Mercer arrived as soon as she heard the news and cut in.
“Wait. What do you mean by a safety assessment? What exactly has been deemed dangerous?”
The soldier at the front only glanced at her.
“You’ll need to go through the local authorities for any details.”
“We’ve been doing fieldwork here for days. At the excavation site, at least, we haven’t identified any danger that would require all work to stop.”
“The safety assessment is ours to conduct.”
His tone did not change.
Mercer was silent for a moment.
“What exactly is this safety assessment for?”
The soldier at the front did not answer.
“If you’re closing the area, you should at least explain why.”
The tall soldier, who had been standing a little behind the others, spoke to Mercer.
“Ma’am, this is not a request. It’s an order.”
There was clearly no point in saying anything more.