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without anyone knowing where she was, suddenly hits her.
    “You don’t have to thank me. Besides, you would have been alright. You told me you know how to take care of yourself, remember.” He smiles that devastating smile of his, and Sofie feels the impact of it right down to the tips of her toes.
    She blushes as she remembers how defensive she had been with him that morning on the plateau. It’s the barrier that she puts up whenever it seems like anyone’s getting too close. Tyler had called her his ‘Ice Maiden’. He’d found it funny, but Sofie not so much. It had always seemed like more of a criticism than a term of endearment.
    “Well, I guess I’m more used to looking after myself in the big bad city. I felt a little like red riding hood out in that woods,” she admits, wondering why she was letting Ashton see how vulnerable she was feeling.
    “Hey, you’re fine,” he says
    Ashton hooks his finger under her chin and turns her head so that she’s looking at him. The intensity in his eyes makes her feel all manner of things, feelings that she knows could run away with her at any opportunity. This guy is dangerous , she warns herself.
    “Sure, thanks,” she responds, moving her chin out of his reach and returning to look out of the window. She’s embarrassed that she’s let him see how scared she was and how weak she felt. Staring out of the window, she misses the frustrated look that he gives her, like he doesn’t know whether he wants to shake her or do something else with her altogether.
    “Looks like it’s a full house.” Ashton pulls into the motel and blue and red lights bounce off the body work of his pick-up. There are three police cars, which in this town probably classifies as an international incident.
    Sofie sees Darwin in deep conversation with one of the officers, and the look of worry on his face makes her throw open the door and rush out of the truck before it’s even stopped. Ashton shouts something from behind her, but she doesn’t pay any attention. She had already slipped back in professional mode. In her mind, she had a job to do and she didn’t do it right. Now, it’s time to face the consequences.
    “Darwin! I’m here. I’m fine.” Sofie stands, facing the men with her arms out as if to show them that she really is alright.
    As if he can’t stop himself, the older man rushes towards her taking her in a vice-like embrace. Sofie is rigid at first. He’s always treated her like his favorite student, and she knew he was fond of her, but the concern that he had obviously felt for her, thinking that she was missing left a lump in her throat.
    “Jeez, Sofe, I know you’re a drama queen, but this is ridiculous.” Finn pops up behind Darwin, grabbing hold of her hand, as the older man releases her and just squeezes it. He doesn’t need to say how scared he was for her; she already knows.
    “What the hell happened?” Darwin clears his throat to get out any residual emotion and levels his best disapproving glare at his protégé.
    “Yeah, where have you been? We tried to reach you on the comms, but it was just radio silence. All this nature but no friggin’ cell towers!” Finn throws his hands in the air to show his frustration, a feeling that’s clearly not shared by the local cops.
    “I lost my way.” Sofie shrugs, wishing that she didn’t have such a big audience. “The compass was going crazy, and then—with the rain everything just looked the same.” She looks down at her boots caked in mud, ready to be berated by Darwin.
    “How did you get here? We were about to send the search party out, but the brave 5-0 wanted to wait until it got light. Some stupid fairy tale about wolves.” Finn waves at the cops dismissively. They glower at him, and Sofie tries to send him a message just with her eyes to keep his mouth shut.
    “Where are the samples?” Darwin asks. Of course, once he confirmed that she was okay, the next most important thing is the