High Vantage

I slipped through the cracked sliding screen door and stepped onto the balcony tiles. The outside air hit sharp and cool. Crouching low by the base of the wrought-iron railing, I peered between the vertical bars to scan the street three floors below. Two couriers on delivery bikes paused at the intersection, comparing route screens on their handlebars before cutting down different cross streets. Sharp, efficient coordination. A brittle fallen leaf had wedged into the rail anchor next to my boots, vibrating faintly in the draft. From up here, every approach and intersection laid out like a blueprint. Clean sightlines.