A/N - I am so sorry for the long delay in posting this chapter and hope you find it worth the wait. There will be one more, shortish chapter after this which is almost finished and will be posted soon.

Thank you to all those who have reviewed, followed and favorited this work, it's really appreciated.

Please take a moment to read note at end for some exciting news.

Thanks for reading and enjoy.

Chapter 7

The two Wolves watched, hidden in the thick branches of a tall tree overlooking Alexandria's gates, as several cars left the town each one laden with armed men. They watched as a man in a leather vest with wings on the back scanned the ground intently finally finding what he was looking for.

"They went this way" he declared before mounting a motorcycle and leading the convoy away from the now defenceless town.

The Wolves continued to watch as a short haired woman glanced nervously around before securing the gate, clutching nervously at the large rifle in her hands. They exchanged grins as she appeared to struggle with the large weapon, holding it clumsily, frowning at a second woman who appeared next to her.

"I wish I'd taken some lessons in how to use this thing" she commented with a rueful laugh "I think I'm more likely to shoot myself in the foot than hit anyone else with it"

The other woman fiddled with her blonde hair, tucking a piece of it behind her ear before letting out a small giggle.

"I know what you mean, Rick wanted me to carry one but I could barely lift it and I didn't want it in the house, not with Sam there. You know what these kids are like?"

The women wandered away, still laughing as the Wolves waited. Once they were sure the women were out of earshot one of them pulled out a walkie talkie, one of the few pieces of technology they used.

"Daniel, you were right, they've sent all the best fighters out to find their doctor. Looks like it's just women and kids left now. The town's defenceless"

"Wait there, the others will be with you soon then go in and kill everyone you find, leave no survivors. The welcome committee is ready and waiting here, we'll deal with their pathetic attempt at a rescue mission" Daniel's voice was tense.

"Joshua's dead, the medic turned out to be a waste of time. I'm arranging her execution now, then I'll be with you, hopefully in time to see our final victory over Alexandria" Without waiting for a reply Daniel finished the call, leaving the two men staring at each other in shock over the news of their leaders death.

Out of sight, in one of the houses close to the fence Carol swung the rifle expertly over her shoulder, watching as Jessie picked up the handgun she'd left on the table, checking it was loaded.

"You don't think we overdid the helpless woman bit do you?" The younger woman asked her.

Carol laughed.

"You mean the dumb blonde, playing with her hair and giggling like an idiot, or the scared old woman barely able to hold her weapon? One thing I've found is that people are easily fooled by appearances. They'll believe what they saw because it's what they expect"

Jessie gave her a rueful smile.

"Well if they believed I'm scared they'd be right" she admitted "I'm terrified. What if something goes wrong?"

"You just have to trust Rick, he knows what he's doing" Carol reassured the younger woman as she began to check and load the the various weapons laid out in front of her.

The convoy of cars stopped on the road a few miles from Alexandria. Daryl climbed from the bike and met Rick at the lead car, the two of them walking back to the others.

"Everyone sure they know what they're doing?" the leader questioned, reassured by the nods and confident replies from the heavily armed men in the vehicles.

"Okay, let's do this then" Rick reached into his car and pulled out his pack and weapons. He bit back the smile as he saw Daryl reluctantly handing the motorcycle key to Aaron.

"You sure you're okay with this?" The hunter asked, apparently unable to let go of the key fob.

"Can leave it hidden in the trees, maybe that's best" he tried to pull away but Aaron's grip was firm.

"I promise I'll take good care and get it back to you without another scratch" the smaller man plucked the key from Daryl's grip, giving him a friendly push.

"Just go get Jasmine back"

Daryl snatched up his bag and crossbow and, with a final glance at his beloved bike, set off to catch up with Rick, Coop and Michonne as they headed into the trees and back toward Alexandria to pick up the trail that would take them to Jasmine and her abductors.

Daryl's head snapped round as he heard the sound of his bike's engine start up.

"Dumbass's givin' it too much gas" he muttered, an annoyed growl escaping from him as the engine stuttered and stalled. His steps faltered and Michonne caught his arm.

"Forget the damn bike" she scolded "we got more important things to worry about"

With a final look over his shoulder back towards the road, he gave Michonne his most intimidating glare, annoyed when she just grinned at him and hurried to catch up with Rick. With a sigh he picked up his pace, pushing his way to the front of the little group and beginning the serious business of tracking.

Maggie paced anxiously as she waited, knowing the plan they had come up with was risky, so many things could go wrong. She hoped that the only Wolves watching them were the two that thought they were concealed in the tree by the gates. Daryl had spotted them almost immediately, his keen eye missing nothing when it came to the surrounding forest.

The sun was just slipping below the horizon when she heard the discrete signal, the sound of soft tapping on metal. At once she pulled open the grate covering the sewer tunnels to see Aaron's grim face.

"It's not got any better down here" he muttered as he scrambled out, closely followed by Glenn and the rest of the men that had left in the cars. The vehicles had been left behind, discreetly parked in an old warehouse, out of sight as the men had hurried back to Alexandria, using the network of abandoned tunnels Aaron had discovered on the luxury developments blueprints.

Once safely concealed in the closest house Glenn approached Maggie, intent on embracing her. With a grimace she backed away from him.

"You're not coming near me until you've had at least three showers" she stated wrinkling her nose at the foul smell emanating from her husband.

"I've been in those sewers, I know exactly what you've all just waded through" she told him as she retreated to the far side of the room, ignoring the amused looks from the men clustered in the small room, enjoying the light relief as they waited for the inevitable attack.

Jasmine had done her best, trying to save the severely injured Joshua but it had been no good. She'd watched helplessly as his body began to convulse, thrashing on the bed before finally slumping back, his breathing slowing.

"It's the head injury, too much pressure on his brain is causing seizures and I've no way to relieve it" she'd tried to explain to Daniel as he stared at her impassively.

"It's very simple" the man's voice had been emotionless as he reached for his unconscious leader's unresponsive hand, grasping it tightly.

"If he dies you die"

Joshua had lasted a couple more hours before one final, violent seizure had been too much for his damaged body and he had slipped away. At once Daniel had hurled Jasmine from the room, dragging her back to the large warehouse area she'd first woken in.

"Joshua is dead" he'd announced "This woman failed to save him and she will pay with her own life"

As the assembled people had began to wail in despair, Daniel had leaned closer, his breath ghosting her ear.

"Joshua didn't like men to hit women, it was one of his rules" He had shoved her into the center of the large open area, nodding to someone behind her.

"However, like most rules, there are ways around them"

Now, several hours later, she was huddled on the floor in a small, cold room. She'd found out first hand that women could be just as violent and cruel as the worst man. At Daniel's command several of the female members of the Wolves had surrounded her, circling like a pack of the animals they took their name from. She'd tried to fight back as they closed in but there were too many and it wasn't long before she was semiconscious and hurting. Two men dragged her limp body to the small room and hurled her inside. Daniel had spoken to them softly, then watched as they turned back to her, grins on their faces as they reached out. She'd clawed and fought desperately as one had seized the front of her shirt, ripping it open and yanking it from her shoulders, the second reaching for her waistband. She squirmed and struggled and it took both of them but finally they managed to remove her jeans, leaving her in just the long tee shirt she slept in, the one she'd thrown her clothes over before answering Ethan's knock at her door.

She scooted backwards away from them, her still barefeet scrabbling against the floor, until her back hit the wall and she could go no further.

One of the men dropped next to her, laughing as his hand landed on her thigh and she slapped it away.

"Oh Darlin' I really wish we had the time" he drawled as he grabbed her wrists, pulling her hands in front of her.

"But we gotta go get ready for your friends and you gotta get ready to die" Her hands were bound tightly, the rough rope biting into her flesh and then she was left alone, cold, in pain and afraid.

Rick clamped his hand over the man's mouth, forcing his head back and cutting his throat at the exact same time the bolt pierced his companions throat. Both men fell without making a sound as nearby Michonne and Coop dealt with two others, equally as silently. The foursome had made their way through the woods, following the obvious tracks left by the Wolves as they returned to their base with Jasmine, ruthlessly taking out any living person they came across.

Between them they had efficiently dealt with over a dozen men, all who had thought they were the ones in control of the situation, all who were brutally proved wrong. Now they were seeking a way into the rundown warehouse in front of them. The fences surrounding it were high and the only gate they had found heavily guarded.

"There's gotta be a way we can distract those bastards" Coop growled, anxious to get inside and find Jasmine.

"We can split up, two of us make a ruckus, force them to check it out" Daryl muttered, but Rick was shaking his head before he'd even finished.

"No, we need to stick together, we don't know how many more there are inside" He thought hard, trying to come up with a solution.

"Look!" Michonne hissed as the four men guarding the gate suddenly left their posts, the sound of their laughter drifting through the darkening evening as they hurried away.

"Come on!" Rick was on his feet, leading the others as they dashed across the road. Quickly they scrambled over the gate and ran across the roadway, seeking the shelter of the nearest building. Slipping through the first door they found unlocked the group found themselves in a large reception area, the computer and telephone still sitting on the dusty desk, an open file alongside them, as if waiting for a secretary to return and commence working. Slowly they edged through the once plush office, cautiously opening a door at the other end. A long corridor stretched out in front of them, several doors leading from it. They checked each one and found all of the rooms beyond empty.

"It's too damn quiet, where is everyone?" Coop mumbled, more to himself than expecting an answer. They moved further inside the warehouse complex checking every room they passed and finding no sign on life in any. In one they found the well dressed body of a man laid out on a bed, hands folded across his chest, his corpse surrounded by wildflowers and burning candles.

"It's a damn shrine" Daryl commented as they backed out and continued the search for their missing friend.

Eventually they heard voices, shouting and jeering and followed the sound to a parking lot at the back of the warehouse complex. The large lot was lit by the headlights of several vehicles parked in a semi-circle around one edge. In the centre of the open space several people were gathered in a loose circle surrounding something on the ground. At either side of the lot, parked facing away from each other, were two large pick ups. As they watched curiously, men climbed into the driver's seat of each truck and began to back them up. An audible ripple of excitement ran through the mob as the trucks stopped close to the edge of the expectant crowd.

"The Hell they doing?" Coop asked as thick ropes were attached to the rear bumper of each truck, the other end being passed from person to person until it reached the center of the circle.

"I don't know, but something tells me it's not good"

Michonne learned further out, trying to see through the mass of bodies, to see what they were watching in the centre of the circle. As she stretched out the crowd moved slightly and she caught a brief glimpse of a still figure on the ground.

"Whatever we're going to do, we need to do it quick" she exclaimed "Jasmine's there and she's not moving"

The lone Wolf climbed the wall and dropped carefully into Alexandria. He stayed in the shadows, moving cautiously through the silent, seemingly empty town until he reached the gate. Using the cover of darkness he dashed across the road and unlatched the heavy barrier, using all his strength to slide it open as quickly as possible. At once the rest of the Wolves poured in, weapons in hand as they glanced around at the deserted streets.

"Guess they must all be tucked up in their cosy little houses" one of them laughed, "This is gonna be easier than we thought"

The silence made them cocky and their arrogance was their undoing. As they moved in a group toward the closest buildings they were an easy target for the armed men that poured unexpectedly onto the streets. The night air was filled with the roar of gunfire and the screams of the dying as the residents of Alexandria opened fire. Some of the intruders tried to fight back but machetes and bats were no match for semi automatic rifles. Some tried to run but unseen hands had closed the gates behind them and they had nowhere to go. Less than 10 minutes after they had breached the small community the Wolves were dead.

Maggie reached out and took Glenn's hand as they surveyed the bodies littering the street. She gave it a reassuring squeeze as she felt the tremor that ran through his body.

"They didn't give us a choice" she said softly, knowing it was the first time he'd ever had to take a living human life, knowing he would find it hard to accept.

"I know" Glenn squeezed her hand back "It was them or us, and I'll do whatever I have to, to keep you safe" He let go of her and together they joined the others in the long job of clearing the bodies.

It all happened quicker than anyone could imagine, Maggie had seized hold of a bloodied jacket, preparing to pull the body towards the trailer they were using to dispose of the corpses when the seemingly dead Wolf rolled over. With a snarl he swung the machete he'd been concealing under his body towards the woman above him. Glenn saw the movement but was too far away to do anything other than scream his wife's name.

As the machete flashed out Maggie felt a heavy weight crash into her side, knocking her off her feet. As she hit the ground she heard an agonised cry followed by the retort of several weapons. The last remaining Wolf's body was riddled with bullets, the now bloody machete slipping from his grasp as he breathed his last.

Glenn was at her side in an instant, helping his pregnant wife to her feet, while checking her for injury.

"Who was it?" Maggie shoved his hands away, eyes wide and concerned

"Who knocked me out the way? Are they okay?" She tried to push past Glenn but he caught her in his arms, stilling her.

"You don't need to see it" he said softly. "It was Ethan, he saved you, but the machete caught him in the throat, he didn't make it"

Maggie shook her head in disbelief,

"Ethan?" She questioned "Why would he risk himself for me?" She twisted free from her husband's arms, making her way to Ethan's still body.

He was lying on his side, a pool of blood spreading under his head, seeping into the dusty road surface beneath him. Maggie's stomach turned as she saw the deep gash in his exposed neck, throat ripped open from one side to the other by the sharp blade. His eyes were still open, frozen in an expression of surprise and she noticed the bruises around his nose and cheek from Coops punch, the swelling marring his once handsome face.

"You came through and you saved me and my baby, Thank you" she whispered as she knelt and gently closed his eyes before rising, allowing Aaron to cover the body with a thick blanket.

"We'll give him a decent burial, make sure people know he saved you, that he wasn't all bad in the end" He squeezed Maggie's arm reassuringly, before giving her a gentle shove in Glenn's direction.

"Now go with Glenn and rest. You know you have to take it easy!" With a nod Maggie allowed herself to be lead away, leaving the job of clearing the corpses to the others.

The hatred on the faces of the people surrounding her and the noise of their jeers were terrifying. Jasmine tried to curl into a ball, to protect herself from the kicks aimed in her direction as she lay where she'd been thrown. Her ribs hurt and the exposed flesh on her arms and legs was raw and bloody from being dragged across the unforgiving asphalt of the parking lot.

Daniel had come for her, hurling her to her feet, forcing her from the room she'd been left in for what felt like hours. As he pulled her along he began to talk, telling her how he believed one of the best things since the world ended was the loss of all modern technology.

"People actually have to talk to each other now" he rambled "no more texting or emails, just good, old fashioned conversations. So much more civilised" He waited patiently when she stumbled on weak legs, letting her regain her balance before continuing.

"The loss of the internet, TV and all other media has meant we've had to return to books for entertainment. It's amazing how much I've discovered, how much I've learnt just from picking up a casually abandoned book in a house we've raided" He gave her a cold smile

"One of my favourites was one on medieval history, such an interesting and brutal time period. It was a time when people seemed to enjoy inflicting pain on each other, and they were so inventive as well, racks, thumb screws, Iron Maidens, things more horrific than a nice person like you can even imagine."

He pushed her through a door and she stumbled outside, the cool night air making her shiver as it hit the bare skin of her exposed limbs. The darkness was suddenly lit by the headlights of several vehicles, blinding her and making lift her bound hands over her face. As her eyes adjusted she saw the people waiting, hostile gazes aimed towards her.

Daniel leaned closer, his breath ghosting against her ear.

"Unfortunately for you I am not a nice person" He shoved her hard, pushing her towards the center of the lot and the waiting crowd.

"Also I don't need an imagination, not when I have my books"

He gave her another violent push and this time she fell, barely getting her hands in front of her in time to stop her face hitting the hard ground. Before she could get up hands grabbed at her, gripping her shirt and hair, roughly dragging her across the uneven surface. She was shoved onto her back and when she tried to rise two woman knocked her back.

"Stay down" the older of the two snarled as she put her booted foot against Jasmine's throat, the light pressure on her windpipe more than enough to keep her in place. She was vaguely aware of the sound of a vehicle, maybe more than one, and suddenly the hostile environment around her changed, the expressions on the faces of those surrounding her becoming less aggressive, more excited.

Hands gripped her legs and, despite her desperate struggles, ropes were wrapped tightly around her ankles, binding them together painfully and the excitement around her grew. The woman removed her foot from Jasmine's throat as Daniel knelt at her side, the smile on his face genuine for the first time since she'd met him.

"If we were doing this the traditional way we'd be using horses" he informed her as the end of a rope was passed to him and he deftly looped it around her bound wrists, forcing her arms above her head as she lay on the cold asphalt.

"But we'll have to make do with what we have" he moved to her feet and looped a second rope around her the one binding her ankles, fastening it securely.

"This is actually the last stage of the procedure but we're a little pushed for time tonight. We have to finish off your friends when they come for you, then return to Alexandria and clear it of all other survivors" He smiled again.

"You're actually getting away with it lightly, all things considered"

Jasmine swallowed hard, her mouth parched as she stared up at him.

"They won't come for me. They know I'm not worth the risk and they won't leave the town undefended" she tried to sound defiant but even to her ears knew she sounded scared and weak.

"They're already on their way. My people watched them leave that town all but undefended a while ago. We left an obvious trail when we returned with you, traps are set and we're ready and waiting. We're expecting them any time soon, which is why we need to get on now" He rose swiftly, glancing down at her helpless figure, smiling as she squirmed and twisted, trying to escape.

"When I give the word the trucks these ropes are attached to will slowly start to pull away. Soon your body will be stretched, pulled until your joints pop from their sockets and your flesh tears. This was a punishment reserved for those who committed treason or tried to murder Kings. It only seems fitting that you die this way as you allowed Joshua to die. I'm only sorry we don't have the time to do the rest of it, I would have enjoyed watching you twitch with a rope around that pretty little neck, choking and gasping until you almost died before we cut you down. The next part was actually aimed more at men, involving the removal of certain body parts, but I'm sure we could have come up with something equally as unpleasant for you, there are other organs that can be removed, leaving the victim alive for a time"

Daniel smiled again and raised his arms, at once the gathered crowd fell silent, expectant faces waiting for his next command.

"It's showtime" he said simply as he dropped his arms to his sides.

"Let the punishment begin"

At once the pickup engines revved as the two drivers began to edge slowly forward, gathering the slack in the ropes. Jasmine felt the pull on her limbs as her body was pulled in two directions, her skin stretching over her bones and she began to feel the pressure on her joints .

"Please!" her desperate eyes met Daniel's cold, unforgiving gaze as she pleaded.

"Please stop!"

Before he could reply all Hell broke lose.

Thanks for reading, please let me know what you thought.

I have been writing on this site for a while now, under the user name mistyeye and have talked to many wonderful fellow writers, one of whom, lizziekat15, I have become good friends with. We have decided to work together on an original novel length work. It's a thriller set in Great Britain and Europe during World War 2, with not a single walker in sight! We've been researching and planning it for the last few weeks and are hoping to start getting something final down soon, the plan being to publish it as an ebook to start, then look into self publishing if it seems to do well (not sure if I mentioned that bit to Lizziekat15!) We have set up a facebook page with more detail and would love to see your thoughts and comments. Please like us on MistyKatProductions. We also have a Twitter page, find us at MistyKatProductions etater61and follow us. I am in the UK and LizzieKat is in the USA we have found the time differences a problem when trying to communicate and have set up a gofundme page to try and raise the cash so we can actually meet up and visit some of the locations we plan to use. Please take a look and maybe share it with others.
This is a very exciting time for us, trying to make a dream come true of actually being published authors and we would love to see your views and support.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, who knows in a few years maybe we'll be meeting some of you on our international book tours - sigh, I can dream!