While the Monkees got ready for their gig, something sinister was happening south of the border. In a dirty little cantina in a small village in Mexico, a large man wearing the outfit of a Mexican bandito and a wool sleeveless vest stood at the bar nursing a beer. He looked around the crowd, wondering if any of the customers had anything worth stealing.
The man frowned as he thought once again how much this was a comedown from his previous status. Just a few short years ago he was control of a little town called El Monotono. He and his band of thieves extorted protection money from the citizens and did whatever they pleased. That included forcing his attention on the lovely Angelita, whose father owned a cantina in the town.
Then those four gringos called the Monkees came to El Monotono. They played that awful rock and roll music and one of them tried to steal Angelita away from him! He took that gringo back to his hideout, but his three amigos rescued him, and when he forced a showdown, one of them named El Dolenzio faced him down.
Now, he was reduced to robbing tourists and petty thievery, with occasional jobs to smuggle drugs or guns north of the border for other banditos. Yes, it was a comedown for the bandito once known as El Diablo and he wished he could find some permanent employment.
Just then the bartender, Julio, placed a bottle of expensive wine on the bar in front of him.
"What is this?" El Diablo asked.
"A gift from that gringo sitting in the far booth in the corner." Julio replied, "He said he wants to talk to you." Julio paused then continued, "He even paid your bar tab."
El Diablo looked over at the booth, then back at Julio. "Police?"
Julio shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. I didn't see him come in, and I haven't noticed anybody suspicious. Maybe he needs a job done."
El Diablo thought that too, but he didn't last as long as he had by taking chances. He checked the gun he had hidden inside his vest, grabbed the bottle of wine and headed over to the booth.
"Come on in." A voice said from inside the booth as El Diablo approached.
El Diablo pulled away the beads in front of the booth and looked at the owner of the voice. It belonged to a white man with gray hair and wearing a black three piece suit. A black bowler hat sat on the table and a walking stick with a human skull on top leaned against the booth's back wall. A goblet with a dark red liquid inside sat on the table next to the hat.
The bandito had dealt with many bad types before, but this scene made him step back.
"Don't be afraid," The man said, "Come sit down." He indicated the bench across from him.
El Diablo did what he had been bidden, trying to read the other man's face, but getting nothing.
"I hope that wine is satisfactory." The man said, indicating the bottle El Diablo had put on the table, "It's over fifty years old."
"Yes, thank you." El Diablo said, "And thank you for paying my tab."
"It was a bit high." The man replied, "Those tequilas can be expensive. By the way, my name is Mr. Zero," Satan said, using one of his many aliases. "And I suppose you're wondering why I asked you to join me."
"You need something done." El Diablo said, "And you want it kept quiet."
"Actually, I want you to come work for me." Satan said, taking a sip from his goblet.
"As a bodyguard?" El Diablo asked, noticing that the man across from him didn't look all that tough after all.
Satan chuckled, "No, I hardly need protection. I'm setting up a little venture near the town of El Monotono and I would like someone who is familiar with the area to keep any nosy people away."
A small smile came to El Diablo's face. This was right up his alley. Still, he had to be careful he wasn't falling into a trap.
"Why me?" He asked.
Julio then arrived with a tall glass of beer. He deposited it in front of El Diablo and left.
"Your reputation proceeds you." Satan replied, "You were once a greatly feared man in that town."
"I still am." El Diablo retorted.
"Until one day those four Monkees showed up in El Monotono." Satan said.
El Diablo stiffened and slowly began to reach up for his hidden gun. "How did you know about that?"
"Oh I know a lot about you." Satan replied, "I even know you lost your woman Angelita, and please don't reach for your gun, I'm not with the police." He pulled his hand out from under the table and put El Diablo's gun next to his goblet.
El Diablo began to sweat. "How much will you pay me?" He said.
"How does five thousand pesos a year sound?" Satan replied, then leaned closer to El Diablo, "And I'll tell you where your Angelita is now."
El Diablo leaned closer to Satan, "And will you help me get revenge on those Monkees?"
"Ohh yes." Satan said, "I've also had problems with them, especially the one who called himself El Dolenzio." He lifted his glass.
"Let's drink, one El Diablo to another."
The two men clinked glasses and downed their drinks.
++++
The Red Velvet nightclub certainly lived up to its name. Upon entering the club, patrons could see that almost every surface in the club except the tabletops were covered in red velvet . It was still dark inside, but it lacked the heavy, forbidding atmosphere of Keith's Potion Club.
Once again, the rich, famous and infamous were present, drinking from red glasses. The waitresses all wore red velvet mini-dresses as they waited on customers, and the bartenders wore red velvet uniforms as well.
"What a place." Peter said, taking a peek from behind the red velvet curtain in front of the stage.
"You can say that again." Davy said, also taking a look.
"What a place." Peter said again.
Davy suppressed a sigh and walked back over to Micky and Mike.
"Looks like a full house, fellas." He said.
"That's good." Micky said, "They'll get a show tonight, right Mike?"
"What?" Mike asked. He had been idly turning the knobs on his guitar.
"We're gonna give a good show tonight, right?" Davy repeated to him.
"Yeah, right." Mike smiled.
"Mike," Micky said, coming from around his drum kit, "We all know you've got a lot of things on your mind..."
"But we need to concentrate on this gig, or we won't get asked back, and we need the money, or Babbit will throw us out of the pad," Mike interrupted, "I know all that."
"Hey guys!" Peter exclaimed, running over to them, "I think I saw someone I recognized!"
"Peter, this place is full of famous people." Davy chided.
"No, this is different." Peter said, but before he could continue, the manager, Mr. Vantine, came over to them.
"Ready, gentlemen? Our guests don't like to be kept waiting."
"We're ready, sir." Mike said.
The Monkees got into their positions, as the manager came through the curtain.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to introduce one of the hottest new acts around...The Monkees!"
There was a roar of applause as the curtain opened. Sitting near the front of the stage was Elizabeth and Darlene.
Mike started playing a fast opening guitar rift, followed by the others and began to sing:
"Circle sky, telling lies.
Here I stand, at demand,
And it looks like we made it once again,
Yes, it looks like we made it once again.
Not a sound, all way around.
Wingtip smile, sees for miles.
And it looks like we made it once again
Yes, it looks like we made it once again!
It's a very extraordinary scene, to those who don't understand,
But what you have seen you must believe,
If you can, if you can.
Hamilton, smiling down.
Telling more than before.
And it looks like we made it once again
Yes, it looks like we made it to the end!
After doing several more songs, the guys took a break. Peter put down his guitar, to go over to the person he had seen earlier. She was one of the waitresses and she had just put drinks on a table when he walked over. Peter tapped her on the shoulder.
"Hello, Angelita." He smiled.
The girl turned to look at him and her face lit up.
"Peter!" She exclaimed, kissing him on the cheek. "It's so good to see you again. I was wondering if one of you amigos would recognize me!"
"I saw you from behind the curtain, but I wanted to make sure it was you before I told the others." Peter replied. "What brings you to California?"
"There was no future for me in El Monotono." Angelita said, shaking her head, "My Papa has relatives near here so I came to study at UCLA."
"Hey!" A man with a British accent shouted from behind Angelita, "You gonna get another drink for me, or tell your life story?"
"I'm sorry, sir." Angelita said, then said to Peter. "I'm going on break soon, I'll talk to you then."
"Okay." Peter said, then looked over at the man who yelled at Angelita.
To his complete shock, it was the same man Peter had bumped into at the restaurant the week before!
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
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