Tactical Reconnaissance

A metallic object rested beside the lamp base. I approached with measured steps. A steel analog wristwatch, its leather band curled across the grain of the wood. The internal mechanism was active. A steady, rhythmic pulse ticked inside the casing. I knelt beside the dial, bracing one hand against the cold bevel while tracking the sweep of the second hand. Sixty precise intervals per cycle. A reliable instrument for temporal tracking. I noted its coordinates and withdrew to the lamp base, maintaining observation.