ASHES OF HER MERCY
He reached toward his tactical vest, pulling a sleek, heavy titanium dive knife from its sheath.
He didn't grab my body to pull me up; he knew he couldn't. He dove straight toward my trapped ankle, sliding his arm beneath the thick nylon rope anchored to the sinking ship. The blade glided through the heavy cordage with a muffled, grinding tension, cutting through the thick fibers inch by inch.
The ship groaned from the depths, a terrifying metal screech vibrating through the water as the hull dropped another twenty feet, pulling the line even tighter.
The knife slipped. The blade scraped across the heavy line, but the line held firm.