Chapters 1-9 Summary

The story begins in the mountains separating northern Italy from Austria. Although it is springtime, there has been an unexpected winter storm that is causing dangerous road conditions. Many roads and businesses are closed due to the foul weather. While people are being extremely cautious, particularly in the mountains, there have been some accidents. While traveling in the area of Tarvisio, a sixteen-wheeled truck going 50 kilometers per hour and with Romanian license plates, brakes too hard on a curve and plummets off the side of a cliff . The truck lands in a gully and is badly damaged. Without thinking about their own safety or the treacherous condition of the terrain, several other truck drivers pull off the road and try to help. The men make their way into the gully to examine the driver and condition of the truck. The driver...