Red Tide Rising

The estuary had shifted in the hours since the first operation. The fog had lifted, leaving a gray ceiling of cloud that reflected the weak morning sun, dull and cold. The Thames was busy again: barges crept along the channel, gulls wheeled over the tide, and the brackish water lapped lazily against the rusted hull of the SS Montgomery. From above, the wreck looked inert, abandoned, an old skeleton in the river. But beneath the surface, the skeleton had become a battlefield. 

Petrov and Kor moved silently again using the jet packs. The first sweep had left a gap: a single trigger, positioned along the northern hull seam, had been unaccounted for. Petrov’s hands were steady, but his mind calculated every possibility, currents, surveillance, SBS presence, and the risk that the device could be armed with a timer. 

They slipped beneath the depths, water pressing cold and relentless against them. The hull of the Montgomery loomed like a submerged predator. The northern seam offered concealment, and in the dim glow of their headlamps, the dark metal revealed a shallow gap perfect for insertion. 

Petrov produced the device, a cylindrical trigger with a small timer module — and began securing it into the seam. Kov’s hands guided placement, checking alignment and attachment. A faint click echoed through the water as the timer engaged. A red LED glowed faintly, invisible above the murky estuary, counting down. 60 minutes. 

Above, on the SBS fast boat, Harcourt’s eyes caught the subtle anomaly in the thermal overlay, a faint signature at mid-depth, moving against the expected pattern. “They’re back,” he murmured, voice tight with tension. Divers were in position, alerted but restrained by rules of engagement. Observation only, unless there was imminent danger. 

Petrov and Kor finished the placement and withdrew slightly, unaware that the SBS divers had already begun moving toward the northern seam from the opposite side of the wreck. Their goal was clear: intercept and disable any active devices. 

The first diver reached the area. The water was silty; the wreck’s angles distorted perception, but the outline of Petrov’s arm, adjusting the trigger, became clear in the filtered torchlight. Harcourt gestured sharply, the team moved in, cutting through the water silently, yet with deadly purpose. 

“Visual on timer!” one diver whispered into the comms. “Disabling now!” 

Petrov noticed the movement first. “Contact!” he hissed. The water around him stirred as divers approached. Kor’s eyes widened, the plan had been compromised. There was no time for subtlety. 

The first exchange was instinctive. Kov swung her arm, attempting to block the approaching diver. Gloves connected with chest and forearm, but the SBS were trained for underwater confrontation; the diver twisted, leveraging body weight and momentum to pin her briefly, and Kor fought against the press, sending a gloved punch that struck the diver’s helmet. 

Petrov attempted to manipulate the timer, trying to secure it against detonation while simultaneously defending himself. The countdown blinked. The water became a theatre of blurred limbs, bubbles, and torchlight reflections. 

Harcourt’s team adjusted tactics immediately. They could not allow the device to remain active. One diver engaged Petrov directly, controlling his movements, forcing him away from the trigger. Kor struggled with another, their motions violent yet muted, constrained by the resistance of water. Every strike had to be decisive; hesitation could cost lives or detonation. 

The underwater fight intensified. Petrov lunged to secure the device, but a diver wrapped an arm around his waist, pinning him against the hull. Kor tried to strike again, but she was swept off balance by a sudden surge in current. Harcourt gave the order: “Neutralise the threat, lethal force sanctioned if necessary. Stop the device at all costs!” 

The divers executed. Petrov went down first, subdued by overwhelming force. Kor attempted to pull free, but the second diver’s elbow found her side, forcing her head into the silt-laden current. She gasped briefly as bubbles tore from her mouthpiece. Another diver maneuvered, snapping a restraint over her wrist, and she could fight no longer. 

Harcourt’s voice remained calm over the comms. “Timer secured. Both targets neutralised. Begin extraction.” 

The team worked quickly to disable the trigger. One diver pried the device from the seam, carefully separating its housing from the hull. The timer was disabled, LEDs extinguishing in the murky water. A faint sigh of relief passed through the SBS team. The immediate threat was gone. 

Above the surface, the estuary appeared unchanged, barges plodded on, gulls wheeled, and the SS Montgomery rested silent. But below, the water had borne witness to the lethal ballet of statecraft and skill. Two operatives trained and lethal, intent on sabotage, had been neutralised, and the device that could have imposed destruction had been disarmed. 

Harcourt signaled extraction. Divers moved to the ascent point, bringing Petrov and Kov with them. They rose slowly, taking a full 6 minutes, including the mandatory stop. The current tugged at limbs, but experience dictated each movement. As they broke the surface, a SBS RIB was waiting. The two captured operatives were lifted aboard, restrained and silent. Harcourt’s team followed quickly, leaving no trace beyond the displaced silt and disturbed sediment. 

The mission was over. The SS Montgomery lay still, now with fewer instruments of harm, and the estuary’s ledger had been rewritten. Harcourt allowed himself a measured exhale. Above water, the river was indifferent, but below, history had shifted. Decisions had been made, violence had occurred, and the balance had been preserved, but at a cost. 

Petrov’s jaw set as he realised the mission had failed. Kor’s glare was fixed, unreadable. Both understood that failure was a word defined by outcomes, not intentions. Harcourt’s divers, cold and exhausted, still watched the water’s surface, scanning for any further anomaly, knowing the river could always hold surprises.