Panic gripped him. His breathing became shallow and he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Determined not to let anxiety overwhelm him, he took several deep breaths whilst hastily assessing the situation. The man Lucius had collided with remained perfectly still, at the base of one of the large scrap piles. A hard hat – presumably carried by the man, prior to the impact – lay on the dusty ground several metres away, silently mocking its former owner. The ironic piece of protective equipment, along with the prone body’s high visibility jacket, suggested that the man Lucius had collided with worked the Midden Belt. A dark circle expanded beneath the worker’s shirt, quickly staining the fabric red, drawing his attention to the glint of metal protruding from the man’s chest.
‘s*
