Blackmail

40 USS MICHIGAN

In Michigan’s Battle Management Center, Lieutenant Harrison stood beside a plasma screen displaying a map of Egypt, briefing Michigan’s next mission. Seated in the Battle Management Center were Captain Wilson, his Executive Officer, and four department heads, plus Commander McNeil and the three other SEALs assigned to the mission.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Michigan had received new orders, routing the submarine into the Black Sea. However, before heading north, Michigan had to complete another mission; Harrison and three other SEALs would be sent ashore into Egypt. The Navigator had already briefed Michigan’s approach to Arish, located on the coast of the Sinai Peninsula, which presented no challenges, and it was Harrison’s turn to brief. A single fire team of four SEALs would be sent ashore.

“Once Michigan is in position off Egypt’s coast, the fire team will debark using one of the two RHIBs in the port Dry Deck Shelter,” Harrison said, referring to the Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats SEALs sometimes used for missions ashore. “Accompanying me will be Maydwell, Mendelson, and Brown.”

Harrison nodded and one of the SEALs advanced the slide on the display, which shifted to a satellite view of Arish. There was nothing noteworthy in the vicinity as far as Harrison could tell, no government or military facilities, just a single building.

“Our mission is to recon the area. Find out why Russia was interested enough to send Special Forces personnel to this building, and what, if anything, they did while they were there. Any questions?”

There were none, and Harrison wrapped up the briefing.

An hour later, with Michigan at periscope depth off the coast of the Sinai Peninsula, Lieutenant Harrison led his fire team into Missile Tube Two and into the port Dry Deck Shelter. Stowed in the shelter were two RHIBs, one of which would be used for tonight’s mission. Unlike SDV operations, there were no Navy divers in the shelter to assist aside from the diver on the other side of the Plexiglas shield, operating the hangar controls.

The four SEALs donned scuba gear and the shelter was flooded down, then the hangar door moved slowly open to the latched position. Harrison and the other SEALs hauled one of the RHIBs from the shelter onto the submarine’s missile deck and connected a tether line from the RHIB to one of the SDV rails, then activated the first compressed air cartridge.

As the RHIB expanded, Rob Maydwell and Richard Mendelson swam aft along the missile deck and opened the hatch to a locker in the submarine’s superstructure. The two SEALs retrieved an outboard motor and attached it to the RHIB, then actuated the second air cartridge. The RHIB fully inflated, rising toward the water’s surface. Maydwell and Mendelson followed the RHIB upward, and a few moments later, Mendelson returned, rendering the okay hand signal. Harrison informed the Navy diver inside the Dry Deck Shelter that the RHIB was operational and they were proceeding on their mission, then disconnected the tether line from the shelter and headed toward the surface with Mendelson and Brown.

Harrison and the other two SEALs hauled themselves and the tether line into the RHIB, joining Maydwell. The outboard engine was running, but barely audible as expected. Maydwell shifted the outboard into gear, and as their position updated on his handheld GPS display, he pointed the RHIB toward their insertion point on the Egyptian coast.