Mr and Mrs Carter openly spoke when they were left alone in the private room.
"Has he called yet?"
"Not yet, he must still be working."
"Should we call him instead?"
Knowing her husband, he would not stop asking the same question over and over again.
So, Mrs Carter firmly told her husband, "Mason, I'm not going to call our son just to ask him if he's back or not. We're already at the point where a small thing can spoil the plan that you came up with, like earlier when you almost let it slip from your mouth."
Since his wife was right, Mr Carter closed his mouth in defeat.
However, not long after that, he began tapping his hands on his lap nervously and turned to his wife again with another round of anxious babbling.
"What if Al's flight got delayed, or Lea finished early? Then, won't the timing for the surprise fail? What then?"
"Then, we tell Al to come home," Mrs Carter spoke calmly, then reminded her husband of the main purpose of the surprise plan. "Either way, Alan and Lea will still meet. Isn't that the most important thing?"
"You're right."
Mr Carter calmed down again.
The most important thing was that their two children would finally get to see each other, face to face, after six long years.
About ten minutes later, Mrs Carter informed her husband of the message she had just received.
"They're on their way."
Almost at the same time, a new message appeared on their family group chat.
"It's Alan, he's asking if we're at the hospital," Mr Carter read the message out loud as his wife was in the middle of communicating with a collaborator on their son's side.
"Tell him that Lea is getting examined right now then ask if he's on his way over."
Mrs Carter gave her husband the role of misleading their son who obediently typed the reply as instructed when he added a suggestion.
"Should we include some photos of us in the hospital to make it more believable?"
"Make sure there are no dates or times in the background."
Mr Carter looked through the recent photos in his gallery. After choosing two decent photos, he showed them to his wife first before sending them.
"This second photo should be fine."
"The sunset in the background is too obvious. Didn't you take many pictures of Lea during her check-up?"
"I thought it might look redundant."
"This is not for your photo book, just send the first photo you chose."
If another person were to watch this couple right now, they might ask themselves, "Was it necessary to be this meticulous over a photo to deceive their son?"
.
.
.
Four specialists whose faces were covered with oxygen masks were meticulously examining the contents inside the suitcase while two Awakeners stood silently behind them.
"Leader."
"What?"
"We were forced to leave early and act like couriers because by luck, the big boss found something of historical value in the desert and needs it validated by his archaeologist friends?"
Mateo quietly voiced his complaints in the form of a question without hiding the grumpy expression on his face.
"You already know there aren't many places that are properly equipped to handle these sorts of things." Alan, unfazed by the older Awakener's mood, continued to correct him, "And Mateo, we weren't forced to leave early, it was just you who lost the game."
Mateo suppressed a grunt at his leader's reminder.
A few days earlier in the desert, Alan gathered his team inside their assigned tent after returning from being briefed on a sudden assignment.
"It's only been three days since the rift closed and we already have a new mission?" Sapphi asked on behalf of the team members.
"I was really looking forward to seeing the pyramid in person," Patch said dejectedly.
"What sort of mission is it? Who's the client?" Sapphi enquires about the details.
'It was unusual.'
Everyone shared the same thoughts except for the youngest, of course.
If their guild was the kind of mercenary company that pushes Awakeners under their employment to go on missions consecutively without proper breaks in between, Sapphi wouldn't have questioned their team leader like this.
Unless there was a special circumstance.
"It's a simple assignment. We just need to deliver something."
Alan didn't provide further details.
"Since it's a simple job, why can't the delivery people do it?" Mateo pointed out the obvious.
Alan suppressed a sigh. He also said the same thing when he first heard what the assignment was about from the guild executive.
"All I've been told is they need extra security, preferably those who can move discreetly," Alan said with a shrug of his shoulder.
Aside from Patch who has little experience, everyone else understood the underlying intention of hiring Awakeners for this kind of menial job.
The risks involved were too high or safety was an important factor. Either way, the client believed it was insufficient to hire non-awakened people for the job.
Won, who remained quiet the entire time, opened his mouth.
"Leader, everyone must go?"
To his question, Alan shook his head and that gesture alone gave the rest of the team a bit of hope.
"Me, Won and one more person."
Suddenly, a war of nerves began amongst the four unnamed people. They slowly formed a circle while eyeing each other with cautious gaze.
Alan knew if he exercised his authority as the team leader by choosing the third member to go with him for the (unpopular) mission, it would only cause unneeded hostility towards him.
Also…
'Where's the fun in that?'
So he didn't say anything and just watched.
"Go."
At Sapphi's signal, the four Awakeners showed their hand.
Sapphi and Patch showed paper, whereas Mateo and Khali threw rock.
The result of the game divided the winners and losers in half.
Patch raised his hand showing paper in victory and proceeded to jump around the tent, joyfully shouting, "Yes! Pyramid! I'm coming for you!"
"It's either Mateo or Khali, huh," Alan muttered with his hand on his cheek.
Either of them was fine by him. Unless the client withheld important information, he could predict several possible outcomes of the mission based on the information he was given. Should the situation call for it, those two are capable of acting separately.
The last two finalists of rock-paper-scissors faced each other.
"Khali, will you concede?"
"I will win."
Mateo clicked his tongue at his opponent's calm and unrelenting response.
Sapphi once again made the call and in an anti-climactic manner, the decisive round of rock-paper-scissors showed Khali was right.
Presently, an assistant of the professor who was acquainted with their big boss approached Alan.
"Thank you for agreeing with the institute's sudden request of having the artefact delivered here. The professor also expressed his apology for being unable to adjust his travel schedule due to prior commitments."
"It's no problem. Our team happens to be free."
Mateo was grumbling something incomprehensible when Alan was exchanging a few words with the assistant professor.
Alan could guess what he was grumbling about.
Contrary to his grumpy partner, Alan actually had no trouble accepting the mission despite the suddenness of it. Mainly because the city they had flown to was only one train stop away from where his family was currently living.
Alan suspected the guild executive handed this mission to him on purpose since he was one of the few people in the guild who was aware of his sister's condition.
The end of the mission was nearing when one of the masked specialists confirmed there were no traces of toxic anomalies coming from the artefact sealed inside the suitcase.
Alan exchanged glances with Mateo.
The older Awakener left the room to only return soon after with a man in a clean-cut suit.
Alan turned to the assistant professor and said, "Since your side already confirmed there are no safety issues, our lawyer is here to discuss the details. If an issue comes during your findings, please contact this number directly."
He took out a business card and gave it to the assistant professor. Then, he exchanged a simple nod with the lawyer and walked out of the room with Mateo following behind.
The two Awakeners left the building and got into the car but didn't leave right away.
Mateo sat in the front passenger seat and was devouring his third taco bought by the driver, while Alan sat quietly in the back with his phone in hand.
"How much longer do we have to wait?" Mateo asked with his mouth full.
As if on cue, Won emerged from the shadow next to Alan.
"No suspicious movements from their side."
"The artefact?"
"Locked and tracked."
After hearing what he wanted to know, Alan hit send on the mission update he had prepared beforehand.
With that, they completed their mission.
"Arlo, drop me off at the train station," Alan said to the driver.
.
.
.
Alan managed to board the train on time.
He checked the family group chat while waiting for the train to depart.
When there wasn't any new message or photo, Alan sent a message and soon received a reply from his dad, asking for his ETA.
He softly chuckled when his dad sent a picture of Lea trying miserably to stretch her hands to her toes. Picture saved.
"The train will soon be departing for Awakener City. Please be seated."
When the train announced its departure, Alan leaned back comfortably in his seat and closed his eyes. Since he was in the premium class train, it was quieter and more private than other parts of the train.
Also, this particular train only stops at one destination - Awakener City, so he was able to take a nap during the entire train ride without being constantly disturbed by arrival announcements.
Less than ten minutes before the train reached its destination, Alan was woken up by a small vibration on his wrist.
His eyes snapped open.
Even though he was now technically off-duty, due to occupational habits, he could not ignore a notification from his x-watch.
He checked the message on his x-watch. It wasn't an emergency dispatch message so it was good.
However, his relief was short-lived when he saw who contacted him.
"We are now approaching Awakener City. Please have your ticket and arrival pass ready for when we arrive at the station."
The train announced its arrival.
Now fully awake, Alan checked the time.
"I can still make it."
Outside the train window, the dazzling city landscape was getting closer.