Some of the positions were surprisingly hard to fill.

Sure, it wouldn’t be hard to assign maids and kidnappers and such to the many floors and rooms that littered the hotel. But some jobs were more… specialized.

Fleiya was lucky, she had managed to get a few of those trickier positions filled. Mostly admin or physical handling, internally. But…there were not too many applying for security.

Sure, it wasn’t the most glamorous job. After all, one had to constantly be patrolling for unauthorized kidnappings and non-personnel type intruders. It wasn’t one where you could just kick up your feet and watch videos for a few hours. The secrets of the business needed to remain intact. 

Their last head of security, Jawson, had recently retired. And his position had yet to be filled by his deputy and assistant security manager, Kersek. Fleiya couldn’t have guessed why that wretched ocelot hadn’t wanted a sizeable promotion, but she had a sneaking suspicion that it had to do with the fact that Kersek was a lazy son of a bitch. He did great work, but he simply knew what he WANTED to do, and did it. No more, no less.

The black unicorn groaned, rubbing her face as she finally opened up her email and looked at the acceptable candidates sent to her by her graders.

One.

A singular candidate in this batch had met the requirements.

Great.

Well. 

This should hopefully make hiring less of a chore.

Fleiya sighed, opening up the resume for contact information.

==

The charr did not expect a callback. In this economy? Wild.

“So. Miss…”

“Sigma.”

“Right.” Fleiya would shuffle her papers a bit, looking on at the strange beast before her. She wasn’t one to judge most of the time, but this was the first outside hire they had had in a minute. Most came with either recommendations from existing employees or came in via their Catch and Entrance program. Sadly, such a program would not suffice for a job like head of security. They needed someone clearheaded and alert…

“So. Do you have any prior experience in this field?” 

“You betcha.” Sigma replied with a toothy smile. “Can hit a target at 50 paces with my trusty goo gun.” she held up her weapon, lovingly polished and kept spotless. Ignoring, of course, the attachments for not only specialized canisters, but also the tube meant for a pack full of extra ammounition 

“...Goo gun?” The unicorn raised an eyebrow.

“Mm. Non-lethal, easy to get off the walls but not out of fur. Made it myself.” She couldn't help but puff himself up a bit, proud of her creation… “Took me years to get it just right, but it’s as marvelous as they come.”

“I see. Well. That is .. unconventional.” Fleiya hesitated before she spoke. Last thing she wanted was to be on the wrong end of this… contraption. “Well, aside from providing your own arsenal, do you have any… PRACTICAL experience? Have you had to deal with intruders face to face?”

“Yep. Had to do work in a plant before, caught some no-good urban explorers tresspassin’.” Sigma replied, leaning back in her chair as she adjusted her eyewear. “Thought they could lose me in the attic area. They didn't see me launching my trap goo out from the shadows. They're probably still up there!” She cackled, slapping her thigh.

“I see. So you're a very ‘shoot first, ask questions later’ type of guard.” Fleiya commented, tilting her head.

“I wouldn't say I’m shoot first. I give the poor bastards a chance to explain themselves if I catch 'em early enough. Unless they decide to run off. Then it’s just a matter of how long I can stop myself from chasing them like the scared little mice they are.” The charr grinned, showing off her fangs.”Though! Most of the places I've worked have been the kind where NO ONE is supposed t’be. So y’know.”

“So you’d be willing to perhaps take a less trigger happy approach for our guests? Some have expressed their disdain for their fur or feathers being sullied by anything.” Fleiya explained. “...not to say I’d blame you if you handled them in that way if they were in… unauthorized areas.”

“Of course! I’m not just some one trick beastie.” Sigma nodded, twirling her blaster idly. “So. Do I have the job?”

“Well, I will be frank with you.” Fleiya put down her paperwork. “You seem to be the only candidate we have who is QUALIFIED for this job. So we are going to float your position, and have you on to see how you handle a typical shift. You will be with our senior security staff member. Dear old Ferdinand, he’s retiring in a month or so.” She shook her head and sighed. “He will shadow you for a week and show you what is expected of you. I’m sure you will be fine.” she held out a hand. “Welcome to the Hostage Hotel team, Miss Sigma.”

“Happy to be here, boss lady.”

=

Ferdinand was a tired old mule. But he liked the cut of Sigma’s jib.

She was quick and reacted nice and fast, able to suss out any minute sounds that were out of the ordinary… he found her attitude to be quite enjoyable, and most importantly, she was able to learn the job faster than anyone he had ever trained.

So it came as no surprise that he would let her run her first solo patrol on the Thursday before she would be hired.

=

Severa was intrigued.

The place ran so smoothly. There were so few issues with the place and its press… one would think that this place would be all over the tabloids, with some scandal of some big shot being found to have been trapped here for months and months. Or something.

Severa had checked in herself, partially to get some rest and relax, and partially to do some snooping.

She was settled on the bed, relaxing and looking over the map of the place… she’d already treated herself to some of the spa amenities they had to offer, massages, facials, and the works. But she’d also managed to get a map of the facility from a friend who had gotten a job here. As such, she was going to go dig up some dirt on the place, maybe get them to comp a few stays here or more.

This place HAD to have some manner of secret. Something juicy and blackmail worthy.

The Charr had been made privy to the comings and goings of the other staff. And her informant on the inside had told her that the head night guard would be taking the night off. So now was as good a time as any to just… have a poke around. Find something fun to photograph.

==

Later that night, when the resort was deep in the throes of slumber or more explicit activities, Severa would get some gear on and slip out of her room.

Her associate had managed to slip her a key card, and it let her access one of the maintenance hallways in the back. It wouldn’t take long for her to slowly navigate her way around. The lack of security was… odd. Not even a camera or a patrolling guard in the back areas. There should have at least been decoy cameras set up to ward off nosy busybodies like herself. But not even that.

The halls were quiet. Unsettlingly so. 

Her paws made barely any sound as she stepped carefully… she had been on the lookout for sensors as well, invisible trip wires and the like… but also nothing.

Nothing that she noticed anyway.

Severa had been noticed a while ago.

And now someone was coming to handle her.

==

She finally made her way into a storage room. One specifically made for long term clients. The Charr would turn on her phone light, looking over the many alcoves and glass topped containers… each once containing a wriggling captive. A few high end movie stars were in here, recognizable in their info cards. A politician here, a surgeon there…

This was astonishing stuff.

To think. They could just be accessed so easily…

Or so she thought.

The single click and sudden ‘splort’ from the darkness happened too quickly for her to react.

Severa would find herself shoved down by a heavy mass of…something. Something sticky and gluey and hard to move in. 

Something familiar 

“What the-?! SIGMA?!”

“Hey, Severa.” The new night security guard said, padding from the darkness and twirling her blaster. “Y’know, you really should know better than to be poking your nose where it doesn't belong.”

“Unhand me this in-WHOA!” She had been teetering on her tiptoes for a bit, and now she was on the floor, facedown and more tangled in the gluey mess. “Let me OUT of this! Or I swear-”

“You aren't exactly in any position to be making demands.” Sigma purred, looming over Severa. “I’m tempted to just leave you like this, let the day security guards handle you. But I got a boss to impress. And what better way than to present him with a nosy little Charr for them to lock up as an example?” Sigma grinned widely, holding her blaster up over the other’s head.

‘S…Sigma don’t don’t you dare…!” Severa stammered, before a smaller glob of the glue-like substance was dribbled from the gun, slowly dripping over her muzzle… any attempts to shake it off only made it spread more, all over her mouth…

Not a single sound to escape the intruder’s mouth.

“There we go.” Sigma said, taking out a cell phone and taking a photo with her irate catch. “Now just gonna send this over to the boss and maybe they’ll go easy on ya.” She laughed, settling in a folding chair nearby.

“N…nph…!” Severa couldn’t move, couldn’t speak! It was hard to even breathe around this gunk, shaking her head to try and get airflow…

“Oh! Boss says he’ll bring the rest of his boys in. Get you put away for a nice, long time. I’d better make sure he and the guys have gloves. Keep you wrapped up in my special mix of trap glue…” Sigma stretched, yawning and turning away from her helplessly pleading captive.

It had already been a good first solo patrol.

Hopefully, more silly bastards would come snooping around. 

If she could keep luring such curious people in, like journalists… she’d be able to keep testing her formula.

Perfecting it.