The Chosen Ones

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

TWO DAYS LATER

The battle was over but the aftermath left plenty of details to sort through.
Phil explained to all of them how he and Gab found the others at Matt's cabin. Jenna had gone to his house and pounded on the door ordering him to go up there, after filling him in briefly on what was happening. She equipped him with a brand new sniper rifle and sent him on his way.

Again, she was interfering where she wasn't supposed to. Something the Elders, and apparently Jenna's father would never do. But she had showed them all where her loyalty stood. Matt and his friends owed her, although she admitted saving Matt at the cult's house was a mistake looking back on it. She hadn't thought Jonah would use Shannon to get to Tyler, who was always priority number one.

How did she know where Jonah had taken Shannon and Tyler? She had Matt's phone bugged, so when he got the text from Shannon's phone that read CABIN, Jenna got it as well. Matt wasn't happy about his phone being spied on but it was kind of hard to stay mad. Without Phil showing up they'd be dead.

Jenna Walker. Her father was the leader of a facility called the Nest. He went by only Walker, that's how everyone knew him. The Nest had an army that would be dispatched if a threat ever got too big for the chosen ones to handle. How they made the call on what was "too big" was anyone's guess. There was a whole facility whose main goal was keeping Tyler safe, it made Matt and the others rest a little easier.

The Nest was also training an army of teenagers and young kids to one day join and take over for the army that was already in place. Walker called it his backup plan. Ben and Mary had heard of a man who would appear one day to help protect Tyler, in fact he was in the Book of the Damned. But his name was never known to the elders. His facility was secretive and the location was unknown.

Everything revolving around Tyler's life was studied at this place, the Nest. From his family, to the chosen ones, the elders, the Book of the Damned, it was all covered. There was a bigger world out there that all revolved around this little boy. The cult was just the beginning.

Jenna was in charge of everything that involved Matt and Tyler and the other chosen ones in Maple Brook. Her father relied on her to make sure things ran the way they were supposed to there. Before, she did it in the shadows, now things were different. Jenna's cover was blown and the chosen ones and Tyler had started getting more powerful. The way things ran were about to change for all of them.

So why was the Nest necessary now that the cult was dead? Didn't that mean the threat was gone? Couldn't Matt and his friends could finally get back to their normal lives? Unfortunately for them, that wasn't the case.

According to Jenna, the cult was just one group, one threat. There were others out there. The myth that there was a child with special powers was known throughout the world in some small circles. Cells, is what Walker called them.

Jenna explained, some thought it was just a story, but others have spent their lives looking for him, all the while not knowing if he was even real. These were the people they would have to fight against when the time came. IF it ever came. Matt couldn't help but wonder if there were more shifters like Gloria out there. A scary thought for sure.

Today was a hard day, after all the talk about Casey staying and starting a new life with Matt and Tyler, she was leaving. Not in the sense of leaving Matt like she talked about in the beginning. She was going to the Nest.

Jenna's father had offered her a chance to train and hone her skills there. She was the protector after all, and far more advanced than Matt and the others. Her title alone put her at the forefront of assuring Tyler's survival.

Casey assured Matt she would be back in six months. She said she wanted to check the Nest out to see if it was truly what Jenna made it sound like. He wasn't happy but he gave in. He knew Casey wanted to stay with him, and she would be back in six months. That was enough....for now. She had told him she loved him and he knew she meant it.

They all gathered on his front lawn, getting ready to send Casey off. Hugs were given out and tears were shed. The girl who came into their lives just over a week ago was now one of them. They felt like they knew her for as long as they've known each other, there was a connection between all of them that was undeniable.

"You come back here." Shannon said, hugging her. "He needs you........ and I need someone to go shopping with."
Casey squeezed her tight. Who knew the two of them would be so close after their disdain for each other upon meeting.

"Don't take any shit." Shaun told her.
"Never." Casey replied.
Phil nodded to her. "Take care of yourself."
"You take care of him." Casey replied, as she motioned to Matt.

She hugged Gab, who had been less upbeat than the rest of the group. Just because Phil was glad to be back didn't mean Gab's feelings had changed. "You're ready for this." Casey told her.
Gab gave her an unconvincing nod.

Next, Casey knelt down in front of Tyler.
"I'm gonna miss you." She said.
"I don't want you to go." Tyler said, sadly.
"I'll be back before you know it." She promised. He hung his little head. "No you won't."

Her smile faded for a moment. Something about the way he said it gave her the chills, like he knew something. She managed to give him one last smile and hug. "Save me some cereal." She teased. "And take care of your dad? Okay?"
He nodded slowly, a slight smile returning to his face.

Matt stood in front of Jenna. "I'm trusting you." He told her.
"You can. She's in good hands. I'll be with her all the time when I'm there. I'll look out for her."
"You better." Matt replied.
Shannon walked up to Jenna. "Prove to me I was wrong about you."

"I haven't done that yet?" Jenna asked. "I thought saving all your asses would score me some points."
"When she comes home in one piece, you and me will be straight." Shannon told her.
"Fair enough." Jenna told her. "We're gonna be good friends, Shan. Wait and see."
"Don't count on it." Shannon replied.

Matt hugged Casey and kissed her forehead. "I'm gonna ask you one last time to stay." He said.
"This is temporary. When I get back we'll have forever." She promised.
"Hawaii?" He asked.
"That sounds amazing." She said, resting her forehead on his chest.
"FaceTime me every night." Matt told her.
"I wouldn't go if I couldn't." She replied.

They gave each other one last long kiss.
"Always remember I love you." He told her.
"I love you, too. So much. Thank you for everything." She told him.
Then she got into the passenger side of Jenna's red Porsche.

Jenna walked past Matt to get in. "You guys are gross." She said, with her typical sarcasm.
"Hey." Matt whispered to her. "That night, that we.... You know.... Were you just doing recon or something? You know, doing your job?"
She gave him a devilish smile. "No, I was just having fun." She put her sunglasses on and started her car.

Matt just shook his head and smiled.
They drove off, leaving the others behind. Something in the back of his mind was telling him he might never see Casey again. It was a feeling he couldn't shake. Maybe he was just paranoid. He had to trust her, and he had to trust Jenna.

One thing was certain, it was going to be a long six months.

- To be continued in The Chosen Ones: Book 2 The Nest