Chapter 9 - The Cut
Copper dropped the shears onto the drenched upholstery with a wet clatter, nudging Leo's shoulder with his nose.
""Good boy!"" Leo gasped, seizing the rusted metal handles.
The blades were dull, but the leverage was heavy. Leo wedged the thick webbing of the seatbelt between the shears' jaws and bore down with both hands, using his full body weight against the resistance. The fabric frayed, popping fiber by fiber until the strap snapped clean.
The woman slumped forward into the water. Leo caught her under the arms, hauling her upward toward the rear seat.
""Get out! Climb through the back!"" he ordered.
The woman, dazed and shivering violently, scrambled over the center console, using Leo’s shoulders for support. Outside, the ditch had become a raging torrent. Leo helped push her through the rear door opening.
Above on the bank, the old man reached down with all his remaining strength, grabbing his daughter’s wrist and pulling her onto the grass.
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""Leo, get out of there!"" the old man screamed.
Leo turned to grab Copper, but the dog's rear paw had become tangled in the frayed remnants of the severed seatbelt wrapped around the floor pedals. The sedan lurched downward another six inches with a sickening metallic shriek, sliding directly into the dark opening of the concrete culvert.
