Big thank you to everyone for taking the time to read and review. Also huge thanks to my beta Jaded79 for going over this chapter. WARNING: Torture, violence. Enjoy and let me know your thoughts.

Chapter 23

Trying to reach you.

Carol sat in the clinic, her back to the door as Hershel walked in. He had been told she was needing treatment but he had almost expected they were putting him on, he had truly believed she was dead; so when he walked around the front of her and saw her familiar face, he was stunned.

"Hey doc," she smiled at him softly.

"Well they told me you were alive but I didn't truly allow myself to believe it." She laughed softly at this. She had always liked Hershel, she felt comfortable around him. He moved close, inspecting her wound before sitting back down. "Well you're definitely going to need stitches."

"No stitches, just patch it up for the time being."

"Carol this wound is very deep; if I don't stitch it you run the risk of getting an infection."

"I understand the risks doc, but I have a prisoner to interrogate and a mission to execute. I can't do that with stitches, it would make it hard to move. I promise once the mission is finished I'll come back and you can put as many stitches in me as you like." Hershel laughed softly.

"Alright but the second you're back, you come here or I'll hunt you down." She nodded to agree as he got to work cleaning the wound and binding it the best he could.

Once he was done she hopped down and headed for the cell where they were keeping the rebel leader. She saw Michonne, Daryl, Rick and Andrea standing out in front waiting for her; she took a deep breath as she moved towards them.

"What did Hershel say?" Daryl asked pointing to her arm.

"It's fine, just had to wrap it," she lied, knowing if they knew it needed stitches she would never get out the door to finish the mission.

"You ready?" Michonne asked. Carol nodded. As they moved into the room she noticed Daryl, Rick and Andrea were following, turning she placed her hand gently on Daryl's chest. She couldn't help but love the feel of it.

"You guys should wait out in the hall," she informed them trying to keep her voice soft. "You may not like what you see in here," she tried her best to explain.

"I told them they could come in," she heard Michonne speak behind her. Sighing, she nodded letting them in; she really didn't want them in there watching this but she knew she had no choice and she had to remain focused.

"You two guard the hall," Michonne ordered Tyrese and Jake who nodded, stepping out of the cell. Carol shut the cell door, pulling the curtain closed so no one could see in. She moved to stand next to the rebel leader who was now wide awake.

"What's your name?," she asked her face hard and serious. She could feel Daryl move to stand beside her as Rick and Andrea stood at the foot of the table the rebel leader was secured to.

"Fuck you whore!," he spat.

"Okay," she nodded pulling a small knife from her side, moving fast she sliced his right cheek open, not deep enough to warrant stitches but enough to make him hiss in pain. "Let's try that again, name?"

"Warren," he sighed caving.

"Fantastic, my name is Sophie," she saw him visibly flinch at her name and couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. "I see by your reaction you have heard of me, that's good, that will make this go a lot easier… so where is your base?" He turned his head refusing to look at her or answer her.

"No, okay let's try an easier question… how about how many soldiers in your little army?" Still he said nothing. "Do you have people held captive on you base?" Michonne looked up at her nodding, indicating he had reacted to the question. Moving, Carol grabbed his face forcing him to look at her.

"When I ask you a question, you will answer me," she hissed.

"No I won't," he snapped back at her.

"Fine let's do this the hard way then," she replied. Her face twisted in anger as she let go of his face. Moving to the corner of the room, she saw the table waiting for her. Rolling a little silver table next to the man's face she pulled the cloth off it to reveal a tray of silver instruments. Picking up a scalpel, she bent down showing him the blade.

"What should I cut off first? Your nose or your pretty lips?" She heard Andrea gasp.

"That's enough," she heard Daryl say. Standing, she put the scalpel down looking at him.

"Can I have a word?" she said. Moving out of the cell and away from her men, she turned looking at Daryl.

"You're going too far," he told her.

"That is too far? Daryl I have barely gotten started, I told you lot not to come in."

"You do something like that and it changes you Carol, makes you…," he sighed unable to finish.

"Makes me what? Hard? Cold? I'm already those things." She took a deep breath before she continued, "Do you think I want to do this? That I enjoy it? I don't, I fucking hate it but I don't have a choice."

"Yes you do, you're better than this," he spoke cupping her cheek. She wanted to jerk back but she was enjoying the feel of his warm skin on hers. She closed her eyes for a moment savouring the feeling before opening them. Grabbing his hand, she moved it from her face but still held onto his hand.

"We don't have time to go slow with this guy, I wish there was another way but there isn't, he gave the order that killed Lori, that blinded Carl in one eye, he gave the order knowing, hoping that kids would die," she reminded him. He sighed knowing she was right. "He has people in his camp, captives and god knows what him and his men have been doing to them, I can't let that stand." He nodded agreeing.

"Okay." She let go of his hand and he wanted to cry.

"Daryl…," she started, she knew she had to tell him the truth, she knew he would probably hate her but he deserved to know. "There's something you should know…," she started but the sound of Michonne clearing her throat stopped her.

"We are killing time," Michonne spoke. Nodding, Carol moved from Daryl and back into the room, hearing the cell door close she picked the scalpel back up.

"Right, now where were we… oh right you were about to answer all me questions willingly." But when he turned his head from her again, she knew she had to step things up a notch. "I wonder if I can do you like an apple," she spoke running the blunt end on her scalpel over his bare leg.

"A… an a..apple?" he stammered looking at her.

"Oh you know when you were a kid and you would peel an apple, you always tried to keep it in one long piece." His eyes grew big looking fearful as she brought the scalpel closer to his face. "I wonder if I slice the skin from your flesh if I can do it in one long strip, let's find out," she said moving to his lower leg, slipping the scalpel into his skin she started to cut upwards.

"No god please, fuck I'll talk, I'll tell you everything," he winced in pain. Slipping the scalpel out, she smiled down at him.

"Full cooperation, I do love it." He told her everything, where the base was, how many people were there, how many trained, where they kept watch, how many prisoners and where they kept them. Once they finished, they all stepped out into the hall.

"We have to gear up and get moving," Michonne spoke and Carol nodded.

"I agree, we should deal with this now, there is a big chance they've realised he has been captured already."

"What about him?" Andrea asked pointing at the cell.

"We can't let him go, this would just start up all over again," Rick spoke. Daryl nodded agreeing.

"We can't keeping him here either he is too dangerous, what if he gets loose?" Daryl piped up.

"Then someone else dies," Carol spoke. Looking at Michonne, Carol could see what she was thinking, there was only one way to deal with this. Pulling her gun out of the small of her back, Carol moved into the cell but they all quickly followed her.

"You can't," Andrea spoke stopping her before she could raise her weapon.

"What would you have me do? I mean you said it, we can't let him go and he can't stay here he is a danger, that leaves one option left," she said clocking her gun.

"No please, just let me go, I swear I won't come after you again," the man begged.

"Shut up," Michonne snapped gagging him.

"I'm not trying to be a monster, I'm just being smart but you know what, it's your zone, your choice, so what will it be Officer Rick?" Rick looked around knowing she was right. Daryl looked at him with indifference while Andrea looked fearful. Sighing, Rick looked at Carol.

"Do what you think is right," he spoke. Nodding she moved too fast for anyone to object this time, putting the gun to the man's temple she pulled the trigger.

"What the hell happened to you? How can you be so cold?" She turned to face Andrea as the woman spoke. Saying nothing, she moved past them and out into the hall, telling their men to gear up.

"You may think she is cold and callous but she feels more than most of us, she keeps the rest of us human, she remembers every face, no matter how evil they were or how much they had it coming. She makes the hard choices and does things others couldn't and shouldn't have too." Michonne took a deep breath before continuing. "You may not like her methods but you had to know the moment we brought him here that he wasn't leaving this prison alive, someone had to do it… would you prefer it had to be one of you?" They said nothing.

"I didn't think so." Moving, Michonne slipped out into the hall. "We will be back by morning, have a medical team ready just in case," she spoke before leaving them to their thoughts; she knew they knew she was right.

Carol had done the right thing.