Annapolis: The United States Naval Academy. A four year service academy that educates officers for commissions into the Navy or the Marines. You graduate either as an Ensign into the Navy or a Second Lieutenant into the Marines.
Brannigan, Kyle (Staff Sergeant): Former Strike Force operative, currently assigned to Alpha Team as a sniper, metahuman (rapid healing), code named Reaper, hails from Boston, Massachusetts.
Brown, Annabelle: Former Night Stalker pilot, currently assigned to Alpha Team as a pilot, metahuman (anti-gravity, flight), code named Icarus, hails from Asheville, North Carolina.
Callahan, Jamie (Captain): Previously a Recon Marine, currently leading Alpha Team, metahuman (enhanced strength and durability), code named Apollo, billionaire heir, hails from New York City, New York.
Callahan, Richard: Jamie’s father, billionaire, senator, Senate Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Republican presidential candidate for the upcoming election, hails from New York City, New York.
CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A United States Federal agency that aims to protect public health.
Chan, Madison: Previously a Recon Marine, currently assigned to Alpha Team as a demolitions specialist, metahuman (energy blasts), code named Nova, hails from Los Angeles, California.
Chest candy: Military slang for the medals and ribbons worn on a dress uniform. It can be used in a positive or negative manner.
Cleared hot: Military slang for you have permission to fire your weapon!
CIA: Central Intelligence Agency. Spies! There’s way more to it than that, but basically, spies!
DOD: United States Department of Defense. Oversees all agencies in the United States that are tasked with national security and all branches of the United States Armed Forces.
Dvorkin, Alexei (Staff Sergeant): Former Strike Force operative, currently assigned to Alpha Team as a close combat specialist, metahuman (pyrokinesis), code named Inferno, originally from a refugee city in the Ukraine, hails from Boston, Massachusetts.
EAMSG: European Alliance Metahuman Security Group. The European equivalent of the United States MDF within the story.
Embrace the suck: Military slang for the situation is bad. Deal with it.
FOB: Forward Operating Base. A forward military position that supports tactical operations.
Free-fire zone: Military slang for everyone is the bad guy, so you can kill them all!
FUBAR: Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition/All Relief. That’s pretty much it.
Good piece of gear: Military slang where you refer to your coworkers or people who work for you in the service as a good piece of gear.
HUD: Head-up Display. Usually found in an aircraft or on a vehicle, but I put it on a high-tech tactical goggles.
LOS: Line of sight. One of many definitions, but basically what you see in your sightlines when shooting at a target. If you can’t see your target, you have no line of sight.
Metahumans: Humans whose natural immunity to Splice changes them into people with various powers within the story.
MDF: Metahuman Defense Force. A hybrid federal agency/military group in the United States that deploys metahumans and humans on a domestic and international basis to deal with metahuman terrorists.
MIA: Missing in action. A military designation assigned to combatants who go missing during wartime or peace time.
Nazari, Amir (General): Director who oversees and leads the Metahuman Defense Force.
NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer. A military officer who didn’t earn a commission. Usually they are of an enlisted rank and are promoted to officer. In contrast, a commissioned officer usually receives training in leadership through a military academy and don’t come up through enlisted ranks.
Night Stalkers: A special operations force of the United States Army that provides helicopter and other aviation support.
Oscar Mike: On the Move. Military slang derived from the phonetic alphabet letters O and M.
Outside the Wire: Military slang that denotes if you are on or off the base.
Ovechkina, Ekaterina “Katie” (Sergeant): Previously a Recon Marine, currently second-in-command of Alpha Team, communications specialist and hacker, metahuman (telepathy), code named Viper, hails from Chicago, Illinois.
Overwatch: Military term for a group, team, or individual who provides support to another unit while they are engaged in combat.
POW: Prisoner of War. Pretty self-explanatory. Can be used for military personnel or civilians alike.
Railroad tracks: Military slang for a captain’s ranks, which is two vertical bars.
Sanchez, Trevor: Previously a Recon Marine, currently assigned to Alpha Team as a medic, metahuman (telekinesis), code named Bones, hails from Dallas, Texas.
Scope fatigue: A state where your mind and eyes get tired from shooting or waiting for a target to come into sight so you can shoot.
Secondment: A military term for the temporary transfer of a person from their main duty to another assignment. The term is used more in the UK than the US, but I liked it, so I used it.
SOP: Standard Operating Procedure. Speaks for itself, I think.
SOCOM: United States Special Operations Command. Unified command that overseas all Special Operations command across all branches of the military.
Splice: Toxic chemical within the story that has a 95% kill rate. Those with immunity to it get turned into metahumans.
Stirling, Ranisha (Rear Admiral Lower Half): Deputy Director who supports the Director in running the Metahuman Defense Force.
Strike Force: My made up alternate version of the very real Delta Force, a highly classified special forces operational unit.
UMG: United Metahuman Guardians. The United Kingdom’s equivalent of the United States MDF within the story.
Visualize World Peace: United States Marine Corps sniper saying.
Williams, Donovan: Previously a Recon Marine, currently assigned to Alpha Team as a transport specialist, metahuman (enhanced spectrum eyesight), code named Tank, hails from Atlanta, Georgia.
Author’s Notes
Thank you so much for reading this story! This was a fun, if frustrating at times, labor of love and I hope you enjoyed it. I couldn’t have wrangled it into order without the help of my beta readers Kelly, Pilar, Nora and Cady, so thank you my lovely ladies! Thanks as well to the lovely Bear, she of the awesome formatting skills and encouragement.
On an aside, I have never been active military, but some in my family and several of my friends have been, so if I got any of the terms and actions wrong, my apologies. I tried to extrapolate as best I could when accounting for the story theme and its timeframe in the future.
I would be thrilled and grateful if you would consider reviewing In the Wreckage on Amazon or Goodreads. I appreciate all honest reviews, positive or negative.
And don’t worry, the ride isn’t over yet. I have more plans for Alpha Team and others in the MDF world!
www.haileyturner.com
Cover design by Kasmit Covers.
Edited by Jersey Devil Editing.
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Other Works By Hailey Turner
Metahuman Files
01 – In the Wreckage
02 – In the Ruins
03 – In the Shadows
04 – In The Blood
05 – In The Requiem
A Metahuman Files: Classified Novella
01 – Out of the Ashes
Thanks for reading!
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In the Wreckage: (M/M Sci-Fi Military Romance) (Metahuman Files Book 1) Page 32