by Jack Carr
QRF:
Quick Reaction Force, a contingency ground force on standby to assist operations in progress.
Ranger Panties:
Polyester PT shorts favored by members of the 75th Ranger Regiment that leave very little to the imagination, sometimes referred to as “silkies.”
REMF:
Rear-Echelon Motherfucker. Describes most officers taking credit for what the E-5 mafia and a few senior enlisted do on the ground if the mission goes right. These same “people” will be the first to hang you out to dry if things go south. Now that they are home safe and sound, they will let you believe that when they were “downrange” they actually left the wire.
RFID:
Radio Frequency Identification; technology commonly used to tag objects that can be scanned electronically.
RHIB/RIB:
Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat/Rigid Inflatable Boat. A lightweight but high-performance boat constructed with a solid fiberglass or composite hull and flexible tubes at the gunwale (sides).
Rhodesia:
A former British colony that declared its independence in 1965. After a long and brutal civil war, the nation became Zimbabwe in 1979.
Rhodesian Bush War:
An insurgency battle between the Rhodesian Security Forces and Soviet-, East German–, Cuban-, and Chinese-backed guerrillas that lasted from 1964 to 1979. The war ended when the December 1979 Lancaster House Agreement put an end to white minority rule.
Rhodesian SAS:
A special operations unit, formed as part of the famed British Special Air Service in 1951. When Rhodesia sought independence, the unit ceased to exist as part of the British military but fought as part of the Rhodesian Security Forces until 1980. Many members of the Selous Scouts were recruited from the SAS.
Rich Kid Shit:
Expensive equipment items reserved for use by the most highly funded special operations units, usually part of [XXX].
RLI:
Rhodesian Light Infantry; an airborne and airmobile unit used to conduct “fireforce” operations during the Bush War. These missions were often launched in response to intelligence provided by Selous Scouts on the ground.
Robert Mugabe:
Chairman of ZANU who led the nation of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 2017 as both prime minister and president. Considered responsible for retaliatory attacks against his rival Ndebele tribe as well as a disastrous land redistribution scheme that was ruled illegal by Zimbabwe’s High Court.
ROE:
Rules of engagement. Rules or directives that determine what level of force can be applied against an enemy in a particular situation or area.
RPG-32:
105mm rocket-propelled grenade launcher that is made in both Russia and, under license, in Jordan.
SAD:
The CIA’s Special Activities Division. Though it is now called the Special Activities Center, it’s still responsible for covert action, aka the really cool stuff.
SAP:
Special Access Program. Security protocols that provide highly classified information with safeguards and access restrictions that exceed those for regular classified information. Really secret stuff.
SCAR-17:
7.62x51mm battle rifle produced by FN. Its gas mechanism can be traced to that of the FAL.
Schmidt & Bender:
Privately held German optics manufacturer known for its precision rifle scopes.
SCI:
Special Compartmentalized Information. Classified information concerning or derived from sensitive intelligence sources, methods, or analytical processes. Often found on private basement servers in upstate New York or bathroom closet servers in Denver.
SCIF:
Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility; a secure and restricted room or structure where classified information is discussed or viewed.
SEAL:
Acronym of SEa, Air, and Land. The three mediums in which SEALs operate. The U.S. Navy’s special operations force.
Secret Service:
The federal law enforcement agency responsible for protecting the POTUS.
Selous Scouts:
An elite, if scantily clad, mixed-race unit of the Rhodesian army responsible for counterinsurgency operations. These “pseudoterrorists” led some of the most successful special operations missions in modern history.
SERE:
Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape. A military training program that includes realistic role-playing as a prisoner of war. SERE students are subjected to highly stressful procedures, sometimes including waterboarding, as part of the course curriculum. More commonly referred to as “camp slappy.”
Shishani :
Arabic term for Chechen fighters in Syria, probably due to “Shishani” being a common Chechen surname.
SIGINT:
Signals intelligence. Intelligence derived from electronic signals and systems used by foreign targets, such as communications systems, radars, and weapons systems.
SIPR:
Secret Internet Protocol Router network; a secure version of the Internet used by DOD and the State Department to transmit classified information.
SISDE:
Italy’s Intelligence and Democratic Security Service. Their suits are probably even nicer than MI5’s.
SOCOM:
United States Special Operations Command. The Unified Combatant Command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations Component Commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Armed Forces. Headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
Special Boat Team-12:
The West Coast unit that provides maritime mobility to SEALs using a variety of vessels. Fast boats with machine guns.
Special Reconnaissance (SR) Team:
NSW Teams that conduct special activities, ISR, and provide intelligence support to the SEAL Teams.
SR-16:
An AR-15 variant developed and manufactured by Knight Armament Corporation.
SRT:
Surgical Resuscitation Team. You want these guys close by if you take a bullet.
StrongFirst:
Kettle-bell-focused fitness program founded by Russian fitness guru Pavel Tsatsouline that is popular with special operations forces.
S-Vest:
Suicide vest; an explosives-laden garment favored by suicide bombers. Traditionally worn only once.
SVR:
The Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, or as John le Carré describes them, “the KGB in drag.”
Taliban:
An Islamic fundamentalist political movement and terrorist group in Afghanistan. U.S. and coalition forces have been at war with members of the Taliban since late 2001.
Targeting Officer:
The CIA’s website reads that as a targeting officer you will “identify new opportunities for DO operational activity and enhance ongoing operations.” Translation—they tell us whom to kill.
TDFD:
Time-delay firing device. An explosive initiator that allows for detonation at a determined period of time. A fancy version of a really long fuse.
TIC:
Troops in contact. A firefight involving U.S. or friendly forces.
TOC:
Tactical Operations Center. A command post for military operations. A TOC usually includes a small group of personnel who guide members of an active tactical element during a mission from the safety of a secured area.
TOR Network:
A computer network designed to conceal a user’s identity and location. TOR allows for anonymous communication.
TQ:
Politically correct term for the timely questioning of individuals on-site once a target is secure. May involve the raising of voices.
Troop Chief:
Senior enlisted SEAL on a forty-man troop, usually a master chief petty officer. The guy who makes shit happen.
TS:
Top Secret. Information, the unauthorized disclosure of which r
easonably could be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to national security, that the original classification authority is able to identify or describe. Can also describe an individual’s level of security clearance.
TST:
Time-sensitive target. A target requiring immediate response because it is highly lucrative, is a fleeting target of opportunity, or poses (or will soon pose) a danger to friendly forces.
UAV:
Unmanned aerial vehicle; a drone.
UCMJ:
Uniform Code of Military Justice. Disciplinary and criminal code that applies to members of the U.S. military.
UDI:
Uniform Declaration of Independence; the 1965 document that established Rhodesia as an independent sovereign state. The UDI resulted in an international embargo and made Rhodesia a pariah.
V-22:
Tilt-rotor aircraft that can fly like a plane and take off/land like a helicopter. Numerous examples were crashed during its extremely expensive development.
VBIED:
Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device; a rolling car bomb driven by a suicidal terrorist.
VC:
National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, better known as the Viet Cong. A communist insurgent group that fought against the government of South Vietnam and its allies during the Vietnam War. In the movies, these are the guys wearing the black pajamas carrying AKs.
Vor v Zakone:
An individual at the top of the incarcerated criminal underground. Think godfather. Top authority for the bratva. Today, each region of Russia has a Vor v Zakone.
Vory:
A hierarchy within the bratva. Career criminals. More directly translated as “thief.”
VPN:
Virtual Private Network. A private network that enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Considered more secure than a traditional Internet network.
VSK-94:
Russian-made Sniper/Designated Marksman rifle chambered in the subsonic 9x39mm cartridge. This suppressed weapon is popular with Russian special operations and law enforcement units due to its minimal sound signature and muzzle flash.
Wagner Group:
A Russian private military company with close ties to the Russian government.
War Vets:
Loosely organized groups of Zimbabweans who carried out many of the land seizures during the 1990s. Often armed, these individuals used threats and intimidation to remove white farmers from their homes. Despite the name, most of these individuals were too young to have participated in the Bush War. Not to be confused with ZNLWVA, a group that represents ZANU-affiliated veterans of the Bush War.
WARCOM/NAVSPECWARCOM:
United States Naval Special Warfare Command. The Navy’s special operations force and the maritime component of United States Special Operations Command. Headquartered in Coronado, California, WARCOM is the administrative command for subordinate NSW Groups composed of eight SEAL Teams, one SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Team, three Special Boat Teams, and two Special Reconnaissance Teams.
Westley Richards Droplock:
A rifle or shotgun built by the famed Birmingham, England, gunmakers that allows the user to remove the locking mechanisms for repair or replacement in the field. Widely considered one of the finest and most iconic actions of all time.
Whiskey Tango:
Military speak for “white trash.”
WIA:
Wounded In Action.
Yazidis:
An insular Kurdish-speaking ethnic and religious group that primarily resides in Iraq. Effectively a subminority among the Kurds, Yazidis were heavily persecuted by ISIS.
YPG:
Kurdish militia forces operating in the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria. The Turks are not fans.
ZANLA:
Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army. The armed wing of the Maoist Zimbabwe African National Union and one of the major combatants of the Rhodesian Bush War. ZANLA forces often staged out of training camps located in Mozambique and were led by Robert Mugabe.
Zimbabwe:
Sub-Saharan African nation that formerly existed as Southern Rhodesia and later Rhodesia. Led for three decades by Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe ranks as one of the world’s most corrupt nations on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.
ZIRPA:
Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army. The Soviet-equipped armed wing of ZAPU and one of the two major insurgency forces that fought in the Rhodesian Bush War. ZIRPA forces fell under the leadership of Josh Nkomo, who spent much of the war in Zambia. ZIRPA members were responsible for shooting down two civilian airliners using Soviet SA-7 surface-to-air missiles in the late 1970s.
Zodiac Mk 2 GR:
4.2-meter inflatable rubber boat capable of carrying up to six individuals. These craft are often used as dinghies for larger vessels.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
WE ARE NOTHING IF not the accumulation of our experience, tempered by the advantage of introspection. In my case, that experience includes a lot of reading. From an early age I naturally gravitated toward novels with protagonists who had backgrounds and skills that I wanted to have in real life one day. I’ll always be indebted to those authors who provided the inspiration during my formative years to pursue the profession of arms and of writing. It was a privilege to escape into the pages of books by Marc Olden, A. J. Quinnell, J. C. Pollock, Louis L’Amour, Tom Clancy, David Morrell, Nelson DeMille, and Stephen Hunter. Their writing provided my early education in the art of storytelling. I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Savage Son has been in the works for more than three decades, drawing inspiration from Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game, Geoffrey Household’s Rogue Male, David Morrell’s First Blood, and Louis L’Amour’s Last of the Breed. Fans of those classic thrillers will notice a few intentional word choices in the pages of Savage Son to pay tribute and respect to these seminal works.
I owe a great deal to those who helped me with the Russian mafia portions of the book. A complex and intricate organization with a fascinating history that mirrors Russia’s violent transitions of the past century, an entire novel could investigate the relationships between Russia’s criminal underworld and political elites. In fact, I will probably be exploring that association in future novels as my education in the Russian underworld continues. In studying the bratva, I am deeply indebted to Mark Galeotti and his fascinating book The Vory. I have a feeling I will be returning to it time and time again in the years ahead. One particular line from The Vory stuck with me as I developed the plot and characters for Savage Son: “The new godfathers may call themselves avtoritety, have business portfolios stretching from the essentially legitimate to the wholly criminal, get involved in politics and be seen at charitable galas. But they nonetheless are the inheritors of the drive, determination and ruthlessness of the vory, men of whom even a New York mafia boss said, ‘We Italians will kill you. But the Russians are crazy—they’ll kill your whole family.’ ”
Thank you to Oleg Tolmachev for always being available to answer even the most basic questions on all things Russia at all hours of the day and night. I sincerely appreciate all your valuable insights.
And, to the MUR, Moskowsky Ugolovniy Rozysk, the criminal intelligence division of the Moscow Police, my hat is off to you for all that you do. Working through an intermediary, tapped phones, and a background check, one can’t be too careful. Thank you for your assistance and support.
Though much of the terminology has remained the same from the pre-Bolshevik revolution days, through the era of the Soviet Republics and into the current incarnation of the Russian Federation, the definitions have morphed. Terms and positions that were once strictly applied within the gulag and then prison walls is now applied to organized crime more broadly across society at large. I have tried to remain true to the more modern understanding of the criminal hi
erarchy. All errors in any and everything to do with the Russian bratva are mine and mine alone.
Thank you to Victor and Svetlana at Utgard Tours for such a memorable and informative time in Kamchatka, Russia, and for putting up with my incessant questions. I swear, I am not a spy.
And, to Jeff Kimbell, bounty hunter, for organizing an expedition I will not soon forget. In fact, I think I may still be recovering.
To Stephen Hunter, who has long been a literary hero of mine. It was a true honor, and extremely humbling to start our last book tours together. It was one of the highlights of my life. I’m looking forward to sending some rounds downrange with you soon.
To David Morrell, whose The Brotherhood of the Rose cemented my path into the SEAL Teams. A groundbreaking novel that incorporated the best traditions of UK and US spy fiction, David transformed the genre in the start of a trilogy that continues to influence writers today. Never one content to chase the market, he leads by example, writing works that make him and his readers fuller, more significant people. For additional wisdom from this master of the craft, read The Successful Novelist and visit the writing section of his website at davidmorrell.net.
To Vince Flynn, whose work defines the modern political thriller and to Kyle Mills, who continues to exceed all expectations in keeping Vince’s legacy alive. #MitchRappLives
To Mark Greaney, author of The Gray Man novels, thank you for your friendship and for writing such a kick-ass series! I can’t wait for the next installment!
And to Brad Thor, to whom this novel is dedicated and whose kindness and generosity made this next chapter in life possible. Thank you, Brad. I remain humbly in your debt.
To Ray Porter, whose voice brings James Reece to life in the audiobooks. Thank you for being one of the coolest guys I know.
To Barbara Peters of Poisoned Pen for being so welcoming and for taking me under your wing.
To Ryan Steck, aka The Real Book Spy, for what you do for the thriller genre and for thriller writers everywhere.
To K. J. Howe, author of The Freedom Broker and Skyjack, and Executive Director of Thrillerfest. Thank you for all you do for authors old and new.
To Mystery Mike for your continued support and for always finding those hard to find signed pristine first editions.