When they came alongside the gate, a barrel-chested dog materialized from under the porch, ran to the fence, and started barking at them with a belly full of thunder. The door swung open, and the man stepped onto the lawn, an angry battlefield rifle in his hands. He tracked them with a steely gaze. The weapon emitted a high-pitched hum, and a menacing ruby beam from the laser sight cut through the airy mist to trace the boundary of his property.