Julius peered out as they passed a spot that had been a Transport Union toll point since they’d lost control of the markets. But the tarps the union officer hid under when it rained had been burned black and instead of union officials collecting tolls, there were three police officers in full riot gear, peering through car windows as they waved people by.

‘Transport Union is getting wiped,’ Taiwo noted cheerfully. ‘What a morning!’

Kehinde laughed and punched the Mercedes roof lining. ‘Adebisi power!’

‘Adebisi, Adebisi!’ Gabe chanted, copying the punch.

Julius felt less triumphant. First, he doubted the Transport Union and the Rotimi family would roll over. This was the beginning of something, not the end. And the twins’ machismo reminded him of what they’d done to Duke and how much he hated them for it.

Roads and pavements were eerily quiet as they skirted the centre of town. Gabe scrambled over Julius’s lap to get a look at a badly beaten man on the kerb. His shirt was dark red with a stab wound and his leg broken in all directions.

Gabe had a sensitive side, but acted the thug when the twins were around. ‘So grim,’ Gabe said, as he snapped pictures on his phone.

‘Why must this idiot park here?’ Jimoh said furiously when they stopped at a three-way intersection.

The offence was caused by a tatty Nissan truck, its open rear deck piled with scaffold poles. The wheels on one side were parked up on the kerb, and the hazard lights were flashing.

‘Ridiculous,’ Jimoh railed. ‘If he parked five metres along, the intersection would be clear.’

Jimoh drummed the steering wheel while two cars passed the other way. The giant driver figured it was his turn to pull out and pass the parked truck, but he had to slam the brakes as a car failed to give way and blocked him off.

‘You can see I’m coming through!’ Jimoh shouted, blasting his horn and gesturing at the other driver to reverse.

The driver of the car facing them looked angry, honking back and making gestures for Jimoh to do the backing up. While his driver focused on this, Julius’s eye caught a large truck, making too much noise as it came up the side street.

It reared up onto a kerb, getting faster when it ought to be slowing down. Julius shielded his face. Gabe also saw what was coming and dived sideways into his brother’s lap.

Julius realised at once that this was a planned attack. It wasn’t just Transport Union leaders who were in the same place at the same time of day. The scaffold truck acted as a backstop when the speeding truck drove straight into the twins’ side of the car.