Chapter 11 Tonight?

Ellie could tell right away something was up with George. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Uh... nothing, just a call from work..." George mumbled as he got up from the couch and headed for the balcony.

It was obvious he didn't want to take the call in front of her. Watching him walk away, Ellie couldn't help but frown. T
his wasn't the first time George had dodged her to answer a work call.

He'd told her before that his job involved recording and documenting unearthed artifacts and off-limits archaeological sites, and a lot of it was top-secret. That's why he always ducked out when those calls came in.

She'd bought his story and understood, since it was work and all.
But as time went on, just like their whole "having kids" debate, she started to have her doubts to his early explanation.

Out on the balcony, George shut the French doors behind him. Ellie had never really noticed this before, but this time, it felt like a slap in the face.
George hadn't done that in years. After all, she had no reason to eavesdrop...
George hadn't acted this way in years. Since he had explained himself to Ellie and saw that she understood, even occasionally avoiding calls on her own, there was no need for him to be so secretive anymore.

Plus, most things could be said in a way that was short and sweet or super vague. Even if she overheard something, she wouldn't get what they were talking about, so it wouldn't be a big deal. But today... he had something to say!

George hit the answer button after closing the doors and brought his phone to his ear. "Director?"

"Hahaha... George, where are you?" The Director's laugh immediately signaled bad news.

"Director, I'm at home. Is there something wrong?" George knew that if the Director was calling, it had to be about a task.

"Well, I just got a notification. There's a new mission..." As expected, it was a mission.

George quickly cut him off, "Director, I just got back home early this morning. Plus, this trip lasted for two months."

"Uh..." The director hesitated on his end, "I know you've worked hard, but this mission is really important."
"It's not about the workload. The main problem is that my family has strong objections. Is there anyone who can replace me?" George asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

The director sighed, clearly frustrated. "George, it's not that I want to make things difficult for you, but there's no one in our department who can take your place. This time, it's about the Egyptian pyramids."

George's heart skipped a beat, and he furrowed his brows. "The Egyptian pyramids?"

"Yes," the Director continued. "I got a notification that two small looting holes were found near the pyramids. The survey showed the holes were shallow and nothing significant was found, but just to be safe, they want to do a large-scale inspection. First, it serves as a deterrent to keep tomb raiders from causing more damage. And second... our tech has advanced enough that even if we can't excavate, we can still do a detailed inspection..."

The director kept going, laying out all the details. George listened in silence, his brow furrowing more with each word.
After all, the Egyptian pyramids were no small matter. They were one of the world's most precious treasures, and any discovery, no matter how tiny, could turn into a world-shaking miracle. On the flip side, any slip-up could lead to the destruction of these miracles...

"Your task is to lead the team in carefully examining if there are any undiscovered tunnels and to assist the archaeology team with any necessary technical issues. And for any significant discoveries that require secrecy, report and manage them in a timely manner."

"...I understand. When do we leave?"

"Tonight."

"Tonight?!"

"Yes, tonight at 11 PM. Deputy Director Smith will be waiting for you at the usual place. He'll give you a detailed rundown of the expedition and the work arrangements."

George sighed silently. "Understood, Director."

"Remember, 11 PM at the usual place. You have two more hours."

"Alright."

After hanging up the phone, George felt overwhelmed. He had originally planned to ask the Director to find someone else to replace him. He didn't want to keep going on these endless business trips, but he hadn't said anything, and now he had to leave again...

How was he going to explain this to Ellie?!