"Oh, holy shit . . ."

"You recovered a lot faster than I imagined."

"You underestimate me," Kai groaned. Trying to turn over on his side, his immense bulk gave him as much trouble as the chains.

"I’m just never sure how well you deal with adversity. You certainly have spent a lot of time crying the past year."

"Have you been watching me for that long?"

"Yes, but not me. I had a little mole help me."

"Fuck me! That little rat!"

"What?"

"Fucking shit! Was it Jamie? It was Jamie, I know it. That little punk-ass bitch!"

"You’re highly perceptive."

"Are you trying to use big words to confuse me? Cause whatever happened to the others mentally didn’t happen to me."

"I didn’t even try. I couldn’t even change your hair color."

"Really?"

"And as for the big words, well I assumed you would want something resembling intelligent conversation."

"Thanks," Kai’s voice overflowed with sarcasm.

"You’re welcome," Briggs said earnestly. "Whether you appreciate it or not, I am."

"Where do we go from here?"

"Only one more thing to fix," even as Briggs spoke, an intimidating man walked from the shadows. Like all the others, he was a walking mound of muscle. Approaching Kai, he unfastened the restrain around the neck and attached a leather collar in its place.

"What the . . .? Did he just put a collar on me?"

"It’s an insurance policy. It will keep you from physically assaulting anyone. And prevent you from leaving."

"It’s leather . . ."

"With just enough wiring to deliver a powerful electrical bolt into your spine. Trust me, it hurts."

"Ouch."

"Like I said, I’m gonna have you, no matter what it takes."

Another large man emerged from the shadows and proceeded to release the ties on Kai. Even before the last one was released, he was charging towards the door. Reaching the door frame, a powerful electric surge burst through his body. Screaming out in pain, Kai slumped away from the door.

"I did warn you," Briggs chided. "You can’t go anywhere I don’t want you to." Rolling on the floor, still adapting to his new size, Kai simply groaned in response. The other man walked over and hoisted Kai to his feet.

"Kai," Briggs said, "this is Snake. He’ll be your guide."

"Guide?" Kai questioned as he brushed himself off.

"Think of it like a mystical journey."

"Is this a divine comedy?"

"More like divine reality."

"Whatever," Kai muttered as he turned to follow after Snake. Still unbalanced, Kai lumbered behind the large jock. Briggs just laughed as he watched the two muscle heads walk out. •