25: Get Along, Go Along (Lester Malloy)

Lester Malloy was just finishing up the day's paperwork when he heard a knock on the door. “Open,” he said, not looking up.

The door opened, and a guard named Sharon Brennan stepped into the room. She was out of uniform—she'd just finished her shift and was almost ready to head home when she got the call. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Yeah.” Malloy signed a document, and stood up. “Working D Block tomorrow night, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Need you to do something for me. Know how, when the cells close at lights out, there's warning lights for any that don't lock?”

“...yeah?”

“If one goes of for Hiram Jenkins tomorrow night, just ignore it.”

Brennan couldn't believe what she was hearing. “Ignore it, sir?”

“What I said.”

“For Buckshot?”

“Payment came through today. Oh—make sure you got your armor on, just in case he wants to make a show. Blasts'll still sting a bit, but won't do real damage.”

“But sir, this is...”

Malloy held up a hand, then grabbed a brown envelope from his desk and handed it to her. “Your share. Oughtta help with your dad's cancer treatment.”

Brennan reeled a little, overwhelmed by what was happening. “Why me? What about the others on the shift?”

“Already taken care of. You're a new transfer, so I'm handling this one personally—after this, you'll get paid with the rest of 'em.”

Sharon Brennan fell silent. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and just looking at the warden was starting to make her angry.

“Don't look at me like that,” Malloy snapped. “Last guy had my job is still in the hospital, 'cause he didn't want to play ball.”

The guard cast her eyes down at her feet. She clearly didn't care for his answer...but she also knew that she needed her job. And the bills were piling up...

“Learn to pick your battles, Brennan. Being a martyr doesn't pay for shit.”