She then attached an old barrel bolt on the inside to serve as a temporary lock until it could be repaired or replaced. It wasn’t until that task was done that she felt safe enough to go to bed. Yet, even though she was exhausted, sleep eluded her. Ella continued to think about the break-in as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Harry’s search for Begaye and its ramifications, coupled with the conspiracy warning she’d received from Coyote, circled endlessly in her mind. It seemed that she’d only just fallen asleep when Two woke her up, sticking his nose right up against her face. He was a big dog, and could easily rest his head on the mattress when standing next to the bed. She tried to push him away, but he’d go to the window, growl menacingly, then return to her bed. Ella grudgingly opened her eyes and watched him. The dog still wasn’t feeling up to par, but he was clearly agitated about something. Reaching for her pistol and the flashlight in her nightstand drawer, she crept out of her bedroom without turning on the light, clad in her long nightshirt and wearing fuzzy slippers.
