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

by Thomas H. Ward

  I said, “If they have a virus the ciprofloxacin won’t help them. Let me talk to Doc Scott and see what he says.”

  Rico answered, “Alright, let me know what he says.”

  “Ok, will do.”

  Pushing the phone button off I lit up a smoke. There was a slight breeze blowing in from the northwest. I heard the birds and Fish Eagles chirping away as dusk was coming. I thought about what Rico told me. His people could have some type of flu or poison that the charcoal couldn’t remove. It could be some type of blood poisoning.

  I decided to stroll out into the bush and check on the two dead soldiers. I found body parts scattered about in the thick woods. It seems the pigs, coyotes, and other animals were having a feast. In a few days there would be nothing left of their corpses after the worms and maggots eat their share.

  While standing there I remembered we left the invisible suit that the commie used. I found it and jogged back to the truck since it was getting dark. Arriving at the field the kids and Hemmi were standing on the side of the road waiting for me.

  After they jumped in I asked, “Well, did you kids learn anything?”

  Shanda replied, “Yeah, we learned a lot. Now we know where our food comes from and how to grow it.”

  “It was pretty cool,” Johnny commented.

  We pulled up outside the Green Room. I advised Hemmi that I needed to talk to Doc Scott and have a drink or two. After that I’d come right home for dinner. She scooted into the drivers’ seat and said, “Have two drinks and then come right home, Mister.”

  Johnny asked, “Can I come, Grandpa?”

  “No you’re too young. When you’re eighteen I’ll bring you to the bar.”

  “Eighteen. Gosh, that’s too old!” Johnny replied, with a disappointed tone.

  Too my surprise, Amy, Jim Bo, and Tommy, were in the bar already. Amy said, “Trini’s funeral is all set for tomorrow. You’ll be the second speaker after me. Jamie, Trini’s boy-friend, is gonna speak after you.”

  I asked, “What time does it start?”

  “It’s at 10 am. Signs are posted on the bulletin boards telling everyone to show up. After the eulogies six Amazons and I will take her out to sea for burial using Jim’s boat.”

  I grabbed a double shot of JD and chugged it down. “I gotta talk to the Doc about something. Amy, come with me since it’s a medical problem.”

  “A medical problem? What’s wrong?”

  “I’ll tell you over at Doc’s.”

  We walked into his office to find Doc sitting in his big leather chair reading something on the computer. I said, “Doc, we need your help.”

  “Hi guys, what’s up?”

  “I’ll tell you, but first super glue my two front teeth in so they can heal.” It only took him a minute to fix my teeth so they wouldn’t wiggle around. I didn’t know if that would save them or not, but I had to try something.

  “How’s that?” Doc asked.

  “Fine, I hope that saves them.

  “I just talked to Rico on the phone and he has a few people that are sick. The symptoms are fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and pain. Rico gave them charcoal thinking it was food poisoning but it didn’t help. What do you think?”

  “How long they been sick?” Doc asked.

  “Some have been sick for five days.”

  “Are any of them improving?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Well, if it’s the flu they’d be recovering after five days. Let’s see what happens in a few more days. Let’s call Rico and talk to him,” Doc suggested.

  I pushed the quick dial button. He answered and I put him on the speaker. “Rico, I got Doc Scott here and Amy. They want to ask you some questions about the sick people there.”

  “Ok, shoot.”

  Doc asked, “Is any one getting any better?”

  “Negative. Everyone seems to be getting worse.”

  Doc thought for a second and scratched his chin. “How many people are ill?”

  “There’re five that are really ill and four more that have fevers.”

  “It sounds contagious, so keep them isolated,” Doc advised.

  “They’re isolated, but we still have to provide proper care.”

  “Yes, of course, but have your people wear surgical masks and gloves.”

  “I would, but we don’t have any. I need medical supplies ASAP.”

  Doc asked, “Jack, are there any medical supplies in the warehouse?”

  “I think so, but I’ll need to check it out.”

  Amy spoke up and asked Rico, “What are you doing with the waste and body fluids?”

  “We burn the shit.”

  “Ok, that’s good. Use a ten percent bleach solution to clean everything in the rooms.”

  Doc asked, “Is there anything else you can tell us about their symptoms.”

  Rico didn’t reply right away. There was dead silence so Doc repeated. “Rico, is there anything else about their symptoms you can tell us.”

  “Yeah, I just noticed that one of them has blood in the diarrhea and urine.”

  Doc replied, “We’ll be over with med supplies tomorrow after the funeral here. I’ll do some more research and let you know what we might be dealing with.”

  “Ok thanks, Doc. See you guys tomorrow.”

  I hung up the phone. Doc looked at me and asked, “Do you remember the Ebola outbreak back in 2014.”

  My jaw dropped. I said, “Yeah, I thought that was contained.”

  Doc replied, “Ebola is never contained. Let me do some research and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

  Doc is a computer geek and if anyone can research this he can.

  Amy and I left the office and went for another drink at the Green Room. We sat over in a corner with Tommy and Jim. Amy told them about the problem at Rico’s compound.

  Amy said, “I hate to tell y’all, but this has the symptoms of Ebola.”

  I said, “If it’s Ebola we can’t let any new people on the island. Let’s go home and discuss this tomorrow.”

  It was frightening that Ebola could be knocking at our door once again. None of us spoke on the way home.

  In 2014 there was an Ebola outbreak in West Africa which quickly spread around the world due to air travel. Travelers took the disease everywhere on the planet. By 2016 it had made its way to the United States and thousands of people were being infected and dying. The hospitals were overwhelmed with sick people. They were full and if you caught Ebola there was an 80% chance you would die. The worst hit places were the southern Border States like Texas, Arizona, and California, but New York also became a hot spot. Then it started too slowly spread to other states as people ran from the epidemic.

  By 2019 more than 3 million people had lost their lives to Ebola. The sad part was the government lied to us about how serious it really was. They kept it off the news and didn’t reveal how many had died or how contagious this disease really was.

  Finally sometime in 2020 a vaccine was invented and people in the Green Zones were given the anti-Ebola drug. Each person was also given a laser tattoo which proved they had taken the official vaccine. The tattoo showed an expiration date. To stay protected it was necessary to get a booster shot during the first five years.

  Since Tocabaga was more or less isolated from the rest of the main land we never received the vaccine. We were rebels and the Federal Police didn’t wanna mess with us.

  I couldn’t sleep thinking about the new threat we were facing. How are we going to combat something we can’t see? A bug we can’t detect. All our guns and security mean nothing against this enemy. We are fighting a new INVISIBLE enemy. This Invisible really had me worried about our future.

  July 12, 2025

  It was raining, a light drizzle, as we walked to the dock for Trini’s funeral. It was a gloomy over-cast day, a fitting day, to bury one of our warriors. Amy was already there handing out the program to everyone.

  I gave her a hug, took a program, and sat down with my family. I s
at next to Doc Scott. Little Johnny was sitting on my other side, between me and his Dad. I looked at Doc, shook hands, and said, “You look like shit.”

  Normally Doc looks spic and span, clean as whistle, but now he looked tired and his clothes were wrinkled.

  Doc whispered, “I was up all night researching the problem. After the funeral we need to talk.” I nodded my head and looked at the program.

  CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR TRINI JONES

  Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag

  National Anthem

  The Lord’s Prayer

  Eulogies and Speakers

  21 Gun Salute

  Final Farewells

  I looked around and there were at least 400 people at the service. The rest were on guard duty or working. The services took about one hour and just as Trini’s body was being loaded into the boat the sun broke out and the drizzle stopped. God must have been watching because a small rainbow appeared overhead. Everyone looked at it in awe.

  As we watched the boat pull away Doc said, “Come to my office. I got something important to show you.”

  I replied, “Ok, I’ll be there in a half hour.” I walked away with my family.

  After dropping my family off at home I drove to the medical office. As I walked in Doc said, “We got big trouble.”

  “Let me guess, Ebola,” I replied.

  “Yes, but it’s worse than that.”

  “What could be worse than Ebola?”

  “Well, let me explain. You know how sometimes you’d get a flu shot and then get the flu. Some kids got polio vaccines and ended up contracting polio. You know every year you need a new flu shot. You know for polio you need a booster shot.”

  “Yeah, I remember that.”

  “Ok, let’s review what Ebola is. Read this from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) website … www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola.”

  “Symptoms of Ebola

  Fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F)

  Severe headache

  Muscle pain

  Weakness

  Diarrhea

  Vomiting

  Abdominal (stomach) pain

  Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

  Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days.

  Recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years.

  Transmission

  Because the natural reservoir host of Ebola viruses has not yet been identified, the manner in which the virus first appears in a human at the start of an outbreak is unknown. However, researchers believe that the first patient becomes infected through contact with an infected animal.

  When an infection does occur in humans, the virus can be spread in several ways to others. Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with

  blood or body fluids (including but not limited to urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk, and semen) of a person who is sick with Ebola

  objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus

  infected animals

  Ebola is not spread through the air, or by water, or in general by food. However, in Africa, Ebola may be spread as a result of handling bushmeat (wild animals hunted for food) and contact with infected bats. There is no evidence that mosquitoes or other insects can transmit Ebola virus. Only mammals (for example, humans, bats, monkeys, and apes) have shown the ability to become infected with and spread Ebola virus.

  Healthcare providers caring for Ebola patients and the family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients are at the highest risk of getting sick because they may come in contact with infected blood or body fluids of sick patients.

  During outbreaks of Ebola, the disease can spread quickly within healthcare settings (such as a clinic or hospital). Exposure to Ebola can occur in healthcare settings where hospital staff are not wearing appropriate protective equipment, including masks, gowns, and gloves and eye protection.

  Dedicated medical equipment (preferable disposable, when possible) should be used by healthcare personnel providing patient care. Proper cleaning and disposal of instruments, such as needles and syringes, is also important. If instruments are not disposable, they must be sterilized before being used again. Without adequate sterilization of the instruments, virus transmission can continue and amplify an outbreak.

  Once someone recovers from Ebola, they can no longer spread the virus. However, Ebola virus has been found in semen for up to 3 months. People who recover from Ebola are advised to abstain from sex or use condoms for 3 months.”

  “Ok, I read it. Now I know all about Ebola. So how is this different?”

  “While I was researching Ebola I found that the government developed a vaccine called EV135. When they found out it was only good for five years they had to invent a booster shot.”

  “Yeah, I know that, but we never took it.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing because vaccine EV135 is a ticking time bomb. After five years you need a booster before the expiration date otherwise you end up contracting a mutant form of Ebola.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “I hacked into a Federal agency that I never heard of, called the DPC, or Disease and Population Control Agency. I found a Top Secret file about EV135 and EVB150 which is the booster shot. If you get the booster then you’re Ebola free for life. If not then you’ll die from the EV135 shot that you received or worse you’ll live with it the rest of your live and suffer. You become a carrier passing it on to others. The EV135 contains a mutant semi-live Ebola virus.”

  “That’s why they laser tattooed a date on your arm when you received EV135. Right?” I asked.

  “Yes, that’s right. If you don’t receive the booster by that date you’re a walking dead man.”

  “Why would the government do such a thing?”

  Doc replied, “Population control is the main reason because of food shortages and so forth. Stop and think about it; what better way to eliminate any enemies you have. All you do is make sure they don’t get the booster shot.”

  “Holy, shit! You’re right. The only ones left would be your loyal minions. You could be King and no one could stop you. I’ll bet some of those people at Rico’s compound took the EV135.”

  Doc replied, “I think you’re correct. Call Rico and ask him if any of those infected have a date tattooed on their arm.”

  “Wait, before we call him, I have a question. Where can we get the EVB150 booster from?”

  “According to the Top Secret Memo I read, it’s being stored in secure locations around the country. I made a print out of the locations near us.”

  “What’s the nearest location?” I asked.

  “The Jacksonville or Miami Federal Reserve Banks are the storage locations. The main one for the south eastern US is the Atlanta Federal Reserve. They move it from the banks to Green Zone clinics as needed.”

  “Why use the Federal Reserve Banks?”

  “It’s a no brainer. They have electricity, AC, armed security, and big strong vaults. They’re impossible to break into.”

  “If we haven’t taken the EV135 and we take the EVB150 vaccine will it kill us or make us immune to Ebola?”

  Doc looked me in the eyes and said, “As far as I can tell it’s safe to take the EVB150. Speaking for myself, I’m not taking any vaccine the government gives us.”

  “Yeah, I agree with you. We can’t trust anything the government recommends. But if you already received the EV135 you have no choice. Before we call Rico let’s run down to the warehouse and look for medical gear and hazmat suits.”

  Doc and I drove to the Fort and searched on the computer for the storage location of the medical supplies. We found everything we needed, rubber gloves, masks, and full hazmat suits along with disinfectant. We loaded up
my truck and went back to his office.

  I told him, “I think we should call Captain Sessions and advise him what you found. I don’t know if his men have been given the EV135 or not.”

  “Go ahead and call him,” Doc replied.

  Before calling Sessions I thought carefully how to word what I would tell him. I pushed the speed dial and he answered, “Hello, Sessions here.”

  “Hello Captain, I am calling to advise a serious situation that Doc Scott discovered. Do you have a few minutes to discuss it?”

  “Yeah, go ahead but make it brief.”

  “Well … I’ll try to make it brief. I received a call from Rico at his compound and it seems that a few of his people have contracted Ebola. Doc was doing research about it on the net and hacked into a Federal Agency called the Disease and Population Control Agency or DPC. He found a Top Secret memo about the vaccine EV135 and the booster shot called EVB150.”

  “I know about the vaccines, but never heard of the DPC. So what’s the problem?”

  “Did you know that EV135 isn’t a safe vaccine? Five years after the inoculation date you develop full blown Ebola if you don’t take the EVB150 booster vaccine.”

  “Are you sure?” Sessions asked.

  “Yes, the Top Secret memo spells it all out. People who received EV135 will die within so many days, or weeks, five years after the inoculation date, if they don’t obtain the booster shot. If they don’t die, then they become infected carriers’. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. Did any of your Rangers receive the EV135?”

  “Thank God, no. My Rangers were ordered to take it, but they ran out of the vaccine before they got to us. I’m sure some of the other Rangers or other military branches did get the EV135, especially the ones based along the Mexican border.”

  I hesitated for a moment and told him, “Well, they need to get the EVB150 otherwise they’re dead. Doc thinks this whole thing was a set up to control the population, and to terminate people who are dissidents or in disagreement with the President’s actions. He wants to get rid of those who believe in the Constitution.”