TWENTY-SIX
"Hold on a second," said Leo. "I don't know what you think is going on but we have a deal with the Source."
"I don't answer to the Source, White Lighter," said the man. "And since when do White Lighters, witches, and demons work together?"
"How did you know he was a White Lighter?" Phoebe asked. "Outwardly he looks like anyone else. There's no indication of who or what he is."
"Let's just say I make sure to know my enemy," said the man. "And like I said, you've become a problem for some very important people. People who want you out of the way."
"Who?" Piper demanded. "Who are you working for?"
"You're awfully inquisitive for someone who's about to die," said the man. "I thought by now you'd be cowering in the corner begging for you life. That's been my experience with most witches."
"We don't beg," said Prue defiantly. "And if you think you scare us you have another thing coming. We aren't exactly powerless."
"Yes, I know," said the man. "The famous Charmed Ones. The most powerful witches in the history of the world. Funny, you don't look all that intimidating. Just some pathetic females. Probably not much more of a threat than the other witches I've taken out."
"You're taking a terrible risk bringing them here," said Leo glancing at the four demons. "You know about the satellite system in orbit. In all likelihood the government has probably all ready detected us and are on their way here right now."
The man laughed out loud.
"Nice try, White Lighter," he said. "Only the government is the least of our problems. Our biosigns are locked out of the system so we don't get detected. It wouldn't do to have those Homeland security fools busting in while we're trying to accomplish our mission, now would it?"
"I know you," Paige asked. "You're head of the special unit that tracks down the most dangerous witches. I've done reports on you several times over the years.
"Those important people I mentioned?" said the man. "They would include most of the American government. Beginning with Secretary Bennett. He's the one who sent me to get you. Not the first time he's used me to get some witches for him but definitely the most profitable."
"You're lying," said Paige. "The government would never utilize demons. They want to wipe them out."
"How foolish you are," said the man. "Do you really think the U. S. Government could be as effective in their war on supernatural beings without supernatural help? Mortals wouldn't stand a chance against witches."
"They'd never use demons," said Paige. "I don't care what you say."
"Oh, you're right about that," said the man. "At least, under normal circumstances. I had to get special permission to bring them in. After all they aren't your normal witches. I knew I'd need some special help with them."
The man smiled and raised his hand. Suddenly a crossbow simply appeared in his hand. He raised the crossbow and fired it directly at Leo. The bolt from the crossbow struck Leo in the shoulder knocking him to the floor.
"Dark Lighter," said Phoebe, moving over to help Leo. He lay on the floor writhing in agony. Phoebe grabbed the bolt and pulled it out tossing it across the floor away from Leo. "He's not a threat to you. There's no need to kill him."
"He's a White Lighter," said the man. "That's reason enough."
"What's a Dark Lighter?" Paige asked. "I've never heard of them."
"Maybe because the government doesn't want the public to know about us," said the man. "After all, how would it look for the government's war on the supernatural if it became known that their greatest weapons are Dark Lighters?"
"That's impossible," said Paige. "The American government is supposed to protect the American people. They'd never go behind our backs like this."
"It wouldn't be the first time," said Phoebe. "I'm not a conspiracy theorist but I do know that the government has lied to the people before. The Kennedy assassination, Vietnam, Richard Nixon just to name a few. A lot of the politicians are honest but a lot of them aren't. There are always rumors of covert operations and secret agendas."
"You seem to know a lot for a witch," said the man. "The government goes to a lot of trouble to cover their tracks. How do you know so much?"
"It's a long story," said Phoebe. "But let's just say it's not surprising that someone in the government would use the very thing they're trying to eradicate to accomplish their goals."
"You're too smart for your own good," said the man. "It doesn't really matter, though. I never planned to take you alive anyway. Like I said, you're the most profitable assignment I've ever gotten. Too bad Ms. Matthews has to get caught in the crossfire. But I'm afraid we can't have any witnesses especially a journalist. It could upset all of our plans."
"Then I guess you'll just have to be upset," said Prue.
She reached out her hand and the bolt Phoebe had cast across the floor suddenly came to live. It rose of the floor and flew across the room embedding itself in the chest of one of the demons. It died in a conflagration.
At nearly the same instant Piper spun and brought her hands up. The demon nearest her suddenly exploded into a thousand shards evaporating nearly instantly. As the remains of the demon vanished Piper spun to face another demon.
One of the remaining demons cast a fireball at Paige, the person nearest it. Paige screamed in terror and suddenly orbed out. The fireball passed harmlessly through her orb and exploded on the opposite wall. Almost instantly Paige orbed back in.
Phoebe reached up and grabbed a knife lying on the countertop next to where Leo lay dying. She stood up and spun around driving the knife to the hilt into the demon nearest her. The demon had formed a fireball and was about to cast it at her when she drove the knife into it. The fireball extinguished the demon erupted into flames and was vanquished.
The man raised his crossbow again and fired it at Prue. She dived to the floor barely being missed by the bolt that embedded itself in the wall behind her. The demon on Paige watched her orb back in and then struck her with its hand. Paige struck the wall behind her and slumped to the floor dazed. The demon immediately turned on Phoebe, knocking her back as well.
Piper turned on the man and raised her hands. He exploded but nearly instantly reformed. He smiled at Piper and raised his hand. An invisible force grabbed Piper flinging her across the room where she landed on the floor next to Paige. The man turned on Prue.
"You didn't think I'd come after you unless I was confident I could take you, did you?" asked the man forming a fireball. "As I said, you aren't ordinary witches. You're the Charmed Ones."
Piper stood up and raised her hands. At the same instant the demon that had attacked Paige and Phoebe cast a fireball. It struck Piper full in the chest knocking her back against the wall. She slumped to the floor unmoving. Prue screamed "no" and used her telekinetic power to cast the demon back against the wall of the cabin. The demon stood up and turned toward Paige and Phoebe and formed a fireball.
Prue glanced around at the scene around her. Paige was still dazed and Piper was most likely dead. Phoebe lay on her back, the remaining demon standing over her with a fireball in its hand. She knew she couldn't take both the demon and the man. If she defended against the man Phoebe would die. If she attacked the demon over Phoebe, the man would be free to attack here. For a moment she was caught in indecision.