Slightly longer...typed really hurriedly, so sorry if quality isn't as good. And, I'm just going to warn you, I WAS watching Sweeney Todd right before I wrote this chapter, so I was in a rather "torture-the-Kurt" mood. I mean, I'll probably end up doing worse to him...*guilty laugh*...but still. Read and review!

David Karofsky felt his eyes slowly start to cross as he stared at his Pre-Calculus book, not comprehending a single word that passed through his head. Truth be told, he had had a hard time concentrating on anything recently, every since he had heard the news about that Kurt Hummel kid. Jesus, of all the kids to get taken, why did it have to be that one? He may have terrorized the kid, but he didn't hate him. He actually had a secret respect for the male diva; he dressed like a prissy girl, but he didn't let anything bother him.

"This is hopeless," Dave muttered, slamming the book shut and leaning back in his chair. He rubbed his hands tiredly across his eyes, and eyed the football that rested on his unmade bed. Maybe he could call up the guys and organize a game, to get his mind off of Hummel. But the second his fingers touched the ball, the phone rang.

"Karofsky residence," He said into the phone.

"David?"

"Yeah? Who is this?"

"Seriously, man? You honestly don't know?" The man's laughter was garbled and alien coming through the phone. "I mean, considering we speak pretty constantly…"

Suddenly, the voice clicked, and Dave mentally face palmed, wondering how on earth he hadn't recognized the caller earlier. "Rob!" He greeted his cousin. "Sorry, sorry, I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

"Like the homo that kissed you?"

Dave swallowed nervously. "Yeah," he said, trying his best to sound nonchalant. "The little fairy went missing, did you hear about that?"

Rob laughed again. "I did hear about that…pretty damn good timing, I'd say."

"Yeah," David said heavily.

"Listen, man, lighten up. You know what you need? A weekend vacation. Some time with your old pals, your own family."

"Sure, that sounds great," And, now that he thought about it, Dave realized it might be a good opportunity to get his mind off of the whole mess with Hummel. "Should I meet you Friday afternoon at your place?"

"Actually, Nate and I rented ourselves a nice little cabin out in the woods, with an entire refrigerator full of Bud Light. I'll email you with directions. See ya then, Dave."

"See ya." There was a click as Rob hung up, and Dave placed the phone back in its cradle. He sat heavily back down in front of the computer, waiting impatiently for his inbox to inform him of a new email. It arrived a little over a minute later, and David scanned through the directions, frowning slightly. It was way out of the way, at least forty-five minutes from the nearest signs of civilization. Oh well, he allowed, who was he to judge his cousin's preferred relaxation spot?

Kurt strained his ears in a futile attempt to listen in on Tattoo-man's conversation. All he managed were a couple words, nothing helpful to his situation. He relented with a sigh, leaning his head back against the support-pole he was tied to and closing his tired eyes. The air of the basement was murky and thick and smelled strongly of mildew.

He could feel the stare of the shorter man boring into his back, from the man's perch at the top of the stairs. The dim upstairs light poured in around him, creating an overly-dramatic silhouette. Kurt tried to subtly shift his body weight, feeling his muscles begin to cramp and lock up, but to no avail.

Footsteps on the stairs behind him caused his eyes to flutter open, and his breath to catch in his throat in several long moments of suspense. A hand landed heavily on his bicep, gripping it tightly, painfully. Kurt didn't blink or move a muscle this time.

"So," Tattoo-man's voice wasn't growling or angry this time. No, it was level, calm. He knew what he was doing. He was on familiar ground, that much Kurt was sure of. "You're a little fairy. Just a faggy little girl. Aren't you?" Kurt didn't say anything, but he felt the man's hand clench tighter around his arm. "Aren't you?" This time, his voice was more menacing, growing slightly in volume. Still, Kurt did not speak. "I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" The yell was loud and unexpected, startling in the quiet. Even more unexpected was the fist that collided swiftly and accurately with Kurt's face, knocking his head back against the metal pole. Stars swam in his vision. "Are you ready to answer?" Tattoo-man asked, his voice silky-smooth again. Kurt, head still ringing, tried to remember how to form words, but he took too long, too long. "Still not ready, I guess."

A vicious kick to the chest caused him to double over, the sickening feeling of a rib breaking catching him off-guard. The pain of the break flared and increased with each intake of air into his lungs, and he gasped haltingly for breath, screwing his eyes shut against the pain. A hand grabbed a fistful of his hair and forced his face upwards. "I asked you a question," Tattoo-man reminded him, in the same tone one would use to reprimand a small child caught in an act of mischief. "It's a simple question: yes…or no. And keep in mind, there's only one correct answer."

"…yes…" Kurt coughed out, spots starting to dance across his line of vision.

"You want something for the pain?" The question was asked in a voice that was far too innocent. Kurt knew what was coming, but still he could not prepare for the harsh blow to the back of his head. As he slowly faded into the black realm of unconsciousness, he dimly heard the voice of his captor, echoing as if he was in some sort of surreal nightmare. "There's your pain medication."

Cliffhanger? Sort of? Ah well...I tried. New chapter coming soon, and yes, at the risk of sounding like a whiny little child, please review! Reviews make me oh-so-happy!