"Is everyone ready?" Tristan asked from the front, his hand resting on the doorknob without turning it just yet. He glanced back at the group, noting the determination etched on their faces.
Everyone nodded in unison, drawing deep breaths and tightening their grip on their weapons. Positioned at the center were the Patriarch, Mr. and Mrs. Winters, and those tasked with carrying the stretchers.
After a final check, Tristan drew a deep breath, steeling himself before twisting the doorknob of the emergency exit leading to the upper floors. The real problem now lay ahead: the zombies lurking in the emergency exit. With their ascent, the challenge doubled; if they engaged in combat, pushing forward would become even more difficult with the risk of additional zombies descending from above. A stampede could crush them, and falling zombies posed yet another threat, among countless other possibilities.
