PROLOGUE September
The legal speed limit for vehicles travelling along the Old Military Road was sixty miles an hour and he was breaking it. If a car rounded a corner in the opposite direction it would end up in the ditch because this driver was not in the mood to slow down for anyone.
The sound of cannon fire blasted from his top pocket and he reached for his phone. He took his eyes off the road to read the text, grunted, and handed the phone to the person seated beside him.
The passenger glanced at the short message, looked up and saw they were approaching a humpback bridge.
‘You’re going too fast.’
There was another round of cannon fire and both took their eyes off the road to look at the phone’s screen. The message was clear and unequivocal. It was time to return home.
‘Watch out!’ yelled the passenger.
The driver lifted his eyes from the phone. Ahead, two people, holding hands, were blocking the mouth of the bridge.
He jammed on his brakes and skidded.
To regain control he took his foot off the pedal and steered the only course acceptable to him, hoping the inevitable impact would not cause too much damage to
his van.