Riley led them through several passageways that brought them to a dead end, but neither he nor Graham seemed concerned. They began moving some cabinets that blocked the ducts that Riley had mentioned earlier. Once the way was clear, Graham offered to go first. Buffy helped steady Willow who was finally able to stand on her own again.

One by one they entered the ducts and made their way through the complex. Buffy could hear the undead feasting on the bodies of those who had fallen. Graham emerged followed by Chris, Riley, Buffy, Willow, and Tara, the other girl who had been trapped in the room when Buffy and Chris found them. They were in a hallway that opened up into a larger chamber. Buffy realized that it was the room the other survivors had been trying to get to before they were over run.

They raced to the end of the hallway and instead of finding the security room, they found Professor Walsh. She walked around the edge of a curtain and faced them as if she were facing an unruly class that refused to listen. "You're not allowed in here. This is a restricted area."

Riley seemed to get pissed. "That's all you have to say? A virus has been unleashed out there and it's killing everyone."

Professor Walsh smiled, "I know, I was the one that released the infected demons into the populace."

Buffy was shocked. Walsh had been a harsh teacher, but she never thought she was psychotic. "Why would you do this?"

"Why not? I was able to take the original T virus and, with the help of my experiments with demons, create a strain that will not only affect humans, but vampires, demons, and other creatures."

Chris raised his pistol, "You took a deadly virus and made it a hundred times worse."

Walsh gave a maniacal laugh, "No! I have combined the strengths of the demons and the strengths of the T virus and created the ultimate being!"

There was a scraping sound from behind the curtain. They all raised their weapons, preparing for whatever lay behind the curtain. Behind Walsh, emerged a gigantic humanoid creature that reminded Buffy of Frankenstein, except that it was created from a mix of demon and human body parts. Its eyes were bloodshot like the crazed vampire and it stood over seven feet tall. There was metal plating on its neck and its right hand.

Walsh turned to her creature and, in a loving voice, said, "I call him Adam."

The creature raised its hand to her face and, at first, it appeared as though it was going to stroke her cheek. The next thing any of them knew it placed its hand over her face and squeezed, crushing her skull in its vice-like grip. A roar escaped its lips and it rushed at Riley.

Riley rolled to the side firing two shots that sunk into Adam's chest, but did not seem to phase it. Buffy decided that guns were not going to get the job done and instead opted for her sword. She leapt at Adam's chest looking for an opening, but he backhanded her with his left hand. She slammed into the far wall and crumpled dazed.

Chris opened fire. He tried to get a clear shot at Adam's head but was having no luck. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Willow and Tara holding hands and speaking under their breath. They released their spell and Adam went flying backwards. Graham helped Buffy up while Riley continued to pelt Adam with bullets.

It fought against Willow and Tara's spell and emerged grabbing Riley by the throat. Before Chris could get to the man, a wooden spike flew out of Adam's arm and went straight through Riley's neck exiting just under the base of his skull. Adam bit off a chunk of Riley's flesh before flinging his body at Graham who flew into a cart and was impaled by several surgical instruments.

Adam went for Willow and Tara next. Chris tried distracting him by blowing a hole in his arm with the shot gun, but Adam did not slow. Buffy used his momentary distraction to jump on his back and implant her sword under the metal plating on his neck to sever the spinal cord, but as the sword was sliding in she heard a very distinctive crack that hadn't come from Adam.

To her horror, she saw as Willow collapsed, her head twisted at an awkward angle. She rushed to her friend and cradled her dead body. After a moment of mourning her best friend, rage filled the slayer and she grabbed the sword protruding from Adam's neck and began hacking until his head had been severed from his body.

They wandered around for almost an hour, hoping to find the security room that Riley and Graham had promised was here. When they finally located it, they had to fight their way through several undead humans and a few infected demons. Chris found and triggered the protocol used to purge the facility. They had only a few minutes to evacuate the complex before it exploded and barely made it out alive.

Buffy was still enraged from the death of Willow. Her best friend was now entombed in that hell hole and there was no way that she could get her out. The tears returned, but they did not dull her internal rage. She vowed to find Xander, Giles, and her mom. She wasn't going to lose everyone she cared about.

Chris put his hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry about your friend." Buffy just nodded, not really in the mood to answer. When he realized that he wasn't going to get anymore out of her he added, "I made you a promise, and I plan on keeping it. You helped me destroy Umbrella's facility, now I'll help you find your friends."

"I..I'll help y..y..you too." Tara offered.

Buffy turned to the girl and shook her head, "Get as far away from here as you can. Find a car and drive to Los Angeles. I have a friend there. I want you to find him and tell him what happened. He can help you." She gave Tara Angel's information, "Go."

Tara reluctantly turned and left. Buffy turned to Chris, "We need to find my mom. We can stop by Giles's apartment on the way."

"Lead the way."