Zack McDonald, the night shift guard, stood just outside his hut and hunched down to start an unwelcome conversation.“Hi, Buddy,” came McDonald’s cordial greeting. “I heard you went home sick earlier today. You make a sudden recovery?”Walker shifted in his seat, fingering the gun just out of sight from McDonald’s view. He never knew McDonald to be rude, but he wasn’t someone that could be easily fooled either. Shooting him would definitely gain him immediate access to the facility, but a mounting body count wouldn’t help his already shaky cause. He took a deep breath and decided to keep lying.“I’ll be honest with you, McDonald, too much of Ray-Ray’s barbecue isn’t always a good thing, if you know what I mean. I feel OK now. Got no sick time either. If I don’t get paid, I can’t take care of my sick mother this month.”McDonald bought every lie. He raised the arm for Walker.“Well, I hope you get to feeling a hundred percent soon. And the way you care for your mother, Walker … You’re an inspiration to us all.”Walker nodded and smiled.
