In a home invasion, Clarence Darby (Stolte) rapes the wife of Clyde Shelton (Butler) before killing her

and their daughter. Prosecuting Attorney Nick Rice (Foxx) is unable to securely convict Darby. Unwilling
to take a chance on lowering his high conviction rate, he makes a deal with Darby, who pleads guilty to a
lesser charge and receives a reduced sentence in exchange for testifying against his accomplice, Rupert
Ames (Stewart); Ames only intended to steal goods from Shelton and flee, and was totally unaware of
Darby's plan to kill Shelton's wife and child. Ames is convicted and sentenced to death, while Darby is
released after a few years. Clyde feels betrayed by Rice's actions and the justice system.

Ten years later, Ames is executed. Unknown to the prosecutors and witnesses, the drug usually used has
been replaced with an anticonvulsant, causing Ames to die painfully. Evidence implicates Darby. An
anonymous caller alerts Darby as the police draw near and directs him to a remote location. Clyde,
disguised as a police officer, reveals himself as the caller and paralyzes Darby with Tetrodotoxin. He
straps Darby to a table and video records dismembering him. When Darby's remains are found, evidence
ties his death to Clyde. Clyde willingly surrenders and goes to prison.

Rice learns his wife and daughter have been sent the dismemberment video and are traumatized by it.
He initially refuses a plea bargain with Clyde, but District Attorney Jonas Cantrell orders Rice to make a
deal. Clyde demands a new bed in his cell in exchange for a "confession." In court, Clyde represents
himself and successfully argues he should be granted bail, then berates the judge for accepting the
"bullshit" legal precedents he cited and for being too eager to let madmen and murderers back on the
street. The judge jails Clyde for contempt of court.

Clyde demands a steak lunch and a music player be delivered to his cell by a specific time, in return for
telling where to find Darby's lawyer, who was reported missing. Rice agrees, though the lunch is delayed
by a few minutes by the warden's security measures. Once he has his meal, which he shares with a
cellmate, Clyde provides a set of coordinates where Rice and the others find Darby's lawyer, buried alive
but suffocated by time-mechanized materials while Clyde's lunch was delayed. As loud music plays in
Clyde's cell, he proceeds to kill his cellmate with the bone of his steak, forcing the warden to secure him
in solitary confinement.

Cantrell arranges a meeting with a CIA contact and brings Rice. They learn Clyde previously worked with
the agency, creating imaginative assassination devices and orchestrated intricate tactics against nearly
impossible targets. They are warned Clyde can kill anyone anytime he wishes. During a meeting with
Rice and Cantrell, the judge dies when her cell phone explodes. Clyde demands all charges against him
be dropped or he will "kill everyone". Rice takes precautionary measures instead. After a deadline has
passed, a number of Rice's assistants die from car bombs. Rice meets with Clyde in private and punches
him repeatedly. Clyde stands his ground and tells Rice that he is just beginning to destroy the current
system and all who believe in it. Leaving the funeral of a colleague, Cantrell is killed by a weaponized
bomb disposal robot. The mayor puts the city on lockdown and promotes Rice to acting District
Attorney.

Rice learns that Clyde owns an auto garage near the prison. A tunnel leads to a cache of guns, disguises,
and other equipment below the solitary confinement cells, with secret entrances to each cell. He and
Police Detective Dunnigan realize that Clyde wanted to be in solitary confinement all along; this allows
him to easily leave the prison without detection, carry out his pre-meditated murders while misleading
the cops who assume he must have accomplices. Evidence points to Clyde's next target, City Hall, where
the mayor is holding an emergency meeting. Rice and his men cannot find Clyde but discover evidence
pointing to a cell-phone-activated suitcase bomb in the room directly below the meeting.

Clyde returns to his cell. He is surprised to find Rice waiting for him. Clyde suggests another deal, but
Rice says he no longer makes deals with murderers, thanking Clyde for teaching him that. Rice warns
him to not do anything he will regret, but Clyde's cell phone is ready to be dialed to activate the City Hall
bomb. When Clyde dials the phone, Rice leaves immediately. Clyde realizes too late that Rice has moved
the bomb to his cell, which is now sealed. Clyde holds his daughter's bracelet, accepting his fate as the
bomb explodes.

The epilogue shows Rice watching his daughter in a musical stage performance, an activity for which he
previously didn't find time.