Thief-Taker General

"Didn't you know, Garrett? Greed is a sin and you must be punished for your sins. But I understand greed, my friend, where it comes from. You made it so easy; all I had to do was get you in the building. You see, I know you better than you know yourself. You'll swing from a noose in the morning, Master Thief. Guards! Seize that overgrown rat!"

- The Thief-Taker General

Thadeus Harlan, better known as the Thief-Taker General is a major antagonist in the 2014 video game Thief. He earned his nickname due to his obsession with hunting and killing thieves. He is the cruel leader of the City Watch and a henchman of Baron Northcrest.

The General's weapon of choice is a wrist mounted crossbow which he can arm with several unique bolt heads ranging from fire to blast. It mirrors the arrowheads that Garrett employs in his profession.

History
"Robbing the dead of their valuables and their dignity? The Thief-Taker General exeeds his own reputation"

- Garrett after witnessing the General's cruelty

As the leader of the City Watch, he squeezes the criminal element of the City into submission through the "Black Tax", promising immunity in exchange for money. The only individual in the city who doesn't pay the tax is Garrett, remarking that "You can't tax what you can't catch." This makes Garrett not only a symbol of defiance against the General, but someone who would be a prime example to the criminal element should he be hung by the neck.

The Thief-Taker General is first encountered when Garrett and Erin are invading Baron Northcrests manor. He sees Garrett and Erin on the manor's roof and heads there with his soldiers. When the glass breaks under Erin, Garrett jumps to save her from falling, although unsuccessfully. To prevent himself from the same fate, Garrett shoots his grappling hook like claw into the General's leg. This results in said leg's amputation, causing the General to go after Garret even harder.

The General is seen again at a slaughterhouse, where corpses are searched for valuable goods. The Thief-Taker General supervises this, eventually stepping in when he recognizes a particular body. After searching it, the General asks the worker what the body had on him, and the man tells him that he found nothing. The General then forces the man to cut the body up, resulting in him finding a ring. The General then executes the worker for his lack of concentration. He then leaves the room, not before telling another man to burn both bodies. Garrett decides to steal the ring back from the General. While doing so, he is seen by the General, who sends his men after Garrett, who successfully manages to escape the compound with the ring.

Brothel
While searching a brothel for clues, Garrett also meets the Thief-Taker General again. After finding the book, Garrett leaves the crypts through a vent, which brings him exactly under the General's bed. When the prostitute touches his crippeled leg, he begins tp beat her up. Drawn by the screams, the brothels owner arrives, telling the General to stop immediately. He then orders the General to take his Black Tax and leave, elsewise he cuts off the General's testicles. Angry, the General shoves the prostitute to the ground. She sees Garrett under the bed and starts screaming, alerting the General who flips the bed, pinning Garrett underneath. Garrett escapes and locks the General up in the burning room.

Next encounter
While Garrett tries to break into a safe, the Thief-Taker General shoots a dart from his wristgun through Garrett's hand. Revealing that he set a trap for Garrett, he then orders his men to take him. However, Garrett manages to escape.

Last encounter
The Thief-Taker General next appears during Orion's ritual. While Garrett and Orion argue about the use of Erin and the Primal, the General appears, claiming that he waited a long time to see Garrett hang, but now will not wait for the noose and will instead kill Garrett with his bare hands. Garret has now the choice to fight and kill the general, or to slowly slip out of the room.