Jessy,’ he urged quietly. ‘We’ll be through in a couple of minutes now. They’re not interested in us. It’s all just a
formality.’
But the guards were walking directly towards their group, the dogs pulling excitedly, and Jessy stepped back, terrified.
‘Okay, I’ll deal with this,’ Tanner said and he marched forward, meeting them way ahead of the convoy.
‘Excuse me,’ he said, his smile masking his desperation to keep those dogs away from Jessy. ‘But are the dogs going into the trucks? I know you’ve got your job to do, and
I don’t mean to be obstructive, but there are already two guards in there and I’m worried the dogs will upset the horses. They’re nervy at the best of times, and obviously they
are very tired at the moment, what with the tournament and this journey.’
The guards looked at each other, and around Tanner to the huddle of grooms standing on the pavement. They formed a motley crew, all propping each other up, swigging from Coke bottles and smoking
Marlboros.
The taller guard jerked his chin towards them. ‘It is not permitted to smoke here.’
‘Oh . . . right. No smoking. Of course. Absolutely,’ Tanner cried, relief flooding his face. ‘I’ll get them to stop immediately.’
He turned and marched back to them all. ‘Everybody, lights out. Come on, quickly. Smoking’s not allowed. Hurry up.’
Reluctantly and silently they all dropped their cigarettes to the ground, grinding them beneath their feet. They were desperate to get out of here.
If only they knew, Tanner thought, stealing a glance at Jessy. She still looked jumpy.
The door of the horsebox was slammed shut and the two guards came round, poker-faced, one of them holding a brown paper bag.
Oh shit!
The guard held up the bag. ‘Whose is this?’
There was a shuffle of feet. No one said anything. Slowly, Tanner raised a hand. ‘It’s mine,’ he said quietly. He needed to get Jessy and the others out of here.
‘This is contraband. Taking it out of Switzerland and into the European Union constitutes a contravention of the CITES quotas as administered by UNEP,’ the guard said
robotically.
Tanner nodded, although he had no idea what the guard was on about. ‘I – I’m sorry. It was for personal use only, though . . . if that makes a difference . . .’ His voice
trailed away.
The two guards spoke quickly to each other in German. Tanner didn’t have a clue what they were saying, but it couldn’t be good. Nothing in German ever sounded good.
He looked at Jessy, who looked as though she was going to pass out. He tried to give what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
‘We are confiscating this from you.’
‘Of course,’ Tanner replied, eyes downcast.
There was a pause.
‘You can go.’
Tanner’s head snapped up. ‘Huh?’
‘You can go. All the checks are complete now.’
‘You’re not going . . . to . . . arrest me?’
The guard cracked the faintest of smiles. ‘Not unless you want me to.’
Tanner held his hands up in relief. ‘No. No. I’m good. Thank you. Thank you very much.’
The guards turned and walked back to the hut, laughing quietly among themselves.
With a look of unadulterated gratitude written all over his face, Tanner swept his arm round for everyone to climb back into the trucks.
‘We’ll stop for lunch outside Strasbourg, everybody,’ he called, as the cab doors opened and shut.
Climbing back into the driver’s seat – he felt completely awake now – he shifted the truck into first and slowly pulled away, giving a small salute of thanks as they passed the
guards.
‘Holy shit! Can you believe we got away with that?’ he asked, eyes bright, as they built up speed on the autoroute. ‘When they brought that bag out . . .’ He gave a low
whistle. ‘I can’t believe they let me go. It must have just come under the personal-usage quota.’
Jessy shook her head slowly.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said quietly. ‘I know I shouldn’t have taken it.
formality.’
But the guards were walking directly towards their group, the dogs pulling excitedly, and Jessy stepped back, terrified.
‘Okay, I’ll deal with this,’ Tanner said and he marched forward, meeting them way ahead of the convoy.
‘Excuse me,’ he said, his smile masking his desperation to keep those dogs away from Jessy. ‘But are the dogs going into the trucks? I know you’ve got your job to do, and
I don’t mean to be obstructive, but there are already two guards in there and I’m worried the dogs will upset the horses. They’re nervy at the best of times, and obviously they
are very tired at the moment, what with the tournament and this journey.’
The guards looked at each other, and around Tanner to the huddle of grooms standing on the pavement. They formed a motley crew, all propping each other up, swigging from Coke bottles and smoking
Marlboros.
The taller guard jerked his chin towards them. ‘It is not permitted to smoke here.’
‘Oh . . . right. No smoking. Of course. Absolutely,’ Tanner cried, relief flooding his face. ‘I’ll get them to stop immediately.’
He turned and marched back to them all. ‘Everybody, lights out. Come on, quickly. Smoking’s not allowed. Hurry up.’
Reluctantly and silently they all dropped their cigarettes to the ground, grinding them beneath their feet. They were desperate to get out of here.
If only they knew, Tanner thought, stealing a glance at Jessy. She still looked jumpy.
The door of the horsebox was slammed shut and the two guards came round, poker-faced, one of them holding a brown paper bag.
Oh shit!
The guard held up the bag. ‘Whose is this?’
There was a shuffle of feet. No one said anything. Slowly, Tanner raised a hand. ‘It’s mine,’ he said quietly. He needed to get Jessy and the others out of here.
‘This is contraband. Taking it out of Switzerland and into the European Union constitutes a contravention of the CITES quotas as administered by UNEP,’ the guard said
robotically.
Tanner nodded, although he had no idea what the guard was on about. ‘I – I’m sorry. It was for personal use only, though . . . if that makes a difference . . .’ His voice
trailed away.
The two guards spoke quickly to each other in German. Tanner didn’t have a clue what they were saying, but it couldn’t be good. Nothing in German ever sounded good.
He looked at Jessy, who looked as though she was going to pass out. He tried to give what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
‘We are confiscating this from you.’
‘Of course,’ Tanner replied, eyes downcast.
There was a pause.
‘You can go.’
Tanner’s head snapped up. ‘Huh?’
‘You can go. All the checks are complete now.’
‘You’re not going . . . to . . . arrest me?’
The guard cracked the faintest of smiles. ‘Not unless you want me to.’
Tanner held his hands up in relief. ‘No. No. I’m good. Thank you. Thank you very much.’
The guards turned and walked back to the hut, laughing quietly among themselves.
With a look of unadulterated gratitude written all over his face, Tanner swept his arm round for everyone to climb back into the trucks.
‘We’ll stop for lunch outside Strasbourg, everybody,’ he called, as the cab doors opened and shut.
Climbing back into the driver’s seat – he felt completely awake now – he shifted the truck into first and slowly pulled away, giving a small salute of thanks as they passed the
guards.
‘Holy shit! Can you believe we got away with that?’ he asked, eyes bright, as they built up speed on the autoroute. ‘When they brought that bag out . . .’ He gave a low
whistle. ‘I can’t believe they let me go. It must have just come under the personal-usage quota.’
Jessy shook her head slowly.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said quietly. ‘I know I shouldn’t have taken it.
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