Chapter Text
Porsche woke to the sound of birds.
Again.
At this point he was starting to hate birds.
They were far too cheerful for creatures that didn't have to worry about kidnappers, forests, or sleeping on the ground.
He groaned and rolled onto his back.
At least he'd slept slightly better.
The bath in the waterfall the day before had helped.
A little.
Not enough to make sleeping on dirt enjoyable, but enough that every muscle in his body wasn't actively plotting revenge.
A few feet away, Kinn was already awake.
Again.
Porsche frowned. "Do you ever sleep?"
Kinn looked over from where he sat beside the remains of the fire. "I slept."
"Three hours doesn't count."
"It does when you're worried about being murdered."
Porsche considered that. "Fair."
For a few moments they sat in comfortable silence.
The kind that had slowly developed over the last day.
Not friendship.
Not fully anyway.
But familiarity.
Eventually Kinn broke the silence. "If we get out of here..."
Porsche looked over.
"When," Kinn corrected before Porsche could comment.
Porsche rolled his eyes.
Kinn nodded once. "When we get out of here, I'm never sleeping outside again."
Porsche snorted. "That's your big conclusion?"
"Yes."
"Not 'I should stop getting kidnapped'?"
"I wasn't the reason we got kidnapped."
Porsche pointed at him immediately. "Actually—"
Before he could finish..
A sound echoed through the trees.
Both men froze instantly.
Silence.
Then.
A faint crack.
Like a branch breaking somewhere in the distance.
Every trace of humour disappeared.
Porsche slowly turned his head toward the sound.
Kinn was already listening.
Another noise.
Leaves shifting.
Movement.
Human movement.
Porsche's stomach tightened.
Someone was out there.
Maybe several people.
A distant voice carried through the forest.
Too far away to understand.
Close enough to hear.
Kinn and Porsche exchanged a look.
Neither spoke.
Because they both knew the problem.
Help would be looking for them.
But so would the men who had taken them.
And neither option came with a giant sign explaining which was which.
Another voice echoed faintly.
Closer this time.
Porsche was already standing. "Move."
Kinn didn't argue.
Neither of them were stupid enough to wait.
Not when waiting could get them caught.
They slipped into the trees immediately.
Fast.
Quiet.
Keeping low.
Behind them the distant sounds continued.
Voices.
Movement.
The occasional snap of branches.
Too far away to identify.
Too close to ignore.
Porsche's pulse hammered.
Because if they guessed wrong.
But if they stepped out and it wasn't Chan.
It would already be too late.
So they ran.
Not blindly.
Not crashing through the forest.
Just moving as quickly as they could while keeping noise to a minimum.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
Neither stopped.
Not until the sounds behind them finally disappeared.
Not until there was nothing except birds, wind, and their own breathing.
Only then did Porsche slow.
A few more steps.
Then he stopped completely.
Hands on his knees.
Trying to catch his breath.
Kinn wasn't doing much better.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Just listened.
Nothing.
No voices.
No footsteps.
No pursuit.
Only the forest.
Porsche finally straightened. "Well."
Kinn looked over. "Well what?"
Porsche gestured vaguely behind them. "Either we just ran away from our rescue team..."
A pause.
"...or we didn't."
Kinn stared at him. "That is the least helpful thing you've ever said."
Porsche considered it. "No, I've definitely said worse."
Despite himself, Kinn almost smiled.
Almost.
Then both of them looked back toward the trees they'd come from.
Neither entirely convinced they'd made the wrong choice.
But neither entirely convinced they'd made the right one either.
Because until they knew who was hunting them.
Trusting the wrong person wasn't a risk either of them could afford.
---
For the next hour, neither of them spoke much.
Partly because they were still listening for signs of pursuit.
Partly because neither wanted to admit they might have just run away from their own rescue.
The forest seemed quieter now.
Or maybe they were simply getting used to it.
The endless rustling of leaves.
The distant calls of birds.
The occasional crack of branches somewhere far away.
Porsche still didn't trust any of it.
"You know," he muttered eventually, "if we get home and find out we ran from Chan, I'm blaming you."
Kinn looked over. "How is that my fault?"
"You didn't stop me."
"That's not how responsibility works."
"It is today."
Kinn rolled his eyes.
Before either could continue.
A sound echoed through the trees.
Both froze immediately.
Voices.
Not close.
But definitely closer than before.
Porsche's head snapped toward the sound.
Kinn was already listening.
More voices.
Movement.
Branches shifting.
Several people.
Their expressions immediately hardened.
Again.
Someone was looking for them.
The problem was still the same.
Friend or foe?
Porsche glanced around quickly.
The terrain here was different.
A large outcrop of rocks rose from the forest floor nearby.
Not huge.
But enough.
His eyes narrowed slightly. "There."
Kinn followed his gaze immediately.
Understanding.
This time they didn't run.
This time they moved carefully toward the rocks.
Keeping low.
Using the trees for cover.
A minute later they were crouched behind the largest boulder.
Hidden.
Protected.
Able to see without being seen.
Porsche slowed his breathing.
Listening.
Waiting.
The voices grew clearer.
Still too far away to make out words.
But getting closer.
Kinn shifted slightly.
Porsche held up a hand immediately.
Wait.
Kinn nodded.
Neither moved.
The forest seemed to hold its breath around them.
Then.
A familiar voice. "...spread out."
Porsche froze.
He knew that voice.
So did Kinn.
The two men exchanged a look.
No way.
The voice came again.
Closer this time.
"Check near the river."
Porsche's eyes widened. "Chan?" He mouthed silently.
Kinn blinked.
Then another voice answered.
"Got it."
Arm.
Definitely Arm.
Porsche immediately sagged with relief. "Oh thank God."
Kinn let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding.
For a second neither moved.
Simply processing the fact that they weren't alone anymore.
That someone had actually found them.
Then Porsche frowned. "Wait."
Kinn looked over.
Porsche pointed vaguely back the way they'd come.
"So those voices earlier..."
Realisation hit both of them at exactly the same time.
"...weren't Chan."
Kinn's expression darkened immediately.
Because Chan and Arm were coming from the opposite direction.
Which meant.
The people they had heard before had been someone else.
Someone searching the forest.
Someone close enough that Porsche and Kinn had heard them.
The thought wasn't comforting.
In fact it was the exact opposite.
Because it meant they'd been right to run.
Porsche rubbed a hand over his face. "Okay."
Kinn nodded slowly. "Okay."
Neither liked thinking about how close they might have come to being found by the wrong people.
Fortunately.
This time they'd found the right ones first.
A few moments later, Arm appeared through the trees.
The bodyguard stopped.
Blinking once.
Twice.
Then.
"Porsche?"
Porsche stood from behind the rocks.
Arm's eyes widened immediately. "You're alive."
Porsche looked down at himself.
Dirty.
Tired.
Covered in scratches.
"Barely."
Arm laughed once.
A relieved sound.
Then Chan stepped into view behind him.
The older man stopped.
Took one look at them.
And visibly relaxed.
Not completely.
But enough.
"Thank God," Chan muttered.
For the first time in days.
Porsche felt like they might actually be going home.
And somewhere in Bangkok.
Kim was about to find out that Porsche was alive.
Which was probably a good thing.
For everyone else's safety.