In the eleventh episode of the first season of Hacker, Shaw embarks on a mission to Wyoming, tracking the mysterious disappearance of a college student named Blake Barker. Blake vanished the evening after a confrontation with another student at a wild party, leaving his mother, Polly, distraught and offering a substantial reward to Shaw for his assistance.
Blake was a crucial part of a high-stakes graduate project, delving into the intricate realm of protein cell folding under the guidance of Professor Lyle Hewitt. His work attracted significant interest from major pharmaceutical companies, making him a highly coveted asset. However, lately, Blake had been grappling with anxiety, the cause of which remained a mystery.
Despite her reluctance, Polly revealed a haunting past, sharing that her own brother had fled similarly when they were young, his body discovered days later. This revelation cast a chilling shadow over Blake's disappearance, leaving Shaw to ponder if Blake could be facing similar demons.
Intriguingly, Shaw's sister, Dory, holds a position as a professor at the university, presenting Shaw with an unexpected avenue for investigation. Despite their year-long silence, Shaw approaches her for help, hoping to gain insights into their father's past case. However, Dory seems more focused on the present, inviting Shaw to dinner.
During his meeting with Lyle, Shaw uncovers a startling revelation - Blake had been falsifying his research results. Although there was no direct confrontation, it was clear that this could have been a factor in his disappearance. Lyle's reticence doesn't yield much information, but Shaw manages to isolate Blake's lab partner, Jada, for further insights. She mentions Blake's presence at the party, piquing Shaw's curiosity.
Working tirelessly with Bobby, Shaw delves into Blake's phone records, searching for clues about his recent romantic entanglements. Meanwhile, a chance encounter at a bar leads Shaw to a crucial discovery - a cowboy hat lying abandoned on the road, identical to the one Blake wore the night he vanished.
Intrigued, Shaw enters the house and stumbles upon a shocking discovery - a device containing compromising photos of Blake, taken by himself. He also finds sex toys hidden in a cabinet, leading him to the store where they were purchased. Bobby's phone call brings more revelations - Blake had been in frequent contact with a girl named Irene Hertzyl. She had invited him to the party but seemingly never arrived, explaining Blake's confusion and subsequent altercation with the wrong girl.
With Irene's photo in hand, Shaw heads to the store, where he confronts her. Irene is startled by Shaw's inquiries about Blake, eventually confessing that she and her husband, Chuck, had been blackmailing Blake. They had found the job on the dark web, but knew little else about the mysterious client who needed "leverage" against Blake.
As Shaw pieces together the clues, the mystery surrounding Blake's disappearance deepens, leaving him more determined to find the truth and bring Blake home safely.
As Shaw's eyes fell upon the telltale smear of blood staining the carpet in the store, he compelled Irene to retrieve the CCTV footage from the previous night. There, the images unfolded a chilling scene: Chuck slamming Blake's head against the counter and dragging him away to some unknown destination. Irene shook her head, clueless as to where he had vanished. Shaw's thoughts abruptly turned from the forgotten dinner with Dory, and he arrived at his RV, his heart heavy with disappointment.
Determined, Shaw asked Bobby to make contact with the mysterious figure lurking on the dark web and arranged a meeting. To Shaw's surprise, the individual turned out to be Dax, Blake's erstwhile lab partner. Dax revealed the sordid truth: Lyle had been the mastermind behind the entire scheme, including the falsified numbers.
With the truth at hand, Shaw was reluctantly forced to collaborate with Dory. She hypothesized that Lyle might be holding Blake captive in one of the underground bomb shelters. As Shaw and Dory drew closer to unmasking Lyle and Chuck's scheme, the pair attempted to blackmail Blake, demanding the location of the pen drive containing all the incriminating evidence.
The tense standoff reached its climax when Shaw confronted Lyle. Lyle, gun in hand, coldly pointed it at Blake while Shaw spoke calmly, trying to reason with him. But Lyle's rage boiled over, and he lunged at Shaw, forcing Shaw to react in self-defense.
In the aftermath, Blake was reunited with his relieved mother, and Lyle faced the inevitable justice of a prison cell. Finally, Shaw and Dory shared the delayed dinner, their conversation deep and meaningful. Dory gently prodded Shaw to visit more often, and they discussed the aftermath of their father's passing. Shaw had chosen to stay behind, wanting to support their mother through her grief, even as Dory rode away with their uncle to the city. Dory insisted that the siblings must stand together for the future and Shaw shouldn't let the past hold him hostage.
