Say Nothing!

Say Nothing: Brad Parks

Sometimes in order to survive and protect your family you have to go to extremes even if it means defying the rules of law, changing your rulings and somehow creating a veil of deceit in order to save the lives of those close to you. Judge Scott Sampson has two amazing children, Sam and Emma and a wife named Alison. Thinking his life was great, no one could possibly change it a simple text message would alter it and set off so many chains of events that his life creating a downward spiral that would end in more than just tragedy. How far would anyone go to protect his/her family? Would you free someone that deserved to be in jail? Would you allow someone to plead cases and pass judgments that others instructed you too? What happens when Sampson receives a text from his wife saying his children had a dentist appointment and not to pick them up from school for their Wednesday swimming time? Never thinking that the text was false, the judge goes on with his day and when returning home waits for Alison to bring his children but they are not there. This is the beginning of a nightmare that they would both never wake up from until the truth behind what happened to Emma and Sammy is revealed. How far would you go to betray those who trust you and are part of your life? Would you jeopardize the lives of someone in your family in order to save yourself? This is a story of family disloyalty, betrayals, lies, greed, power, courtroom manipulation and sacrifice as author Brad Parks takes us inside the judicial system and the courtroom of Judge Scott Sampson as he fights many obstacles, many opponents including those within himself in order to find out who is responsible for kidnapping his two children and warns him he’d better SAY NOTHING!

No one has a perfect life but sometimes resentments harbor and you never really know about it until something serious happens that changes the course of your life. Judge Scott Sampson up until this happens is a great judge, fair-minded and has a great marriage and two twin children. A simple phone call would change his life as someone posing as his wife picked up his children from school and took them away. Strange that the school did not question the person nor realize that it was not his wife. The judge receives a threat that if he does not rule on a specific cases in a specific way they would both die. How can he free this drug dealer back into society knowing that he might destroy more lives? But what choice does he have but to follow instructions, not dare call in the police or the FBI or tell anyone: SAY NOTHING! These kidnappers were instructed not to hurt the children but as you will learn they defied their orders many times and could care less except getting the money promised and keeping the children in their sight. Blackmailing them, threats, fear, phone calls, photos, death threats and more as these killers and kidnappers will stop at nothing to achieve their goals through Scott. He is a judge for the US Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk. But before all is said and done his position will be questioned, his marriage will have many black veils hanging over it and the trust he had in Alison will fade. Someone how these people knew his phone numbers, his address where he lived on the York River in rural Gloucester County? But, Sampson relates his fears and what his thoughts are in the first person as the kidnapers relate theirs in the third person through a narrator. Could this really happen in real life and when Sampson takes the verdict in a case involving this drug dealer and says he is remorseful and deserves a chance back in society, the courtroom erupts, his credibility is questioned and the higher ups are thinking to impeach. But, this was not the main case in question after letting this man go free and still saying nothing. Never having a doctor’s appointment this leads to their maid Justina who claims she received the same message but something about her demeanor and the person who the school had on tape picking up his children looked like her and she is fired in order to be safe. This is just the first demand as he allows this man to be freed his son is returned shocked, shaken and although he knows it might be too soon Sampson questions him hoping this six year old can put an end to the nightmare and find his sister. Things get more tense as lies and deceits come about involving Alison and her behavior as they both decide to clue in her family and his in order to make them understand his decisions and hopefully they can help him in his quest to find Emma by keeping it quiet and saying nothing. But, can he trust them? Sampson has people watching his house, overnight patrols and even some support from others without their knowing it. But, eventually something else happens and the end result is not what the reader would expect. How far will he go to lower his face within the judicial community? The real case in question deals with a patent on a drug that could help to reduce heart attacks. Alison is an educator who teaches children that are learning disabled. But, Alison trusts too easily and relies on her sisters for help and her parents for support but no one really grasps the horror they are going through until it gets worse. He cannot sleep, eat and he does not notice a serious change in his wife’s appearance. He even suspects that she is seeing her ex-boyfriend on the side and wants a divorce. Using his imagination and thinking some thoughts he often veers away from the trial, daydreams and comes out with rulings and thoughts that are not coherent. Anger grips both him and Alison as accusations fly, silence is their battleground and forum and the end result you won’t believe. Threats come from the kidnapers threatening bodily harm to the children mainly Emma as they send Sampson some ungodly packages and photos. The two thugs are foreign and the abuse they inflict on Emma is horrific.

Rayshaun Skavron goes free, the people above him question him as Judge Byers is called in and manages to be convinced to agree with his ruling because he claims that he dealt with another case similar to that one and he deserved another chance. But, a search warrant is granted and the police and Marshalls search his house and things take an ugly turn. The case deals with a pharmaceutical company, hedge funds and huge amounts of money being sought after. The man who claims to have the patent is suing the big Pharma saying they are trying to steal his patent. Apothe-Gen is the big Pharma Company in question and the lawyers for this company and both sides are huge and each one wanting to take and win the case. But, Sampson presides in a huge room of just the players involved as each side wants discovery, affidavits, information and hopes to convince the judge to take his time and let them have time to create their cases. But, the instructions by the kidnappers and a message he receives from EMMA: DADDY HURRY UP and he does much to the chagrin of both sides.

As the pieces start falling into place his life as he knows is disintegrates as information comes from different sources and in order to learn more about the attorney in charge of the Plaintiff, he hires a private investigator to follow him but what he learns is not what he expects. Since Alison is acting strange, and Sammy tells him that she is not where he is but leaves him with her sisters and grandmother but he has no idea where, he hires the man to follow her and what is revealed will shake up his world even more.

His secretary Mrs. Smith begins to worry about him and his law clerk Jeremy tries to influence his decision against big Pharma, hoping he can get him to rule in favor of Palgraff the man who claims to have the patent and created and owned the patent for PCSK9 protein. But, the lawyer for Big Pharma is astute and reveals something about the patent that changes it all as he asked Palgraff to reproduce the protein on paper and what you will learn will change the complexion of the case and rock Sampson’s world even more. With a reporter named Politi on his case wanting to hear the truth hoping to get a big story, Scott has to convince him not to reveal anything in exchange for an exclusive. But, a fingerprint that he thought would convict Justina proves to be that of someone else and you won’t believe how this will destroy not only him but his wife too. Learning something about Alison when you read and experience the explosive ending you will understand why things evolved as they did and if she wanted it be decided that way.

Blake Franklin is a state senator who Scott worked for before being appointed as a judge. Their friendship goes way back but what he learns about him and his fundraising and more explains what happens when he decides to step down. Friendships, are destroyed, loyalties are broken, a family is torn apart and two children’s lives are held in the balance and a marriage is in trouble. Like a mosaic piece of art as the pieces begin to wear and the glue dries and it starts to come apart, our lives are just as fragile even more in this case than the fragility of blown glass or a stain glass window. Author Brad Parks allows readers inside the minds of both Alison and Scott but also hearing the thoughts of the kidnappers who disregard their order and run the job their way. Who is behind his heinous crime? Who is hiding in plain sight? Just what does someone close to him in the court have to do with the outcome of both cases? The ending will bring tears to the reader’s eyes and make you realize how delicate and fragile our lives are, the fact that Sampson had little recourse and had to follow the guidelines of the blackmailers and kidnappers when the solution they thought was simple and the answer was to SAY NOTHING!

A story that could be ripped right out the headlines. Brad Parks scores Five Golden EMMA AND SAMMY BEARS!