James finally reached the rooftop, panting like a well-used kettle. The sheer exertion of chasing a super-spy had left him lightheaded. He found the woman in red, standing perfectly still, observing the cityscape with an unnervingly calm demeanor. The Earl Grey caddy, tragically, was nowhere in sight.
"Excuse me," James huffed, trying to sound stern but mostly just sounding like a man who needed a sit-down and a strong brew. "That was my Earl Grey. I'd very much like it back."
The woman slowly turned, her expression as blank as a freshly laundered napkin. "You are… James?" she asked, her English surprisingly crisp.
James blinked. "Yes. And you are the tea-thief."
"I merely 'relocated' it," she corrected, her voice precise. "It was a matter of national security."
James scoffed. "National security? It's tea! It's from Harrods! It has little pictures of the Queen on the tin!"
She stepped closer. "The contents of that caddy were not tea, Mr. James. They contained a miniature data chip, encoded with information regarding Project Nightingale."
"Project what now?" James peered at her, utterly bewildered. "Are you telling me someone tried to hide a spy gadget in my… my travel tea caddy?" He felt a strange mix of disbelief and a rather large sense of personal affront. "My tea had been… compromised. That is simply unforgivable."
"Indeed," she confirmed, her gaze unwavering. "My name is Mei. I am with the Ministry of State Security. And you, Mr. James, are currently implicated in a major international incident."
James's jaw dropped. "Me? But I just want my Earl Grey back, and some directions to the best Oolong! I am only interested in infusions and proper etiquette!"
Mei stared at him for a long, silent moment, then let out a sharp sigh that sounded remarkably like a punctured bicycle tire. "You are either a master of deception, Mr. James, or precisely what you appear to be: an extremely inconvenient tourist." She shook her head. "I am going with 'inconvenient tourist.' Come."
Just then, a faint, high-pitched whine emanated from below. Mei's eyes narrowed. "Looks like our friends are joining us. Quickly, Mr. James, behind this ventilation shaft!" She grabbed his arm, yanking him behind a large metal structure just as a sleek, black drone zipped past.
James, pinned behind cold metal with a formidable spy, could only think, Well, this is certainly less relaxing than my usual Tuesday.