The Kill Order

Alec is a veteran pilot for the United States military who worked for the Department of Defense before the solar flares destroyed society. Alec takes it upon himself to protect Mark and his friends from the natural disasters that follow the solar flares. Alec is a father figure to the group, particularly Mark, who looks up to him and feels a great deal of respect for him. Alec keeps an emotional distance from Mark, Trina, Lana, and Deedee, but his behavior suggests a deep affection for each of the kids, particularly Mark.

Alec is a strong, unemotional man who tends to act before thinking. However, he is strategic in his actions, often using his training as a soldier to protect those around him. When the Berg attacks the settlement, Alec immediately comes up with a plan. This shows Alec as the archetypal protector character, which often takes the form of a soldier, father, or other male authority figure. This archetype is evident in Alec’s drive to always be the one in charge, the one who protects everyone, the one who gets answers.

Despite his strong adherence to an archetype, Alec is a three-dimensional character. As the novel progresses, Alec begins to show a gentler side of himself, even falling into a fit of giggles at one point that is so unlike him that the others wonder if he has been infected by the Flare. This moment could be a sign of an impending mental health condition, but it could also show a man who has always been alone finally finding companionship and, although suffering the grief of profound loss, experiencing a moment of joy in this newfound companionship. Alec has always had to hide his emotions; perhaps this episode is a rare glimpse into the person Alec was before the solar flares.

Trina is a teenager when the solar flares hit and a high school student dealing with common levels of teen angst. Trina is Mark’s neighbor and love interest. She is highly intelligent and would rather get lost in a book than deal with the realities of the dystopian world. However, when Trina must face reality, she does not shy away from the harsh truth; she deals with it openly and honestly.

Trina is a motivating force to Mark to keep pushing forward even when the group’s circumstances look bleak. This is a common trope in male-centered action plots, in which the male lead must save the damsel in distress. Thus, although Trina does not play a large part in the plot, her presence is crucial because of how she affects the protagonist. Trina is also the reason Alec agrees to save Deedee. In this way, Trina is a force behind the plot of the first three novels who is unfortunately never named or remembered.

Lana is a former US Army nurse and Alec’s coworker before the solar flares. If Alec is a father figure to the young teens he has gathered in his survivors’ group, then Lana is the mother figure. Although she is tough and willing to fight when necessary, there is a soft side to Lana that counterbalances Alec’s unemotional, rough exterior. Like Trina, Lana is not a fully developed character and serves more as motivation for Alec; Lana is Alec’s friend, and there might be a hint of romantic interest between them. There is definitely respect between the two. As a result, when Alec goes to find the truth about the PFC Berg, his motivation is protecting Lana as well as the others.

Lana is Alec’s partner when it comes to protecting the teens, but it is also her role to care about their emotional wellbeing in a way Alec cannot. As a nurse, Lana is the main source of information when the PFC introduces the virus to their settlement. Unfortunately, the virus does not act like a typical virus, and Lana’s information ends up being inaccurate though she knows enough to protect their group for a small window of time. In the end, Lana dies a soldier’s death after being attacked by those infected by the virus, showing a depth to her relationship with Alec that is characterized by mutual respect.

Deedee is the first child recognized as immune to the virus that comes to be known as the Flare. Deedee appears to be five or younger, though she has a strong grasp of language. She is clearly intelligent and understands more about what is happening around her than might be anticipated for a child her age. Deedee’s behavior is often restrained and lacking in affect, behaviors readers might recognize in the character of Theresa in the earlier novels.

Deedee is important because she is immune to the Flare, and this shows that there might be a possibility of using her to find a cure. At the same time, Deedee’s immunity shows that even if the virus continues to spread unimpeded, there will likely be other survivors who have a natural immunity like Deedee. This foreshadows the introduction of Thomas, another immune child, at the novel’s end. Deedee plays an important role in both the novel and the series because she is the first recognized Immune, and it is likely she is Theresa.