Chris is in Trouble

‘Sir,’ the brunette said in an authoritative tone, ‘we have reason to believe that you may be attempting to engage in illegal activities.’

Sophie, the blonde guard, stood up and joined her in front of Chris, watching him closely.

‘Now, wait,’ he said, feeling very anxious now, ‘I haven’t done anything. I have no idea what that bag is or why it was in my pocket.’

The brunette continued. ‘Sir, you have a choice here. We can call the police, and you will be taken into custody and searched at the station. This could result in your arrest and being charged with a range of offences. Due to a backlog, I should warn you that your processing is likely to take several days, and during that time you will remain in a holding cell.’

Chris really wasn’t liking the sound of this.

‘Or,’ she continued, ‘you can consent to us conducting a more thorough search. If you choose this option we can process you right now, and if we are unable to find evidence of illegal activity you will be free to proceed to your connecting flight. What is your choice?’

This seemed like a no-brainer to Chris. He knew he was entirely innocent and desperately wanted to catch his flight. To be honest, could being frisked by these two women get any worse than it already had been? Especially since there was nothing for them to find. He agreed to let them do what they needed to do. They had him sign some indecipherable forms, then had him stand with his back to the table so he was facing the busy concourse. He watched the other travellers going about their business unmolested, and wondered why he, in particular, had been targeted by security.

The guards retrieved the little bag of powder and opened it, both of them sniffing the contents. Then they each licked a finger before dipping it inside, collecting a sample of whatever the powder was. They looked at each other, nodding, as they sucked their fingers and rubbed their gums. The blonde turned to Chris.

‘Sir, we believe we have identified the contents of the package, and we believe that it is likely that you are in possession of more. The substance has a very distinctive odour and taste, and if you have been in contact with it, there is very likely to be a residue on your skin which we will be able to detect.’

Chris tried to take these words in. How exactly were they going to detect this substance? Surely if they were going to take swabs or something they would need to be sent to some kind of lab. He didn’t ask the questions racing through his mind, he merely nodded and waited for further instructions.

Sophie the guard continued. ‘Now, please remove your shirt and pass it to me.’