12
Ianto felt his feet slipping in the mud but he was focused. He knew where he had to be, time to get there even with the slowing of time, he knew he had only a short window to get this right.
The Tall Man was crashing thought he undergrowth as he followed him, panting with exertion as clearly he was not as fit and unable to find the footholds as easily. Ianto knew he was gaining ground and he adjusted his grip on the little boy who was getting heavy, his sobbing at least quiet now.
Ianto glanced back and saw the Tall Man slipping in the mud, yelping as he slid back. The other one with him tried to catch his falling partner and both men fell back down the hill in the mud as Ianto told himself to not look back again. No time for that. He has to run.
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Jack was gaining the upper hand now as the Monster started to feel the bite of the blades, Jack slipping around as well now that blood was dripping on Jennifer's floor even if he hadn't wanted it to be this way.
Oh well.
The Monster threw himself at Jack and they both tumbled to the floor, now rolling about as Jack lost one blade in the fucker's shoulder, the other flying across the room to disappear under the dishwasher. No matter… Jack knew what to do now as he rolled to his belly, letting the monster think he was choking him out.
Jack strained and tried to focus as he found a bullet and palmed it, now looking desperately for that gun.
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Ianto had reached the little tower, glad to shove the child on the ledge under the roof of it, the rain now harder than ever. Red looked at Ianto with wide eyes as Ianto started to pull the rope with renewed passion as he heard the distant crashing of bodies through undergrowth.
Time was running out.
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Jack had the gun now, the bullet almost home… almost there…. Click. Flick. Aim ….
The Monster sneered at him "you don't have the balls."
The sound of the gun was drowned out by thunder again.
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Ianto was struggling Red into the harness as the child continued to stare at him like he was insane.
"It's OK. We will be OK. Trust me, yeah? I love you little man, trust me here and just close your eyes. Hold on to me and hold on to kitty." Ianto blabbed as he cinched in the straps then forced his foot in to the foothold, glanced back as one of the men appeared in the distance.
Like a mud monster the Tall Man stood, covered from head to toe with filth. His eyes locked with Ianto's as the Tall Man pulled out the gun and Ianto knew there was no more time so he pulled the child into his arms, closed his eyes and swung the blade, cutting the rope.
They started to fly.
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Jack panted as he pushed the body off himself then groaned as hands seized him, yanking him back.
Oh right.
There was another one… right?
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Ianto felt the world flying by, felt the air moving around them and the kitten struggling between the two bodies. He was counting in his head as they flew, knowing the sudden stop would be soon and he tightened his grip, taking a deep breath before the sudden jolt.
Red cried out, clinging to Ianto and they took a moment to let their hearts slam in their chests.
"He will pull us back up" Red finally whimpered.
"No, I cut the rope. He can't. They can only run back down. Come on love" Ianto pulled the boy from the harness and knew they had to go to his house now while they had the chance and so he started to run the back track he and Jack ran often.
Ianto lengthened his stride, took calmer breaths and pretended he was not lugging the weight of the child as he remembered the sound of Jack behind him egging him on.
Jack.
"Did you shake them?" Jack asked as he fell into stride beside Ianto, glancing back.
"Two on the hill, about a twenty minute head start" Ianto puffed back.
"One dead, another not so happy… a third about five minutes behind me … I think he bought my double back towards my house and is probably ransacking it right now thinking we are inside there somewhere." Jack choked out.
"Talk when we got to my house" Ianto finally said as this was not the time to focus on anything but moving.
Jack agreed, one hand to Ianto's back as they moved around a large puddle in the track, the rain now starting to cause surface flooding as the equivalent of a month's worth of rain was dumped in one night.
Clean up was gonna be a bitch.