The real trouble began on the descent toward Verona. It wasn't the engine that failed—it was the silence. At 2:17 AM, the CB radio crackled once, then died. The satellite navigation screen flickered and went black. Even the digital clock reset to four blinking zeros. Marco was alone with the rumble of the tires and the oppressive weight of 24 tons of Parmigiano Reggiano.
Marco slammed the brake. The Stralis shuddered to a halt on the hard shoulder. He stared at the dashboard. The ECM 45 code was gone. In its place, scrolling across the monochrome LCD where his fuel economy usually lived, were words. ecm 45 iveco stralis
Marco Costa had been driving an Iveco Stralis for twelve years. He knew its hum, its growl under a heavy load, and the specific click of the turn signal that meant the relay was about to fail. But the red demon glowing on his dashboard——was a stranger. The real trouble began on the descent toward Verona
The cursor blinked once.