The guard came over to the door of the cell and peered downward suspiciously. "Don't pull any phony sickness with me, Conroy. I'm not going to come into that cell."
Conroy hadn't expected him to. Only a fool would fall for that ancient gambit—but it served Conroy's purpose to have the guard come close to the door.
With one smooth motion, he pulled out the stunner and fired. The guard looked astonished for a bare instant, then dropped senseless.
Quickly, Conroy ran over, put his arm through the bars, took the key, and applied it to the plate. As the field shut off, he heard a voice.
"Hey! What's going on down there?"
Conroy swore silently. It was the other guard!
He straightened up and surreptitiously pocketed the vibro-key, remaining inside the cell with the door open. He waited for the other guard to approach.
"What happened here?" the guard said, running up with a drawn pistol.
"I didn't do anything," Conroy said. "He just keeled over like that." He shrugged innocently.
The second guard frowned and reholstered his pistol in order to bend over his fallen companion. That was just what Conroy had been waiting for. He jerked up the stun gun and fired.