Challa

RUNNER’S MOON

BOOK 4:

CHALLA

by

Linda Mooney

WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

www.whiskeycreekpress.com

 
Published by

WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

Whiskey Creek Press

PO Box 51052

Casper, WY 82605-1052

www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Copyright Ó 2010 by
Linda Mooney

Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN 978-1- 60313-683-9

Credits

Cover Artist: Kendra Egert

Editor: Sara Kent

Printed in the United States of America

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT

PASSION OF THUNDER

“The powerful and sensual sex scenes between Annie and Rion (in
Passion of Thunder
) add a deep, abounding passion to their devoted relationship. Rion’s commitment to Annie drew me to him more than any fictional hero ever has.”

Fallen Angel Reviews

Fallen Angel Reviews Recommended Read

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT

LORD OF THUNDER

“I will never look at a thunderstorm quite the same again.
Lord of Thunder
isn’t just a play on words; it describes the main character of this fascinating new novel by Linda Mooney.

“A story of strength, determination, and love told with characters as rich as the Montana setting. Raw, intense and satisfying, are words that both describe the story and the romance. Reading Linda’s work is an escape like no other. Reading romance, always a guilty pleasure has now become a real joy!”

Renee’s Book Talk, Blog Talk Radio

“I devoured [
Lord of Thunder
], alternately smiling and shedding tears along the way. I guarantee that readers will want to read this book over and over again.”

Two Lips Reviews

Two Lips Reviews Recommended Read

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT

MY STRENGTH, MY POWER, MY LOVE

“The premise of this Science Fiction/Romance novel caught me off guard. I was blown away and completely enamored with the idea. Linda Mooney takes you on a beautiful journey to the stars and beyond. She has a wonderful ability for writing stunningly beautiful scenes and the expertise for making an emotional connection through her characters. She is a talented and powerful writer and I highly recommend
My Strength, My Power, My Love
. It is a necessary read for all lovers of science fiction or romance.”

Renee’s Book Talk, Blog Talk Radio

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT

HEARTCRYSTAL

“Linda Mooney has done a top notch job of world building.  You get a story that will make you laugh a little but mostly it will twist your heartstrings to pieces. You may want to keep a box of Kleenex nearby while reading (
HeartCrystal
).”

 The Romance Studio

“So if you enjoy touching futuristic romances with wonderful characters and exciting plots, then you might want to read (
HeartCrystal
).”

Whipped Cream Erotic Reviews

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT

HEARTFAST

“
HeartFast
was not just a satisfying romance, it was also a mind-teasing mystery and science fiction read as well.”

Simply Romance Reviews

“(
HeartFast
is) Well worth the time to read - which won't be too long, as you won't be able to put it down!” 

ParaNormalRomance Reviews

PNR Reviewer Top Pick

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT

SANDEFLAY

“(
Sandeflay
is a) Great book, a definite keeper.”

Simply Romance Reviews

“
Sandeflay
is an absolutely stunning read by Ms. Mooney.”

 Romance Junkies

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT

RUNNER’S MOON SERIES

“Fantastic Sci-Fi story is the first thing that comes to mind when I tell people about
(Runner’s Moon
B
ook 3)
Simolif
.”

Joyfully Reviewed

Joyfully Recommended

“I recommend (
Runner’s Moon
B
ook 3
)
Simolif
to anyone who likes his or her erotica with a sci-fi twist.”

Long and Short Whipped Cream Reviews

“Go, Ms. Mooney, Go. I am thoroughly intrigued by the species she has invented and am hooked on reading how they adapt to the human race and lifestyles (in
Runner’s Moon: Tiron Book 2
).”

 Joyfully Reviewed

“Be warned, though. If you have not read the first book yet, odds are you will want to after reading (
Runner’s Moon: Tiron Book 2
).”

Coffee Time Romance

“
Runner’s Moon: Jebaral
(
Book 1
)…is an exciting and passionate romance that leaves you anxiously waiting for the next book in the series.”

Romance Reader at Heart

Top Pick Recommended Read

“
Runner’s Moon: Jebaral
(
Book 1
) is a fiery and fascinating romance novel and an fabulous account of aliens come to earth.”

The Romance Studio

Other Books by Author Available at Whiskey Creek Press:

www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Runner’s Moon Book 1: Jebaral

Runner’s Moon Book 2: Tiron

Runner’s Moon Book 3: Simolif

Runner’s Moon Megabook

Sandeflay

HeartFast

HeartCrystal

My Strength, My Power, My Love

Lord of Thunder

Passion of Thunder

Wings of Thunder

D
edication

For my friends who understand

why I’d rather write than shop,

thank you.

Chapter 1

Thief

Two Years Ago

“Lawson, we got a problem.”

“Shit. What now?” Lawson Hall looked from the piss-poor sales receipts from that night’s take and tried to give his manager a minute of time he really couldn’t afford.

“Vera told me someone’s been stealing from the kitchen.”

“How badly?”

“A lot. Mostly vegetables, but it’s a considerable amount.”

A considerable amount? What would the cook call a considerable amount? “So we’re short a couple of carrots,” Lawson grumbled.

“More than a couple.” Allen handed over a piece of paper. “She made of list of what she knows we’re missing. And that’s not all. Army says we’re short several buckets of oats, plus three bales of hay that we know of.”

Lawson gave a cursory glance at the sizeable list. Vera wasn’t kidding. “Our vegetables,
plus
the animals’ feed? That makes three nights in a row! Think it’s the same person?” There was no way it could be one of the carny folk. In fact, he couldn’t think of one name offhand to put on his nonexistent list of suspects.

The burly blond giant gave a shrug. “Has to be. All the heists have been at night, and nobody’s seen anything suspicious. I’ve had our guys keeping an eye open, and somehow this bastard’s been able to elude us.”

“Right around showtime, too, right?” Lawson said.

“When else? This guy knows to strike when the rest of us are working the tents and booths. Hell, Lawson, we keep two sets of eyes at all times on the receipts. It never occurred to me I’d have to keep the pantry under lock and key, too. We just don’t have enough manpower to do both.”

Lawson growled softly. “Bet it’s some of the locals. Fucking kids getting their jollies screwing with us. Do we have enough to feed the livestock until we reach Baylorville?”

Allen scratched his head. “We should. I’ll let the horses do a little grazing while we pack up to help tide them over. What are we going to do about the others? What should I tell Vera?”

“Cripes. Tell her…tell her we’ll look into a little midnight requisitioning to help ease the strain. Corn’s starting to ripen. Maybe we can scrounge a few ears from a field on our way out.” He glanced again at the day’s final tally and shook his head. “If things don’t start looking up soon, we may not be able to make the next payroll, much less keep gas in the tanks.”

“Hey, summer’s coming,” the manager said with a forced smile. “You know attendance picks up in the summer.”

“From your mouth to God’s ear,” Lawson said. “Let’s strike the tents.”

Allen gave him a salute and jogged off to instruct the others to start packing. It would take them almost two hours to load the vans and wagons, and another five to six hours for the caravan to reach their next scheduled stop.