Rufus looked at Amelia. "Past that—as a military veteran, like you said—don’t look at the barbed-wire fence and say it’s nothing. Look at where it is . This is defense in depth. Maybe when we get where we’re going, they’ll let us go out in some ranch vehicles, some ATVs or four-wheel drives. That desert might look open and flat from out the window, but if you leave yonder road and try driving across it, you’ll learn real soon it is a barrier. Even walking is hard—every footstep requires you formulate a plan."