Page 12 of Sutton's Shadow

“Not at all,” she replied, noticing he was getting some superb views of the lighthouse with the sunset in the background.

She walked out onto the sand and raised her camera. She was old fashioned in the way she liked looking through the viewfinder instead of the built-in screen. The sun was now half in the water, darkness encroaching from behind her. She focused her camera on the center of the sun, which was melting into the water in a glorious display of colors. Sutton would never tire of a view such as this.

Thinking she had enough images; she made her way back to Wyatt on the sidewalk just as his phone alerted to an incoming text. He pulled his phone out and read the text. Swearing faintly, his eyes sought Sutton.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“I gotta go. Missing kid.”

She gaped at him, shocked at his calm delivery of that news. “Anything I can do to help?” she asked.

He glanced at her as he maneuvered the drone back to them. “I guess we could always use more eyes.”

“Okay. Good.” She ran to her bags and packed away her cameras. He brought the drone over to her, which she packed safely away as well. He grabbed her bags, and they walked toward the parking lot. “Where’s your car?” she asked him.

“I left it at Jolene’s.”

“I guess I could drive, if that’s okay.”

“Sure.”

She unlocked her maroon Honda Pilot and opened the back. After stowing her bags, they both climbed into her car. “Where to?” she asked, turning the engine over.

“The elementary school. The team is meeting there.” She nodded, and his phone rang. “What do we know?” he asked after answering. “No, I don’t have the drones with me. Shit.” He ran a hand through his hair to the back of his neck. A grin tugged at her lips when she spotted the strands that were now standing upright.

“We can use mine,” Sutton offered.

He glanced over at her in the fading light. “Hold on, Graham,” he said into the phone. “I don’t think your drone will work. The light is fading too fast.”

She snorted. “We don’t need natural light with my toys.”

Chapter 4

Shewasright.Oncethey had arrived in the parking lot of the elementary school, the light was almost completely gone. Sutton went to her bags and started digging out her “toys.” She changed the battery in her drone for a fresh one. Then she’d surprised him by turning on the spotlight that was attached. Hooking up her phone with the app again, she handed him the controller.

It impressed him that she was willing to give up control to him. Wyatt hated to let other people touch his toys. But here she was, handing the device over to a virtual stranger. It must have cost her a couple thousand, especially with all the extras the damn thing had. She was more trusting of people than he was.

Sending the drone into the air, he started a grid search of the woods near the school, impressed by the intensity of the light. She had better tech than the stuff he used for the team. The rest of the Nighthawks hadn’t arrived yet. Wyatt and Sutton were the first on scene. A few minutes into his search, Deputy Ian McClintock arrived and walked over to them.

“Anything yet?” he asked Wyatt.

“Not yet.”

“That doesn’t look like your normal device,” he said, pointing out the controller in his hands.

“It’s Sutton’s,” Wyatt remarked succinctly, concentrating on the phone’s screen. “Deputy McClintock, Sutton Masters,” Wyatt said, introducing the pair to each other while keeping his eyes on the screen.

“Ian,” the deputy said, holding his hand out to Sutton. He briefly gave Sutton the once over, and a surge of jealousy rushed Wyatt’s system. Mentally shaking it off, he placed his concentration back on the controls.

“Thanks for letting us use your drone,” Ian was saying to Sutton as more cars pulled into the lot.

“Glad I can help,” she answered.

Ian walked over to the team of Nighthawks that were gathering in front of Graham’s SUV. Wyatt knew they were studying the maps they had of the area and setting up a grid search.

Graham joined Wyatt after greeting Sutton. Allowing the drone to hover for a moment, Wyatt pointed out the areas he’d already searched. Sutton was viewing the screen of her phone over his shoulder. She placed a hand on his arm to lean in closer to the little screen.

“Do you see that?” she asked, drawing his attention away from the feel of her small hand. “Right there.” She pointed at the screen before grabbing the controller and changed the pitch of the drone, lowering it through the trees for a closer look at whatever she’d seen.

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