PAW Patrol - Origins - Book #1

The moon was already high up in the cloudless night sky when Sid made his way to the shed. Well, it was not exactly a shed. It had the appearance of a shed, but it was placed on the edge of a cliffside, miles away from town. And it definitely was not used as a shed.

Sid was a small and spindly man, with the complexion of a scarecrow spent by the strong gust of wind. He was someone who had spent much of his life making sure he did whatever he wanted to do, regardless of what other people wanted or how it affected them. His reputation reflected that. And he certainly did not want to be out here.

As Secretary to the Mayor, Sid rarely stepped out of his office, let alone outside of town hall. The only time he did was to return home to his bed before the sun went down. So being out in the middle of the night was something Sid was not comfortable with. But this was his scheduled report to his boss. His real boss. And his real boss would not like it if he did not update him. Not to mention, there was something else that made this cold trek worth taking.

Upon entering the shed, closing the door behind him, and sitting down, the huge monitor on the wall in front of him lit up, revealing a loading screen. After a moment of suspension, a figure appeared on the screen. The figure was covered in shadow, completely concealing his face and other features. But Sid knew it was him.

Even after all these years, he still had not the faintest idea what his employer looked like, let alone anything about him. But that was how it always was. What Sid did know through rumours and whispers was that the boss was extremely thorough when it came to maintaining his anonymity. Which is why Sid had long ago decided the less he knew, the safer he was.

“Report.” The voice that came through was an unidentifiable distortion, but recognisable enough to know who it was on the other end.

“According to Boris, all of the merchandise, including the extra shipment, has been packed and sold. It has been estimated to double those numbers next quarter. Also, there have been no further mubblings among the police force here since their chief agreed to our new terms. And the Fire Department has finally been completely dissolved-”

“According to Boris, all of the merchandise, including _ and the extra shipment, has been successfully packed and sold with record profit. The accountant has estimated that after the next trade, those numbers might not only double but triple their previous predictions. There have been no further issues with the local police in the area since your order was enacted. Also, I have received word from our contact in Port City-”

“What of the factory?”

Sid stumbled over his words, but managed to regain his composure. Of course, his boss would want to know about his factory.

“Oh yes, apologies. The factory is now fully operational, security has been established, and of course, the locals continue to be as passive and ignorant as ever.”

“Are you certain of that?”

A tense pause followed.

Sid took in a deep breath in an effort to try to keep his voice from shaking. There really was no point in trying to hide anything. The chances are that he probably already knew.

“Well,” said Sid, his voice starting to shake. “There were a few incidents where someone was caught snooping around by our associates. I have been told her name is. . . Goodway.”

There was another pause.

“I hope you are prepared if this Goodway becomes a problem.”

“I am,” said Sid, perhaps a little too hesitantly, “I am always ready, sir.”

Sid Weasel was prepared to do anything if it meant ensuring his benefit and survival. He was not planning to share the fate of the others who failed the boss.

“Good. Very good. And Pennywell?” While distorted, Sid could still hear the smirk from the other end. “Has he been behaving himself?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Sid replied, feeling the relief from the tension evaporating from the room. “I am at his side every day, and whenever I am not, I make sure he is observed throughout, and he knows it. The Mayor has not even considered going against you, and he never will.”

A third and much longer pause passed. When Sid had first started reporting to him via the dark screen, he was nervous about these final pauses. Had no idea whether he was just thinking about what was said to him or ready to bombard his subordinate with more questions. Now he knew this was just his boss drinking in the satisfaction of everything going according to plan.

“Excellent. When the next shipments arrive, I will also be sending in supervision to oversee the factory. Make sure to keep up this stretch of good work. It would be a shame if you were to break it after so long.”

Sid was not worried about that. He had been in this seaside town for many years, and every time he made his report, there was always nothing to make the boss angry or even a little annoyed. What could possibly happen that might interfere this time? After all, this is Adventure Bay.

“Of course, sir.”