Since the early glimmer of light, Daryl, Morgan, Abraham, Sasha and Rosita has been scouting the woods for any possible clue on Tessa. It's now mid day and not so much as a speck of evidence that she is around. They lag behind Daryl, who is fully invested in the task.

"We've been at it since dawn and so far nothing," says Rosita annoyed by their progress.

"We'll find something," Morgan assures her as he continues to exam what he can.

"The supplies she took was far at least fifty miles or so. Who's to say she isn't that far this time?" explains Rosita now turning to Daryl. "What makes you think she's in this area?"

Daryl doesn't respond just stays focused. To be honest, he doesn't really know. It's just a feeling but who wants to hear facts based off that alone?

"Perhaps it's best we start small before going far out, " says Abraham. "There weren't any vehicles missing and she couldn't have gotten too far on foot."

"Maybe she found one out on the road," says Sasha.

"Or hopefully she came to her senses and went back to the community," says Rosita.

Though a bit annoyed with all the uncertain chatter Daryl presses on until suddenly he stops. They've come to a small clearing are surprised by a mass confusion of tracks imprinted in the red clay mud. a and turns to the group.

"The hell..." says Abraham now drawing his weapon.

"Who would do this?" ask Rosita.

"Multiple people," says Sasha sounding sure of it but Daryl shuts it down.

"Naw. Who else?"

With a sudden rush of adrenaline, Daryl quickly examines the tracks.

"Why?" ask Rosita. "Why bother? She should keep a low profile."

"Stalls whoever's track'n her," explains Daryl. He sees the track are about an hour in a half fresh. "Stupid, yeah, but kinda smart. Abraham, the walkies."

Abraham reaches into the backpack for the radios.

"We split up," he says undraping his crossbow from his shoulders. "Cover ground in either direction and increases our chances of finding her before sun down."

Abraham tosses him a radio before distributing the rest.

"Abraham and Sasha go West, Morgan and Rosita East.

"What about you?" snaps Rosita.

"I'm going North."

"That's not what I meant. You could run into trouble."

"That's what we got the walkies for."

"And if we can't get to you in time?"

"I say we do it," interrupts Morgan. "This is the biggest lead we've had so far so let's not wait for it to go cold. These tracks may lead straight to her or she could have done the same thing further down. Spreading out... one of us are bond to find her. Plus, time is of essence. Best pick up the pace."

Daryl nods. He couldn't be happier Morgan shut down the tension.

" Alright," says Daryl clipping the device on his belt. " Keep the chatter down until you need to call out. At dusk we head back to the road and radio in to Rick."

They split off in their directions as Daryl looks to the tracks that points North. He has a good feeling about this particular path and wants to be the one to find Tessa first. When he does, he'll be sure to give her a few choice words.

Another hour has gone by and Daryl cautiously treks through the forest viewing any additional signs of Tessa. The trail is still hot so he knows he is getting close. Though what he doesn't know is there are eyes lurking just above him in the trees. The being silently watch his actions. A few more feet and he would be out of sight but still tirelessly searching the woods. He is not going to quit, and this could be dangerous. Risking his life for someone who doesn't want to be found. Daryl hesitates for a moment to examine the foliage until suddenly, a familiar voice calls from behind.

"You shouldn't have come."

He turns to see Tessa jumping down from a tree.

"Yeah, well you shouldn't have left," Daryl snarls coming towards her with a bit of aggression.

"You know why."

"Doesn't matter. You're coming back."

Daryl rushes closer to her but Tessa draws a gun aiming for his heart. He stops. They glare dangerously at one another.

"They're hunting me not you," states Tessa firmly though her voice holds a hint of hurt. She hates that she has to do this but if shoving a gun in his face is what it takes for him to go back then it has to be done.

Daryl on the hand, takes a moment to respond due to his mixed emotion. What should he be most angry about? The fact that the woman he is trying to "save" AGAIN is pointing a gun at him or just everything else within this situation. Either way, his anger is brewing.

"So that's it, then?" ask Daryl. A hint of hurt pierce through his angry tone as well. "You just gone go back to sleeping in trees? Run until you drop dead in a ditch? Be prey?!"

"If it protects the community then –"

"Bullshit, Tessa! You think these pricks will be satisfied when they kill you?!"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"You don't get it!"

"What's there to get?!"

"They're hunting me anyway! Even before all this. Before you found me I was already 'prey'!"

Though still a bit pumped, He looks to her in a more calmer tone.

"It's not about the supplies I took, Daryl. You wanted to know if I was apart of a group and the answer is "YES"…. and they are trying to kill me. It's deeper than you think and I don't want you or anyone else getting involved."

" It's too late for that," snaps Daryl in a calm raspy tone.

Tessa sighs with annoyance.

"Just go away. I thought you were done saving people?"

" You're not just 'people' you're family."

"I am not your family."

Daryl fires back at this. How dare this chick disown them?

"Even so! You've got an actual family member alive and act like you don't give a shit!"

"I do that's why I'm leaving! I haven't been through hell with you people and it makes no sense for you to go through it for me."

"Hell, huh? You went through that when you stole the supplies for us! You already gave us half their shit! So what's next? They'll come for us."

Tessa begins to lower the gun a bit. Shit, he's right. Seeing her guard drop, Daryl eases towards her as he tries to reason her through.

"It doesn't matter what you were in before..." Daryl holds steady, speaking in a calmer tone. "We might as well go through it together, now. Just come back and we'll work something out."

Daryl goes closer as she ponders for a moment. She could go back whatever she fears is just to great. Stepping away, she re-aims the gun at Daryl.

"No."

"C'mon... Tessa this makes no sense," sighs Daryl in frustration. Even if the gun is aimed he reaches for her but she swiftly moves back again.

"I said no," growl Tessa.

"I said you're coming!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME DARYL DIXON!"

"Damn, girl! You're so stu—"

Suddenly, BANG!

Gun fire and Daryl cry out as he hit the ground clenching his left leg.

"DARYL!" exclaims Tessa running to aid him.

She sees just enough to know he's been grazed on the side above the knee but there is blood. Lots of it.

The cock of a rifle in the distance… BANG!

Tessa ducks with Daryl at the gun fire but the bullet misses and hits a tree near them. At the sound of approaching voices in the distance, Daryl pushes her away.

'GO!"

"NO!" cry Tessa aggressively. "Get up!"

She pulls him up and wraps his arm around her shoulders whilst grabbing his crossbow. As quick as possible, they dash through the thickness of the forest with guns firing over and over.

Rushing through the woods, Tessa does her best to support Daryl on his weak side. Once believed to be at distance, they stop behind a massive tree. Daryl sits on the ground against it as Tessa scrambles through the bag. She pulls out a bottle of water and rips half of her over shirt by the tail to tend to his wound with the items. They are sweaty and panting heavy as well as trying to minimize noise.

" We didn't lose 'em," says Daryl sweaty and panting. " They'll track the blood."

" I know. That's why I'm covering it. Come here."

"Ahh!... Son of bi-... " Daryl grits his teeth at the warm string of the water.

Tessa ties the makeshift bandage tight around his left leg

"You've got to get back to Alexandria," she says in a panic.

"No! Those bastards- I'm not leaving. You're coming—"

" I AM! I am. But we can't lead them back. One of us have to be a decoy. I don't have to explain who."

Tessa looks in her gun to see her rounds.

"I won't get far on this leg," protest Daryl.

"And you can't fight," snaps Tessa. "I've got four shots. I'll make it work. Get going!"

She starts to leave but Daryl grabs at her.

"No, No! You don't—"

"STOP! That bandage is thin. If you lose more blood you could faint or die?"

"Here's some over here!" shouts Phil to his team as they close in to their location. Daryl and Tessa

"Fan out!" shouts Bill.

"Hey, hey, I'll be okay..." assures Tessa. " I played Paintball."

Tessa dashes in the opposite direction leaving Daryl vulnerable.

Tessa takes position behind a large enough tree on the flank side of the opponent's location. Their focus is in the direction where Tessa last left Daryl. She could only hope that he listened a went back for the community. They continue, unaware of her presence. Tessa waits for that opportune moment as two of the men, Phil and Dan, scout around viewing for more tracks. The third one, Bill, is no longer in sight. Phil gestures for Dan.

"Something over here," he says. Dan goes over causing him to move away from Tessa's direction.

Like a lioness, stealthy and focused on her prey, Tessa moves a few trees closer. She only gets one shot. If this fails, she blows cover and the tables are turned once more. If she could manage to take one guy out it evens the field at least until the other shows up. There is only one guy in view range the other is blocked by a tree. She'll have to take it. Tessa takes aim but just as she attempts to shoot, a Walker comes for her from behind. Startled, Tessa quickly draws her knife and takes hold of the creature's neck. It over powers her but Tessa handles it as silently as possible. Upon stabbing it in the skull, she guides it to the ground to silence it's fall. But even so, the men has heard the brief struggle. Tessa withdrawals her knife and scurries back behind a tree from the ground.

"There's something over there…" says Dan. Weapons ready they head over.

Phil and Dan turn in the direction of Tessa who sat with her gun drawn and listening to the approaching men.

"Fuck," Tessa silently says to herself.

Though they haven't seen her, she knows her cover is blown and the shot is lost. She seems to be losing her cool until… it dawned on her. Tessa takes off the pack and pulls the hand mirror out. Without looking herself, she could use the mirror to get a pin point on where at least one of the men are. With light fading there was little chance of reflection from the mirror so there is a chance she could still take the shot. Tessa holds it to the ground but adjusts it accordingly. One man is in range. Got cha.

Tessa swiftly darts from behind the tree, takes aim and takes the shot. Dan never saw it coming. His head flings back and body fell limp as Tessa runs like hell through the trees away from Phil who shoots out of retaliation. With so many trees aiding her, he misses.

Daryl reaches into his pack for the radio and turns it on. He speaks into it hoping the others would have theirs on too. He's rest against a tree that is yards from where Tessa left him.

"Sasha, Abraham, you there?" ask Daryl with a shortage of breath. "... Morgan, Rosita..."

No one answers. Upon hearing the shots, he gets to his feet in a panic. That could be Tessa shooting or them shooting at her. He isn't just going to assume. Finding his balance once more, he grabs his crossbow and sets off limping in the direction of the gun fire. Suddenly, out of nowhere a force tackles him to the ground causing him to drop his weapon.

The husky man named Bill is on top of Daryl delivering him punches across the face but The Archer quickly delivers some himself. With as much strength as he could muster, Daryl grabs him by the ears and pulls him to his right side, trying to be careful of his injury but the bigger male counters and jacks him up by the vest then tosses him off to the side. Daryl hits his injured leg upon the thud and slightly cry out. Bill wipes a bit of blood from his face.

"You puiny prick..." growl Bill heading for Daryl.

Scanning the woods for Tessa, Phil yells out in frustration.

"You think you're smart?! You've been lucky, little bitch! We've been playing this game for a while!... Sooner rather than later he's going to come! Then you, that other bastard, me, Bill and anyone else will die!"

He treads through the woods.

"I'm out of ammo... Why don't you just quit hiding and face us, you cowardly bitch!"

Silence. Then...

Phil is hit across the back with a good size stick. He turns to see Tessa standing a few feet away.

"Come at me," she says standing her ground.

Anger fills Phil's face and he runs at her. Once close enough, she takes off through the trees with Phil on her trail. Tessa keeps her footing while jumping over fallen branches and other forest debris. After a moment, she stops and leans forward on her knees to catch her breath and appear tired. Then, Phil stops a few feet behind her. Tessa faces Phil.

"Tired? About time… This is over," he says.

Phil runs towards her with the intent of tackling her to the ground but at the peak of the tackle, before impact, Tessa counters it, pushing the man over the hidden ledge. Tessa peers over the side to see him faced down in the deep ditch… dead. Tessa gets the last word.

"Yes... It is."

The sound of two men struggling.

Bill and Daryl are still at it but with one good leg, Daryl is barley preventing the heavy man from getting the best of him. Sure, Dixon has been through worse such as rolling down a cliff with an arrow stuck in his side then fending off two Walkers after hallucinating about his brother. Not to forget, being grazed in the head by one of his own. But those things were just trying to kill him. Bill is tormenting Daryl, making him suffer, with anything he could use before the final blow. No fair fight where he is concerned. As Daryl recovers from the dirt thrown in his face Bill, takes the rifle and goes across Daryl's face knocking him to the ground. He pushes himself back up but a heavy boot stomps down on his shoulder and delivers a kick to his side. Daryl rolls onto his back in pain as Bill takes the rile, gets on top of Daryl and attempts to choke him with the body of the weapon. Naturally, The Archer tries to prevent this.

" When I kill you," starts Bill hastily. "That girl will do nicely. Then we'll turn her in and collect our reward."

Bill slams his knee against Daryl's injury but he couldn't cry out. Not whilst he is still being choked. The Archer's attempts to rid the husky man fails and he nearly goes limp until suddenly…. Bill stiffens. Feeling his grip loosen, Daryl sees the frozen shocked expression on his face then pushes him off to the side. Daryl gasp for air viewing over Bill's now lifeless body with an arrow stuck in his back. A few feet away, out of breath herself, Tessa stands with his crossbow aimed. She lowers it then runs over to help Daryl up.

"You alright?!" she ask examining him. "How your leg? "

"I'm alright."

No, he's not. Daryl took quite a beating. Just then, Morgan's uneasy voice is heard over the radio on the ground.

"Daryl, Sasha, Abraham we heard shots! Anybody copy?"

Tessa sighs bit aggravated.

" Let's get back." says Tessa taking hold of Daryl.