Breaching the Perimeter

Cleared that damn hallway and marched straight into the kitchen territory. Right at the foot of the bottom cabinets, someone left an unopened metal can of crushed tomatoes sitting flat on the linoleum. Solid cylinder, zero give, blocking the route to the pantry. Perfect obstacle. I didn't waste a second sneaking past it. Dropped low, braced my back against the dark wooden baseboard, and drove both combat boots straight into the corrugated tin rim. Leveraged every bit of leg power until the heavy metal grooved across the wax, grinding a harsh scrape before rolling three full feet away into the corner. That path belongs to me.