James chased after Mei, Earl Grey caddy clutched tightly to his chest. He burst into the main hall of the temple, a cavernous space filled with the smell of old incense and dust. Mei had cornered the nervous courier near a towering, gilded Buddha statue. The courier, panting, held the microchip up like a tiny, priceless shield.
"Give it to me, now," Mei's voice was a low, dangerous growl.
The courier shook his head wildly. "I was only a delivery man! He promised me a lifetime supply of—of very good noodles!"
James, ever the master of the ill-timed entrance, tripped over a low prayer cushion. The noise broke the tension, and the courier saw his chance. He hurled the chip high into the air, a glint of black plastic against the sun-dappled ceiling.
Mei cursed and leapt, but the chip was already arcing towards a narrow, open window.