The Chosen — 2026-02-05 (Patreon)

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Chapter 68: WHAT YOU WANTED by Eric Marsten

I’ve had a busy week starting Monday night after youth basketball. I called my boss, Ronald Regent, CEO and Director of Ops for Ryder Family Protective Services, and told him about Shay’s unrest.

“I’d rather,” he said, “that she not go off on her bike again. I’ll make some calls, get some decoys, and make this work.”

Now, I’m explaining things to Shay.

“So, here’s where we are… I spent about ten hours on the phone yesterday and at least four hours meeting with the team. We can do this, but you’re going to have to give some, too.”

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” Shay said. “I trust you.”

“The goal is a lot less guard presence. To do that, you cease to exist in NYC. Devon, too. You talked about this… about the decoys.”

“Yes, we did.”

I’ll spare you all the details about bank accounts and IDs. We’re not breaking any laws—just hiding the connections back to the Ryder family.

“After yesterday, here’s what we got. A new guard comes on board. A girl. She has legit alias IDs. She leases the apartment from Tom, and you move in with her.”

Shay had me go over that a few times, then conceded when I told her all the other guards would stay unseen—except Conner, who will move into the apartments as well for rapid response if needed.

“The new girl will keep the rest of us in the loop on where you’re going. She’ll act like a roommate, not a guard. Devon gets some defensive training, too.”

“And we can just go take a walk if we want?”

“Sort of. The girl lets us know you’re going. We tail you unseen. Like we used to do. And you get a panic button that you carry at all times—shower to shower, as the manufacturer says.”

I’ll skip most of the details, but Shay agreed. “So you’re hiring a girl to be my friend? I should have thought of that when I was in high school.”

At least she’s got her sense of humor intact.

Chapter 69: PART OF THE PLAN by Eric Marsten

After I got Shay on board with the plan—or at least accepting of it—I came to the apartments to work out a few more things with Tom Jenkins and Devon.

“Mr. Jenkins,” I said, “you’ve known Shay about as long as she’s been in NYC. You can guess what this all means to her.”

“Yes, and I’m like you… the idea of her off on a road trip without security is really iffy.”

“By now,” I said, “you’ve heard about Merritt’s plan. It’s very doable, but it means you’re right in the middle of all this.”

“I understand that. I’m in… background checks and all that. Shay’s worth it.”

“Devon’s identity,” I said, “goes on the road. Devon can still work for you, but we need to change his banking info. Mr. Ryder’s lawyers will make it legal and keep the IRS happy. Devon’s Apple Pay connects to the new account, and he buys prepaid debit cards to use where he has to. The new female guard will handle any needs for cash.”

“That’s fine by me,” Tom replied.

“I also want you to know Devon will be going on payroll with Ryder Family Protective Services. The pay will be nominal, but he needs to officially be part of the company so we can get him trained and licensed as an armed guard. He’ll carry whenever he’s with Shay as part of his duties.”

Tom looked at Devon. “You okay with that?”

“Yeah, that’s good. It makes sense. I get a radio, too. Bourne… Devon Bourne…”

“Don’t get carried away.” I laughed. “And it was ‘Bond.’ ‘Bourne’ was a different franchise.”

Devon laughed. “Mixed them on purpose…”

Tom got us back on track. “When does the new guard sign the lease?”

“As soon as possible,” I replied. “The wheels are turning even as we speak. Shay’s ready for this to happen yesterday, so there will be as few delays as possible.”

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Message to Paying Supporters:

If you have followed this storyline closely, you might be thinking—in light of the most recent events—that it's taking a huge turn away from its origins. I'd say it differently.

I'm adding some margin around the main ensemble so that I can develop interesting arcs for the months to come. I’ve got a sketch of some movements in mind, and this—if you will—sets the table for a lot of fun things, deeper character development, and interesting twists to come.

This isn't morphing into a Spy vs. Spy thriller.

A bare-bones look will reveal it's a bunch of young adults sharing life in a small apartment building with a really cool, large, common area. One of them just happens to be the daughter of a man whose wealth is on par with the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

Spoiler Alert (mild): On Sunday, Paul Charm will announce the next Pay It Forward Society mission. Yes, that's still happening—monthly missions seem doable for me as the creator and plausible within the story.

So The Chosen grows around the edges and keeps moving forward.

Thank-You:

It is my belief that most of you who help with the costs are doing so because you want to support the production process and show your encouragement. I am honored and greatly moved.

I know that I share a LOT of content FREE TO ALL. I'd imagine that you understand why. The stories about giving back and helping seem like they shouldn't be exclusive. Certain plot moments need to be understood by anyone trying to to follow the stories.

With that in mind, I always consider you, the paid members, when deciding how to share content.

My hope is that reserving a few pictures and small sections of the post for you is a modest indication of gratitude!

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