Page 68 of Sutton's Shadow

Runaways. That word resonated with Wyatt since that’s what the sheriff had tried to label Bethany. Not to mention the other missing girls Dylan had mentioned that day in the sheriff’s office. That men in power would discount the statements from minors of the brutalities committed against them was disturbing.

“What about the villages these girls came from? What does the government say happened to them?”

“Drug war. And they are ‘doing everything they can to curb the threat,’” he quoted, disgust heavy in his tone. “There may be drugs involved. After all, most groups like this deal in the drug trade. But we believe this guy who leads them has discovered he can make more money in the flesh trade.”

“Tell me more about this guy.”

“They call him El Sombra, the Shadow. He works in the shadows; he moves in the shadows. Hell, for all we know, he is a shadow. No one’s ever seen him, or they’re too scared to admit it. There is nothing to prove the existence of this guy; only vague stories from traumatized children. And theloco Americanoswho apparently believe in ghost stories.”

“You saw him, right?”

“Yeah, we all did. I’ll never forget his face, or the atrocities he committed.”

“I’m sorry, man.”

“We should have had the proof. I saw her, Tin Man. I know she was taking pictures. But by the time we got out of there, the bitch had lost them all. She risked her life for nothing, and Liam paid the price.”

Wyatt swallowed the growl he wanted to unleash at his old friend for calling Sutton a bitch. He was stunned at the level of animosity in Wade’s voice. They’d all lost a friend, and Sutton had lost a love, but it was not her fault. This blame he placed on her had to end, and Wyatt was determined to see it done.

“Watch what you say about her,” he urged with gritted teeth.

“Jesus, man. Are you still panting after her? Even after all these years?”

“Fuck you.”

Wade laughed, and the noise grated on Wyatt’s nerves. “Shit, you are. You’re still hot for Liam’s girl. Fuck, man, can’t you find your own women? Why settle for Liam’s sloppy seconds?”

This time, Wyatt didn’t bother to stifle his growl. His hand clenched on to the phone so hard he feared the screen would crack. “Right. So clearly you’re still an asshole. I don’t know why I bothered. I was gonna share some information I had with you, but you’re too busy being a dick to listen.”

Wade howled with laughter, a typical response from the guy who never took himself too seriously. “All right. All right. I’ll behave. What’s your info?”

Wyatt took a deep breath, reaching hard for his patience. He’d wondered how Liam could have gone surfing and left a sick Sutton behind, but with guys like Wade pushing him, it was no wonder he thought nothing of leaving her. He hated giving this information to Wade, but he knew the company he worked for could get it done. They had invaluable resources and could operate on foreign soil when official channels were blocked.

Flynn Condor was the genius who’d founded Condor’s Overwatch, the security company Liam and Wade worked for. Wyatt had been offered a position with the organization as well but had to find a more permanent home for Bethany. Flynn was a good guy; Liam always spoke highly of his boss. While Wade may act like an ass, his boss was anything but, and Wyatt knew he’d use Sutton’s photos to hunt El Sombra down.

“I have the pictures.”

“What pictures.”

“Sutton’s photographs... from that night.”

Wyatt had to hold the phone away from his ear as Wade let out a litany of curses that threatened to shatter his eardrum. “I knew that bitch was lying. There was no way she’d just drop her camera in the jungle. Jesus Christ. Two years! We could have hunted this guy down two years ago. We could have convinced the Colombian government of El Sombra’s existence with those pictures. Lives could have been saved.”

He wasn’t wrong, Wyatt knew that, but Sutton’s reasonings for hiding those photos were valid. Wade wasn’t finished with his rant. “Not only did she get Liam killed, but she could have prevented more deaths if she’d turned those pictures over. Fuckin’ cunt.”

Wyatt had enough. He refused to let his old friend disparage Sutton any further. Gritting his teeth against the need to throttle Wade, he cut him off before he could spew more hatred toward Sutton.

“That’s enough! You don’t know what she’s been through the past two years. You abandoned her, remember? That promise we all made to Liam meant nothing to you. Nothing that happened then or since is her fault. That responsibility lies solely with El Sombra.”

“Jesus, she has you suckered. Do you even know what happened that night?”

“I know everything. She told me. And furthermore, I’ve seen the pictures. I’ve seen the horrific images that are enshrined in her brain.”

“She got Liam killed,” Wade shouted. “If she had run when he first ordered her to, our escape would have been a lot cleaner.”

“You don’t know that. Sutton told me about the woman who’d betrayed them. She probably told El Sombra all about the Americanos. He knew you all were there.”

“Maybe,” Wade conceded. “But she should have moved when Liam told her to.”

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