Chapter 17 Chapter 17: The Tower of Chains

Chapter 17 Chapter 17: The Tower of Chains
The rooftop wind howled across the open space high above Mexico City, carrying the metallic scent of golden blood and the distant hum of traffic far below. Thaddeus sat at the sleek glass table, keeping his expression calm while his pulse hammered like war drums in his ears.

Uriel hung chained some yards away, golden ichor still dripping slowly from the arrow wound and the black thongs biting into his skin. Guards and thugs surrounded them — ten armored men with dark-arrow rifles, countless others with pistols ready.

Kane leaned back in his chair, swirling the liquid in his crystal glass. “Interesting. Your organization seems to operate completely off the radar. How come we never hear about it in the news? What do you stand to gain by staying so hidden instead of building a public reputation?”

Thaddeus met his gaze steadily and lied with practiced ease, the words smooth on his tongue. “We prefer to work in silence. Public attention brings unnecessary enemies and complications. We focus on acquiring and protecting rare assets that others can’t handle. This angel would strengthen our position significantly. I came here to close the deal tonight, nothing more.”

Stay calm. Thaddeus thought, heart racing. One slip and Uriel bleeds out up here. One slip and we all die tonight.

Kane’s eyes narrowed with interest. He pulled out his phone, dialed quickly, and spoke in a low, confident voice. “SpiroCorp? It’s Kane. I have a new buyer on the table offering ten billion cash for the angel tonight. Yes… serious money.” He listened for a moment, then smiled. “They’re willing to match ten billion.”

Thaddeus didn’t blink. “Fifteen billion.”

Kane’s smile faltered for a split second. He relayed the new figure into the phone. After a brief exchange, he hung up, his expression darkening. “SpiroCorp can’t go higher than ten. The angel goes to the highest bidder here.”

Kane turned back to Thaddeus, eyes glinting with greed. “So… how do you plan to make payment? Fifteen billion is a lot of money to move tonight. Wire transfer? Cash in unmarked bills? I need details, because once this deal is done, there’s no going back.”

Thaddeus held Kane’s gaze and saw the truth there — the man couldn’t be trusted. Even if he somehow produced the money right now, Kane would find a way to betray him the moment the deal was done. The collector’s ambition and hunger were written all over his face, a predator who would rather kill than lose his prize.

He’s already planning the double-cross, Thaddeus thought, stomach tightening. Thaddeus can see it in his eyes. If he pay, he’ll shoot his the second the transfer clears. He knew he had to turn this around now.

Instead of answering directly, Thaddeus turned smoothly to Minister Tate. “If you can pay for the angel and hand him over to me immediately, I have another means to heal your daughter. Everyone goes home happy tonight — you get your heir back, I get the angel, and Kane gets paid.”

Tate stared at him, doubt warring with desperate hope in his eyes. “You’re sure about this? Doctors with the best equipment and millions in resources couldn’t fix her. She’s twenty-four. My only heir. Shot in the chest during a rival hit six months ago. The surgery couldn’t fix the hole in her heart. Doctors say she has weeks. Maybe days. And you’re telling me you can do it just like that? How do I know you’re not lying to get what you want and leave me with nothing?”

Thaddeus leaned in, locking eyes with Tate, his voice low and firm. “I’m sure. I’ve seen what this power can do. I’ve used it. I’ve saved lives that should have ended. I’m not asking you to trust blindly. I’m asking you to let me prove it. Give me the angel tonight, and I’ll heal your daughter right in front of you. No tricks. No games. You walk away with your family intact. We all win.”

Kane’s face twisted with raw greed and anger. He slammed his glass down on the table, the crystal cracking under the force. “Enough of this nonsense! The angel is not for sale anymore. You two can leave my tower right now — with your dying daughter still dying. This conversation is over. Get the hell off my roof before I have my men throw you off like garbage.”

Tate’s temper snapped. He drew a gun in one smooth motion and pointed it straight at Kane’s chest. “You greedy bastard! You’d let my daughter die just to keep your toy? After everything I’ve done for you in this city? You think you can just dismiss me like that?”

The argument exploded between them, voices rising, accusations flying. Thaddeus’s mind raced. Malachi, Raziel — stay ready.

He glanced at them quickly. Malachi’s jaw was clenched tight, eyes flicking between the guards and Thaddeus, wings subtly twitching under his suit. Raziel’s hands were balled into fists, his seer gaze darting across the rooftop as if already calculating every possible future. Both were tense, coiled like springs, waiting for his signal.

How do we survive this? Thaddeus thought, pulse thundering. Guns everywhere. Arrows that can drop angels. One wrong move and Uriel bleeds out up here. One wrong move and we all die.

Kane’s men immediately raised their weapons in response. The tension exploded across the rooftop like a live wire — guns trained, fingers hovering near triggers, the wind whipping around them all.

Thaddeus’s pulse spiked. He saw the opening — the armored guards with the black-arrow rifles had lowered them slightly to draw their pistols instead.

The Ledger suddenly flared in his vision — no touch, no warning, stronger than ever before.

REAPER’S LEDGER – SURVIVAL PROTOCOL 
Immediate threat detected.  
Action: Yank the nearest armored guard and use him as a shield — NOW.

Thaddeus didn’t hesitate.

“Now!” he shouted.

Raziel and Malachi’s suits tore apart as their wings burst free in a blaze of golden light.

The rooftop erupted into chaos.