Securing the Fire Escape

I slipped through the propped heavy exit door straight into the brisk night alley. The brick walls towered over the damp asphalt, leaving only a narrow corridor overhead. Directly ahead, the counterweighted steel ladder of the fire escape hung suspended four inches above my reach. I inspected the pivot arm at the base. A discarded wire coat hanger lay tangled in a clean cardboard corner by the wall. Using both gloved hands, I straightened the stiff steel wire into a rigid hook and reached upward to snag the lowest rung. Bracing my boots against the damp masonry base, I levered my weight downward until the counterweight engaged with a soft mechanical squeak, lowering the iron step flush to my level. High-ground access is locked in.