Solitary {2} : The Walking Dead

Chapter Fifty-seven.

Tortured.

Iris opens her eyes when she hears a cell door open, she sits up and watches the men walk into the cell next to her, "I ain't telling you bastards a thing." Frost says, Iris looks over to Daryl, she watches as he subtly shakes his head no.

"Get up. Get up!" the men order, Iris watches as they drag him away, she moves back against the wall, leaning her head against the cold concrete. The sky goes dark and the air gets cold, Iris hugs her knees to her chest, the door opens and Leah walks in, Iris closes her eyes and pretends to be asleep as the blonde stands in front of Daryl's cells.

"Just as stubborn as ever." the woman says, "Is that what you think this is? Hmm? Me being stubborn?" Daryl questions, "Fine. Hard-headed. You need to tell me the truth." Leah says "I've never lied to you. Never, Leah. I'm not gonna start now." Daryl says.

"Let's try this again... What do you know about those people?" Leah asks "I don't know shit. I'd help you if I could. You know I would. Just give me Dog, let us go, you'll never see me again." Daryl says, "Is that what you want?" Leah asks.

Iris hears the door open again and a body gets dragged in and dumped in the cell next to her, "What is it?" Leah asks, "Found Bossie." the man says "And Turner?" Leah asks, there's no answer, only footsteps leaving the room.

Iris opens her eyes, looking up at the ceiling, Daryl watches her, hating seeing her like this. After a while the door opens again and Leah walks back in, "What happened?" Daryl asks, "One of my brothers is dead... Michael Turner was his name. We fought all over the world together. Pope brought him in after our last tour, when he started his company." Leah explains.

"I thought you were soldiers." Daryl says, "We were. Then we went private." Leah says "You didn't tell me you were a merc." Daryl mumbles, "Mm, does it matter? I mean, it's the same damn job. Except we could actually pay our bills... Michael was like me, you know? He didn't have a family. He was the little brother I never had. You know, the little brother I always wanted. And he's dead. You know, we lost a lot of people... here, and it's been hard. Not like this. This is the first time I've lost someone close to me in a long time." Leah cries.

"Well... except maybe for you." she adds, "You didn't lose me. I came back and you were gone." Daryl says, Iris can't help the feeling of her heart aching at the man's words, "You left me. I asked you what you wanted. You left." Leah says.

"I got scared." Daryl mumbles, "Of  what?" "Letting go." the man answers, both of them going quiet again, "It doesn't matter. It wouldn't have worked anyway. Couldn't have been happy. Not in a world like this. Not with you still in love with someone else" Leah says.

"Is that you talking or your family?" Daryl questions, "Like you've never done things? killed people. I know the things you've done. You have no right to judge, not at all. This is me, Daryl. The good and the bad. All of it. It always has been." Leah says.

"I don't believe you." "Well, I can't help with that. But I can help you save yourself. Because despite everything, I still care about you, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you... So, you need to tell me something. Anything. 'Cause if you can't, I can't control my commander or what he will do next. He's angry about Turner, and he wants someone to pay." Leah explains.

"There's a woman. She's the leader." Daryl says, Iris opens her eyes, staying hidden in the dark as she listens to the man's words, "They were speaking in code 'cause we were outsiders. There was a tall, skinny guy. Never shuts up. And a priest who carries a shotgun." Daryl explains.

"That's their leadership?" Leah asks, "Yeah. But they have the numbers. And one of their soldiers slipped up, and he was gonna go meet three dozen of their fighters. That's way more than the fifteen you got here." Daryl says.

"Well, you've been doing your work down here, huh?" Leah laughs, Iris hears Frost choking on his own blood in the cell next to her, "I'm gonna get you out of here so you can be more comfortable." Leah says, "what about her?" Daryl asks, nodding to Iris, "she's staying down here" Leah says, walking away.

"When do I meet him? This Pope?" Daryl asks as the woman walks away, "Soon." Leah says before leaving the room, Daryl looks over to Iris, catching her eyes already on him, he watches as she lays down, facing away from him.

When Iris opens her eyes again she looks over to Daryl's cell to find it empty, she sits up and watches as a man walks into the room and stands in front of her cell, "hello" he greets, a thick southern accent, Iris glares up at him and waits to see what he wants, "i don't usually care about the prisoners... but i like you" the man says.

He watches Iris as she just glares up at him, "you're a soldier" the man says, "what did you do before this?" he asks, Iris turns her face to the side and spits out the blood still in her mouth, "you've been stabbed, waterboarded and beaten yet you still won't say anything... that is why i like you" the man says.

"I need more people like you. Someone strong, someone that won't break" the man says, Iris watches him unlock her cell door, "you'll have to prove yourself worthy" he says, he holds his hand out in front of her, "join me" he says, Iris reaches up and takes his hand, he helps pull her to her feet, he rests his other hand on her cheek "will you join me?" he asks, "yes" Iris says, shaking the man's hand.