Christopher moved first through the fifth floor, with Rachel, Cindy, and Ivy following close behind.
They were not rushing blindly, but they were not crawling either. It was that careful middle pace people used when every second mattered and every corner might still get them killed. Each room got checked fast. Door opened, quick sweep, windows, corners, under the weak light, then out again and on to the next before they wasted time standing around.
Christopher stayed at the front with his rifle raised the whole time.
He was the only one fully aiming as they moved. Rachel and Cindy both carried weapons too, but neither kept them up in firing position. They had other roles, and right now those mattered more. Cindy's attention kept splitting between the corridor ahead and the pulse of her mind radar, trying to catch shapes before they came into sight. Rachel stayed tense in a different way, hands ready, eyes alert, every muscle in her body set on one job alone.
