"Oh, I'm sorry miss…" Micky trailed off. The person he had just bumped into was a young lady with dark shoulder-length hair. Tanya the gypsy.
"That's alright, it was my fault." Tanya replied, then noticed the look on Micky's face. "Is something wrong?" She asked.
"I remember you now." Micky said, pointing at her. "You were with that group of gypsies that kidnapped my friends and I." He took a step away from her.
Tanya pretended to be shocked a moment, then gave Micky a quizzical look. "Oh, yes, that's right. You're Micky of the Monkees, correct?"
"Correct." Micky replied shortly, "What are you up to now? Going to kidnap someone else?"
Tanya was seething inside but gave Micky a sad smile.
"No, Micky. After my Aunt Maria and her sons were arrested, I found work here in a traveling circus. I've turned over a new leaf as the _expression goes."
Micky smirked. "Yeah, you should be in that minimum security clubhouse with your Aunt and cousins."
"That's in the past, Micky." Tanya replied, trying to keep her cool. This pigeon was smarter than the last one. She took his hand. "Why don't you come back with me to my tent and have some tea?"
Micky gave her a short laugh. The last time he drank tea with a gypsy he had been knocked unconscious. He pulled his hand away from hers. "Have a nice life, Tanya." He began to walk away.
Tanya called after him sadly. "Too bad you can't forgive me like Peter did."
As Tanya hoped, the mention of Peter brought Micky up short. He walked back to her.
"You were talking to Peter?" He demanded.
Tanya nodded. "Yes, he and I and a nice conversation. He's let bygones be bygones."
"Peter is sometimes too soft-hearted for his own good." Micky fumed. "Where is he now?"
"Probably near my tent." Tanya replied. "He was talking to the other side show acts the last I saw him." She pointed in the direction of her tent.
Micky began to walk in that direction. Tanya walked a little behind him, a secret smile on her face. They soon entered an area where there were attractions and tents on both sides of the trail; the Human Skeleton, the Bearded Lady and the Siamese Twins were just a few of the things Micky looked at, but no Peter.
Micky stopped and began to call Peter's name. As luck would have it, Micky stopped just outside Maria's tent.
"Peter!" Micky called out. "Hey, Pete!"
There was no answer. Micky was getting angry and began to wonder if Tanya was just leading him on. The young gypsy stood in the entrance to the tent and called over to him.
"Micky, he's in here." Tanya said.
Without thinking, Micky quickly walked into the darkened tent.
Inside was a table, two chairs, a crystal ball and a lit candle: but no Peter. Micky looked around, but it was too dark outside the candle's light to see anything.
"Well? Where is he?" Micky asked Tanya.
Just then he began to hear a muffled sound, like a groan. Tanya picked up a flashlight from the ground and began to shine it where the sound came from. A second later, the flashlight shown on a bound and gagged Peter lying on the ground, he was awake and there was clear terror in his eyes. Micky spun on Tanya.
"What game are you playing here, Tanya?" He demanded angrily.
"A game you Monkee pigeons are going to lose." Another female voice answered.
Suddenly, Micky was bombarded with lit flashlights shining in his face, blinding him. He put his arms up to ward off the glare.
Micky was just barely able to see Maria standing in front of him.
Before Micky could say anything, strong hands pulled his arms away from his face and Maria threw a handful of white powder at his head. Micky began to cough as his legs began to buckle. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
Maria chuckled. "Two down, two to go!"
"This one wasn't as stupid as the first, Aunt Maria." Tanya said sullenly, "I almost didn't get him here."
"But you did, and that's good." Maria said with a wide smile. She looked at her watch. "The circus will close soon, and the other two Monkees might become suspicious. So hurry. We'll take care of him." Maria pointed at the unconscious Micky. Tanya nodded and left the tent.