Chapter 58: The Vault of Vows

The iron doors at the bottom of the dry harbor opened and hissed like a dying snake. I stood in the muck, the wet sand squelching under my boots, and looked into the dark.

"Is anyone going to say it?" Oswin asked. He was wiping mud off his new, solid arms. "Because this looks like a trap. A big, expensive trap."

"It's not a trap," I said. "It's a bank. The Syndicate doesn't waste time on traps when they can just buy you. They like owning people more than killing them."

"Boss, look at the walls," Cedric said. He was already inside, his tablet screen glowing against the white marble. "These aren't decorations. These are filing cabinets."

I walked in and the air smelled like old papers. Thousands of thin gold plates were slotted into the walls, each one etched with a name I recognized.

"That's the Mayor," Jarek said, pointing to a plate. "And the Chief of Police. Even the guy who runs the fish market is here."

"Why would they put their names on the wall?" Malone asked. He was still stumbling around, trying to get used to having a heart that actually beat. "It seems like a lot of work for a name tag."

"No," Cedric whispered. He pulled a plate from the wall. A blue system screen popped up over it. "It's a lease Cyprian, look at the terms."

I leaned in. The text was tiny, but the system translated it for me instantly.

\[Object: Human Soul\]

\[Owner: Gilt Syndicate\]

\[Term: 99 Years\]

\[Status: Leased\]

"Leased?" I asked. "They didn't sell them?"

"That’s the trick," Cedric said. "If you sell your soul, you're dead and you're a ghost. But if you lease it, you stay in your body. You get the power and the money. You just don't own yourself."

"It's a pyramid scheme," I said. I felt a sick laugh bubbling up. "The politicians lease their souls for power and they use that power to make the citizens go into debt. The debt turns into Soul-points. It’s a closed loop."

"And we just broke the loop," Oswin said as he kicked a gold plate. "What happens to the lease if the bank is empty?"

"The bank isn't empty," a voice crackled over the comms. It sounded cold.

\[System Alert: Unauthorized Frequency Detected\]

"Who is this?" I asked. I looked around the marble hall. "A friend," the voice said. It was deep. "Or a consultant. Depending on who pays the bill today."

"I know that voice," Malone said. He went pale. "That's Langley. Captain Langley."

"The guy from Aethelgard?" I asked. "The one who hunted you?"

"He's a butcher," Malone whispered. "If the Syndicate hired him, it means they’re done moving debt around. They want us erased."

"I'm not here for Malone," Langley’s voice boomed through the speakers. "Malone is a ghost story. I'm here for the man who thinks he can audit the world."

"I'm right here, Langley," I said. "Come and get your check. I’ve got plenty to go around."

"I don't want your points, Fenwick," Langley said. "The Syndicate offered me a seat on the board. All I have to do is bring them your head and that tablet."

"He's close," Jarek said. He drew his weapon. "I can hear engines. Above us."

"Cedric, how many of these leases can you break?" I asked. "Cyprian, there are thousands!" Cedric yelled. "I'd need a week of uptime!"

"We don't have a week," I said and grabbed the gold plate from his hand.

\[System Prompt: Spend 500,000 Soul-points to unlock Skill Tree: Legal?\]

\[Cost: 500,000 SP\]

\[Current Balance: 1,200,000 SP\]

"Do it," I muttered.

\[Skill Unlocked: Contract Nullification (Rank 1)\]

\[Effect: Forcefully terminate any active soul lease within a 50-meter radius.\]

\[User Level Up: 45\]

"Watch this," I said. I slammed my hand against the marble wall. A wave of blue light exploded from my palm and the gold plates started to pop out of their slots. They hit the floor and shattered.

"What are you doing?" Malone yelled, ducking as a plate flew past his head. "I'm firing the government," I said.

\[Notification: 412 Soul-Leases Terminated\]

\[Notification: 890 Soul-Leases Terminated\]

"Cyprian, you're killing their power base!" Cedric laughed. "The Mayor just lost his backing! The whole city is going to wake up free!"

"It won't matter if we're dead," Oswin said. He pointed toward the vault entrance.

A shadow fell over the doorway. It was a man in a heavy coat. He carried a rifle that looked like it was made from a tank barrel. His eyes were covered by a red visor that flashed.

"Is that him?" I asked. "That's him," Malone said. "That's Langley."

The man stepped into the vault and didn't look at the dust on the floor. He just looked at me.

"Nice trick with the wall," Langley said. "But a dead man can't hold a contract."

"I'm not dead yet," I said. "And I just liquidated your employers' retirement fund. They're broke, Langley."

"The Syndicate has more funds," Langley said. He raised the rifle. "They told me you were smart. They didn't tell me you were suicidal."

"Wait," I said. "Before you pull that trigger. Did they tell you what happened to the last consultant?"

Langley paused. He tilted his head. "I don't care about the last guy. I'm the best there is."

"That's what he said too," I said. "But he didn't have a soul-points balance. You’re working for a paycheck. I’m the guy who signs them now."

"Shut up," Langley growled. "I’m done talking. My contract is for your head, not your jokes."

My tablet buzzed in Cedric's hand. He looked down and his face went totally pale.

"Cyprian," Cedric whispered. "He's not just a consultant."

"What is it?" I asked, not taking my eyes off the rifle. "I just got a ping on his ID," Cedric said. "The Syndicate didn't only hire him. They gave him admin access to your account."

Langley grinned, and his red visor flashed purple. "Like I said," Langley whispered. "I'm a consultant. And the first thing I do is cut the overhead."

The red light on his visor turned dark, and the system icons in my vision began to flicker and die.