Puller had been trained to never panic under any circumstances.

 

And thus the water rising and the car sinking did not cause him to lose his

nerve.

 

He unsnapped his seat belt and reached over to do the same to Knox’s.

 

It was jammed. He pulled out his Ka-Bar knife from its leather holder on his

belt, put the blade under the harness strap, and cut away.

 

By now the car was under the surface and water was pouring in from crevices all

over the vehicle. Puller was now operating in neartotal darkness. It was like he

was flying through fog without instruments.

 

He reached up, felt around, and hit the button for the inside light and it

miraculously came on. He kept cutting away, his mind jumping ahead to what he

would have to do next.

 

The water was not deep here, he knew, about thirty feet. But it was deep enough

to kill them if they couldn’t get out.

 

The harness finally gave and he pulled the unconscious Knox free. The water was

now up to their waists.