UNSHEATHED FURY, INESCAPABLE TERRORImprisoned for thousands of years in the hilt of a ceremonial sword, the oni, a hideous Japanese demon, is accidentally released to wreak the havoc of its pent-up fury on an unsuspecting world. All-powerful, immortal, and possessed of an unquenchable lust for human blood, the demon seems invincible, leaving in its wake an increasing number of horribly mutilated bodies.Only one woman has learned the oni's history and the key to its destruction. But will she be able to pit her puny human strength against the demon's murderous powers before she becomes yet another victim?

They fan out across the city, perfectly disguised—as a mime, a toy vendor, a con artist. Rabid with hunger, they bore into their victims, gorging on fear and desire, killing them in silence: a fat woman hiding raw sexuality under layers of flesh ... a gifted executive trapped in a dead-end job ... a frenzied salesman late for his next appointment ... a young woman battling childhood terrors ... her brother, a strung-out junkie ...But when a strange woman saves the junkie's life, their real nightmare begins. In the streets and the alleys, they stalk The Troupe, searching for his sister's killers. He knows their secret. Now he can destroy them. If he escapes their dreadful, fiendish eyes ...

Code name: BloodStatus:Literally kept on ice until a job arises that's beyond the scope of ordinary agents.Qualifications: Ruthless, adaptable, and uniquely expendable ... because he's already dead!Assignment: Track down the terrorist group known as the Free Thought Alliance and rescue the reporter they kidnapped ... or avenge her!A simple, straightforward task, almost unworthy of Blood's special talents ... but neither he nor the terrorists could anticipate the role to be played by the mysterious, shambling form that haunted the wildest regions of the Florida Everglades, eventually threatening the existence of all!