Page 1 of Burning Love

1

ALEX

The compound stirred as the first light of dawn shone through the perimeter fence, which wasn’t as solid as Major Alex Bebbington would have liked.

Here we go again. How much longer can I do this?

Alex liked to take a couple of moments for herself in the mornings to collect her thoughts and prepare for another day in what she had come to understand was an increasingly unforgiving world. There was no coffee to be had for miles around. She knew this. And the reason she knew this is that she’d spent many hours looking for it over the last few weeks—time that could have perhaps been better spent. So, chicory it was. It was just about as grim as it got, but she would have to make do.

Major Bebbington would also have given her right arm for a cigarette, but she’d smoked her last one a couple of days earlier. At the ripe old age of thirty-five, she had seenmore than her fair share of chaos, especially recently, but nothing felt so harrowing as being out of tobacco.

Alex had grown up in a military family. Her upbringing had taught her the value of discipline and duty, and her father had instilled in her a sense of responsibility and obligation, but what she was currently experiencing felt like a big ask.

Would he be proud of me? Not likely. Look at the state I’m in. I’m a goddamn wreck.

The lessons her father had taught her were valuable but had come with a price. Frequent relocations all over the States and abroad meant shehad attended countless schools, never staying long enough to plant roots or make lasting friendships. Not really. Instead, she had become a real pro at adapting, at putting on a brave face while feeling the ache of loneliness in just about every fiber of her being. All she had ever craved was someone to talk to… just one person to confide in.

As a child, she had watched other kids and the way they behaved with each other. It all seemed so foreign to her. They shared secrets and supported each other during the trials of their teenage years. She’d watched as the girls in the various schools she’d attended organized sleepovers, proms, and trips to the mall. But for her, such activities had always remained just out of reach. Instead, she learned to rely on herself. And against all the odds, she had found strength in her solitude.

Her father’s voice still loomed large in her life to this day. She could hear it almost continuously, like an inner monologue. His advice, habits, and strength of character had helped shape her into a soldier. Well, a soldier of sorts.

I’m not a real soldier, though. Am I? No, not anymore. This is all total bullshit. This isn’t what being a soldier is about.

The truth was, Alex felt emotionally stranded. She knew what the life of a soldier was meant to look like. She had excelled at the military academy when making her way through the ranks but had only just made it to major when the virus struck. She didn’t ever think she’d be thrown in the deep end like this. A major? Really? The title sounded pretty impressive, of course, and she certainly possessed the qualification on paper, but she hadn’t had real-life experience in the role. And anyway… Was there even an Army these days? Did the Army actually still exist?

Dressed in her standard-issue cargo pants and a faded shirt, Alex laced up her combat boots, her fingers working automatically as she continued to ponder her predicament. The leather was cracked from so much walking over the last month or so, but itstill held the familiar shape of her foot. They were comfortable. They made her feel safe and somewhat in control.

“Major! You’re up early! How are you?”

The deep, guttural voice interrupted her focus. She turned to see Dorian Tromer, one of the newer members of the group. He had an uncertain expression on his face, and his brows furrowed slightly as if whatever he was about to say was on the tip of his tongue. The uniform she had found for him was a little on the large side, and his rifle lay slung low against his side. Alex studied him with interest, noting the nervousness in his stance.

What’s his deal? What’s the problem now?

She could tell that Dorian was eager to impress her but was still finding his place in this new world.

“How am I? As well as can be expected, I guess, Dorian. And being up early means more time to prepare, right?” she replied, her tone clipped but not unkind. “You know the drill, Tromer. How many years were you in service?”

“Right, of course. What are we p-p-preparing for again? What’s the p-plan?” he stammered, attempting a smile that fell short. “I’ll get right on it.”

“Tromer? Where were you stationed again?”

“I was never stationed anywhere, sir. Ma’am, I mean. I’m not Army. I never was. You told me you wanted me to be a, uh… like a, um… a guard? Um… because… well?—”

“Because you’re young and fit? Well, fit-ish. That’s right, Tromer. You’re a guard now. I forgot. You haven’t been here all that long. It’s hard to keep up.”

“Yep. I, uh…”

“Listen up, Tromer. It’s no biggie, okay? You got this. I spent years in military school. Years! Hell, it feels like I’ve been in the Army my entire life. I’ve got all the credentials, but I’d only just made the grade when… when it happened. I’m not arealmajor, okay? At least, I don’t feel like one. I’m just all we’ve got right now. This isn’t the Army. I don’t know what it is. But don’t sweat it. Let’s take things a day at a time.”

“You’re not in the Army? What do you mean? We’re on an Army base, right? Of course, it’s the Army, isn’t it? You’re Major Beb?—”

“No. There’s nobody in charge. I have no superiors. I don’t know where they are. No commands are coming through. Communications aredown and have been for weeks. Fuck knows what’s going on. It’s just me and Major Miller. So, yes, I guess we’re in charge now. But don’t look so worried. You’re a guard now. You’re armed. Just go with it.”

“Yes, Si—Ma’am.”

“Is there something else you wanted to say, Tromer?”

“I, uh… I can’t remember. Um… Oh, yes! Sergeant Henry said he wants to see you.”

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