Page 41 of Unseen Danger

Pounding at the door. Were they there?

Barking pierced Nevaeh’s consciousness.

She opened her eyes, groaned at the daylight that poured into her room through the sheer curtain covering her bedroom window.

Just a dream. Wasn’t real. At least not anymore.

The reminders she had to run through when she woke up the last few weeks had become a routine she could do practically in her sleep.

Fatigue pulled her body down into the mattress, her head against the pillow, pleading for more sleep despite the nightmares that might meet her there.

But the noise wouldn’t allow it.

An alarm blared near her head. Her alarm clock. She fumbled for the off button, the blurry numbers 4:47 barely registering as other sounds penetrated her numb senses.

Alvarez was barking. But at home that could mean anything. Even a loud truck going by on the road.

A loud ding rang through the house, prompting more barks.

The doorbell?

Nevaeh moaned as she shoved her eyelids open all the way and pushed to sit up.

Cannenta blinked at her with an equally sleepy expression from her spot on the extra pillow of the double bed.

Nevaeh’s feet protested as she stood, apparently a little sore from last night’s patrol. She picked up a sweatshirt off the chair on her way out of the room as a knock reached her ears.

And made Alvarez sprint for the front door, barking all the way.

“Okay, Al.” She pulled the sweatshirt over her satin cap as she plodded on bare feet through the kitchen and into the hallway that led to the front door.

Alvarez pranced back and forth on his feet as his bark gave way to a whine. Did he know the visitor was friendly or was he just hoping?

She looked through the peephole.

A weirdly magnified view of a familiar gray baseball cap greeted her eye.

Phoenix. What would she be doing here? She’d only been to Nevaeh’s house three times. Once when she’d helped her move in, once to help with at-home training for Alvarez, and the other time was when Nevaeh hosted a PK-9 gathering.

Unannounced visits weren’t Phoenix’s style. Unless something had happened.

Nevaeh flipped the bolt and yanked the door open. “Is Jazz okay?”

If Phoenix was surprised by Nevaeh’s greeting, she didn’t show it. But she never showed anything, so that didn’t mean much. “Fine, to my knowledge.” She stroked Alvarez’s head as the rottie mix pressed through the doorway to greet her.

He left Dagian alone, and the sandy dog stayed quietly by Phoenix’s side.

“Okay.” Nevaeh tried to calm her breathing. Wouldn’t help her situation to let Phoenix see how rattled she was by the sudden visit. “So you’re not here with bad news?”

Phoenix’s dark blue eyes moved to Nevaeh’s face. “No.”

“Great.” Nevaeh curled her toes on the cold vinyl floor. “Want to come in?”

Phoenix moved forward, and Nevaeh pulled Al out of the way to let her boss and Dag through.

“I was about to put on some coffee.” Might as well act like she’d already been up. Though Phoenix would see right through that one. Especially since Nevaeh was wearing the blue cap on her head to protect her natural hair while she slept.

And anyway, Phoenix wanted her security specialists to get enough sleep between shifts. They had to be alert to be effective, she’d said. Which is why Nevaeh was sleeping at almost five p.m. “Do you want some coffee?”

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