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She swallowed, gagged a bit, but drew herself up. “All the more reason to get this party started. Crowbar.”
He handed her the rod, still holding it. “Just promise me you won’t trade your life for theirs.”
“Would you make that promise?”
He pursed his lips, and she knew he had more honor than to lie to her face. “Be careful.”
“Don’t go anywhere.”
He rolled his eyes as she accepted his help, wiggling back and forth as she tried to shimmy through the narrow space. It took Foster giving her a firm shove before she finally made it inside, more water rushing in with her.
She crawled over the rear seats then up to the front, leaning over the console until she was level with Chase. “Hey.”
Chase motioned toward Greer. “Her pulse is thready and she’s unresponsive. We’re probably looking at internal injuries. You need to get her out. Now.”
Mac nodded. “What about you? Can you move?”
“Just worry about Greer, then we can work on me.”
Mac frowned, wishing she could see beneath the water — check if Chase was hiding something he didn’t want her to know — but there wasn’t time. Instead, she reached for the roof panels, using the crowbar until the one over Greer finally gave. Not fully, but with a good amount of pulling and pushing, Chase would probably squeeze through.
Foster was there a moment later, bending the jammed panel forward as much as possible. Though, even with him putting all his weight on it, there wasn’t enough room for him to get through — to take Mac’s place. But at least she wouldn’t have to drag Greer out the back.
It took a bit or work to get Greer’s seatbelt unbuckled and her chair shifted enough that Mac could ease Greer free. Mac took a breath then plunged beneath the water until she’d wrapped her arms around Greer’s waist in an effort to heave her through the opening. Foster reached in, bodily lifting Greer clear once Mac had the other woman’s head and shoulders through the hole. He didn’t even need any help — just his arms under Greer’s and she was out.
Which only highlighted how much higher the water was. How it swirled all the way up to Chase’s shoulders as if freeing Greer had created some kind of vacuum.
Mac turned, her hip still braced on that ridiculously narrow console as she breathed heavily. “Okay, your turn.”
Chase made eye contact as he sighed. “My left leg’s pinned.”
The inklings of fear bubbled in her gut, but she pushed it aside. “Then, let’s unpin it.”
“Mackenzie…”
“No.” She leaned in close, their breath mixing. “I’m not leaving you here. Period. So, get that thought right out of your head.”
“I’m not sure?—”
“I said no. Now, let’s find a way to get that leg free.”
She reached underwater until she was able to squeeze the crowbar between Chase’s seat and the dash, sliding it down enough she was confident it wouldn’t slip out the moment she put any pressure on it. Chase pressed his torso into the seat as she pulled on the long rod, grunting when nothing happened.
She stopped, shaking her head as she sucked in some air. “There’s no way I can move the steering column.”
“I know. That’s what I’ve been trying to say. There’s no time?—”
“There’s still plenty of time, and I bet my ass I can move the chair. Hold tight.”
She pulled the crowbar out then shifted back, shoving it between the rails and the rear section of the console. What she hoped would be enough to wrench it back a few inches. Sweat mixed with the water on her brow as she yanked on the bar, using her foot against the door to give some added strength. The seat shook, rocking back and forth before sliding an inch.
Mac stopped, her chest heaving, every muscle aching as she leaned over Chase, again. “Any better?”
He cried out as he did something with that leg, the water above him swirling around. “Not enough.”
“Then, I’ll move it more.”
“Mac…”