THE TOCABAGA CHRONICELS: (BOX SET PART II - BOOKS #6-8)

by Thomas H. Ward

  “What are we looking for and what do you expect will happen?”

  “Good questions. I really have no idea what will happen. I can only tell you we’re looking for Park and his men. If Tommy is right they’ll try to land on the beach somewhere tonight. I want y’all to radio me the second you see a boat coming ashore. I don’t want you to start shooting, unless you have no choice. I wanna see what’s going on before we start blasting away at them. I’ll have a rapid reaction team set up at the Fort ready to move in to provide support.

  “Every man here is on the reaction team. We’ll have the two Hummers with machine guns and three SAWs. Any comments?”

  Rick spoke up. “Where do you think they’re at now?”

  “My guess is they’re at Egmont Key. That’s where I would go if I had a boat. No one lives there so it would be a perfect hide out.”

  Egmont Key is located at the mouth of Tampa Bay, southwest of Fort Desoto Beach about one mile off shore. The island served as a camp for captured Seminoles at the end of the Third Seminole War. It was later occupied by the Union Navy during the Civil War. In 1898, as the Spanish-American War loomed, Fort Dade was built on the island and remained active until 1923. The ruins of Fort Dade are all that remains on the 450-acre island. For some reason the island is loaded with big rattlesnakes. No one knows how they came to the island.

  There is only one entrance into Tampa Bay and that is the channel that runs between Egmont Key and Fort Desoto. Large ships entering can be spotted miles away from on top of the fort.

  Tommy said, “They’ll probably try to come ashore when it’s dark. Lucky for us there’s a full moon tonight.”

  I advised, “Ok, if nothing else make ready. It’s gonna be a long day and night. Oh, be sure you have plenty of water and something to eat. I don’t know how long we’re going to be on duty.”

  We checked all our gear, ammo, and supplies putting what we didn’t want to carry into the two Hummers. It was 10 am when my rapid reaction team drove to the Fort to set up on top of the highest wall, which was a good forty feet tall. This allowed an unobstructed view in all directions. It’s actually not a wall but a big hill of dirt with bushes that cover the water side of the Fort’s cement wall. Behind the wall are big old Civil War mortars which are no longer useable.

  Two of my men would be on look out and rotate with the other four every two hours. An hour later the Amazon Warriors radioed me that they were all set up and on duty. It was a warm day but there was a nice sea breeze blowing in which helped cool us off.

  It was around 5 pm and we hadn’t seen anything but birds flying around. I asked Tony to go downtown and round up some food for us and the Warriors. We would take turns eating while keeping up our guard.

  Sunset came and the bright orange ball slowly dropped into the water throwing off a brilliant glowing sky mixed with blue, purple, red, and orange. You never get tired of watching a Florida sunset. Each one is beautiful in its own way.

  By 9 pm it was dark but there was a full moon rising and soon it would be overhead. The moon glowed, shining off the water, providing us good visibility.

  The Fort is isolated and there are many types of animals that come out at night. You don’t hear them all the time but every now and then some creature scoots by in the bushes or an owl flies overhead. It’s quiet and you can hear the rhythmic waves striking the beach. It’s a never-ending noise that blends in and becomes a natural sound. After a while you don’t notice the pounding waves.

  JULY 10, 2025

  AFTER MIDNIGHT

  The moon was overhead and it was about 2 am when Tony radioed, “Jack, I hear a motor out there, but I don’t see anything.”

  “I’ll be right there.” I climbed up the hill and sat down next to Tony and Jim Bo. “Where’s the sound coming from?”

  Tony pointed and advised me, “Over there, between Egmont and here. It’s in the middle of the channel.”

  I looked with my naked eyes and didn’t see any boat, but the water looked disturbed. Something was throwing up a very small wake. I could barely hear a low humming noise coming from the same direction. Picking up my M4 I looked through the night vision FLIR. I could see a faint glow of heat but nothing else. The glow wasn’t enough to suggest that there was a boat, but it still made me wonder what the hell it was. It could be coming from Egmont Island.

  “Tony look at this.” I gave him my M4 to look through the FLIR. “What do you think?” Tony handed the gun to Jim Bo.

  “I think there’s a boat there that we can’t see,” Jim Bo said.

  “I agree,” Tony replied.

  “That’s what I think also.” Then the faint humming stopped so I looked again in that direction with the FLIR and the heat signature was gone.

  “It’s gone now. Are we cracking up?”

  “I don’t think so,” Tony answered. “We all saw it and heard it.”

  I got on the radio and told everyone to be alert because something strange was going on. We heard something and spotted a weak heat source in the channel, but we couldn’t identify what it was.

  I thought maybe it’s a submarine of some kind. Yeah that’s gotta be a sub out there. The situation was very spooky. I radioed the Warriors to pull back to the shark channel bridge and set up a defensive position there. Something didn’t feel right. My sixth sense told me something was going to pop out of the water and surprise us.

  Amy radioed, “Ok, we’re all back at the bridge. What now?”

  I replied, “Spread out and make a defensive line on the north side of the bridge. Just wait there for further orders.”

  I sat on the hill scanning the water. My intuition and combat experience told me that we were in danger. Then the humming sound came back and I saw a ripple in the water. A small wake rolled across an otherwise smooth flat surface. If it weren’t for the full moon I wouldn’t have seen the water turning over making a small white cap which quickly disappeared.

  I thought the wave was about a half mile away and the M2 machine guns can reach that far. I told my men, “Tony, Jim Bo, bring the Hummers to the beach and start shooting those machine guns toward that noise. Let’s see if the rounds hit anything.”

  “Shoot at what? There is nothing there,” Tony said.

  “Just shoot about 30 feet above the water line. Spray bullets all over the place.”

  “Ok, we’re on the way.”

  I sat on the hilltop watching the trucks pull onto the beach. Tommy walked up behind me and scared the shit out of me as the machine guns were spitting fire at an unseen target.

  Tommy yelled over the noise, “Look, the tracers are just disappearing into thin air.” You couldn’t tell if the bullets where hitting anything. After about 30 rounds from each gun they stopped firing.

  “Well Boss, did you see anything?” Jim Bo asked, over the radio.

  “Negative, Jim Bo. Come on back.”

  Just then I heard a whistle, the sound of an incoming cannon round. KABOOM … the round looked like it made a direct hit on the truck Tony was driving. The heavy Humvee flipped over on its side. More rounds followed hitting the beach one by one, as if in slow motion, making a trail up the hill to my location.

  Tony appeared to be ok because I saw him scramble out of his truck and jump into the other one with Jim Bo. They sped away from the cannon fire.

  I shouted to Tommy, “Let’s get the hell out of here.”

  I peered out into the night with my FLIR, but couldn’t see any hint of a heat source. We rolled down the hill out of the line of fire and ducked behind the cement jail cell, since it was totally bomb proof.

  Rounds were falling all over the area. Jim Bo pulled up stopping a few feet away and yelled, “Let’s go!” The six of us squeezed into the Hummer and roared away as flying debris from the exploding rounds bounced off the vehicle.

  I asked, “Tony, you ok?”

  “Yeah, just some minor cuts and a big headache.”

  We were on the main road out of range and Jim Bo stopped the tru
ck when he heard my radio crackle, “Jack, come in. This is Colonel Park.” We all looked at each other in disbelief. “Jack, you’re being invaded. Get off the beach now. Meet me at the camp ground building and I’ll fill you in.”

  Jim Bo asked, “What do you wanna do?”

  Tommy warned me, “It’s a trap, don’t trust him.”

  “We have no choice. Drive to the camp ground,” I ordered. “Tommy you man the fifty just in case it’s a trap.”

  I clicked the radio, “Park, we’re on the way.”

  We had no sooner started to move and … KABOOM … a big explosion rocked the Hummer shaking us up. I hit my head on the side of the truck. Lucky for us the old Hummer was still running. Jim Bo floored it to get us out of the line of fire.

  Dazed, with blood running down my face, I yelled, “What the hell hit us?”

  “I think it was an RPG,” Tommy replied.

  “Who the hell is shooting at us?” As we pulled away I could hear bullets hitting our truck.

  “I don’t know I can’t see anyone,” Jim Bo replied. Our truck was getting pelted by automatic rifle fire, but we couldn’t see anyone shooting at us. We quickly pulled away and made it to the camp ground office which is about a mile down the road.

  I dismounted and looked around for Colonel Park, but he wasn’t there. I called out, “Park, where are you?” I opened the door to the small office building and peeked inside.

  I shouted to everyone, “There’s no one here!”

  Tommy, sitting in the machine gun turret, yelled, “See, I told you it was a trap!” I heard him rack the big 50 caliber machine gun.

  I thought, oh no, more FUBAR!

  That’s all for now.

  GOD BLESS AMERICA, LAND OF THE FREE, AND HOME OF THE BRAVE!

  Jack Gunn

  PS: Read my article below on Gun Selection. It gives advice to first-time gun buyers; how to choose the correct gun for defense or hunting.

  DRAMATIS PERSONAE

  TOCABAGA

  Albert Madison – Navy Vet. who comes to Tocabaga with wife and two kids

  Barry – A quisling killed by the Gunn family

  Billy – Kid found living on the street with his sister Rosie and brother Peter

  Brogan – A Tocabaga security guard who went MIA

  Bok Lam – A Chinese man and close friend of Jack’s since high school

  Buck – Motorcycle gang leader killed by Maggie

  Chase – A quisling

  Colonel Turner – Commanding Officer of the Army Rangers based at Fort Desoto

  Colonel Park - aka Captain Kim a South Korean spy

  Corporal Phillips – In charge of the communications office at Fort Desoto

  Captain Sessions – Combat officer, commands and controls combat operations in the field

  Captain Riley – Female tank commander, girl friend of Captain Sessions

  Captain Zhu Lei – A commie killed by Tommy

  Chris – Tocabaga security guard and close friend of Jack

  Dew – A quisling killed by the Gunn family

  Dr. Carl Urban – The inventor of the RCCD Units and friend of Jack’s

  Dr. Carl Urban, Jr. – Son of Dr. Urban

  Dr. Alvin Sinclair – Robot inventor and Commie killed by Jack

  Ellen – A lonely woman

  First Lt. Fisher – TALOS Warrior, Platoon commander

  Farmer John – An old farmer saved by Jack, now living on Tocabaga

  Guy Allen or GA – Suspected spy living on Tocabaga was killed by Jack

  General Chen – A Red Chinese Army General in charge of the Florida invasion force

  General Harper – Commander of the Rangers located at SOCOM

  George Taylor – A nice kid who was bullied in school by Nick

  Hemmi – Wife of Jack Gunn

  Joe – RCCD tech. Supervisor; a tough guy killed by Jack

  Little Johnny – Adopted grandson of Jack’s

  Johnny the Fisherman – A quisling killed by security

  Jill – A warrior killed by Feds

  Jim Bo – Husband to Amy and son-in-law of Jack

  Jimmy Smith – A bully from years ago

  Ken – US Deputy Marshal who went missing

  Leroy – The man who killed Jack’s little brother Mike

  Mike – Jack Gunn’s little brother killed by a doper

  Maggie – Wife of Robbie, who is in charge of the farming

  Mr. Johnson or Famer John – Old time Farmer

  Mr. Horn – Pig farmer and dirtbag who wanted to kidnap Maggie for breeding

  Nick – A bully from Junior High School

  Peter – Little nine year old brother to Rosie

  Rosie – A fifteen year old girl Jack found living on the street

  Robbie – Best friend of Jack Gunn, a Tocabaga security guard killed by the FPF on April 27, 2025

  Ron – Brother of Jack Gunn Retired Navy vet. Part of Tocabaga security.

  Rick – President of Tocabaga Association, security team member

  Sally – A warrior killed by Feds

  Scotty – A quisling killed by security

  Sergeant Hammer – Army Ranger

  Sergeant First Class Dale – killed in action

  Sergeant Major Willis – Ranger squad leader and security guard for Jack

  Sergeant Cain – the Drone Master

  Sergeant Smith - Army Ranger assigned as security guard for Jack

  Stan – Deputy Marshal

  Sue – Wife of Albert Madison

  Tommy Gunn – Son of Jack Gunn and a retired Marine Scout Sniper

  Tony – Bar keeper and sharp-shooter for Tocabaga security

  Trini – Amazon Warrior who killed Troy

  Troy – A quisling killed by security

  Victor Elway – An old farmer from Ellenton now living on Tocabaga with his friend Farmer John

  Zack – A quisling killed by the Gunn family

  GUN SELECTION

  This article will cover gun selection based on what is the most popular ammunition. The gun is your most important asset. Without ammunition, however, your gun is worthless. What kind of guns should one own? Based on my 40 years of gun experience the type of gun and caliber is very important for your protection. Guns have only two main purposes which are hunting and self protection. Of course, any of the guns mentioned in this article can be used for hunting as well as self defense. The question is which gun is the best tool for the job.

  For people new to guns I try to explain the differences in a simple manner. When purchasing your first gun it is a confusing matter to choose the correct gun with the large selection in the market. I have had many people ask me, what type of gun should I purchase? Where do you go to learn to shoot?

  GUNS FOR HUNTING

  The most popular ammunition is the .22 long round and the 12 gauge shotgun round. This ammo is easy to obtain and that is what is important. The more popular the ammo is the easier it is to find when you run out of ammunition.

  I break down guns into two categories which are hunting guns and tactical guns or combat weapons. There may come a time when you will need to hunt for food. There are two types of hunting guns that can dispatch most animals and that is a 12 gauge shotgun and a .22 caliber rifle or pistol. These two guns allow you good flexibility. The shotgun you can use bird shot for hunting birds or rabbits and slugs for hunting deer or larger animals. In addition a 12 gauge with slugs or buck shot is a great weapon to use for protection at close range.

  The one drawback is that shotgun shells are expensive and heavy to carry and too large to store many of them. Shotguns come mostly in semi-automatic and pump type. They hold 5 to 8 rounds. The difference is the semi-auto you just load and pull the trigger. The faster you pull the trigger the faster it shoots. The pump needs to be pumped or cocked each time to shoot it. I prefer the semi-auto type because it is faster, easier to clean and use. Double barrel or single shot shotguns are not worth owning since you have to reload every time you fire it.

>   Do not under estimate the .22 rifle or long barrel pistol as it can be used on birds and or small rodents as well as be a tool for self defense. A .22 with hollow point bullets is an easy weapon to use and you can carry a lot of ammunition since the bullets are so small. You can store 5,000 rounds of this ammo in a desk due to its small size. A .22 rifle has a 200 yard range and 6 inch barrel pistol has a 50 yard range.

  The 12 gauge shotgun and a .22caliber rifle are a must to own. A .22 rifle also comes in pump or semi-auto types. The choice is up to you. As for 22 pistols there is only one that I will mention and that is the Ruger target model as it is the best you can buy.

  My selection for a shotgun is a Remington semi-auto model that handles 2 ¾ inch shells. Purchase a shotgun that has a stock and forearm that is made of modern plastic as it can stand up better to the elements.

  GUNS FOR SELF DEFENSE

  There are many types of combat pistol and rifle ammunition. The selection of the ammunition is critical to the type of combat rifle or combat pistol you will select for protection. The shotgun and .22 rifle mentioned above are dual purpose weapons but are mainly for hunting. The pistols and rifles mentioned below are really the weapons you need for total protection. These are guns that contain high capacity magazines.

  What other types of guns do you need to survive? Well let us first look at what is the most popular type of ammunition used to make our selection. Having enough ammo will be your biggest problem. The fact is most police and military handguns are 9 mm. The 45 caliber and 40 calibers are also popular but not as common as 9mm luger ammo. The 9mm ammo is also less expensive to purchase.

  For rifles there are only three major types of calibers that are widely used by the police and military. One is the .223 Winchester also known as the 5.56mm NATO round. The other is the AK 47 round 7.62 x39, a round used by the military and some police around the world. This is the most popular ammo used by terrorists and gangs because the AK 47 is an inexpensive weapon or rifle. The last is the .308 Winchester round or 7.62x51 NATO.

  The .223 ammo is used by the famous Colt AR15 or the M16 which is now named the M4 carbine, widely used by our military. There are many different manufactures of the so called AR15 design. Some of these AR designs also shoot 7.62x51 NATO which is the basically the same as the .308 Winchester and are called AR10 rifles.