You come to ...

You groggily regain consciousness as something is being forced between your teeth. You feel it being buckled tightly into place and realize with dread that it's a ball gag. And not a small one.

You are lying on your stomach, on the ground. The guard who overpowered you steps into view after seeing to your gag. Footsteps behind you tell you that the two of you now have company.

You try to move, but find it impossible. You glance over your shoulder, confirming your suspicions, you've been zipped into a hogtie. A second guard, identical to the first, stands beside a sleek black electric cart with a small truck bed. They stare down at your bare feet. What happened to your shoes and socks?

"They just attacked you?" Asks the guard beside the cart.

"Yeah," responds the other guard, "I was just doing my rounds. They dove out of the brush and tackled me."

The second guard came around, kneeling beside your face. "Now why would they do that?"

You narrow your eyes indignantly, but realize there's no point in trying to talk, especially with this mouth-filling gag in place.

"We'll know soon enough," answered the guard that overpowered you. "Ms. Featherton's Auditors always get to the bottom of things."

"Indeed," replies the second guard absently. You realize they're staring at your feet and your pulse quickens.

"But the Auditors have been so busy ..." The guard stands up, and walks slowly out of view behind you. "Maybe we should save them the trouble, and do our own audit."