"Great," said Marcus. "Everyone here dies and that thing still destroys mankind."
"Not if we can shut down that bomb," said Paige. "Leo and I can orb Piper and Amy to the manual shutoff. Then Leo can shut down the bomb while the rest of us fend off any demons that might be there. It's the only choice we have."
"It's worth a try," said Amy, picking up the Dark Lighter crossbow. "I'll take this. My power is telepathy that won't be of much use against those demons. This will still give us an edge."
"Paige and I can use the potions and I have my explosive powers," said Piper. "Now, where is that manual shutoff located?"
"In the back of the same lab where the container was kept," said Marcus. "But what about those demons coming up the shaft?"
"We should be able to take care of them pretty quickly," said Piper. "We'll finish them off before we go to the shutoff. Seal the elevator doors so that no more of them can get up the shaft. And place guards at the doors just in case."
"Okay," said Marcus. "The shutoff is a large handle that's painted yellow. Pull the handle down, and then remove the module next to it. That will shut off the power to the self-destruct and shut the bomb off."
"Got it," said Leo.
"If you can't shut it down," said Marcus, "orb out of there. You'll need to get help to stop that thing if this doesn't work. Take the women with you. There's no sense for them to die if you can't save the complex."
"What about Phoebe?" asked Paige.
"She has to stay here," said Piper deliberately. "She's been infected. We can't risk her infecting anyone else."
Everyone knew she was right. No other place was equipped to deal with the type of infection Phoebe had. They didn't even have the necessary medication to delay the progress of the infection. Without the resources of the complex, Phoebe would quickly change into one of those demons. And anyone she came into contact with would also be infected.
The three women stepped into the hallway, ready for battle. Leo followed. One demon was vanquished when Piper exploded it. Another was vaporized from the bolt Amy shot into it. Still another exploded from the potion Paige threw on it.
Three more demons stood in the hallway and turned to face their attackers. More of the monstrosities could be seen climbing out of the shaft.
"We're running out of time," Amy called out.
"You and Leo go," said Piper. "Paige and I will hold these off."
Amy reached over and took Leo's arm. But before he could orb them out, the demons saw him. They all began to howl furiously, and then they turned and started back down the shaft as quickly as they could move. One even jumped, not bothering to try climbing down. The doors to the elevator finally closed, leaving two of the demons trapped on the first level. Piper and Amy quickly dispatched them.
"What happened?" asked Paige.
"We can worry about that later," said Leo, looking at his watch. "We have less than two minutes to shut off the self-destruct."
"Follow me," said Paige.
Paige orbed Piper out of the hallway and Leo orbed Amy out. They appeared in the lab where the demonic container had been kept. The lights and alarms were still sounding.
"Over there," said Amy, pointing to one corner. "It's behind that equipment over there. Hurry, Leo. We'll keep an eye out for any demons."
Leo turned to move toward the corner and a demon suddenly emerged from the shadows. It racked out with one clawed hand at Amy. Amy dropped to the floor and rolled away from the demon. The demon exploded from Pipers' ability the next instant.
As Leo moved around behind the equipment, he froze. The lever Marcus had told him about was already in the down position. A man standing in front of the lever was desperately pulling on the module with little success. He looked over his shoulder at Leo.
The man appeared to be about thirty years of age. His clothes were ripped and dirty and patches of dried blood could be seen on them. He obviously hadn't shaved in several days, nor had he bathed. A fire axe was propped up against the wall next to him and it was also covered in dried blood.
"Help me," he screamed. "It's jammed. I can't get it out."
Still surprised, Leo moved over next to the man and grabbed hold of the module handle. With all their strengths, they pulled on the module. It refused to move. Leo glanced at his watch.
"We have to hurry," he called to the other man. "There are only seventeen seconds left."
Paige and Amy moved up next to them, both of them startled to see this stranger on the sixth level. They continued to scan the darkness watching for any sign of a demon attack. In desperation, Leo and the stranger pulled at the module as it refused to budge even an inch.