Rick was trying to fall asleep, but the distant thump and squish of the sentries' crowbars braining walkers through the fence was distracting. The next day would be the big push to build the wall on top of the foundation they had laid that day. He couldn't help but game out each of the thousands of options lying before them and all the possible pitfalls. The plan was to leave three archways in the main circle with a bell in the top of each arch and big, metal gates. That's what they were picturing, anyway, but Glenn and his crew would have to go out and find those things and it meant they'd need to move the vehicles outside the main camp, which meant moving the fences as soon as they were out of play. There were a thousand little things to manage and plan for, and nothing felt guaranteed. As much as there was to cause stress, though, it wasn't a truly negative feeling. No, what he had felt more like first day of school jitters or stage fright. Martha's vision of a new society was so exciting and felt so possible that he was anxious to make it happen. Martha. He closed his eyes. Thud. Thud. Thud. Three fewer walkers. He tried to focus on the sound. He counted his breath and tried to clear his head of all things Martha and Terminus.

In, out. One. In, out. Two. In…

The sound of the walkers had stopped. There were voices, now, and the chains rattling. Rick sat up to listen, but didn't hear anything more. He moved swiftly and quietly to his feet, glancing at the top bunk to check that Carl was still asleep. He picked up his gun from the tiny nightstand and stepped, softly into the hall. The row of windows faced away from the center of camp-where the fire still burned-and he had to run his hand along the wall to orient himself in the dark. He felt the cold metal of the train door and turned the latch, as slowly as he could. He slid back the door and hopped, lightly, to the ground. He crouched and listened. Still no sound of sentries. He took a couple steps forward and went to lean around the corner of the car, and was knocked backwards onto the ground.

"Jesus, Rick!" Daryl reached down and grabbed him by the elbow to help him to his feet. Rick was panting.

"Fuck, Daryl, you scared the shit out of me."

Daryl didn't bother asking whether Rick was all right or why he was so tense. In the almost two hours it had taken them to get back to the car and then fly, at full speed, back to Terminus, the adrenaline had subsided, but his determination and urgency had not. "Listen, I think we found Beth."

Rick, dusting himself off and trying to settle his thumping heart, looked at Michonne. She nodded. Behind her was a girl, maybe two or three years younger than Beth, who was valiantly but ineffectively trying to appear unfazed by the sight of the camp.

"This is Alexis. She was held at the same place. She can show us where it is. We gotta get a group together and armed, though, she said it's well protected. I was thinking me, you, Tyreese, Michonne-"

Rick shook his head. "Wait a minute, wait a minute. Go back. Alexis? I'm Rick. Where is this place where you were being held? What were you being held for?"

She stepped forward and shook his offered hand. "These guys, they go around grabbing girls. I was traveling with two others, my brother and another guy we met. We ran into them on the road and they were real sweet for a minute until they got their shot and then they forced me into their car and just left Jared and Nick behind."

"That ain't what's important now!" Daryl cut her off. "What's important is it's the same guys that got Beth! Rick, these guys, they sell the girls, Rick. They hand 'em off for food and guns and gasoline. We got to go get her and we got to go do it now."

"They sell 'em?" Rick processed this. "How do we know she's there, then, and not sold?"

Daryl was going to speak but Alexis cut him off. "They held me for a couple weeks before they found someone who could pay for me. Most of what they find is just people. Just regular women. And they let them go for a couple weeks food or half a tank. For a teenager, though, and if she's pretty and…" she glanced at Daryl, looking nervous, "and a virgin, they'll hold onto you for a while."

"I don't get it. What are we talking about here? Who are these people that can afford to buy women?"

"There's a whole economy out there. Enough camps of enough size to barter between. There's a serious gender discrepancy, though."

Rick stared at her for a while, thinking. It was true there, too. He thought about who had come out of the other train cars to fight the inhabitants with them. The group was more than 80% male. He could feel Daryl growing impatient.

"All right. All right. So, what is this place? Is it a house? How many of them are there?"

"It's a house. The girls are upstairs. I don't know how many there are of the guys. Maybe five?"

Rick paced. Daryl was still breathing heavily, tensing and relaxing his hands around his bow. "Rick. Let's go."

"Are these guys armed?"

Alexis nodded.

"We'll go in the morning as potential buyers and scope the place out. Once we've seen inside-"

"NO." Daryl was shaking. "Damn it, Rick! No! It's been a week since I seen her; I don't know if she's even still there and if she is, I don't know how long she'll be there. I can't leave her in there with those guys." He had tears on his face. He turned away.

Michonne stepped forward and hissed at Rick, "It's not just Beth. Rick, these guys are selling women. We can't leave any of them. We can't let these guys keep on with this shit."

"We also can't go out and stir up shit and piss off every other camp in the state, especially if they're all nasty enough to be buying and selling people and well stocked enough to afford it!" Rick tried not to raise his voice, but Daryl heard and he came storming back. Rick put up his hands and didn't resist as Daryl threw him against the train car. He was ready to start yelling, but Rick beat him to it. "I can't keep Beth safe or you or Michonne or Alexis or Carl if we have another attack like the Governor's! This place is strong and good and we can defend ourselves against walkers, but we can't afford to make enemies in this world. Not anymore."

Daryl relaxed his grip, but his face was still inches from Rick's when he said, "Fine. Then we won't leave any fucking witnesses."