Locking the Breach

I surveyed the open timber deck to secure our perimeter before full night took hold. At the head of the chain ladder opening, a heavy steel screw-lock carabiner hung slack from the top rung. I marched to the edge, planted my boots against the floorboards, and seized the knurled metal barrel with both mitts. With one deliberate, powerful twist, I drove the threads home until the collar clamped tight over the gate. The mechanism locked with a dense, unyielding snap. Ladder secured. I backed into the recessed corner beneath the overhanging roof canopy, braced my shoulders against the sturdy timber post, and crossed my arms. The high ground is held.