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Polish-Czech Republic Border

 

“Why did you think these were the trucks?”

Officer Jelen frowned as he watched the vehicles pull away, their cargo verified as perishable goods, no stolen art contained within. He turned to Inspector Zabek. “I’m positive I saw those same two trucks go through here since we arrived. I’m sure of it.”

Zabek’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t make sense. Why would they go through twice?”

“Exactly. It doesn’t make sense, but I’m sure they did.” He looked about. “We’re taping everything that goes through, right?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s review the footage. We’d just arrived when I saw them.”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Because I’m starving, and when I saw them the first time, my stomach grumbled just like it did the second time.”

Zabek chuckled, waving over one of the officers recording the proceedings. “I think this redefines ‘gut instinct.’” He turned to the man with the camera. “I need to see the footage from about fifteen minutes ago.”

He was handed a tablet from a bag slung over his shoulder. “Everything is on here.” The man resumed taping, and Zabek brought up the footage, dragging his finger to back up to the time index where they first arrived.

“There!” Jelen jabbed a finger at the tablet, and Zabek lifted his finger, the footage rolling forward at normal speed. “That’s them. See, the exact same advertising. Check the plates.”

Zabek zoomed in, and Jelen jotted down the plates from both trucks, then compared them to the two that had just left.

They didn’t match.

Though he wasn’t exactly surprised at that. There was no possible reason he could think of for the trucks in question to have gone through the border crossing twice.

“So it’s not them,” said Zabek.

“Yeah, but what are the chances that two trucks that match the description of the vehicles we’re looking for, with the exact same corporate advertising on their sides, both traveling together, pass through the same border crossing as two other vehicles, less than fifteen minutes ahead of them?”

Zabek chewed his cheek for a moment. “Slim to none would be my guess.”

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking.” He pointed at the image on the screen. “These are the trucks. I know it!”

Zabek sighed, staring at the border. “But they’re in the Czech Republic now, and out of our jurisdiction. I’ll notify Warsaw so they can get the Czechs involved, but if you’re right, I think we’re done.”