“He looks angry,” said Natalia.

“He rarely doesn’t,” said Matt.

“I’m calling Security,” said Karlsson. “This is completely inappropriate.”

That might not be a bad idea, thought Matt, as the hammering intensified. By the sound of things.

“He can pull that door off its hinges if he decides to,” he said. “I think I should talk to him.”

“Be careful,” said Natalia, and gave him a look of clear warning. “I do not like this at all.”

Matt forced a smile. “It’s OK,” he said. “He’s my friend.”

He got up from his desk and walked towards the door. Behind him, Professor Karlsson was on his phone, asking the Security Division to urgently send a team down to assist them; Matt tried to ignore what that would mean, and pulled his ID card from his pocket. He raised it towards the control panel on the wall, hesitated for a split second, then took a deep breath and pressed his card against it. Machinery rumbled into life as a series of locks disengaged and rolled back. Matt reached for the handle, but before his fingers could close round it, the door crashed open and a blur of black and red exploded through it.

“Where is she?” demanded Jamie, his eyes blazing as he seized Matt by the throat. “Where’s my mother? What the hell have you done with her?”

Matt’s eyes bulged. Fingers constricted his throat as he felt himself lifted off the ground. He heard Natalia scream, heard shouted protests as his colleagues scrambled out of their seats and away from what was happening.

“What …” he croaked. “I don’t … what?”

Glowing red eyes stared into his; fury was boiling out of his friend in an almost visible cloud. “You and Jack took her out of her cell last night,” growled Jamie. “Where is she? Tell me right now.”

“Jamie … she’s in the infirmary … please, Jamie.”

The grip on his neck tightened as he was jerked upwards and slammed into the ceiling. A bolt of pain raced through his head, and he saw stars.

“You couldn’t wait?” shouted Jamie. “You couldn’t wait eight hours for me to bring you vamps to do your tests on? You had to use my mother?”

In that moment, despite the dizziness swirling through him, Matt understood what his friend thought had happened, and real fear exploded through him; if he didn’t make Jamie understand that he was wrong, and quickly, there was every chance that this ended with him being badly hurt.

Or worse, he thought.

“Jamie …” he gasped. “I didn’t … we didn’t. She volunteered … I promise you, Jamie … she volunteered. Please …”

A frown creased his friend’s face, and Matt felt the grip on his throat loosen, ever so slightly. He sucked in a desperate, pressure-easing breath and looked down. Most of the Lazarus Project were huddled with Professor Karlsson at the far end of the room, their faces pale with terror, but Natalia was standing directly beneath him, her eyes fixed firmly on his own.

“She volunteered?” said Jamie. His voice had dropped, and the fire in his eyes had lost some of its fervour. “How?”

“She asked to see the Director,” whispered Matt. “She asked him if you were right, if there really was a cure, because she wanted it if there was. The Director told her that we were just getting ready to begin testing it, and she volunteered. Turner gave her a release form and told her to think about it. She said she didn’t need to, but Turner insisted. He sent Jack and me down an hour later to ask if she was still sure. She said she was, Jamie. She said she was sure. What was I supposed to do?”

Jamie’s expression changed, his rage transforming before Matt’s eyes into something that looked a lot like shame. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I should have known you would never hurt her.”

“It’s OK,” he said. “Honestly. Just put me down, all right?”

Jamie looked down. His eyes widened, as if he hadn’t realised that they were nearer to the ceiling than the floor, and he immediately descended. Matt took a quick step backwards when their feet touched the ground and his friend let go of his neck, as Natalia appeared beside him and took hold of his hand; she was trembling with anger.

“How dare you?” she hissed. “What is wrong with you?”

Jamie winced. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m really—”

The door swung open again and banged against the wall as the Security Division squad that Professor Karlsson had requested burst into the laboratory: six Operators in full uniform, MP7s raised to their shoulders.

“Everybody stay where they are!” bellowed the squad leader. “Hands on your head, Lieutenant Carpenter! Now!”

Jamie did as he was ordered. Matt watched, feeling an uneasy combination of sympathy and vicious relief; he could feel his neck starting to swell, and he was painfully aware that he had been attacked and humiliated in front of the entire Lazarus Project.

Four of the Operators trained their guns on Jamie as one took up a station by the door and the squad leader went to Professor Karlsson.

“Is anyone hurt?” he asked.

Karlsson shook his head, his face pale. “Ask Matt,” he said. “It was him the vampire attacked.”

The vampire, thought Matt. That’s how the rest of them see Jamie. As a vampire, nothing more.

The squad leader strode back down the room and stopped in front of him.

“Are you hurt, Lieutenant Browning?” he asked.

“No,” he said. “It’s fine. It was—”

“It is not fine,” said Natalia, giving him a furious look. “You were attacked for no reason. There is nothing fine about that.”

“Natalia,” he said. “Please.”

She looked at him, her anger seeming to have temporarily transferred to him. Then her expression softened, and he saw tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” repeated Jamie, his voice low. “I really am. I lost control. I have no excuse.”

“No,” said Paul Turner, striding into the laboratory. “You don’t. Explain yourself, Lieutenant Carpenter. Quickly.”

Matt saw the look on the Director’s face and, in that moment, would not have traded places with Jamie for anything in the world.

“I can’t, sir,” said Jamie. “Not in front of these Operators. It’s Zero Hour level.”

Turner stared at him, then looked at the Security squad leader. “Stand down,” he said. “Wait outside.”

The Operators lowered their weapons and exited the room. Once the door had swung shut with a heavy thud, Turner nodded at Jamie.

“Speak,” he said.

“My mother wasn’t in her cell, sir,” said Jamie. “I found out that Matt and Jack Williams escorted her out last night, and given the new SOP, I thought they were using her for testing. I lost it, sir. I’m sorry.”

Turner stared at the vampire Operator for several long seconds, then turned to face Matt.

“Lieutenant Browning,” he said. “Are you all right?”

“Yes, sir,” he replied.

“Do you want to bring disciplinary proceedings against Lieutenant Carpenter?”

“No, sir.”

Jamie gave him a look of such gratitude that Matt felt his heart lurch. Deep down, he knew that his friend hadn’t meant to hurt him; he was very familiar with the uncontrollable animal side that vampires spent much of their time trying to suppress, and he knew that it was what had been in control when Jamie arrived at the lab.

“Very well,” said Turner. “Lieutenant Carpenter, you are hereby prohibited from entering the Lazarus Project for any reason, unless accompanied by myself or by another senior Operator with my express authorisation. Is that clear?”

“Yes, sir,” said Jamie.

“Does that suit you, Professor Karlsson?”

The Lazarus Director nodded. “I think that will be fine, sir.”

“Good,” said Turner. “Another incident like this, Lieutenant Carpenter, and you will find yourself in a cell. Is that absolutely clear to you?”

“It is, sir,” said Jamie. “I really am sorry.”

Turner nodded. “All right,” he said. “Wait outside with the Security squad.”