A Soldier in Love Read online

  A Soldier in Love

  By A. Petrov

  Copyright © 2014 A. Petrov

  Kindle Edition

  Kindle Edition License Notes

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  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-one

  Chapter Forty-two

  Chapter Forty-three

  Chapter Forty-four

  Chapter Forty-five

  Chapter Forty-six

  Chapter Forty-seven

  Chapter Forty-eight

  Chapter Forty-nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-one

  Chapter Fifty-two

  Chapter Fifty-three

  Chapter Fifty-four

  Chapter Fifty-five

  Chapter One

  The sirens blared from the hallway. Their flashing lights began to fade in and out.

  “Alert, alert, alert. This is not a drill. Alert, alert, alert. This is not a drill,” the recorded voice began to boom; its mechanical tone taunting whoever listened as it echoed down the hallways.

  Michelle took a deep breath in. Earth was under attack. It was no test this time.

  The past few months had been intense. Between the terror that was displayed on the news each day and the endless training after work and on the weekend, she knew it was time.

  “OK, children get your coats,” she said loudly as she tried to pretend everything was alright. She held her head high and stood tall in an illusion of bravery. She looked to the innocent faces of the young children she taught. They seemed confused, some looked as if they were going to cry, and a few already were. They knew, they could tell, it was time.

  As the children got their coats, Michelle grabbed hers as well and they made their way outside. It wasn’t cold in Utah but it was cold on the space shuttles. The coats had hung in the back of the classroom untouched for weeks.

  “Single file, do not get out of line,” Michelle said authoritatively. She wished she could be warmer. She wanted to take those who were crying into her arms and comfort them.

  That’s how it used to be, not how it is now she reminded herself. I have to help them to be strong. It may not seem like it but it is the kindest thing I can ever do for them.

  Her heart sank. She wished it was within protocol to be warmer to the children. She wished she could tell them not to worry but she knew she couldn’t. She had spent the past few months with them, getting to know them, tying their shoes, reading them stories, teaching them, caring for them, but she would have to let them go now. She would be one of many fighting for them, fighting for everyone.

  Earth was being invaded by the Cabaka, an alien species seeking a climate similar to that of Earth. The United Nations had tried relentlessly to work out some sort of negotiation with them but alas it never came to be. It was unknown what had happened to their own planet or why they had come from so far away. They were almost like pirates coming to steal and fight for what was never truly theirs to begin with. Their reasoning made no sense and they were filled with threats and terrorism. They wanted Earth and they wanted all of it, but Earth wasn’t going to give up without a fight. They were preparing for a war, a bloody and vicious one at that. One without set rules. One without alliances. They were fighting the unknown.

  Michelle’s mind flashed to the Cabaka. She thought back to the images displayed on various news networks before the cable had gone out. They were tall, dark haired, and wiry. Their eyes were the deepest shade of black. Their skin was pale, so incredibly pale, they looked almost translucent. Michelle had never seen one up close but she remembered someone once said you could see clearly see their veins under their skin.

  Every healthy person in the United States over the age of 18 was now drafted into the military.

  I’m a soldier not an elementary school teacher any longer, she reminded herself.

  Other countries were doing the same at the guidance of the United Nations. Ironically, the fighting between most countries had ceased to prepare for the Cabaka attacks. Most countries allotted their soldiers to form a greater alliance, the Earth Army.

  Michelle had been on reserve, but she knew she would have to report to duty immediately after getting the children to safety.

  “Ma’am?” a loud voice questioned breaking her thoughts.

  “Yes, sir? I’m sorry,” Michelle said looking up to the older uniformed man who stood in front of her. He looked weary.

  “Your orders are to escort the children to the launch pad then go to the base and report to duty. Directly to base, as fast as you can,” the man stated.

  She nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  There was an intense urgency surrounding her, but all Michelle could think of were getting the children to safety. They seemed to be the only thing that mattered.

  A wave of relief washed over her when the craft landed. She watched as another teacher, who was an exception to the draft, took the children aboard. She knew she had been allowed to opt of the Earth Army but Michelle never knew why. Not that it really mattered now. Soldier or not, everyone’s life was in danger. Better to fight for something than to just die for nothing, she had figured.

  God, be with them Michelle prayed to herself silently as she watched them disappear into the atmosphere.

  Ignoring the loud sirens and alarms, she made her way back into the school. She retrieved her pack from beneath her desk and made her way to the bathroom to change into her army uniform and boots.

  She looked into the mirror. She straightened out her back and stood tall. Her frame was tall but not outrageously tall for a woman. It seemed to give her a slight edge in the military training. She was becoming muscular but not in an overbearing sense; she was more thin than muscular. Her auburn hair hung past the middle of her back and her green eyes were framed by a thick coat of mascara.

  This is no more. I am a soldier now.

  She tied her hair in a tight bun and washed the mascara off in the small sink cursing herself for her stupidity.

  Why did I put on mascara today? I must be some sort of idiot. Mascara isn’t going to do me any good for w
here I’m going. Now it looks like I’ve been crying. Soldiers don’t fucking wear mascara. They sure as Hell don’t cry.

  She stooped down and laced her black boots, tying the shoestrings tightly.

  She stared into the mirror back at what seemed to be an empty shell of a person.

  She turned away and made her way out of the school. She slowly began to run to the base. The usual streets, sights, and sounds around her were blurred. She quickened her pace as her muscles loosened up. She was used to running. Even before the fuel conservation, when she had a vehicle, she would run for exercise. There were countless nights spent on a track or on a treadmill. Now, as she faced an almost certain death she wondered if those nights had been wasted.

  Maybe it wasn’t. Running was something to concentrate on; it was something to be good at. She had never really felt like she was good at anything before she had started running.

  Ever since the fuel shortage most people walked or biked in her small town. It had worsened when many people were forced to surrender their cars for the metal to be melted so that more supplies and space fleets could be created.

  Now running was mandatory, in the military. In training it seemed like they did nothing but run for weeks. She never questioned why, she just ran.

  Cool air invaded her lungs and thoughts of everything she wish she could have done filled her head. She was certain she would face death; it was just a matter of when. To kill or be killed would be what was in front of her. She mustered all of the courage she could and kept onward. At that moment, she decided her death was not to be in vain that she would find some meaning in it. If she died for a cause, well, at least it would be something.

  Chapter Two

  Michelle sucked in air as she came to a stop at the front of the base. There was a line of others in front of her. She panted and waited patiently as her heart rate slowed and her breathing became normal.

  She looked over the line to see the others in front of her. They were all muscular but thin, part of the chaos that was ensuing was the lack of food. The United States imported a lot of food from other countries and that had been put to a stop. Most everyone was conserving food for the unknown. Michelle was lucky enough to have what seemed like a lifetime supply of tuna and sliced peaches; although she had nearly been sick of it, she knew she had to eat. There was no telling how much longer the canned food supplies would last. Most families had dropped down to only two meals a day. She knew of poorer families that just had one. She didn’t want to think about the displaced. She knew they starved.

  The line moved quickly and she stepped into place. Angry brown eyes met her forest green ones.

  “ID chip, where is your ID chip?” the man snapped angrily. He was a few inches taller than her with broad shoulders and a buzz cut. He was older with brown hair streaked with gray.

  Michelle put her left wrist forward as he waved the chip reader over it. It let out a beep letting the man know it had collected the data.

  He seems like he was in the military before the attacks started. That’s probably why he has such an angry look on his face.

  “Soldier, your code is A3343Z. Hold out your left wrist, we have to mark you as property of the Earth Army,” The Commander bellowed.

  In case I die so they can identify the body, I’m sure. So much for dog tags…

  Michelle held out her wrist and a younger, slim man about her height grabbed her arm. He applied a disinfectant. She heard a buzzing sound and felt the small pricks of pain as he began to etch the sequence into her wrist.

  “You’ve had your injections?” the older man asked as he pulled her file.

  “Sir, yes, sir,” she replied.

  “All of them?” he questioned not looking up for the file.

  “Yes,” she said.

  Chipped, tattooed, and injected, she thought to herself.

  “No reactions?” he said with slightly raised eyebrows.

  “No, I didn’t get sick,” she replied.

  “If you say so, those injections make everyone as sick as a dog,” he said as he input her code into the computer.

  “You are scheduled to go to the compound on First World II,” he said more sternly.

  She nodded.

  “You leave in an hour, take nourishment, and make your way to the shuttle,” he said.

  “Yes, sir,” she replied robotically. She knew not to cause problems or ask questions. It was best to just keep the line moving when it came to the Earth Army.

  She made her way into the building. She had wanted to desperately ask why she was not chosen to stay here and fight but she knew the man would scoff at her questions. She would only hold up the line and there were others who need to get through.

  For whatever reason, it was extremely easy for her to adapt to the role of soldier. In fact, it was almost natural despite it being a far cry from elementary school teacher. Maybe it was because she had been one of the first drafted. The draft involved every healthy person over 18 but the first round always called out for those who were physically fit, single, and with no family.

  Michelle had met all three of those requirements. She had grown up with her mother and father and sister, then foster care. She looked down at the cigarette burn on her left arm.

  The system was overrun and understaffed. The system did their best to provide a room over the sudden influx of orphans but there were too many children and not enough willing adults to take them. She wasn’t the only one, she knew. There had been a lot of abuse. It could have been worse, she reminded herself, it could have been rape or worse yet, I could have died. They had lost many soldiers and many others had lost their families as well. She was lucky because in the end she still had Amy. That was much more than what others had and that’s what she told herself in order to be strong.

  She thought back to those six horrible months and the burns and the beatings inflicted upon her. She could still see the old woman’s cruel sneer and hear her evil laughter in her head.

  Everything always on the left side… she thought as she traced over the thick burn scar on the top of her left arm.

  Michelle suddenly thought of her parents. They were loving, caring, and kind. Their memory was how she had gotten through it all.

  They were proud; they didn’t even mind being drafted. They felt it was their duty. They wanted to protect and serve. How can I even feel sorry for myself when so many others lost their parents as well? I have to honor them. I have to be the best soldier I can be.

  She looked down once more at the scarred remnant of a burn on her arm. Although it had been years ago and the burn hard scarred over forming a light pink circle. It stood out against the paleness of the rest of her skin.

  I haven’t thought about the abuse in years… I guess facing death makes you think. Surely, I might perish facing this unknown.

  She lightly traced over the scars with her fingertips.

  Amy came and got me as soon as she heard.

  Amy was Michelle’s older sister. She was small and extraordinarily beautiful. She was petite like their mother. She had long blonde hair and wide blue eyes just like both of their parents. Her skin was like flawless porcelain and her features were doll like.

  How I ended up with red hair and green eyes… I would think I was adopted if I didn’t look exactly like mom and dad otherwise.

  Michelle had always felt awkward in public with her parents and sister. She always felt so different. As a child she had always wished to be light and beautiful like Amy but she was dark. She stood out from the rest of her family.

  When their parents died, Amy had secured her future by marrying a much older man who just so happened to be a high ranking Earth Army official. He was a large and imposing man. He towered over her; he even towered over Michelle at her height. He was the typical Earth Army officer, loud and demanding.

  Amy flew in from half a world away in New Shanghai when she found out I had been in care.

  Eric had been stationed abroad there. Michelle shuddered
at the thought of having to sleep next to someone like Eric every night. She wondered how Amy slept at night beside him.

  She probably goes to bed full every night is how she sleeps…

  Michelle thought back to living with them before going off to college. Amy was always kind and warm; she reminded Michelle of mom. She loved any holiday, any excuse to cook a meal or decorate.

  Eric was extremely authoritarian. He expected nothing but respect. Michelle never gave him any trouble when she was under his room but wasn’t particularly fond of him or his booming voice and strict rules. She knew the trouble wasn’t worth it, so she just played by his strict rules. She just wished he hadn’t been so loud it frightened her at times.

  I will always be forever in debt to him…

  Being on his good side paid off, when he heard about the abuse he made sure the abuser was caught and imprisoned. Michelle remembered the look of rage on his face after Amy told him and he saw her disfigured arm.

  I don’t even think there was a trial; the police just took his word for it.