“A girl should always be prepared.”

“Shut up,” said Melody.

She was even more thorough, and rougher, with Erik. His pile of weapons and assorted weird shit turned out to be even bigger than Natasha’s. Including several guns, three knives, a full surgeon’s kit, a whole bunch of arcane items that Melody was careful to handle only with her fingertips and at arm’s length, and an Aboriginal pointing bone.

“Oh goody,” said Happy. “I’ve always wanted one of those.”

“Hands off, man,” JC said sternly. “You know very well you’re not allowed killing tools.” He nodded to Melody, and she tucked the bone away in one of her inside pockets. She then searched Erik again, and when she finally gave up and stood back, he turned around and smiled at her.

“Thank you. A little rougher next time, perhaps. Still, was it good for you, too?”

Melody kneed him briskly in the groin and walked away. Erik bent painfully forward.

“I do wish people would stop doing that.”

“You’re weird,” said Happy. “And I know weird.” He looked at the pack on Erik’s back. “Melody . . .”

“He can keep his cat computer,” said Melody. “I don’t want anything to do with the nasty thing.”

“Maybe you should take a few pills, Happy,” Natasha said sweetly. “Oh yes, we know all about your little adventures in chemistry. You should really be working for us. We don’t have to hide our vices, at the Crowley Project; we glory in them. They make us stronger.” And then she looked at JC, and Kim. “Although there are limits. What is that doing here, JC?”

“She’s with me,” said JC.

“With you?” Natasha looked like she wanted to spit. “And you have the brass balls to look down on us? Such relationships have always been strictly forbidden! You know that! The living and the dead cannot join together! It’s . . . unnatural!”

“So it’s all right to eat ghosts,” said JC. “But not love them?”

“Yes! Exactly!” said Natasha. “Pervert!”

“Ectophile!” said Erik. “I may puke.”

“That’s enough,” said JC, and immediately Natasha and Erik looked away, unable to meet his gaze, even muffled behind sunglasses.

And then everyone on the platform looked round sharply, as the sound of something large and heavy approaching blasted out of the far tunnel-mouth. The deafening roar drew steadily nearer, building and building until the platform itself began to shake and tremble beneath their feet.

“What the hell . . . ?” said Melody.

“It’s not a train,” said Happy. “Doesn’t sound even a bit like a train.”

“Could be another hell train,” said JC, again moving automatically to put his body between Kim and danger.

“I don’t think so,” she said.

And then a great dark tidal wave of crimson blood slammed out of the tunnel-mouth, pouring into the station and swamping the rails. More blood gushed out of the other tunnel-mouth, and when the two crimson waves met in the middle of the station, they pounded together so hard the blood flew up to slap the ceiling. More blood came pouring in, blasting out of both tunnel-mouths at once as though it was under tremendous pressure, forced on by more behind. Gallons and gallons of the dark red blood poured in, as though an ocean of blood had found an opening into the everyday world. The stench was appalling, filling the air. The level of the blood rose quickly, lapping against the side of the platform. By the time they had all gathered their senses enough to start backing away, the blood had already overrun the edge of the platform and spilled across the yellow safety line. And still more blood came rushing in, from both sides at once. JC turned to the exit, only to step quickly aside as a great rush of blood surged through the archway, spilling across the platform. Everyone backed quickly away.

Kim hovered in mid air, keeping her feet well above the rising level of blood; but the others had no such escape. The blood was already up to their ankles and rising fast. The spoiled-carrion stench of the stuff was overpowering. Melody glared at Happy.

“Is this real? Or another illusion?”

“Of course it’s real, it’s already past my ankles! Can’t you smell it? This is extremely real blood; though I hate to think where it’s all coming from.”

“Not just blood,” said Erik. He dipped a fingertip into the rising blood and sucked it thoughtfully. “This is human blood.”

“How can you be so sure?” said Melody.

“Trust me,” said Natasha. “You really don’t want to know.”

“I think you can forget about rescuing any of those poor lost commuters,” said Erik. “I wonder what it’s done with the bones . . .”

“Look, this blood really is rising very quickly,” said Happy. “If we don’t find a way out of here soon, we’re going to be swimming in the stuff. Until it reaches the ceiling . . .”

JC looked at him, then at Natasha. “You’re telepaths. Our enemy has to be behind this, controlling the blood. So, working together, could you disrupt his control?”

“Not a hope in hell,” said Happy. “We have to find a way out of here!”

“Keep calm, man,” said JC. “Panic never solved anything.”

“It’s always worked for me!” said Happy.

JC produced his monkey’s paw and activated the Hand of Glory. The others stared at the thing, fascinated.

“Where the hell did you get that?” said Melody, genuinely shocked.

“Yes, JC,” said Natasha. “Where did a Goody Two-shoes like you get hold of a forbidden artefact like that?”

“Could you get me one, too?” said Erik.

“A Hand of Glory can reveal hidden doors and exits,” said JC, waving the Hand this way and that. “But unfortunately . . . it seems there aren’t any. What you see is what you get; and they’re all full of blood.”

“I need some of my pills,” said Happy.

“Could I have some, too?” said Erik.

Melody lost her footing and fell, slipping under the rising blood. Happy surged forward, blood splashing up against his chest. He thrust an unerring hand beneath the surface, grabbed Melody, and hauled her back up onto her feet again. She clung to him, hacking and coughing, soaked in blood. Happy held her until she got her second wind, then she pushed herself away from him, and he let her go.

“Thanks,” she said roughly.

“Try not to be so sentimental” said Happy. “Oh God, I’m going to smell of this blood for months, I know it.”

“Hold it!” Natasha said abruptly. “Listen . . .” They all stood very still, listening. The roar of the inrushing blood seemed to swamp everything else.

“What is it?” said JC.

“There’s something in here with us,” said Natasha, looking quickly around her. “Can you feel it, Happy?”

“Yes,” he said slowly. “There’s something . . . in the blood. Something hungry.”

They all turned this way and that, but the dark red surface of the blood was all but impenetrable. JC bent forward and stuck his face right next to the surface. And perhaps it was his new eyes, but he thought he saw large dark shapes, moving in the blood . . .

“Get back-to-back!” Erik yelled suddenly. “Don’t let them sneak up on us!”

“What is it?” said Melody. “You think we’re under attack by sharks?”

“No! Vampires! There are vampires swimming in the blood!”

As though in answer to his naming them, several of the creatures leapt out of the blood, showing themselves to their new prey. The vampires of the blood ocean had shape-shifted into a new hunting form, long sleek shapes with all of a shark’s brute power. They had great lashing tails, pale grey scales, and two long arms with clawed hands, to stuff food into the wide mouths that took up most of their blunt heads. They had flat black eyes, without a single human emotion in them, and their mouths held row upon row of cruel, jagged teeth.

One went for JC, and he hit it in the head. It immediately sank back into the blood and disappeared. Melody opened fire with her machine-pistol, and the heavy bullets blew great chunks out of the vampire nearest her; but the wounds healed almost immediately. The vampire sharks drew back a little, considering, as they circled the small knot of people. They swam easily through the blood, as though they’d been born to it, and JC wondered briefly where the Intruder had found such foul creatures. In what bloody alien sea were such things spawned . . . ?