C. Paradee - Deep Cover

Lisa stood there impassively. "So, what happened when Shelby got there?"

Jonathan cleared his throat. "Um...well, I was so hurt at being falsely accused, I drank a six pack and laid down to take a nap. Couple of hours later, I got woken up again. It was Shelby and that tall bit...woman. So, I let them in, and the tall one went back outside so we could talk."

Lisa waited patiently. So far, what Jonathan had related was accurate. She was curious as to how he was going to try and explain his hostile actions. "And?"

"Well, you gotta understand, I was a bit woozy from the beer, and she ordered me to stay away from you, and threatened to tell you I shot her..."

Lisa summoned every ounce of courage she possessed to confront her former husband for the very first time. "Stop right there. You are a liar. Shelby was right. You haven't changed at all. You've just become a better actor."

Jonathan dropped his eyes to the floor. "I knew you wouldn't believe me." He looked back up at Lisa beseechingly. "I swear I'm telling you the truth. If it had happened just like Shelby said, why would I be here?"

Looking at her former husband, Lisa fought the urge to believe him. "You tell me."

"Babe, you know how stressed out Shelby's been. I would be, too, if someone was shooting at me. I think she threatened to put the blame on me because she is so confused right now."

Lisa hated to admit it, but Jonathan was right about the pressure her daughter had been under. She met his eyes resolutely. "She wouldn't lie no matter how bad things were. You know that."

His frustration building, Jonathan pleaded, "Please believe me. I just got angry when she threatened me. I never meant her any harm."

"How come when Kris came in the trailer, you got into it with her."

"That fucking bitch got right in my face and wouldn't move. She just got lucky."

Lisa retorted, "Well, that fucking bitch was protecting Shelby from you."

Jonathan could see his plans to move back in crumbling to dust in front of him. Losing his calm demeanor, he glared at Lisa, and snapped, "So you still think I'm lying."

Trying to calm Jonathan down in order to avoid a physical confrontation, Lisa suggested, "Maybe you misunderstood what she said."

Jonathan's face reddened. "Oh, so now I'm not only a liar but I'm stupid, too." He pushed Lisa into the house, following her menacingly. "Just who in the hell do you think you are?" He shoved her again. "All of a sudden my word isn't good enough for you." Spittle flew from his mouth into Lisa face. "You stupid, bitch!"

Backing away from Jonathan, Lisa shouted, "Get out of here, now, or I'm calling the cops."

When he heard his mother yell, Jason jumped up from in front of the TV and ran towards the kitchen, Justin following closely on his heels. The teenager had just cleared the doorway, when he saw his father brutally slap his mother, blood from a split lip coloring her chin.

He stepped in front of his mother and grabbed his father's arm, which was raised again. "Leave her alone, Dad."

Jonathan jerked his arm free of his son's grasp and glared at Jason. "Get out of here. NOW!" He captured Justin with his gaze, and added, "Both of you."

Jason shook his head and stood his ground, staring at a bulging vein in his father's forehead as the man's face reddened in anger. He felt his stomach tighten in fear and hoped the older man couldn't see how scared he was. He ignored his mother trying to pull him back away from the angry man.

"Dad, please leave."

Jonathan's open palm slammed against Jason's cheek. "You disrespectful brat. I told you to get out of here."

Gritting his teeth against the pain, Jason repeated, "Dad, just go. Please." He threw up an arm to block his father's next blow, further angering the bigger man.

When her attempts to get her son out of Jonathon's path were unsuccessful, Lisa moved to stand beside him, ignoring the boy when he said, "Mom, get out of here." There was no way she was leaving Jason alone at Jonathon's mercy.

Jonathan's last vestige of control slipped and his anger turned to fury. Not only had all his plans been thwarted, his wife and stepdaughter had poisoned his own sons' minds until they stood against him, too. Outraged, he backhanded Lisa.

Jason thrust his weight against his father as he attempted to push him toward the door. He hollered, "Justin, call 911!"

Watching in horror as his hero disintegrated before his eyes, his brother's frantic words spurred the teenager to action. Justin grabbed the phone from the counter and dialed the emergency number.

Jonathan hit Jason, loosening the teen's hold on his arm. He'd teach his son who was in control. Suddenly realizing that Justin had called the police, a surge of adrenaline allowed him to toss his wife and older son away from him.

Devastated, Justin stared disbelievingly at his mother sprawled on the floor and his brother crumpled against the wall. Unable to move, his wide eyes tracked his father's furious approach. As the phone was wrenched out of his hands, the boy missed hearing the dispatcher come on the line.

The frightened look on his son's face disgusted Jonathan. His youngest son was nothing but a sissy. At least Jason had the balls to stand up to him. He heard the dispatcher's voice coming over the receiver and pressed the off button before tossing the phone back to Justin, sneering when the boy flinched.

Knowing the dispatcher had probably already summoned a unit to respond, he turned around and hurried out the door without a backward glance. He had no intentions of ending up in jail again.

Jason reached his mother at the same time Justin did. They helped her to her feet. "You okay, Mom?"

"I'm okay." Lisa hugged her sons, horrified at the bruising on Jason's face. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Mom," Jason assured her. "He's gone now."

All three hurried toward the door when they heard a commotion out in the yard and almost bumped into a policewoman who was just raising her hand to knock on the door.

"Is everyone okay?"

Lisa nodded. "We're okay. How'd you get here so fast?"

"Just luck really. My partner and I were only a street over. When the dispatcher lost contact, we got the call."

"Did you get him?"

"Yeah. Tried to run though. My partner tackled him and the guy just about pulled Pete's arm of its socket trying to get away. He'll be charged with resisting arrest and assault on a police officer, too."

Lisa said, "He'll never learn."

"I'll be right back to take statements. I have to get the camera. I'll need to take pictures for evidence in court."

Taking a deep breath, Lisa nodded. This time she would see it through. "Okay."

Justin looked at his mother, once the officer left to get her camera. "Mom, why?"

"He's sick, honey. He needs help."

"He said he was better." Justin struggled to make sense of what had happened. "Dad already got treatment."

"I know. It just wasn't enough." Lisa gazed into her son's eyes. "He might not be able to be cured."

Justin nodded as he wrapped his mind around that thought.

Lisa knew she hadn't protected her daughters and she couldn't undo that. The only thing she could do was make sure she didn't repeat the same mistakes she'd made so many years before. Her sons had suffered physical and emotional damage trying to protect her because she hadn't acted sooner.

She looked at the boys. "I'm filing charges against your father and testifying in court this time. He's going to jail."

Jason nodded. "Can I testify?"

Lisa started crying harder. Jason was only a teenager and he was already braver than she'd ever been. She managed to say, "I'm proud of you both."

Justin said, "Mom, please don't cry."

Lisa smiled through her tears. "I'm fine, honey. I'm just glad you're both okay."