Dead Shot (A Cal Murphy Thriller Book 1)

Chapter 48

Chapter 48
Word had not yet reached the security gate entrance to Cloverdale Industries when Walker rolled to a stop in front of the access arm.
He rolled down his window. 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. He let off the brake and eased on the gas. He heard Mercer snicker from the back seat, hidden beneath a blanket on the floorboard, just like Cal and Kelly had been a few hours earlier. Walker made it seem like that idea was hatched on the fly. But it was a protocol he had developed for Mercer when he needed to gain access to the facility.
Being in deep cover for five years in Statenville had taken its toll on Walker. He was itching to get out and get on with his life. Pretending to be a basketball coach and a part-time janitor was getting old, even if it meant bringing down what was long suspected to be one of the biggest drug cartels in the Pacific Northwest.
Before Walker had established enough evidence to put away the ringleaders for a long time, he needed to find out just how far the Cloverdale cartel extended. Who were the key players? How big of a sweep needed to be in place to bring down a supplier that seemed to proliferate the region? The lingering questions gnawed at Walker.
It was his impatience that caused his latest misstep, one that might cost him his job, especially if he didn't eliminate all the evidence. And in a town that was desperate to keep its dark secret hidden, its residents just might do the dirty work for him.
He parked his car near the back entrance to the plant and grabbed his backpack. In an effort to be cautious, Walker always parked in the only three parking spaces that weren't covered by security cameras. After a quick glance around the parking lot to make sure no one saw him, he tapped on the window and Mercer crawled out, still dressed in his deputy uniform.
Due to the earlier commotion at the plant, Walker missed his opportunity to set up his final domino before setting into motion a plan that would connect all the pieces of the twisted puzzle known as Cloverdale Industries and Statenville. But there was always another shipment going out. Always.