John looked at her stunned. "The Hazelton kid?" He walked back to the window and took another look at Lisa. "She looks so different."

"She's sixteen now," Lilly said, joining him. "Her other foster parents were killed in a car accident, and these took her in. Now, tell me, John, after everything she's been through, why I shouldn't care about this one?"

John sighed. "Are you sure about this?"

"Positive."

"But, do you have evidence?"

Lilly sighed. "No. But, if I could get some-"

"There's no time for that, Lil. You need the evidence now. Her word is not going to cut it."

MII

"Alright, now, let's go," James said a few minutes after Lilly and Stillman went into the office, taking a sip out of his tumbler. It didn't surprise Lisa that it was vodka; she could smell the alcohol on him from the moment she entered the bull pen.

"I'm not going anywhere," Lisa said.

"Li," Tom whispered urgently.

"Stop calling me that! It's Lisa or Lis; not Li."

"Alright," Jessica said. "Lisa, please, listen to your father."

"He's not my father."

James slapped Lisa across the face; she stifled a cry of pain. People looked up at the sound, but no one did anything. Jessica and the boys took it as their cue to leave; leaving Lisa and James alone in the bull pen. "Now you listen to me, wench," James said menacingly. "You and I are going to leave quietly. You will never see your cop friend again, and you won't be leaving the house without an escort, unless it's to school."

"You can't do that," Lisa said.

"Watch me," James said, grabbing her arm. "Now let's go."

"Let go of me!" Lisa struggled to get out of his vice. She eventually stomped on his foot, but all that earned her was another slap in the face; this one, however, was hard enough to knock her down. Before she could recover, James grabbed a gun off the closest desk.

"You little, wench," he said angrily. "I should've done this long ago..."

MII

Lilly and John turned toward the window when a loud crash sounded from the bull pen. Lisa was on the floor, a fresh cut across her face, and James was saying something at her as he grabbed a gun from a desk. She was about to walk out there when John stopped her. "It's too dangerous," he said sympathetically.

"That man is going to kill her if we don't do something," Lilly said.

John sighed, knowing he was defeated; he wasn't going to have Lisa's blood on his hands. "If he raises that gun to you, I want you out, understand?"

Lilly nodded as she walked out the door. "Stop!" she called to James. The gun was cocked and ready to fire; Lisa was sitting on the floor helplessly looking down at the barrel of a gun, crying. "You don't want to do that."

"Oh, I don't do I?" James asked, spreading his arms out carelessly. Lilly could see his eyes were bloodshot, and that he was staggering slightly. She guessed that he had been drinking; probably something he smuggled in. "She-" he pointed the gun at Lisa again, "is the reason why all of this is happening."

"Your debt?" Lilly asked, noticing Scotty coming in from somewhere. When he saw what was happening, he automatically reached for his locker; Lilly moved her arm slightly, urging him not to. If they were going to win this, they shouldn't do it with guns drawn. "How did she cause that?"

James looked down at Lisa, a maniac look coming to his eye. "You told her? You told her about what's going on in our family?"

"How else was I supposed to explain these injuries you inflicted upon me?" Lisa demanded angrily.

"You little wench," he said furiously, raising the gun and hitting her with it. "I'm going to kill you." He continued to pistol whip her two more times- it was all she could do to shield her face before each blow- before Jeffries and Vera came in, guns drawn.

"Put it down!" Vera ordered. "Put it down and get on the ground, now!"

"You put yours down," James said, pointing the gun at Lisa again. "Or else she dies." When no one did anything, James shot the roof; Lisa screamed, everyone else jumped. "That was just a warning. I will do it this time."

Seeing no other choice, Vera and Jeffries backed off. Most of the people ran out of the office; only the team stayed. "Listen to me, James," Lilly said calmly. "You're not going to walk out of here if you kill Lisa. Your best chance at walking out of here alive is to talk to me."

"Why should I talk to you?" James demanded. "Huh?"

"Because I'm your best shot at getting out of here."

"Oh really?"

"Yes," Lilly said. "SWAT is probably already here and taking position right now to shoot you down." James looked around nervously, lowering the gun. "What is it you want?"

"I need a million dollars by today," James said.

Lilly looked to John, who nodded as he picked up the phone in his office.

"I thought you sold my animals to pay off that debt," Lisa demanded.

"I did, but then I lost it all."

"So you sold my horses and my dog for no reason?" Lisa started to tremble, more out of anger than fear now. "You know how much they were worth? Especially since they were pure-breds?"

"Shut up!" James ordered, raising the gun again. "I don't need you to tell me what I've done wrong or right." Directly behind him, Lilly saw someone come with a taser.

"I think your million dollars is here," Lilly said. James turned around- Lilly indicated to Lisa to get out of the line of fire- and recieved a low voltage shot, causing him to pull the trigger. When he was on the ground Vera and Jeffries came over and took him to booking.