Mapping the Ground Exit

I scrambled all the way down the metal stairwell to the ground floor exit! Right against the heavy push-bar door, someone had propped a stray yellow plastic tent peg into the floor seam. Outstanding gear! I hooked my curved yellow hand around the ridged notch, wedged my feet into the ribbed rubber kickplate, and levered myself onto the flat top of the metal push-bar. Through the glass pane, the courtyard pavers looked like a vast stone plateau! I unclipped a loose metal paperclip I had tucked into my gear vest, bent the outer loop into a ninety-degree sighting scope, and calibrated it right against the courtyard horizon. Route to the open courtyard is locked in!