Kensi stumbled through the wood. It turned out that her legs were less stable than she'd thought, and it was taking considerable effort to stay upright.
Damn concussion.
She'd been going for about 15 minutes and heard no signs she was being pursued, so when she came along a thicker patch of trees surrounded by brush. Choosing a spot that would allow her the best vantage point, Kensi slid down the trunk of the largest tree.
She tipped her head back, willing back the lingering ache and nausea. She didn't know if the rolling in her stomach was thanks to being knocked out or morning sickness. Either way, she really didn't want to throw up right now. Drawing in several deep breaths, Kensi waited for her stomach to settle.
In her desperation to get out, she hadn't taken anything besides the pocket knife. Her own knife had been tucked in the side of her boot as always this morning, and she wondered if anyone had thought to check for it. She reached down, wiggling her index and middle fingers into the shaft of her boot, smiling in triumph when she felt the familiar handle of her knife.
She secured her borrowed knife in the waistband of her jeans and kept her own clenched in her hand. It wasn't as good as her Glock, but gave her a small sense of security. At least now she had some way of protecting herself.
Her stomach had mostly settled by now, so Kensi gave herself two more minutes, then pushed up against the tree trunk to stand. Although her head still hurt, thankfully the nausea didn't return. Taking stock of her location, she headed in the direction that seemed less densely populated.
As she walked, Kensi found herself talking to the twins. She didn't know if they could feel her fear or anything else that was going on, but once the idea occurred to her, she couldn't shake it.
"Don't worry, we're going to get out of here soon. Before you know it, we'll be home and maybe Daddy will make tacos or frittata."
She pressed her palm over her abdomen, reassured by the slight bump underneath. The thought of Deeks sent a sharp wave of pain through her chest. He'd be terrified right now. Usually he channeled that terror into anger, and she imagined him punching through the closest thing at hand.
"I think I might take that time off Kilbride keeps offering. We could go to Malibu again. Or finally go on our honeymoon, five years too late," she said, thinking it sounded like something Deeks might say.
Continuing on with her one-sided conversation, Kensi walked for about 15 minutes before the foliage began to decrease and she saw the hint of road through the trees. She broke into a run, tripping slightly over roots in her hurry to reach the road, and possible freedom. When her boot hit the worn asphalt, Kensi let out a quiet gasp of relief.
She swiped a a few strands of dirty hair off her damp cheek, ignoring the exhaustion weighing on her body, determined which direction led away from the house, and started off at a slow jog.
Not more than five minutes had passed when Kensi heard the unmistakable sound of a vehicle quickly approaching. She stood frozen, caught in indecision.
Did she wait and see who was coming, risking running into the third kidnapper? Or hide and lose a chance of being rescued.
At the last second, she backed up into the woods, crouching among bits of fallen trees, and waited.