veronica nodded and switched back into professional mode.
"Based on the evidence and the statement records, this case isn't serious. In all likelihood, the court will issue a symbolic sentence. Considering good cooperation, first-offense status and the minors involved, Lip, Ian, and Debbie will probably only need to go to juvenile hall to register — not serve time."
Even if it was a small case, Veronica worked like it was a federal crime.
She was taking it more seriously than William.
For William, their fate was irrelevant.
The only thing that mattered was the reward tied to Fiona — Bullet Time.
At that moment, the door opened.
Fiona rushed in, still wearing her work apron, breathless.
"I'm not late, am I?"
"You must be Miss Gallagher? Don't worry — we just began."
Veronica greeted her warmly, extending a hand.
Fiona blinked, then shook her hand.
"What a coincidence — my best friend has the exact same name."
Introductions done, Veronica returned to the case details.
When Fiona heard that her siblings would likely avoid detention entirely, she burst into tears of relief.
Her gratitude toward William swelled again.
Because the reality was simple:
Without William paying, someone like Veronica Donovan would never take the Gallagher case.
A South Side girl like Fiona would get a public defender, and pray.
In America — the supposedly perfect land of "justice" — verdicts are shaped by:
the lawyer
the judge
the DA
and even the jury
Long before anyone sees a courtroom.
That's why Veronica would be working her contacts — quietly — to secure the outcome she promised.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Miss Donovan!"
Fiona grabbed both of Veronica's hands — she looked ready to cry on her shoulder.
"If I weren't a woman, I'd kiss you right now."
"It's nothing, Miss Gallagher," Veronica replied gently. "I'm just doing my job. I'll walk you out."
Outside the firm, the Black BMW was parked at the curb.
William had barely sat down when Fiona slid across the center console and launched herself into his lap.
Her cheap perfume hit him full force.
He slipped an arm around her slim waist, tracing the softness of young skin…
While his other hand held Veronica Donovan's business card.
And in the back of his mind, one question:
How do I get that Eagle-Eye Vision reward?