The security company was incredibly important—it meant Davey could finally post recruitment notices across the entire country through legal, proper channels.
And the people he'd be bringing in wouldn't be low-level street thugs like the ones in gangs now, but men with real military training.
They might not match the Sharpshooters in sheer skill, but each one of them would be far more capable than an ordinary gang member.
Of course, this also meant Davey's expenses were about to skyrocket.
After thinking it over, Davey decided to start by hiring around forty security employees.
That would be enough for now, and with proper armed strength behind him, he'd be able to expand his moonshine operation much faster.
At present, federal soldiers—even privates at the very bottom—earned $25 a month. Higher ranks earned more, along with various bonuses.
Davey went to the Valentine Press and submitted a recruitment ad for Land Security Company.
He didn't just publish it in the New Hanover Gazette, but also in the Blackwater Ledger and the Saint Denis Times.
He paid $50 for four consecutive issues.
Most newspapers in the country were weeklies, meaning one issue every seven days.
In other words, Davey had just bought himself a month-long ad campaign.
Recruitment Notice:
Land Security Company, due to expansion needs, is hiring employees across the entire United States.
Requirements:
Age 20–32
Proficient with rifles and revolvers; skilled horsemanship; over three years of relevant experience
Able to follow company assignments and complete tasks diligently
Compensation:
40 Regular Employees: $100 monthly salary. Company provides room and board, uniforms, weapons, and horses. Field assignments receive travel allowances. Six rest days per month. Overtime and bonuses calculated separately.
4 Senior Employees: $150 monthly salary. Includes regular employee benefits plus eight rest days per month. Overtime and bonuses calculated separately. Must pass assessment.
Address: Land Farm, Valentine Township, New Hanover State.
Note 1: Travel expenses (round trip), as well as same-day meals and lodging, will be covered by Land Security for applicants who fail the interview.
Note 2: Applicants unable to buy a ticket may apply at the Post Office—Land Security will guarantee payment.
Davey firmly believed that such generous terms would be irresistible to most people in the country.
This was essentially sergeant-level pay. A typical sergeant made around $80 base, and with all extra allowances might reach $100 at most.
But Davey wasn't looking for average soldiers—he wanted true professionals with real combat experience.
Laid-off Pinkertons, discharged veterans, Bounty Hunters known for their aim—those were the kinds of men he needed.
Naturally, the monthly costs would be enormous.
For a single regular employee: two sets of uniforms for $30, an Evans Repeater for $140, a double-action Revolver for $65, and a horse for $20—totaling $255.
For 44 employees, that came to $11,220.
On top of that was the $4,600 monthly base salary.
Adding food, ammunition, horse upkeep, allowances, bonuses, and overtime, the total monthly payout would likely reach eight to nine thousand dollars.
Still, compared to the moonshine business bringing in over two thousand dollars a day, the expenses remained manageable.
Most importantly, with such manpower, Davey could expand the moonshine operation on a much larger scale.
The next newspaper issue wouldn't be out for another two days, so the interviews would have to wait a bit.
...
Land Farm.
"Holy shit, Davey, have you completely lost it... my God... Land Security Company? Forty-four employees? What, are you trying to become the next Pinkerton?"
"Fuck, a hundred dollars a month? Those fine young men will be storming Valentine like a damn flood."
Even Mac had no idea Davey was planning to start a security company.
When Stella visited last time, everyone assumed it was just about the store and the school.
When Davey told Uncle about it, the man nearly dropped his beloved whiskey bottle.
"Oh, come on, Uncle. We need manpower, don't we? Forty-four employees—it's enough to give us real firepower. The Laramie Gang dares to pick on us because they think we're understaffed."
"Just wait. Once my security company is established, let's see who still dares to mess with us."
"But the interviews are on you, Uncle. I trust your eye. You've bragged enough about that one kid back in the day."
Davey was in a great mood. With the security company, he finally felt he had real protection. In this chaotic western region, even with Sharpshooter skills, he couldn't handle everything by himself.
"Of course, I'd be more than happy to help, Davey. This is a security company, after all."
"Trust me—you're about to see a hardworking old man. I'll pick out the real gunmen for you."
The very idea seemed to fire Uncle up.
Interviews? He'd never done something that interesting before.
Davey laughed. "You might want to pick out a decent outfit, Uncle."
"Certainly. Put it on my tab."