Haylee stops at the entrance of the long driveway. She was tired and cold from biking out to the location on her mountain bike. She pulls the crumpled piece of paper that had the address of Officer Bounty written on it out of her jacket pocket. She was hurting from the beating her father gave her.

She puts the piece of paper back into her battered jacket and bike down the weird looking driveway. She has never seen anything like it before. As Haylee continues to pedal down the road, she notices two black Arabian horses in the field that runs next to the road. She stops and walks over to the fence. She loved horses and has always wanted one, but her step-father wouldn’t allow her to have one.

She tries to entice the horse to come towards her. “Here boy.” She clicks her tongue to try to lure the horse over to her.

She watches as it walks over towards the white fence. When it is close enough for her to pet it. She reaches forward slowly. Her hand was bruised and bloody. She rubs the side of his neck as tears slide down from her eyes.

Selina was in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone. When the perimeter alarm flashes up on the monitor in the kitchen. She brings up the hidden cameras that lined the driveway Jack installed after the property was attacked a while back. She notices the person wearing a bloody pink sweatshirt and blue jeans. There was a boy’s black mountain bike leaning against the fence while the person petted Evening Star. Selina knew Evening Star wasn’t the type of horse to let anyone near her. Evening Star use to be April’s horse. Now, Debbie and Gina rode her.

Selina walks out to find Cheshire. When she comes out of the kitchen she spots Gina and Arnold in the living room watching the news.

“Gina, have you seen Cheshire this morning?”

“Yes ma’am, her, Ikaika, Tizzy and Krisha went to feed and introduce Krisha and Ikaika to Simba and Khan. They should be out near the back
fields watching the Ligers as they play around. Why, what’s up?” Gina knew that Selina normally didn’t go looking for any of them.

Selina looks at Gina. She knew Gina was still recovering, but figure this shouldn’t be any problem.

“We have a visitor down on the main driveway. The person is wearing a bloody pink sweat shirt and is petting Evening Star.” Selina knew Evening Star was picky about who she let pet her.

“If the person is petting Evening Star, then they can’t be that bad. Evening Star is very picky on who she lets pet her. I’ll go and check the person out, Selina.” Gina stands up and runs upstairs to slip her boots on.

“I’m coming with you.” Arnold grabs a handgun from the gun case in Jack’s office.

Gina has been teaching him how to use a gun. They had talked about it and if he was going to marry into the family, then he needed to learn how to handle a gun. He hears Gina coming back downstairs. He meets her in the foyer as he slips on his heavy leather jacket.

The two of them and Cadmus head outside and take her hummer down the driveway towards the person. As they approach, they notice the person was hugging Evening Star and had their face buried against her neck.

Haylee hears a vehicle coming towards her. She just held the horse and cried against her neck. She didn’t care if she got arrested now.

Arnold pulls the hummer over and gets out along with Gina. He watches as Gina walks towards the figure. He was going to cover her from the hummer.

“She’s a nice horse, isn’t she?” Gina approaches slowly towards the figure.

Haylee wipes the tears from her eyes as she turns to face the person.

“She’s a beautiful horse. I wish I had a horse like her.” Haylee looks at the person and recognized who it was.

“You’re Gina Bounty, aren’t you?” Haylee remembered Julia telling her and showing her that she had a sister.

Julia had showed her a picture of herself and her little sister with their wolves. It was during the lunch she bought for her. Julia had caught her stealing some food. Her step-father hadn’t feed her or her sister for days. She had managed to escape their lock bedroom.

“How do you know about me?” Gina was curious.

Gina notices that the girl had bruising around her neck and eyes.

“Your sister told me. She said you have a wolf named Cadmus.” Haylee was looking pass her towards the hummer and the man standing by the driver door.

“I do.” Gina snaps her fingers.

Haylee watches as a wolf that looked like Sphinx jumps out of the hummer. It walks up to Gina with a limp and stands by her. She couldn’t believe how much it looked like Sphinx.

She kneels and looks at Cadmus “He looks just like Sphinx. Except, he has more gray fur.” She knew better than to try and touch him. Julia warned her that the wolves were trained.

“He’s Sphinx’s brother.” Gina reaches down to touch Cadmus head.

Haylee stands up “I need to see your sister. I, I killed my step-father.”

Gina could see that she had blood on her hands and clothes. She also had bruising around her neck and eyes.

“Let’s get your bicycle and put it in the hummer.” Gina walks over towards Haylee with Cadmus walking next to her.

Haylee walks over towards the fence and gives the horse a hug before grabbing her bicycle. She walks back towards the hummer pushing the bicycle. Gina lifts the rear hatch and help the girl put the mountain bike in the hummer.

Arnold couldn’t believe what he heard about the girl killing her step-father. He gets back into the hummer and drive them back to the house.
Gina was sitting up front with him. The girl and Cadmus were in the back.

Haylee watches as they drove up the driveway. Cadmus was sitting next to her, watching her. She didn’t know who the man was that was driving them. She spots an old style Victorian mansion. She watches as the guy driving parks the hummer next to another hummer and Julia’s police SUV. There was another SUV parked next to Julia’s police one.

“Since you know my name, what is yours?” Gina turns around to look at the young girl.

“It’s Haylee. Haylee Bastain.” Haylee opens the hummer’s door and gets out followed by Cadmus.

Gina escorts Haylee into the house followed by Cadmus. As they walk into the house, Gina spots her younger sister Alyona heading towards the kitchen.

“Alyona, do you know if Julia is awake?”

Alyona stops when she hears Gina’s question and wonders who the teenage girl is behind her.

“I think she’s in the kitchen getting coffee. Christmas had to go and teach today.” Alyona saw Julia’s bedroom door open when she went by it.

“Thanks, Alyona.” Gina follows Alyona to the kitchen.

Julia was sitting at the dining room table drinking her coffee and munching on a blue berry muffin Selina made this morning. She looks up when Gina comes walking in followed by Haylee. She wonders what Haylee why doing here.

“Haylee, what are you doing here?” Julia was concern. The last she heard, Haylee and her little sister had been put in a foster home.

Haylee runs over to Julia and throws her arms around her. She buries her face against Julia’s body and start crying. Cadmus was getting ready to chase after her, but Gina stopped him and Sphinx from attacking her.

Julia just holds her as she cried against her. She notices the bruises and the blood covering her hands and on her sweatshirt. She could tell she needed a bath as well.

“Haylee, what happened.” As she held her.

“I killed my step-father.” Haylee looks up at Julia.

Julia was shocked when she heard that news. She looks up and everyone in the kitchen and dining room heard what Haylee said.

“Haylee, what do you mean you killed your step-father? I thought you were in a foster home?” Julia was confused.

“Haylee, why don’t you sit here and tell us what happened from the beginning.” Gina pulls a chair out for Haylee to sit on.

Haylee sits down on the chair and looks at everyone watching her.

“Haylee, just look at me and tell me what happened.” Julia was trying to get her attention.

Haylee looks at Julia. She takes a deep breath before she begins. Her ribs were hurting her, where her step-father kicked her.

“After we were put in the foster home. Niles, found out where we were and kidnapped us. He killed our foster parents. He took us to an abandoned house and locked me and my sister up. He would leave us for days without any food or water. I managed to hoard some water and food for my sister. He came back this morning and unlocked the door and was yelling for us to come out. When we did, he, he, killed my sister.
I charged him, and we started fighting. I managed to knock his gun out of his hand. He grabbed me by my throat and slam me up against the wall. I managed to kick him in his groin and he dropped me and kicked me several times. I spotted his gun and scrambled to get it and shot him with it. I just kept shooting him till there were no bullets. He killed my sister.”

Tears were sliding down Haylee’s face.

“Come mere Haylee.” Julia holds her arms out for her.

Haylee leaps into Julia’s opened arms and hug her. She buries her face against Julia’s shoulder. She lets all the tears she was holding back
come out.

Julia grits her teeth when Haylee brushes up against her injured leg. She holds Haylee against her body and let the poor girl cry. She knew things had been rough for Haylee, but she hoped that Haylee and her sister would get a second chance in the foster care system. She also knew how close Haylee was to her little sister.

“Julia, how did you get out here to me?” Julia looks down towards Haylee.

“Haylee leans back to look at Julia. I stole a mountain bike from a house I came across. I still had your address with me.” Haylee pulls out the piece of paper Julia had given her.

“Do you remember where the house is that your father stashed you?”

Haylee shakes her head yes.

“Can you lead me back to it?”

“Yes ma’am.” Haylee stands up.

Gina looks at her sister “remember what dad said?”

“I know, but I need to check this out.” Julia stands up from her chair.

“No, you’re not. You can come, but you’re not getting out of the hummer. I’ll check the place out for you.” Cheshire had come walking in when she heard what happened.

Tizzy, Krisha and Tizzy’s boyfriend were behind her. Tizzy just looks at her cousin.

“You know mom is right, Julia.” Tizzy knew better then to argue with her mother.

“Alright, come on Haylee. Let’s get you cleaned up and take pictures of your injuries. Then we will go and check out the crime scene.” Julia
uses her crutches and take Haylee upstairs and take pictures of Haylee’s injuries.

Haylee wonders who the older oriental woman was that made Julia back down. She follows Haylee into her bedroom and allows her to take pictures of her body and such. She knew Julia was going to need those pictures for the courts.

Afterwards, Julia shows Haylee to the bathroom and let her take a bath. While Haylee was in the bathroom, Julia goes through the pictures she took and couldn’t believe how skinny and malnourish she was. She also couldn’t believe how many bruises she had.

There was a knock-on Julia’s bedroom door. Julia turns around to see who it was. She spots Alyona standing at her door.

“What’s up sis?”

Alyona walks into her sister’s bedroom. She had picked out some of her clothes to share with Haylee.

“I thought Haylee might like some clean clothes to wear. She looks to be around my size, so I grabbed a few things for her.” She sets them down on the bed.

“Thank you, Alyona. I know she will appreciate it.” Julia walks forward and gives Alyona a hug.

“Are you okay?” Julia was concerned about Alyona.

“I’m alright. Is it okay if I come with you and Aunt Cheshire?” Alyona wanted to see what her big sister did.

“Let me check with Aunt Cheshire, first. She’s making me stay in the car.” Julia didn’t see any harm with it. She knew Alyona was curious about what she did.

“Thanks.” Alyona turns around heads downstairs.

Julia picks the clothes up and carry them to the bathroom. She knocks on the door before stepping in for a second.

“Haylee, I’m bring you some clean clothes. There here on the toilet seat.”

Haylee was sitting down in the shower under the spray of the water. She wanted her sister back. Every time she closed her eyes she saw her
sister being shot by her step-father.

Julia spotted Haylee sitting on the floor of the shower holding her legs. She slips back out of the bathroom and hope everything was alright with her.