The vans, command cars, and trailers of the TOC’s outer perimeter were parked face out, ready for instant departure. Or they would have been, had the state of readiness been higher. None of the vehicles had their engines running and all the driver’s compartments that Tom could see were closed and empty. Camouflage nets and thin shock-fiber mesh were strung to limit the number of passageways into the center of the circle. During his circuit, Tom had seen that all but one entrance had been closed up. A reaction to his previous appearance? It didn’t matter. For their purpose, this arrangement was actually better.