The antagonist of the season is CIA Deputy Director Harlan Gaines and the terrorist organization ISIL. It is revealed that Michael was recruited/coerced by the CIA (specifically a rogue element known as "Poseidon") to work as a terrorist forger, which led to his imprisonment.
– Lincoln is captured. He wakes up chained in a dark cell. A familiar voice whispers, "Don't turn around. They're listening. The floor in front of you—the third stone is loose. Behind it is a spoon. Start digging. I’ll find you in three hours." The camera pans to reveal Michael’s tattoo is gone, replaced by fresh scarification—a topographical map of the caves carved into his own flesh. season 5 prison break