THE TOCABAGA CHRONICLES: (BOX SET PART III - BOOKS #9-10)

by Thomas H. Ward

  “You got good eyes, Adam,” I said.

  “I can take them out from here,” Tommy said, as he set up his rifle.

  We managed to bag the two deer, load them up, and get on the way in less than an hour. At least we weren’t going back to Tocabaga empty-handed. Maybe we’d have enough meat to feed our people one meal.

  Driving back home there was more traffic than normal. The traffic reminded me of the good old days when hundreds of cars zoomed down I-75. We must have passed a hundred cars with no incidents. People stranded on the roadside waved at us as we passed trying to get us to stop. Their plates told us they were all from up north. More than likely they had run out of gas. We couldn’t stop to help anyone.

  It was clear to me that the Arctic Vortex was affecting a lot of people. The Hordes were coming which would affect everything. It would cause fuel shortages. Food and water would become scarce. It would drive more people south creating a higher level of danger. People do crazy things when they are starving to death. It occurred to me that the Vortex might come this far south so we’d have to take precautions in case it gets really cold.

  We arrived back on Tocabaga safely. It felt great to be home. I could let my guard down and relax. I had a lot to think about. I wondered if our new family members would fit in. I figured Emma would be ok, but I didn’t know about Adam. He was wise beyond his years.

  He didn’t act like or even talk like a kid. I needed a little one on one time with Adam. I needed to figure him out. What makes him tick? What is that little brain of mush thinking? Does he want to start a Templar Order on Tocabaga?

  Carlos took the deer to Steve to be butchered. Everyone else went to the Green Room for a drink but Ron, Tommy, and I went home. We were dead tired as we walked in the door with the kids. I yelled, “Surprise Honey, we’re home! We have some new family members.”

  The women took Adam and Emma, introduced them to the other kids, and got them set up in a bedroom. We were running out of room. Now we had eight kids to raise and protect. A big responsibility for sure, but with the help of all the family adults we would manage.

  It was getting late so the men in my family went to the Green Room for a night-cap. I just had one drink and went home to bed. It was almost 10 pm when I walked in the door.

  Hemmi said, “I need to talk to you. Let’s go outside.”

  It was a cool night, cooler than normal. I noticed the humidity was lower making it almost necessary to wear a jacket. Was the Vortex coming?

  An owl hooted and I could hear his wings flapping in the night stillness as he flew close by. Adolf sat up when we came out on the patio. He looked at us and then laid back down, when he felt everything was ok. Adolf guards our back door which we leave unlocked. No one would dare try to enter his territory.

  Sitting down, in my squeaky 20 year-old rocking chair, I lit up one more smoke and asked. “Ok, Honey, what’s up?”

  Hemmi pulled up a chair close to me and whispered. “Jack, there’s something wrong with Adam. I went to help him take off his shirt and saw that he has scars all over his back. He’s been whipped with something.”

  “Whipped?”

  “Yeah, he has big ugly long scars all over his back.”

  I didn’t know what to make of this. I said, “Ok, tomorrow I’ll ask him how he got the scars.”

  “Just do it in a nice way. I think he has some mental issues.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “There’s just something about him. The way he acts and speaks. I hate to say it, but he’s kinda creepy.”

  I nodded my head. “Well, let me tell you how we found him …” I proceeded to tell her the whole story about Jack de Molay and the Knights Templar.

  Hemmi sat there with her mouth open listening to me. When I finished she said, “Holy shit. Do you believe that God spoke to the old man?”

  “Yeah. How else would he know my name?”

  Hemmi replied, “I think his Grandfather and maybe his Father were religious nuts. I think they tried to beat their ideas and teachings into him. Now he’s a nut case also.”

  Hemmi was probably right about his Grandpa but he seemed like such a nice old man. Of course, I only knew him a few hours. I do know that Adam is a little weird.

  I said, “Let’s talk some more tomorrow. I need some rest.”

  Hemmi grabbed my hand. “Let’s get some sleep.”

  As I walked past the bedroom that Johnny, Jimmy, and Adam were sharing I cracked the door a little and peeked in. Adam was on the floor next to his bed. His hands were folded and he was praying. I wondered how long he had been kneeling there.

  Adam turned his head and gazed at me for a second. He didn’t say a word to me and kept on praying. His gaze was strange to say the least. He looked like he was in a trance.

  I went to bed but couldn’t fall sleep. The kid had me freaked out. I got up and went to the kitchen for a double shot of JD. Maybe it would help me sleep.

  AUGUST 4, 2025

  I woke up feeling like crap. I was in a bad mood because of the lack of sleep. I needed food and a cup of mud to boost my energy level. It was 8 am and all the children were up and running around.

  Johnny, along with the rest of the kids, came running into the kitchen. He asked, “Grandpa, is it ok if we show Adam and Emma around Tocabaga?”

  “Go ahead, but don’t go to the Fort, and stay away from the water. Oh, and watch out for snakes.”

  “Ok, Grandpa.” They took off running out the door.

  “Maybe if Adam hangs around normal kids he’ll start acting more like a kid. I’ll talk to him later. Let’s see how he does today,” I told my wife.

  After some chow I took Adolf and went on a patrol around the island. I wanted to follow the kids, at a distance, to see where they were going. I really wanted to keep an eye Adam. He was older, bigger, smarter, and stronger than the other children.

  At the island central kitchen, Steve was butchering one of the deer. I asked him how many dinners could he make from the meat. He told me there was about 200 pounds of good meat, which would make one small meal for everyone. He would also stretch it by making soup out of the scraps and bones.

  At least we have plenty of other protein from fish and chickens. Our farm is a gift from God. It gives us a bounty of good vegetables and fruit every day. We could have it a lot worst like the poor fools moving here from up north.

  It occurred to me that if the Vortex comes here we could lose all our vegetables and fruit. I made a mental note to ask the women to start canning as much as they could. We would also need to stock up on firewood which would mean dangerous trips to cut down trees.

  I had no idea how cold it could become, but I did know from past experience that it can get to freezing here. About 30 years ago it actually snowed in St. Petersburg. The snow only lasted a day but it was freezing cold for two weeks.

  Normally, a cold front takes five days to a week to reach our area from the Great Lakes region. Most of the time fronts stop a 100 miles north of here. It still gets cold on Tocabaga, maybe down to 40 degrees, but it never reaches freezing. The warm water surrounding the island helps fend off a deep freeze. Forty degrees is still cold and can make you very uncomfortable.

  Following the kids at a discrete distance, while making my security checks, I saw them all run home. It was lunch time and growing kids never miss a meal. I finished my rounds and went home for lunch.

  By the time I arrived home the kids had already ate lunch. It was Saturday so there wasn’t any school and they were hanging around the house. Adam was sitting on the patio looking at some of our family pictures hanging on the wall. I joined him figuring it was a good time to do some bonding.

  I had just sat down next to Adam when Johnny and Jimmy came in. “Adam, come on we’re gonna play some ball.”

  Adam looked at me and then at Johnny. “No thanks.” The boys ran off with their ball, gloves, and bat.

  I asked Adam, “Why don’t you go play ball with the boys?”


  “I would, but I don’t know how.”

  “You don’t know how to play baseball?”

  Adam fidgeted around with his fingers. “No, I don’t know how. Grandpa never taught me. Grandpa thought it was a waste of time.”

  I put my hand on his shoulder. “That’s ok, a lot of people don’t play ball. What did Grandpa teach you?”

  Adam looked around the room as if trying to think of a reply. “He taught me many things. I know a lot about U.S. history, math, reading, and the Templars of course. I learned fencing, shooting, and hand-to-hand combat.”

  “What type of hand-to-hand combat do you know?”

  “I know an ancient fighting method first used by the Knights Templar.”

  “That sounds awesome. Maybe you can show me some moves sometime.”

  Adam enthusiastically replied, “I’d be happy to do that.”

  Adam reached down and petted Adolf. “I really like this dog.”

  “He likes you too.” We sat there for a few minutes while I contemplated how to word my next question. “Adam, can you tell me what happen to your Father and Mother?”

  “They were killed by some guy who broke into our house.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Lucky for me and Emma, we weren’t there when it happened. We were staying with Grandpa at the time.”

  “So how long did you live with Grandpa?”

  “Since I was eight.”

  “Adam, please tell me how you got those scars on your back.”

  “My Dad whipped me. He used to say he was beating the devil out of me. He said it made me a better person and follower of God.”

  “Did Grandpa ever beat you or Emma?”

  “Well, sometimes … but only if we were bad.”

  I couldn’t think of anything to say. I pondered the idea that Adam’s Father was a real nut case. Maybe his Grandpa killed his own son to protect Adam. I’ll never know what really happened. Still a person who has been abused tends to abuse others. I need to keep any eye on Adam.

  Adam asked, “Do you have school here?”

  “Monday through Friday all the kids go to school. I think you’ll like it. Older kids your age get to pick a job skill to learn. We have fishing, farming, hunting, cooking, and security jobs you can learn. Here on Tocabaga, everyone is expected to contribute for our survival.”

  “That sounds great. I’m interested in following God’s path. Do you have a minister?”

  “No, but we have a church. Come on, I’ll show it to you.”

  Adam, along with Adolf, followed me outside. We walked to the church which took about 15 minutes.

  As we toured the church, Adam said, “Maybe I can be your minister.”

  “Yeah, that might be possible when you’re older.”

  Adam nodded his head. “Who’s in charge of security?”

  I seemed to be making progress bonding with him. “I’m Director of Security. I was elected to a four-year term. We have elections here and try to follow normal laws and the Constitution.”

  “Maybe I can be the Security Director. When I’m older, of course.”

  I kinda looked at him and said, “No one wants to be Director of Security.”

  The kid had big ambitions. He wanted to be a minister and Head of Security. He was already thinking way ahead. He was thinking out of the box. It made me curious what he was really thinking. I didn’t like the fact that he was looking so far into the future. Normal kids his age never worry about such things.

  “Why doesn’t anyone want to be the Head of Security?” he asked.

  “It’s a tough job and demands a lot of your time.”

  Adam nodded. “Yeah, it’s not a job for everyone.”

  We silently sat in the church for a few minutes and I decided to press the issue about the Templar Knights. “Adam, tell me about the Knights Templar.”

  Adam looked at me and didn’t answer right away. I guess he was thinking what to tell me. “The Templar Order is a secret society. We are on a mission for God. The Knights Templar main mission is to restore the United States of America to be One Nation Under God. We will help restore our country to its greatness. We are a country founded on Christian-Judeo beliefs.”

  “I like that … but how will you do that?” Now I was really concerned about what he was planning. He’s just a kid and thinking this way could be dangerous.

  Adam gave a sigh, like it was all too boring for him to explain to me. “Ok, I’ll tell you the theory or premise since you’re my guardian. The reason the country fell apart is because we lost our way. We lost our direction and didn’t follow God’s teachings or commandments. The country became evil.

  “We removed prayers from schools and removed the word God or Christ from our books. We didn’t teach anything about Christ or God. We took down the Ten Commandments from courtrooms and schools. We took the Christ out of Christmas and made it just another holiday.”

  “Yes, that’s all true,” I replied. “Tell me more.”

  “The Templar Knights are God’s warriors. We must destroy any person who does not believe in God. There must be a purging of the evil ones from the United States.”

  Holy Shit! This kid is nuts. I needed to hear more. “How are you going to purge the evil ones?”

  Adam was now walking around in circles as if worked up into a frenzy. “The Templar Army is now spreading out across the United States. The Order I was with will be based in Florida, just south of here, in Bradenton where Hernando de Soto landed in America in 1539. De Soto was a Templar Knight. In due time, I will start another Order enlisting at least a thousand men.”

  This kid has been brain-washed by his Father and Grandpa into thinking he would be the savior of the United States. I felt sorry for him because I knew his brain was consumed with the idea he was God’s Warrior. I now felt Adam could be very dangerous to have on Tocabaga.

  Adam continued by asking, “Do you believe in reincarnation?”

  “By reincarnation do you mean coming back to life in a different body?”

  “Yes, that’s what I mean.”

  “Well, I don’t know since I’ve never died, as far as I know.” I gave a little chuckle thinking what I said was funny.

  Adam looked at me with a stern face. “Jesus was born again. He came back reincarnated after three days in a different body so no one but his close friends would know who he was. Then he ascended to heaven changing back to the God. I’m living proof of reincarnation. I was reincarnated from the Jacques de Molay blood line as was my Father and Grandfather.”

  “Adam, exactly how do you know that?”

  “I know that because secrets and ancient relics have been passed down over the generations. We have the Templar’s Treasure Hoard.”

  “If you have the Templar’s Treasure taken from Jerusalem, tell me about it.”

  “I can’t tell you, it’s a secret. Only a few people know what it is. I can tell you the items in the Hoard prove that God is real. It verifies the Old and New Testament.”

  “Ok, I believe in God. You don’t need to convince me. What I don’t agree with is what you wanna do. You want to destroy anyone who does not believe in God. That’s not what the United States is about. We have freedom of religious expression to believe in God or not. The country was founded by pilgrims fleeing religious persecution.”

  I hoped what I said would sink into his brain. His thinking was way out there.

  Adam responded, “Yes, I know all that, but we need to go to extremes to bring us back to normal. What about people like radical Islamists? There’s al Qaida and ISIS who would gladly cut off your head if you don’t convert to their form of Islam.”

  “We’ve done battle with al Qaida. I agree they need to be eliminated. Perhaps you need to lead your Templars in that direction. To me, that makes a lot more sense.”

  Adam stopped pacing and sat down. He seemed to be contemplating what I had just told him. “What you say is true. They will be our first target,” Adam said.


  I replied, “They should be your only target. You can’t go around killing people because they don’t believe in God. You’ll make a lot of enemies including the United States Army and the people living here on Tocabaga.”

  Adam replied, “You’ve given me a lot to think about. I’ll pray and see what God tells me.”

  “Ok, you pray on it. It’s getting late, so let’s go home.”

  On the way home Adam said, “Thank you for the talk. You remind me of my Grandpa.”

  I didn’t say a word as I put my arm around his shoulder and we slowly walked home.

  I never thought this kid would be a big nut case, but he was messed up. On the other hand it would be nice to have a counter force to fight the never ending attacks of the radical forces of ISIS and al Qaida. There are thousands of them slowly taking over parts of the country to create their own Islamic State. The Knights Templar could help quell the extremists. However, based on what Adam told me he’s also an extremist.

  We arrived home and ate dinner. I usually say the prayer at dinner but I let Adam say grace. After eating, I rounded up my male family members and we went to the Green Room. I had to tell them what Adam had revealed to me. I needed to seek some advice on what to do with Adam.

  I informed them what Adam was thinking and everyone was pretty much surprised. Ron commented that the kid freaked him out. Tommy told us Adam would probably outgrow the ideas that were drummed into his head by his Grandfather.

  I told them that I didn’t think he’d outgrow his crazy ideas. They were beaten into him. He’s been mentally damaged. I suggested we need to keep Adam busy all the time so he can’t dwell on being a Templar Knight. We needed to have him go fishing, farming, hunting, and even start him on guard duty training. These activities along with his schooling might help him. I asked my family to tell their wives about Adam and to keep a close eye on him.

  I sat alone on the patio having a smoke while writing a work schedule for Adam. I’ll keep him very busy like the other kids. The only difference is he’ll be closely monitored.