26. Thirty-Three Deaths In
Ianto was living on a prayer.
The call had come through while on retrievals and he and Owen had raced to the water's edge.
Kids had taken a small boat out onto the water and the garbage barge was going to mow them down.
The road works had stopped all traffic movement and emergency crews were stuck. Seems they were closer.
Owen was trying desperately to get through the roadblocks as Ianto exploded from the SUV, running, sliding and falling down the embankment.
God, babies. Just babies.
The canoe was on the side and he grabbed it, dragging it as he ran past the distraught mother.
Ianto knew he wouldn't reach it in time but still he strained, cursing softly as his fingers slipped on the edge of the boat.
The children looked on with horror, clinging to each other in the dark as they wailed for their mother who screamed from the shore.
Damn it!
Ianto jumped, knowing it was too late but also knowing he could shave of precious minutes on the bridge.
The boat capsized and the children clung to him as they went down.
Drowning was a bitch.
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34.
Still too late, by a bloody hair's breadth.
SHIT.
He had time to secure his canoe to the small boat the kids were in but the barge coming towards them couldn't maneuver out of the way.
He comforted the kids as the barge bore down on them, closing his eyes before impact.
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35
He saw them launch the boat and yelled out, running for all he was worth but the mother was left screaming as he didn't quite make it.
FUCK!
He stood comforting her as the children vanished under the barge.
The gun surprised her at least.
"I'm sorry" he said as he raised it to his own temple, "I'll do better."
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36
This time he was already on the water, realizing that the launch of the small boat was unavoidable.
This was it, the only way.
He watched the mother shouting at the children to come back as he paddled for all he was worth, putting distance between himself and the kids.
He closed his eyes and let his breath out as the barge hit, knowing the few minutes he had gained with his own sacrifice would be enough to stop the barge before the babies.
Worth it.
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darcy58 …. for you