Christopher Charles

Back in the 1980s, Wes Raney was an ambitious New York City narcotics detective with a growing drug habit of his own. While working undercover on a high-risk case, he made decisions that ultimately cost him not only his career but also his family. Disgraced, Raney fled--but history is finally catching up to him. Now in his early forties, Raney is living in exile, the sole homicide investigator covering a two-hundred-mile stretch of desert in New Mexico....

She raised the lantern higher and looked in the mirror over the bar. She was bleeding from her head and arm. Her hair was a mess and mixed in with the blood. Her left hand was dripping blood over the crowbar she held. Her dress was in shreds and barely holding together. She had dirt from the holes sticking to the other parts of her body. She dropped to the floor and felt a dark cloud go over her head.

She felt sick and dizzy at the same time. She knew she had to free herself before the cellar became totally, engulfed. She pulled hard with her right arm and felt the stake give slightly. It allowed her more, leverage on her left arm. Pulling hard, she loosened it some. This allowed her to lean forward and put more of her body into her right arm. Giving it all she had, she felt it slipping and then flying free. She did not bother to untie the ropes....

It was too late. Rose felt the giant paddle strike the boat. Huge planks flew from the wheel as it devoured the bow of the Shanadoa. The giant wheel was coming for the wheelhouse. She saw the raft. It was caught in the wheel. It was coming up towards her. Gripping the wheel, she dropped to the deck and covered her head. She closed her eyes as she heard the side of the wheelhouse coming apart. The noise was deafening, but she hung onto the wheel. She...

Wounded, her arms shaking, she held her colt forty-five against the wall, and moved down the hall. A dark shadow appeared, a flash, she pulled the trigger, and felt pain in her side. The assassin fell back in the room. Screaming, she sent bullets into the wall until the Assassin threw his gun out. The monitor instructed her to put her revolver down. The assassin wounded, disappeared out the partition. Against the wall, she slid to the floor unconscious...

Ana, Captain of a spaceship, is lost in what appears to be a black hole, but she soon discovers it is an energy field full of life bent on taking over her ship. Later, she and her crew are forced to enter a real Black Hole. She is forced her from her body as the ship passes through, and runs from another energy entity set loose in the ship. On the other side, the crew finds another live energy force that attacks their ship. They barely manage to escape...

Stumbling most of the way, she managed to reach the wheelhouse. It was deserted. The wheel was moving lazily one way and then the other. She took hold of it and looked around. She wanted to turn the boat, but she did not know what side of the river she was on. Deciding she must be close to the east bank, she began turning the wheel to her right. It had to be a tight turn. The heavy smoke coming from the fire was being driven towards the wheelhouse....

Her tears really flowed when he reached her. Slipping down from his horse, he helped her down and hugged her. She buried her head into his shoulder and continued to cry. Caressing her hair, he said, "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come out here. Things sure haven't gone well for us." "I'm sorry, Papa," Rose said, "I'm sorry." He felt a damp area in her hair and gently pushed her back. Turning her head, he noticed the bruise on the side of her...

Rose looked back at her cards and began turning them over slowly. A red ace came up followed by a red King, red queen, red jack, and a red ten in the same suit. She had a 'royal flush.' Captain Morgan smiled, "I think the pot belongs to Mr. Donovan, Gentlemen." John Deer, stunned, stared at the pot in front of him. Jed Smith reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a small pistol, and screamed, "No one's taking my stake! That's our money she's got!" He...

Indian Chief Black Cloud had warned Rose of the impending flood that would cover their land for miles. When she told those at the trial no one believed her except her mother. Captain Bollinger ignoring the warning decided to leave with his wounds back to the fort. Even Mr. Broden, Mary Beth's father ignored the warning taking his family back home