Daniel hesitated, then said, “I’m a geologist. I’ve studied sinkholes, landslides, collapse zones. This… doesn’t look right to me.” The officer looked up, surprised, studying him for a long moment. Around them, the buzz of radios and shouts filled the air, but Daniel stood firm, unwilling to step back into silence.
“What doesn’t look right?” the officer finally asked. Daniel pointed toward the walls. “The soil’s profile is too disturbed. Natural collapses leave patterns, compacted layers. This looks—different. Like it was interfered with.” He swallowed. “It doesn’t add up.” His words hung in the air, unsettling even to himself.