Another Day in the UCRA: St Marys Church Area - Turner & Broadway

By Captain Jacob E. Billet

I sit on the church steps. The hot church steps. The summer sun has warmed them nicely though its punished everything else with its relentless brilliance and heat. The steeple above casts its pointy shadow over myself and my team giving us, at least, some relief.

Stokes, Phelps, Mulholland and an additional trooper load of twenty congregate around the HURON, taking a break, having a bit of luke warm water from canteen or slurping a delicious and nutritious Meal, Ready-to-Eat. I sit next to an old wrought-iron railing which leads up to the massive oaken doors of St. Mary's Catholic Church; the church sealed up tighter than a whorehouse after a VD outbreak. The railing, painted black at one time, stands slightly akimbo, at an angle, base with concrete bolts rusted and ready to pop off the steps.

<<Latest news from WOOD radio correspondent Matt Furley, there's been another small riot on the streets of Grand Rapids as anti-zombie protesters quarreled with pro-zombie civilians.>> The radio squelches from the HURON PA system. <<High tempers exploded on this hot day and a bloody fist fight broke out in front of City Hall.>>

"Damn, can't we all just get along?" Stokes grumbles, steps up to the stairway where I sit. A stump of one of his retched cigars hangs from the corner of his mouth, a crumpled, empty container of MRE "mashed potatoes" in hand.

I wonder how much of the cigar butt the sergeant has swallowed while eating the meal at the same time. Meh.

"The answer is, NO, Sergeant," Loutonia says. She leans against the HURON, rubbing at the side of the armor hide with a dirty rag. "We, as human beings, cannot get along."

"That's a pretty negative statement," Mulholland replies, seated atop the HURON. His M4 rests in his lap.  He watches a pair of shambling locals walk-stagger in our direction.

"Um, you read much history, my friend? One of the earliest records of people getting up in arms and beating the shit out of each other is back in Mesopotamian times 3100 BC," Loutonia returns. "Nothing negative there, other than the many instances of Humankind wreaking havoc upon themselves."

"That's what we're here for, kids," I add my two cents. I wipe my forearm across my forehead. My arm comes down and looks like I've just ran it under a garden hose. It is a sweaty, hot gawddang day. "Keep the peace. Make sure no one gets out of line, living or..."

The pair of UCRA civilians stop in front of us. Stokes picks up a can of "Bram"--the doped and processed meat slop given to the local undead--pops the top, tosses it aside. The can hits the hot asphalt of Turner Avenue, bounces, rolls and spills the red, moist puree in the street. The zombies sniff the air, then hobble-shamble after the nasty food stuff like toddler's-first-time-walking. It would be funny if it wasn't so damn pathetic, and your thoughts weren't wrapped around, "That could be me."

As the dead civilians approach the upturned can of drugged slop, Stokes unholsters his sidearm, and fires in their direction. Our jaws drop as the Sergeant, well known for his shitty marksmanship, hits the can squarely, sending into a gentle, spinning arc. The civilians, unfazed, tattered limbs reaching out, comically pursued it.

"That is," Loutonia screeches, "exactly what I am talking about!" 

With rag still in hand, she makes a fist and slugs Stokes squarely and solidly in the arm.

"Hey!" Stokes bellows, rubs his arm while keeping an eye on the woman in case she reels back to swing again. He holsters his sidearm. Thankfully.

"Kids," I say, getting to my feet. Even that little action makes the sweat dribble down my forehead. "No fighting among each other. We fight against dirt bags and miscreants trying to do us and the city harm, not one another."

It was time to get rolling. Three square miles, on a boiling hot day, trying to avoid mashing shambling civilians into the pavement when they hobble out in front of your 72-ton vehicle... Patrolling the UCRA wasn't what one could call a good time.

"Everyone mount up. We're oscar mike," I say, moving past my crew members and the other troops, and head towards the Huron.

"Dirt bag," Loutonia hisses at Stokes.

"Miscreant," Stokes returns fire.

I roll my eyes. 

Gonna be a long day.    

#

The TRANSPORT Series can be purchased here:
TRANSPORT (Book One)
Barnes & Noble
Amazon

TRANSPORT (Book Two) HUNT FOR THE FALLEN
Barnes & Noble
Amazon

TRANSPORT (Book Three) UNCIVIL WAR
Barnes & Noble
Amazon

If you are in the Grand Rapids Michigan area, Schuler Books has paperback copies on their shelves (in SciFi/Fantasy section). Store location is:

2660 28th Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
Phone: 616.942.2561
http://www.schulerbooks.com/

..........TRANSPORT TRILOGY COMPLETE..........

The rollin', rockin', 72-tons of Military Action-Adventure Thriller, set in West Michigan, with zombies, is complete.

All three books are now available for reading consumption.

See below for details. And enjoy!



TRANSPORT (Book One)

 

The HURON, a 72-ton heavy transport vehicle and an army of four; tracked, racked and ready to roll, to serve and protect the walled metropolis of Grand Rapids—both her living and her undead. Captain Jacob Billet and his crew patrol the byways, ready for trouble.

 

William Lettner, the North Shore Coalition High Commissioner, has enemies from the mainland to the lakeshore and needs to be covertly transported home after his helicopter is shot down en route to Grand Rapids. He has no love for a city that give unliving civilians the right to survive. Lettner’s venomous outbursts assaults Billet and his crew along every mile travelled as they are assigned to safely bring him through the treacherous landscape outside the city back to his hometown.

 

The HURON and her crew will have to face domesticated zombies and the feral undead; marauders holding strategic chokepoints hostage; barricaded villages fighting for survival, and a group of geneticists who've lost control of one of their monstrous experiments if they want to complete their mission.

 

The crew will need to stay strong and trust one another in order to finish the mission and bring their “precious” cargo home, even knowing, all the while, the terrible deeds Lettner has done.

 

Travelling through West Michigan was never so dangerous.

 

"Peter Welmerink’s keen ability to create atmosphere is magical." -- Jake Elliot, reviewer

 

Book Links

AMAZON

B&N

 

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TRANSPORT (Book Two)

HUNT FOR THE FALLEN

 

 

Captain Jacob Billet

Journal Entry - Sunday April 5, 2026

 

It’s raining, it’s pouring, the undead are roaring…

 

Amassed at the UCRA east end enclosure, the dead strain the fence line while soldiers keep watchful eyes, the survivors on the opposite side of the rising river about to lose their minds.

 

It’s a crazy time: nonstop precipitation; everyone's up in arms; paranoid city council members with an asshat City Treasurer. Water, water everywhere. Zees dropping into the churning drink. Troops afraid of being stitched up and thrown back into the fray as Zombie Troopers. Tank commanders getting itchy to head out on their own after drug-laden shamblers. Reganshire insurgents trying to extract our west side civvies for some unknown reason, possibly pushing the city into taking heavy-handed action against them.

 

Then there’s some black-haired dead dude staring at me through the fence, grinning like he’s off his meds.

 

And I thought Lettner was a headache.

 

All this sh*t might give me a heart attack.

 

"Zombies... The concept has become a cliche. To successfully create such a story any more, there must be unique elements to make the new tale stand out from the countless others out there. Transport succeeds in this endeavor and provides a zombie story not quite like ones you have seen previously." -- Rage Circus Book Reviews

 

"What a great read. There’s so much action and intrigue. And the zombies are sporting a new twist too." --laurathomas61, Book Reviewer

 

Book Links

AMAZON

B&N

 

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TRANSPORT (Book Three)

UNCIVIL WAR

 

 

All is not well in the big city of Grand Rapids. Anti-Zombie Loyalists, loyalists of the late William Lettner, have set the city ablaze… Or so thinks the mayor, ruling city council and the military authority. Little do they know, a snake dwells in their midst, creating this chaos, planning an overthrow of the city’s leadership, with intentions much like Lettner: eradicate the non-living nuisances, and also any of the living who get in the way.

 

Battle will rage from Grand Rapids streets, into the UCRA enclosure where the city’s protected undead wander, to a small train station and military encampment in the village of Lamont.

 

And all is not well for Captain Jacob Billet. Coming out of a 3-month coma, he finds he has changed. Not for the better. With the deceased William Lettner dogging his every move, and knowing his days are most likely numbered, Jake just wants to make it to his old homestead before his condition sets him on a different,  and very much undesirable path.

 

"...far more compelling than most of the zombie stories you’re likely to pick up...a fascinating sign of where zombie narrative, road narrative, and narrative in general might be moving..."

-- L. Andrew Cooper's Horrific Scribblings

 

Book Links

AMAZON

B&N

 

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Humble Message from Author

 

Folks, I have to #1. thank Seventh Star Press for picking up this little project and making it all possible and come to life (or UNLIFE as it also goes LOL), and #2. thank you to all of you who have so far mentioned your joy and distain for the project. IT'S ALL GOOD.

 

I had a great time writing this particular series. My main goal was to write something military-esque (as I have always been interested in all things Military since a very young age), and the story taking place in my ole hometown region (Grand Rapids rocks! West Michigan rocks! There IS adventure here.), and maybe pepper some of my favorite "monsters", ie, zombies, into the mix.

 

It was all fun to write, and so far, from most of the comments and reviews I've received (thank you for those also), the common comment coming from readers is that IT IS FUN TO READ. Yes, yes. There are many gory, gross parts. Lots of intense action. But I have also tried to lighten it up with a human, living group of characters who are sometimes more giving each other shit (poking fun at each other) even amidst the effed-up world they are trying to survive in.

 

Anyway, I thank you for your interest and all comments.

 

Roll out! Read on!

 

Sincerely--

 

Peter Welmerink

Hiding in his bunker  :)

October 2015

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Welmerink (www.peterwelmerink.com) was born and raised on the west side of pre-apocalyptic Grand Rapids, Michigan. He appreciates his hometown and West Michigan, which is why he enjoys writing tales about it. He writes Fantasy, Military SciFi, and other wanderings into action-adventure. His work has been published in ye olde wood pulp (paper) print and electronic-online publications. He is the co-author of the Viking berserker novel, BEDLAM UNLEASHED, written with Steven Shrewsbury. TRANSPORT is his first solo novel series. He is married with a small barbarian tribe of three boys.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pwelmerink
Twitter: @pwelmerink

BLOGS
grandrapidsaltered.blogspot.com (TRANSPORT and other Alt History Michigan-related posts)
darkheroicfantasy.blogspot.com (author interviews and all things fantastical)

 

 

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Another fresh, new action-adventure available: RETURN TO STRANGE HOME, a Military-esque action-adventure, soft SciFi mini-novel, set on the lakeshore of West Michigan.

 

Publisher: Peninsulam Publishing.

 

 

 

Book Links

DIRECT FROM PUBLISHER