Shadows Redeemed (Garrison Security Innovations #4)

Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

PARKER FRANKLIN SAT ON the metal bench, staring at his cell phone, which he held in both hands between his legs. He blew out a breath, wishing he knew what to do now that Sage had turned him down. He knew calling her was a long-shot, but he truly had nowhere else to go. No one in the NOPD would lift a finger to help him, because they all thought his brother Jacob was guilty as hell.

And he couldn’t blame them. He leaned back on the bench and stared up into the New Orleans sky, the humid air thick with the scent of Creole spices and the distant hum of jazz. The city had always held a special place in his heart, but now, as he gazed out at the people passing by, it seemed like a distant memory. Jacob was notorious for going rogue and crossing lines. Hell, Jacob could have easily done what everyone said he did, but somehow, Parker doubted it. Not with the Broussards involved. Not after what they did years before.

But of all the people he thought would help him, he had been sure it would be Sage. After all, she did it once before, pulled his brother’s ass out of the fire. Why couldn’t she do it again? He needed her to do it again.

And so did Jacob.

He wasn’t sure why the two of them broke up. Scratch that. He did know. Jacob was more scoundrel than he was relationship material, and Parker knew Sage had tolerated all she could before she hightailed it out of there. Parker couldn’t blame her. There comes a time, even for someone as rough and tumble like Sage Silver, when a woman wants to know they can count on the man they’re dating, and his brother was never—and probably would never be—that man. That was his brother’s biggest mistake, too. Sage was smarter, tougher, sexier than every other woman he had ever met. His brother was an idiot for letting her walk off on him.

“Parker, Parker. Enjoying the warm New Orleans sun? Shouldn’t you be teaching a class or something?”

He glanced up as two detectives he recognized from the NOPD approached, smirks already covering their faces. Sighing, he dropped his head, giving it a slow shake. “What do you want, Blake?”

Blake Nealey, a tall, sandy-haired man with light blue eyes and a scar at the left corner of his mouth, stepped closer, his hands in his pockets, thumbs outside. His partner, Sullivan—Parker didn’t remember the man’s first name—about a head taller with short, dark hair and a narrow face, stood beside him, his arms crossed over his chest. Both looked at him with disdain and just a touch of amusement. Both were well-known faces in the New Orleans Police Department, even with the tarnished reputations they had gained a couple of years ago, with whispers of corruption and misconduct following them wherever they went, but which no one could ever prove. Parker assumed since they were there harassing him, then they were probably neck-deep in whatever had Jacob running. Parker had no reason to trust them, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as they closed in.

“You know why we’re here,” Blake said with a slight shrug. “Where’s your brother?”

Parker shook his head as he draped an arm along the back of the bench. “As far as I know, he’s undercover for you guys. Should I be worried that you lost track of him?”

“You should be worried when we find him.” Sullivan put a foot on the bench beside Parker and leaned forward, resting his forearms on his leg. “Your brother’s gone over to the other side, from what we hear. Again. The entire city’s talking about what he did. Working for the Broussards. He’s screwed the pooch big time on this one. We need to pull him out before someone gets hurt.”

Parker ignored the insinuation that his brother had been dirty back then. It didn’t matter to these two that the police had cleared his brother. Probably not to most of the department. “Who’s his handler? Isn’t that how all this works? You assign a man to him, and he keeps track of what Jacob’s doing. Shouldn’t he know where my brother is? So, who’s the handler?”

Blake stared at him for a moment, his brows pinched. “I find it odd that your brother wouldn’t reach out to you. As I understand it, the two of you are fairly close. You stood by him the last time he crossed the line.”

Parker scoffed as he glanced at the park behind him. “I think you have your facts screwed. He didn’t cross the line, and they proved it. It was someone else.”

“Or it was the Broussards covering for him and paying off officials. After all, they’d want to keep their boy in a position to help them. I hear they do that sort of stuff.” Sullivan shrugged as he leaned closer. “Personally, I think Jacob did everything they said he did. He just knew how to get out of it.”

Parker shook his head, twisting his lips in a grimace. “Then it’s no wonder you barely solve any of your cases. You’re a lousy judge of character and a shitty detective. Jacob was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.” Always protective of his family, there was no way he would believe anything these two morons told him. However, with Sage’s refusal to help him, a growing sense of isolation and despair threatened to undo his resolve. His nostrils flared as he bounced his gaze back and forth between the two detectives. “Jacob did nothing wrong, and I’ll prove it.”

Blake leaned in closer, and when he spoke, it was like ice dripped from his words. “You’re in over your head on this one, Parker. You should leave law enforcement to the professionals and keep your nose out of this.”

“Yeah, we’d hate to see you go down with your brother. No need for your ma to lose both her boys, after all.”

“That sounded like a threat.” Parker clenched his jaw, determined not to lose control and give these idiots a reason to haul him in. “Know this. I won’t rest until I find Jacob and help clear his name. I also won’t let corrupt cops such as yourselves intimidate me.”

“We’re not the one everyone is looking for,” Sullivan snarled.

Blake leaned in again, his voice low, menacing. “Be careful, Parker. You never know what kind of trouble you might find yourself in if you keep digging into this mess.”

With those ominous words, the two detectives walked away, their laughter still ringing in Parker’s ears. He watched them go, a sense of foreboding settling over him like a heavy shroud.

Just as he was about to stand up and leave, his phone rang and he fumbled to answer it. The caller ID displayed “Jacob.” He gave the screen a forceful swipe of his finger as he glanced around to make sure the detectives hadn’t returned. “Jacob, where are you?” His heart pounded in his chest.

Jacob’s voice came through, strained and desperate. “Miss me, little brother?”

“Nealey and Sullivan were just here asking questions about you. What the hell is going on?”

“Yeah, things didn’t go exactly as people told me. I need your help, and right now, I don’t know who else I can trust.”

Parker’s mind raced as he tried to make sense of his brother’s words. “What do you mean it didn’t go as they expected? Who are they ?” He took a slow, deep breath, trying to settle his nerves. “What the hell are you mixed up in now?”

“I can’t tell you over the phone. It’s too dangerous. Meet me at our old hideout, the one we used to go to as kids by the bayou. I’ll explain everything there, but be careful, Parker. I think someone’s been watching me, and if Nealey and Sullivan are tailing you, then you need to be extra careful.”

Parker’s heart sank. He knew the place Jacob was referring to, a secluded spot deep in the swamps. It was a place filled with memories of their childhood adventures, but now it seemed like a shadow of the past, haunted by uncertainty and danger. “I’ll be there,” he assured his brother, determination filling him.

Shoving himself off the bench, he felt a mix of fear and determination coursing through his veins. He couldn’t trust the police. That had been obvious. And Sage refused to help them, leaving them on their own with limited resources.

As he walked away from the park, he couldn’t shake the feeling that the walls were closing in on him. He was on a mission to clear his brother’s name, but the more he dug into it, the more the path ahead seemed fraught with danger, betrayal, and the unknown.

Parker navigated the narrow, winding roads that led him deep into the Louisiana bayou. The surrounding landscape changed rapidly, from the bustling city to the serene countryside, and finally to the eerie stillness of the swamps. The cypress trees cast long twisted shadows, and the murky waters of the bayou seemed to hold secrets untold.

He had spent countless summers with Jacob in this remote part of the bayou, where the world felt far removed from their troubles. Now, the old hideout felt like the last place of sanctuary in a world that had turned its back on them.

As Parker’s car bumped along the dirt path, he couldn’t help but think about the circumstances that had brought him there. Jacob, the protective older brother who had always been there for him, was now a fugitive, accused of a crime he didn’t commit. The evidence against Jacob was overwhelming, and the police seemed intent on ensuring he never had a fair chance at proving his innocence.

Parker parked the car at the edge of the bayou, concealed by the dense foliage. He knew the trek from there would be on foot, and the old hideout was still a good distance away. With each step, the oppressive humidity of the swamp weighed down on him, and the chorus of frogs and insects created a haunting symphony.

As he ventured deeper into the bayou, memories of childhood adventures with Jacob flooded his mind. They had explored these woods together, built a secret fort near the water, and fished for crawfish. Those days felt like a lifetime ago, innocent and carefree.

The old hideout finally came into view, a humble structure made of cypress logs, with a roof of woven palmetto fronds. The structure had weathered the test of time, still standing just as they had left it. As Parker approached, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this place held answers, that it was a sanctuary where he might finally learn the truth, the truth his brother kept close to his chest.

He entered the hideout cautiously, glancing around for any signs of his brother. The place was eerily quiet, the air thick with the scent of damp wood. It was then that he noticed a faint glimmer from the corner of his eye. He turned to see Jacob emerging from the shadows, glancing behind Parker, probably to ensure he no one followed him.

Jacob looked worn and haggard, his face marked with the stress of being on the run. His eyes, once full of life, were now haunted by fear and uncertainty. Parker rushed to embrace his brother, relief and worry flooding his heart.

“You’re actually here.” Parker felt the emotion choke his voice. “I wasn’t sure you’d wait for me to get here.”

“Nowhere else to go right now.” Jacob held onto him tightly for a moment, as if he feared this might be their last moment together. “I didn’t know who else to turn to, little brother. They’re closing in on me, and I’m running out of options. The Broussards have their hands in everything.”

Parker stepped back, looking into Jacob’s baby blue eyes. “Tell me everything. What happened that night? Why do they think you’re guilty of whatever they think you’re guilty of?”

Jacob took a deep breath, his shoulders sagging with the weight of his confession. As he moved over to sit on the rickety steps of the small shack, he recounted the events of a week ago, how he had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, and how they had twisted the evidence to make him look like a criminal.

Parker listened intently, his heart heavy with the realization that his brother was innocent, caught up in a web of deception and corruption. He knew that clearing Jacob’s name would be an uphill battle, but he would do whatever it took.

As Jacob finished his story, he looked at Parker with a glimmer of hope. “Parker, you’re the only one I can trust. I need your help to uncover the truth, to find the evidence that will prove my innocence. But I don’t want anyone to know you’re helping me. They can’t. It’s too dangerous.”

He nodded, determination burning his eyes. For a second, he debated telling his brother about reaching out to Sage, but then thought better of it. Her refusal to help this time would only further Jacob’s feeling of being alone. “We’ll figure this out. Somehow, we’ll get dirt on the real culprit, whoever has their hand on the NOPD, and clear your name. Count on it.”

Jacob smiled weakly, his gratitude clear. “Thanks. But as I said, you need to be careful. They’re watching, and they won’t hesitate to eliminate anyone they think is a threat. They’ll expect you to be helping me.”

Parker’s resolve hardened. He knew what he was walking into, but he couldn’t let his fear hold him back. He had his brother’s trust, and he would stop at nothing to uncover the truth and bring the real criminals to justice, even if it was just the two of them.

As the brothers huddled in their old hideout, deep in the heart of the bayou, a sense of purpose took root within them. The path ahead was treacherous, but they were determined to follow it, no matter where it led. With the weight of their family’s trust on their shoulders, they were ready to face the darkness that lurked in the city of New Orleans.