Watch ‘9-1-1’s’ Hen Faces Off With Councilman Ortiz in Tense Showdown (Exclusive Preview)

“Mara needs her family back,” Aisha Hinds’ Hen tells Councilman Ortiz (Verónica Falcón)

in a preview for season 8, episode 4, “No Place Like Home.” It’s painful to have enemies in high places.

Season 7 of 9-1-1 ended with Hen (Aisha Hinds) and Karen (Tracie Thoms) losing their foster care licenses and having to relinquish custody of their adopted daughter Mara (Askyler Bell) — all because of a feud. Councilman Ortiz (Verónica Falcón) blames Hen for the death of her son, Kyle, who died in season 7 after being injured while driving drunk.

In this exclusive sneak peek of season 8, episode 4 for Entertainment Weekly, Hen confronts Councilwoman Ortiz, pleading with her to let Mara return home.

Related: No, 9-1-1 doesn’t use real bees for ‘bee-nado’ — but still gets stunned by dead bees!

“Please don’t punish her because you can’t forgive me,” Hen begs the councilwoman after showing her a video of Mara, who was temporarily held captive by Maddie (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Chimney (Kenneth Choi). “Mara needs her family back. We’re all she has.”

“Kyle is all I have,” Councilwoman Ortiz replies, “and I’m expected to go on without him. Maybe young Mara will have to learn to do the same.”

And as if having a councilwoman against you wasn’t enough, 9-1-1 co-creator Tim Minear previously told EW that Ortiz, whom he calls “Cruella,” is aiming for an even higher position: “She’s running for mayor,” he teased before adding ominously, “and things are going to happen.”

Well, apparently, not bringing Mara back quickly is one of those things. Another is the family—and tension—building as Chimney and Maddie take care of Mara in Hen and Karen’s absence. “One thing I started doing last year was really showing Buckley-Hans and Hen and Karen as an extended family beyond the fire station,” Minear told EW ahead of the season 8 premiere. “I brought Maddie more into Hen’s world and Hen into Maddie’s world, so Mara wasn’t so far away from Hen and Karen. I imagined them going there every day and spending a lot of time as a blended family. So it was great for them… until it wasn’t.”