Chapter 1

"I'm sorry David, look they won't hurt ya, they told me."

David dropped the bags he was holding as he was grabbed from behind. He struggled but there were many hands. The room seemed to be suddenly full of people all talking at once.

"Are you sure it's him."

"Give him the shot."

"Don't hurt him, careful."

He watched as his new friend Sherrie was handed a couple of hundred. She counted quickly and stuffed the money into her jeans.

"He looks angry, hurry."

He pulled against his captors as his arm was seized and his shirt sleeve was pulled up past the elbow.

"This won't harm you, just make you feel good for a while."

He was putting sitting and a tie was fastened to the upper part of his arm to bring up a vein.

David could feel panic rising up within him as the air bubble was carefully squeezed out of the syringe.

"Who are you?" He asked with a shaky voice, his eyes darting from one to the other.

"All in good time David, just know for now that we mean you no harm. Hold him steady."

His captors took a tighter hold of him as the syringe was plunged into the dominant vein in his arm. The effect was instantaneous making him gasp.

"It's alright," someone patted his shoulder. "It can be a rush, just go with it, it'll make you feel all nice and mellow."

~o~

He was in some car park, his feet moving beneath him as he was marched onward.

Pushed into a car, he leaned against the side window, beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Voices fading. Everything fading to black. He was happy to leave for a while, good stuff...

Stinging pain, his eyes tried to open. Pain again, sharp, sudden.

He finally obeyed, opening his eyes just as his face was slapped a third time.

"Welcome back," the man said, gazing at him intently. The stranger shone a small torch in his eyes, checking his pupils.

He looked up at those assembled.

"It's him. You got the right man," he grinned.

Whoops and hollers followed.

A blindfold was put into place and he was taken from the car and marched between them. There was much excitement as they cheered and congratulated each other. The drug had all but worn off and David could feel panic rising again as he was guided onward. Finally he could feel himself being put into a chair. The blindfold was removed as large straps secured his wrists, chest and ankles.

The celebration was in full swing as one of their number shook a bottle of champagne and drowned everyone in it before taking a good drink himself. Someone else had a video camera. They laughed and hugged each other as if they had just finished a long gruelling journey.

The man who had slapped him awake addressed the camera.

"This is Doctor Herbert Slone of the gamma radiation research society, here with my esteemed colleagues and friends."

The others smiled warmly and hugged each other as he spoke.

"Our long journey has now come to an end, we have finally found him, Doctor David Banner, renowned scientist and pioneer in the field of gamma radiation research. Yes our journey is at an end but a new chapter is just beginning. We will learn first hand the devastating effects of gamma radiation on human tissue and organs and plot a course on how best to utilise this untapped energy. At least that's what these crazy bastards are trying to do."

A cheer went up from all assembled, except of course for David who sat looking pale and tense as they celebrated around him. They didn't look particularly threatening, bearded, scientist hippies most of them but nevertheless they had him strapped to a chair and weren't going to release him any time soon. Dr Slone sounded Austrian or German, David wasn't quite sure, he seemed to be in charge so David addressed his comments to him.

"I'm not who you think I am," he began nervously.

"Please let me go."

"We can't do that Doctor Banner, we have invested a lot of time and money to find you, don't worry. You are very precious to us we will not hurt you."

"I'm not David Banner, my name is David Blackwood, I'm a janitor at Grove High School."

"As I've said, we have been looking for you a long time Dr Banner," Doctor Slone smiled patting his shoulder.