Perimeter Check

Slipped through the bottom gap of the cracked screen door. Cold air hit right away, but staying inside was getting stale. I dropped low, pressing my back against a heavy terracotta planter on the balcony floor. Clear line of sight across the courtyard below. A truck rumbled past the alley curb, throwing a deep, low-frequency hum through the concrete slab right into my boots. Nobody looked up. Clean vantage point.