THE TOCABAGA CHRONICLES: (BOX SET - PART I - BOOKS #1-5)

by Thomas H. Ward

  My name is Jack Gunn, a.k.a. Tocabaga Jack, and these are my chronicles.

  INTELLIGENCE BRIEF

  Secretly the Federal government, secretly working with the National Security Agency, has developed a new and even more dangerous combat weapon. Now there is an Army of Droids called RCCDs’ operated like drones by a controller or droid master sitting in a room far away from the dangers of battle field. In fact they are walking robots that have no brain, no sense of right or wrong, only that of its master controlling this monster.

  These Remote Controlled Combat Droids (RCCD) machines can see in daylight or darkness using cameras, radar, and thermal imaging. These android soldiers along with flying drones could be a formidable force even for the Army Rangers. The machines are big standing 8 feet tall at about 1000 pounds. They can carry almost any type of weapon. Droids do not need to eat or sleep. They are dangerous, very dangerous, and offer only death to those who oppose them as they have no heart.

  We call these androids “THE HEPHAESTUS ARMY” or “BOTs” for short. We know some day they will come for us. We’re getting ready for the battle.

  The Army Rangers have a new combat soldier called the TALOS Warriors who also take on the steel monsters of death. The exoskeleton TALOS combat units are used from time to time for extremely dangerous missions. These TALOS units have developed into fully armored protective suits that a soldier steps into, thereby becoming bullet proof.

  The TALOS suit is a fully integrated system. It contains computers, sensors, 360 degree camera, and radio antennas to improve the warrior’s real-time battlefield information. It has integrated coolers and heaters that can control the temperature inside the suit. It monitors the body temperature, heart rate, and hydration level of the warrior. The suit has an exoskeleton which operates by electrical-hydraulic servo systems which is powered by a new atomic battery pack that can provide energy for one year without a charge. The exoskeleton supports the weight of the suit and the equipment. The hydraulic systems enable the wearer to have amazing strength.

  The helmet is round and angled with no flat surfaces so bullets will be defected. It has a small face shield with two eyes. It has a heads-up display with thermal imaging and infrared. The operator can use a computer laser aiming device that never misses a target.

  The Army Rangers destroyed 400 Federal Police BOTs that were coming to attack Tocabaga. They also captured two Federal Police Force semi trucks which contained 10 robots in working order. They were being secretly moved under guard to SOCOM HQ for further analysis by the Army. The convoy was attacked and eight Army Rangers are MIA. Dr. Carl Urban, Jr., one of the robot inventors, who came to work for the Army is among those missing.

  Jack Gunn has discovered there is a spy living on Tocabaga feeding information to the Federal Police Force. The spy alerted the FPF that the semi trucks were being moved by sending a coded radio message. The coded message was intercepted and Jack needs help to decipher that message. If you can decipher the code email Jack by finding his email address in The Tocabaga Chronicles.

  JUNE 27, 2025

  I suspected that the spy on Tocabaga was Guy Allen but I couldn’t prove it. If he’s the spy I would need to terminate him. He’s the kind of person who would shoot you in the back. GA is also the type to hold a grudge and he believes in an eye for an eye like I do. I’ve had many disagreements with him in the past.

  Last night Corporal Phillips called me to say that a coded message was sent by a CB radio and he recorded it. I eased my bones out of bed, had a cup of mud, and woke up my crew. We headed for Fort Desoto after a breakfast of fried eggs with fish nuggets. It was 6 am and I was excited to hear the CB message. I was hoping that I would recognize the voice or at least one of us would.

  We made a list of suspects yesterday, people we thought were shady.

  There’s Scotty, a loner who sold real estate in the past. No one knows what he really thinks about the Feds. Scotty works out in the fields helping Maggie with the farming. He’s about 45 years old, keeps to himself, and doesn’t make any trouble. Scotty carries a small 380 Colt in his pocket.

  Chase is also a loner who always agrees with everyone but never offers his own ideas or opinions. We don’t know which side he is really on. He’s also a farmer and has one or two friends he hangs around with at the local bar. He smokes pot and drinks too much. Chase doesn’t carry a gun.

  Troy is an out spoken older man around 60 years old. He used to be an Electronics Engineering Professor at USF. Many college professors are liberals, progressive socialists, or maybe even Communists. His Son became Commie years ago and moved to China. He has some weird political views and leans toward being a socialist. I have never seen Troy carry a gun. He does electrical repair work for the island.

  Ellen would do anything if it benefited her in some way. She can’t be trusted to do anything right so no one likes to work with her. Ellen smokes pot and is a hard drinker. In her younger days she was an exotic dancer and is a good looking woman but has no husband or boy friend. She would date anyone who wore pants. Ellen isn’t the sharpest pencil in the box.

  Johnny is a Tocabaga fisherman who always goes fishing by himself. Johnny would say one thing one day and then deny he said it the next day. Johnny would lie about it; whether it’s intentional or not we don’t know. He always carries a gun and he knows how to use it.

  The question is which person had a background that exposed them to the Federal Police Force? Who had a chance to make contact with the Feds in the past? If we can find that out then we can check which name shows up on the communication logs or on the bridge sign out log.

  We went over the list of persons living here again and found one person we missed. He is one of the most out spoken liberals living on Tocabaga. He comes from long line of Government Union Members. I know he voted for the last President who got us in this mess and he likes the idea of the government controlling everything.

  The one thing he doesn’t like is giving up his gun to the government. I think that’s the only reason why he lives here. He’s walking a thin line but he knows Tocabaga is the only safe place to live. His name is Guy Allen but everyone calls him GA for short. GA moved here about 8 years ago from Georgia after his wife died from the flu. He has a distinct southern accent.

  GA thinks he is a tough guy and he doesn’t take shit from anyone. He stands 5 feet 10 inches tall and is about 180 pounds. He keeps his brown hair cut short and is clean-shaven. He always carries his Colt 45 Commander and I’m sure he wouldn’t hesitate to use it. He’s assigned to the Tocabaga fishing crew because that’s what he likes to do. He does have three friends who more or less think the same type of liberal crap as he does. They always hang around together and I would never trust any of them with my life.

  I told my spy hunters to concentrate on GA to see what they could find out. Ron would follow him everywhere he goes for a few days. Tommy would check his car, boat, and house for a CB radio. Jim Bo was back up for Tommy.

  I warned my crew to be careful and don’t let anyone know they’re looking for a spy. I reminded them of the Stand Your Ground Law. I advised them not to take any chances; if their life is in danger shoot first and ask questions later.

  “The Stand Your Ground Law states that a person has no duty or other requirement to abandon a place in which he has a right to be, or to give up ground to an assailant. A person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.”

  We arrived at the Fort around 7:30 am and went to the radio office. As we walked in Corporal Phillips said, “Good morning Gentlemen,” and we all returned the greeting.

  “Captain Sessions wants to see you right away.” We walked across to the room to Captain’s office and knocked on the door.

  “Enter,” Sessions advised.

  “Hello Captain, you wa
nted to see us,” I stated.

  “Have a seat Gentlemen. I have some bad news.” As we sat down he continued speaking.

  “The trucks we sent to SOCOM last night were ambushed near the Dome exit on Route 275. Eight Rangers who were security for that convoy are MIA. We received one short radio message advising they were under attack and then the radio went dead. All we heard was static. We flew drones to the area right away but their video signals were blocked. It leaves me to believe that the BOTs are back.”

  The Dome was closed years ago and was once called Tropicana Field. It’s an old enclosed baseball stadium that is fairly large, seating up to 30,000 people, so it could take up to an hour to search. No one knows what could be inside, but rumor has it that political prisoners are being held there.

  “That’s not all SOCOM HQ is under attack by a large force and I had to fly the TALOS Warriors there last night to provide re-enforcements.”

  “How large of a force and who are they?” I asked.

  “SOCOM estimates they are facing about two Battalions. It’s a combined force consisting of Federal Agents and BOTs.”

  Generally operational Army Units conform to the following for man power: Squad 4 – 10 soldiers, Platoon 3 – 4 Squads or 16 – 40 men, Company 3 – 4 Platoons or 100 – 200 soldiers, Battalion 3 – 5 Companies or 500 – 600 soldiers, Brigade 3 or more Battalions with 3,000 – 5,000 soldiers.

  “We only have 32 Rangers here now, not even a full Platoon, and we don’t have the TALOS Warriors. The situation just became serious. Corporal Phillips told me about the coded message so it seems we do have a spy on Tocabaga. I think that’s how FPF found out the trucks were leaving for SOCOM. We need to find this spy ASAP, however my first priority is finding my missing Rangers.

  “I need your help since you know St. Petersburg better than my men do. I want you to do a recon of the Dome area and the Dali location. I selected you, Tommy, Sergeant Major Willis, and First Sergeant Hammer for this job. They’re on the way here now so we can discuss the details.”

  Sessions no sooner finished speaking and in walked Willis stating, “Sergeant Major Willis and First Sergeant Hammer reporting as ordered Sir.” Willis had just flown back to Fort Desoto after escorting Sergeant First Class Dale’s body to SOCOM for proper burial.

  Hammer is a big bruiser who was in great shape. He stood about 6 foot 5 inches tall with muscles popping out of his shirt. He’s a good-looking man with short brown hair and a square shaped jaw. His nick name is SLEDGE HAMMER because he can beat any man in a fight with his two giant fists. This was the first time I had the pleasure of meeting him.

  “At ease gentlemen and take a seat. As you know we’re here to plan a recon of the Dome area and Dali location to find our missing Rangers. Jack and Tommy are familiar with downtown St. Petersburg so the patrol will be made up of you four men. We need to do this tonight so Tommy do you have any ideas how to proceed with this recon?”

  Tommy answered, “We know there’s a curfew downtown at 2200 hours. I suggest that we insert into the area at midnight. We leave here at 2330 hours. I’d like a Black Hawk to fly surveillance an hour before we leave. I suggest we have a Humvee drop us off on Route 275 at the 22nd Ave. South exit. That’s far enough away so no one will spot us and it’s close enough to save us some humping time.

  “We know the Feds have check points on all the main streets going into the city, so we’ll take the back streets and alleys. The Dome is about a two mile hike from our drop off point and the Dali is about three miles. I estimate it will take us about four hours to complete the mission. Have a truck pick us up at the insertion point at 0500 hours. If we’re early we’ll hump it down Route 275 back to Tocabaga.

  The Feds (Federal Police Force) have security patrols roaming around at night as well as check points on the major streets in the Green Zone. The security guards keep criminals and gangs out but also keep the ordinary hard working people in line. In the old days before the Government takeover we would go downtown every weekend to the movies, so we’re very familiar with the streets and buildings.

  The so-called Green Zone or FPF Protected Zone runs North and South from 5th Street South to 5th Street North. East and West it runs from Interstate 275 to the shore line of Tampa Bay. It’s in this area where the FPF has check points and roving patrols.

  “For weapons I suggest we each carry a handgun with a silencer and night laser sights. We’ll need M4 carbines with suppressors and 300 rounds. I think bringing a couple of grenades is also a good idea. Anyone else have any thoughts on weapons or gear?”

  Willis commented, “For tactical gear we need night vision FLIRs and tactical radio headsets. I’ll bring along radio headsets that have dual in-ear buds with digital hearing and combat noise suppression. These units only transmit a half mile so hopefully they can’t be jammed.”

  FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) are night vision goggles that use thermal imaging. They are capable of detecting very small differences in heat or thermal energy given off by any object thereby, turning night into day.

  Hammer asked in a deep rough voice, “Should we wear standard camouflage?”

  Tommy replied, “Wear standard night camouflage and paint your face and hands black. We need to blend into the shadows. Once we are on the move in the city we’ll pair up. Since Jack and I know the area best I suggest Hammer and Jack stay together. Willis will be with me in case of a split up. If our radios aren’t working due to jamming then meet back at the drop off point. If no one is there lay low until 0500 hours the pickup time.”

  Hammer advised, “I’ll bring along a glass cutter, wire cutter, and a small pry bar.”

  I replied, “That’s a good idea. We may need them.”

  We pulled a map up on the computer of downtown St. Petersburg and printed out a copy for everyone. I highlighted the route we would follow. One problem was some of the houses we would pass might still have people living in them. If we’re spotted by anyone living in the Green Zone they will surely report us to the FPF.

  As everyone was reading the map, I said, “From the insertion point we take 22nd Ave. east to 16th Street and go north directly to Tropicana Field. Once at the Dome we will need to climb or cut a 12 foot fence. Once past the fence we need to roam around the Dome looking for a window or door to enter.

  “The hard part will be going to the Dali from the Dome. We’ll go back the way we came on 16th Street to 7th Ave. and head east to 9th Street. We take 9th Street north to 6th Ave. which we follow all the way to the Airport perimeter fence. Then we move along the fence perimeter to the Dali. There may be a lot of security in this area but there are trees and buildings we can use for cover.

  “To withdraw from the Dali we’ll take 3rd Street south all the way to 22nd Ave. and go west to Route 275. Anyone have a question.” No one replied.

  “Ok that sounds like a good plan. Willis you and Hammer pick up Jack and Tommy at 2230 hours sharp. Now let’s discuss the spy, Jack,” Sessions said.

  “Well I have a list of possible people and one in particular. Guy Allen seems to be the most logical person but we have no actual proof. We need to hear the message to see if we can recognize the voice.”

  We all walked into the radio room and Phillips played the message. A recorded male voice said, “21 11 21 0 7 9 6 24 16 8 0 15 22 21 7 0 7 12 24 0 26 7 0 22 18 20 19 7 0 11 14 0 20 12 18 13 20 0 7 12 0 8 12 24 12 14 0 25 18 20 0 7 6 13 26.”

  “Does anyone recognize that voice?” I asked. No one replied. If there was any accent I couldn’t detect one.

  “I guess the male voice rules out Ellen being a spy,” Tommy commented.

  Sessions stated, “Well we didn’t learn anything from listening to it so we need to decode the damn thing. I’ll send it to SOCOM but I doubt they have time to break the code while they’re under attack. Phillips, relay that message to Captain Myers at SOCOM Intel. Tell him it’s urgent he breaks the code because we have a spy on Tocabaga and our security is at risk.”

  I asked Phillips to pr
ovide me a copy of the coded message on a memory chip so I could play it back and listen to it again in my spare time.

  Phillips went to relay the message and came back right away advising Sessions, “Captain, SOCOM didn’t acknowledge receiving the message. I think the radio signal is being jammed.”

  Sessions responded, “Well that makes a lot sense because cutting enemy communications is the first thing we do when going into battle. Phillips, send the message by cable. They can’t jam that. From now on use cable to communicate with SOCOM.

  “What’s your plan to find this spy Jack?”

  “Tommy and Jim Bo were going to snoop around today and see if they can find a CB radio in GA’s house, boat, or car. I believe he went fishing this morning so now is a perfect time to search his house and car. It’s not legal but we have no choice.”

  “Jack, this is basically war and you can’t follow the normal civilian laws all the time. We have a spy here and that means we have to take the gloves off and do whatever is necessary to find him.”

  “Thanks for that comment, Captain, and you’re correct. Ron is going to follow GA around and see what he’s doing. He’ll also ask some of our most trusted people if they have seen anything suspicious.

  “Everyone needs to be aware that Guy has three friends that came with him from Georgia. Dew, Barry, and Zack are close friends who live with GA.”

  I don’t worry about Dew, Barry, or Zack because they weren’t around when God passed out brains. They do whatever GA tells them to so I call them the three stooges. I don’t think any of them can read or write let alone think on their own.

  Captain Sessions asked, “Why don’t we … the Rangers arrest him and his three buddies then we’ll hold them until you obtain proof.”