9
The sound of the little car hitting the rocks below was sickening and as the truck reversed back it made a horrible sound of its own. Seems it had damaged itself as well.
It idled for a moment as if considering it's options then slowly turned to head up the road as if nothing had happened. It all took the space of two … maybe three minutes but it was all the time Ianto needed to slide from the grillwork he was clutching to beneath the truck where he lay watching the tyres as they moved around him. As the truck rolled around him he slipped backward into the ditch and he hoped like hell the driver of the truck would not look back at the back and see him still intact … if not a little shaken for the love of god! His wrist screamed from the twisting motion as he had gripped the bumper and slid under.
Definitely torn something I think.
Looking up at the cab of the vehicle, he tried to see the driver but the sun was in his eyes and the silhouette told him nothing expect the cap wearing head was not turning in his direction. As the truck grumbled out of sight Ianto collapsed into the ditch of muddy water and let a few sobs escape. Just a few, before he pulled himself together and fumbled for the cell phone in his pocket only to find the pocket empty.
Shit.
In the middle console right?
Over the cliff.
Lovely.
Ianto rose and limped over to peer down at the wreckage of his car and he knew as he cradled his wrist to his chest that there was no way he would make it down there. The only option was to walk back to the farmhouse he had seen about a mile or so back.
Ianto started to walk, stoic as ever while he examined the wrist he had somehow tweaked. In the heat of the attack he had not noticed it was even injured and it had served him well as he clung to the grill and he wondered if the pain he had yet to feel would help or hinder his concentration.
Instead he went over what he knew, what he could list for the coming questions he knew would come. Red truck and old man with finger wave. He must have seen the truck as it had to pass him to … oh no. Oh god!
Ianto didn't think, merely reacted as he threw himself over the edge of the steep incline, sliding on his back down the shingle to the truck that lay on its side. Thankfully it had been attacked close to the beginning of the hill road and had only been shunted over at the height of about six feet. The only strange thing was it was on its side and the side in the air looked crunched as well. Ianto had not seen that side when they met on the road so maybe it was already like that?
"Please be OK, please be OK" Ianto repeated like mantra as he wrenched at the door ignoring the wrist, then cursed and looked around for something to aid him. A dog limped from the nearby bushes and whimpered, clearly thrown from the back of the pickup when it had gone over and Ianto felt sorrow as he looked through the broken windscreen at the old man.
Dead as a doorknob.
Old grey eyes stared sightlessly into space as he lay slumped on his side against the inside of the door of his truck, his face showing only a mild surprise. At least it had been quick, the old man had died on impact it would seem and the truck had spun as it flew several feet from the impact zone then been pushed over with the old man probably already dead.
Accounts for both side of the truck damaged I guess.
Ianto sat and felt a deep sorrow as the dog limped over and leaned against him, whimpering softly as it held up it's paw. Ianto cuddled it and spoke gently to it trying to comfort the boy as he looked in at his dead master with open grief.
Why?
Ianto knew he had to get help even if there were none that could be offered now and it was also the deep fear that whoever this was, they might be back that finally convinced him to get off his arse and move, the dog torn between following and remaining faithfully with his master.
"Stay" Ianto chose for him and the relief in the dog was obvious as it limped back to settle on the ground to stare into the cab.
Ianto got to the road and started to walk, the sound of an approaching vehicle now the problem as he wondered if … he then knew it was not their attacker as the dry screech of a fan belt slipping that had been heard after the impact was not part of the humming approach so he turned and waited for the small sedan to come close then roll to a stop, a man leaning out the window "Are you OK there? Seem to be limping."
"No. There has been a terrible event. There is a man dead back there in his pickup truck, my own car over the edge further up the road. Someone pushed us off the road in their SUV" Ianto called out, then pointed to were the old man lay with the waiting dog. "Please … get help, I will go back to the spot where the old man is. His dog it there waiting."
"Shit" the man's face paled "I'm Stan the local vet. Shit."
"The man's dog I think was thrown from the tray of the pickup" Ianto offered "Can you call for help then come help?"
"Yes …yes." Stan nodded, flustered as he struggled to get out with the seatbelt still on, then he sat down and pulled out his cell phone "No service. I'll go to the Harrison House up the road!"
Ianto nodded and started to walk back to the dog.
He was feeling numb now.
He just wanted Jack.
.
.
.
.
OK?
