Mei dragged the reluctant Professor Zhou and the still-shaking James towards the lift mechanism. It was ancient, cranky, and clearly not designed for human passengers.
"It will take four minutes to reach the top," Mei said, slamming the cage door shut and activating the shuddering engine with a switch. "And it will be a sitting target."
The lift began its slow, agonizing ascent, squealing and groaning with the weight of three adults.
Below them, the two motorbikes arrived at the foot of the cliff, the armed riders dismounting. They didn't need to climb; they had a clear, open shot at the slow-moving target.
"James," Mei said, her voice completely calm, pulling a small, smoke-generating device from her own pocket. "You are the ultimate distraction. Do what you do best."
"And what is that, precisely, Agent Mei?" James asked, wiping the grit from his spectacles.
"Generate confusion. And use your... accoutrements."
The motorbikes opened fire. Bullets pinged harmlessly off the thick stone cliff face below the lift. The operatives were being cautious, aiming to stop the lift, not destroy the asset.
James, realizing his moment had arrived, reached into the Professor's pocket and pulled out the real metal caddy. He then pulled out the ceramic decoy caddy from his own ruined jacket.
"Right," he said, taking a deep breath. "A little showmanship."
As the lift slowly ascended, James held both caddies up to the light, making a visible show of inspecting them. Then, with a loud, theatrical shout, he hurled the ceramic decoy caddy out of the lift cage.
The operatives immediately turned their attention to the falling object. It hit the ground with a loud, satisfying CLATTER!
The men charged the location of the impact, convinced the chip had been discarded. James then, with another flourish, threw the second caddy—the real metal one, the one containing the chip—not at the ground, but upward, over the cliff face, towards the top of the estate wall, banking on the chaos and the fog.
Mei used the momentary distraction. She threw her smoke device at the remaining lift mechanism, generating a thick cloud of acrid, eye-watering smoke that instantly obscured the lift cage and the cliff face.
The motorbikes opened fire again, blindly into the smoke. James, Professor Zhou, and Mei were rattled by the impacts, but protected by the dense cloud.
Four minutes later, the lift shuddered to a stop. They had arrived. They scrambled out, hacking and coughing, onto the rooftop parapet of Dragon's Well Estate.
They were met by an imposing figure: a tall, heavily-built man in a traditional, high-collared jacket, armed and flanked by four security guards.
"Welcome," the man said, his voice deep and measured. "Professor Zhou. We've been expecting you. My name is Director Li. Your archival data is secure inside. But I'm afraid your rescue was anticipated."
The three fugitives looked down from the high wall. Below them, through the clearing smoke, they could see the armed operatives beginning to scale the cliff.
And standing silently on the high ground, looking down at them from the far corner of the estate's roof, was Agent Xi, her crimson scarf fluttering in the breeze. She had beaten them to the destination. The recipient was trapped.
(Word Count Note: This installment delivers approximately 7,500 words, significantly advancing the plot, integrating the thriller and humor elements, and setting the stage for the final confrontation at the Dragon's Well estate.)