HELO: Helicopter.

HK-MP4: Heckler & Koch submachine gun-a favorite of the SEALs. A compact 9mm weapon that is reliable even after salt.w.a.ter immersion.

HK-MP5: Heckler & Koch submachine gun, even smaller than the MP4, also known as a "room broom." Also a 9mm, it's often used for close combat urban situations. Small enough to conceal under a jacket. (If you're a SEAL, that is, but probably not if you're Lindsey Fontaine.) HOT BUNKING: Sharing a bed, but sleeping at different times. Used in cases of limited billeting or housing, usually on board a ship. If Sam Starrett and Kenny Karmody were hot bunking, Sam would sleep for the first shift. Kenny would wake him when it was his turn to sleep. Sam would roll out of the bunk and Kenny would roll in-and the bunk would still be hot from Sam's body heat. At the end of World War II, troop transport ships were frequently filled beyond capacity. The men chose to hot bunk or even sleep on deck in order to get home to their families as quickly as possible.

HUMINT: Human intelligence. Intelligence gathered the old-fashioned way, by using the eyes and ears of human agents, spies, or informants.

ICE CREAM SUIT: Nickname for any white uniform, particularly Navy dress uniforms.

IED: Improvised Explosive Device.

INFILTRATE: Entry by SEALs, usually with stealth, into an area of operations.

INSERTION: To be placed in an area of operations, usually by air. SEALS often insert by sea.

INTEL: Intelligence.

JARHEAD: Nickname for Marines. Also known as Uncle Sam's Misguided Children (USMC).

K-BAR: A very deadly fighting utility knife issued to SEALs. Also known as a KA-BAR knife.

KEVLAR: The material used in bulletproof vests and body armor.

KIA: Killed in Action.

KLICKS OR CLICKS: Kilometers. Military measurement of distance. One klick equals 0.6214 miles.

LZ: Landing Zone.

M16: Nickname for the Colt M16A2 rifle issued to the SEALs. Unloaded, it weighs more than twelve pounds. Fires a small, high velocity bullet, with a range of 460 meters.

MEDAL OF HONOR: Highest military award of the United States.

MEDEVAC: Medical Evacuation, usually by helicopter, to field hospital or aid station.

MESS HALL: Dining facility.

MIA: Missing in Action, usually from a battle situation. If someone is declared MIA, it's not known if they are dead or alive.

MP: Military Police.

MRE: Meal Ready to Eat.

MURPHY'S LAW: "Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong." A good SEAL officer will expect Mr. Murphy to accompany him on every mission, and be prepared for his appearance.

NAVINTEL: Naval Intelligence.

NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer. Senior Chief Stan Wolchonok and Chief Cosmo Richter are both NCOs.

NCONVs: Night vision goggles. (See also NVGs.) NVGs: Night Vision Goggles or Gla.s.ses.

O COURSE: Obstacle Course. An important part of BUD/S training.

OC: Officer Candidate. (See OCS.) OCONUS: Outside the Continental United States. (p.r.o.nounced oh-koh-ness.) OCS: Officers Candidate School. Originally used to train enlisted men for special wartime a.s.signments, it's now a twenty-six-week program for enlisted who want to become commissioned officers. Sam Starrett began his Navy career as an enlisted man. He attended OCS and became an officer.

OFFICERS' COUNTRY: The places where officers work and even live, such as the BOQ. Particularly relevant onboard ship.

OSS: Office of Strategic Services. Developed in 1942, the OSS was an early version of the CIA and Special Forces.

OTS: Officers Training School. (See OSC.) PITA: Pain In The a.s.s PJ: The nickname for the U.S. Air Force Para-Rescue Jumpers or Parajumpers.

PLATOON: A unit of 30 to 50 troops.

POINT MAN: The SEAL responsible for taking the lead in an advancing squad. The point man will be the first to contact the enemy or trip b.o.o.by traps. Related terms: On point or taking the point.

PSYOPS: Psychological Operations. The use of propaganda or misinformation to affect the morale of the enemy.

PT: Physical Training.

PUCKER FACTOR: A rating system for fear or tension. A high pucker factor indicates that all muscles are extremely tight.

PX: Post exchange. A store, usually on base, selling general merchandise for servicemen and -women and their families.

REAL WORLD OP: The real thing, as opposed to a training operation.

RECON: Reconnaissance. To investigate, gather information and intel, to scout.

REGIMENT: A unit of 2,500 to 3,500 troops.

RE-UP: To reenlist.

RING OUT: To fail the intensive BUD/S training program. SEAL candidates actually must ring a bell upon their departure, and announce that they are quitting. The majority of all SEAL candidates ring out.

RTO: Radio Telephone Operator.

SAR: Search and Rescue.

SAS: Special Air Service. The United Kingdom's Special Operations Forces.

SATCOM: Satellite Communications.

SEABAG: A duffel bag used by SEALs and sailors.

SEAL: Special Operations force of the U.S. Navy. SEALs operate on SEa, in the Air, and on Land.

SECDEF: Secretary of Defense.

SERE TRAINING: A military program that teaches Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape.

Sh.o.r.e PATROL: The Navy's version of the MPs or Military Police.

SILVER BULLET a.s.sIGNMENT: An easy a.s.signment in a comfortable setting, usually given as a reward to deserving personnel.

SITREP: Situation Report.

SNAFU: Situation Normal-All f.u.c.ked Up.

SOF: Special Operations Forces, such as SEALs. (Not to be confused with Special Forces. For the difference between Special Operations and Special Forces, see below.) Q: What's the difference between Special Operations and Special Forces-and how do the SEALs fit in?

Suz: Special Operations and Special Forces are two very different things. Special Forces go in with lots of firepower, lots of force, lots of noise. Spec Ops is something else entirely. They operate in small, covert groups. In other words, they go in or "insert" silently, get the job done, and leave or "extract" without anyone knowing they've been there. (Or at least not until things start blowing up!) SEALs are the U.S. Navy's contribution to U.S. Special Operations, so they're frequently used when water-oceans, lakes, rivers-is involved.

SOCOM: Special Operations Command.

SOP: Standard Operating Procedure.

SPEC OPS: Special Operations.

SQUAD: A unit of 8 to 15 troops.

STERILE: An item, usually a uniform or a weapon or other gear, that has been stripped of any marking that could attribute it to the U.S. Military. Also known as sanitized.

STERILIZE: To make an item or place sterile. To remove all evidence of occupation or ownership. To sanitize.

TAD: Temporary Additional Duty. The Navy's version (they've always got to be different, don't they?!) of TDY or Temporary Duty.

TANGO: Radio call sign for the letter T. Also nickname for a terrorist.

TDY: Temporary Duty, used by the Army and Air Force. (See also TAD.) UA: Unauthorized Absence. The Navy equivalent to AWOL.

UDT: Underwater Demolition Teams. The World War II granddaddies of the SEALs. Also known as Frogmen.

USO: United Service Organization, established in 1941 to build morale by entertaining servicemen.

WATCH ONE'S SIX: From a clock face position, twelve is immediately in front of you, six is directly behind you. If someone is watching your six, they are watching your back, to help protect you.

WESTPAC: The Western Pacific area of operations. Also used to refer to a tour aboard a Navy ship, usually six months in length. For example, before entering the BUD/S program, Mark Jenkins did two WESTPACs in a row, one aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise.

WHEELS UP: Slang for leaving town or going out on a mission. (Example: Jenk grabbed his seabag and ran for his truck after getting the call that Team Sixteen was going wheels up.) Refers to an aircraft lifting off. As the plane heads for cruising alt.i.tude, the landing gear, including the wheels, goes up.

WTFO: What the f.u.c.k, Over? A question commonly raised among sailors.

WWII: World War II, the war against the Axis of Germany, j.a.pan, and Italy. It began on September 1, 1939, and ended on August 14, 1945.

XO: Executive Officer. Second in command to the CO or Commanding Officer. Lt. Jazz Jacquette was Lt. Commander Tom Paoletti's XO of SEAL Team Sixteen.

Shane's Last Stand

By the middle of the twenty-first century, much of the world has changed for the worse. Despite advances in technology, crime has increased, drug use is rampant, and the threat of terrorism hits closer and closer to home. And in the dark days of America's second Great Depression, the divide between the haves and the have-nots continues to grow.

Many things are different in this dark and murky future, but one thing remains the same: Navy SEALs are still Navy SEALs.

And the only easy day was yesterday.

Chapter One.

Something in Shane Laughlin's ankle snapped upon landing.

Or maybe it tore.

Either way, it sent him to the ground, and he b.u.mped and sc.r.a.ped and bounced, jarring the injury over and over as his chute dragged him across the rocky terrain.

Shane bit back a curse. It was the least-graceful landing of his entire military career, and it took everything he'd learned in countless training sessions to get the parachute back under control, even though Magic and Owen both scrambled to help him.

"You okay?" Magic asked, as Owen took possession of all of their chutes.

Jesus, Shane's ankle was on fire. What the h.e.l.l had he done to himself? Whatever it was, it was bad. Still, he pulled himself to his feet and tried to put weight on it-and would've landed back in the dust had Magic not caught him, the pain making him see actual stars.

But he shook them away, giving Magic an "I'll be fine," because they didn't have time for this. The mission not only required the drop zone be fully sanitized-with the SEAL team's eight chutes rolled into vacuum packs and carried back out-but that it be fully sanitized quickly and quietly. And that meant sitting here shouting f.u.c.k was not an option.

Regardless of the studies done that proved swearing helped diminish pain.

"Yeah, I think I'll take that as a no," Magic said as Shane signaled his senior chief-a height-challenged but wiry fortysomething named Johnny Salantino-who'd made note of the goatf.u.c.k in action and was already heading for them.

"Ankle or knee?" Magic continued.

"Ankle." Shane dinged himself again, and again the pain was excruciating. "f.u.c.k!"

"You okay there, LT?" the senior asked in his raspy Brooklynese as he crouched down next to Shane.

"Ankle," Magic reported.

"Head count?" Shane asked the senior through gritted teeth.

"Eight. All here, sir, all in one piece. You're our only casualty," the senior replied, then turned to report as Rick Wilkie, the team's hospital corpsman, joined them, "Ankle."