Grid Study

A linen-bound city atlas lay spread flat across the dark oak study table. Midday light cut through the window blinds, striping the paper contours in steady lines. I stepped onto the open page, boots silent against the heavy rag grain. No jams to clear here—only elevation lines and vectors. I dropped into a low crouch, tracing the tight topographic rings marking the river bluffs two sectors north. From that ridge, the rail yard and outer docks sit completely exposed. I committed the cross streets, dead ends, and alley stairwells to memory. When the perimeter expands, I will already know the high ground.