Kiko stopped the truck near the middle of the clearing. Maria's other sons quickly got out and started a campfire, placing it so that the truck would be between the fire and the trailers, making it hard for anyone there to spot. Next, the Monkees were pulled out of the truck, the tarps removed from them and they forced to sit on the ground against the truck. As it happened, they were placed in the same order as the last time; left to right, Mike, Davy, Micky and Peter.
Tanya brought out some lamb chops, stuck metal pokers through them and placed them on the fire to cook. When they were done, Maria brought over a small bottle of wine and the five of them settled down to a joyful meal, totally ignoring their captives. Soon the lamb chops and wine were gone and Maria stood up and walked over to the Monkees. Marco made sure the pokers were placed back in the fire before he joined his mother.
"Seems like old times, doesn't it boys?" Maria smiled. She turned to Marco. "Take off their gags. We're too far away for anyone to hear ."
Marco walked over to the Monkees and roughly ripped off their gags.
The four men inhaled deeply, glad to finally be able to breath properly for the first time in hours.
"How did you escape from jail, Maria?" Davy demanded.
"Does it really matter now?" Maria said with a shrug. "The fact is that we're free and it's time to renew our `partnership'."
"You want us to steal for you again?" Micky asked.
"Oh, you boys will do much more than that this time around." Maria chuckled. "You will join our gypsy group. You will travel with us. Do whatever we tell you. Play our gypsy music. Help yourselves to others' belongings." She paused. "Or you will die."
"You didn't learn from before, did you?" Mike asked. "You tried to make us steal for you and look what happened!"
"My mistake was not keeping Peter at our camp." Maria retorted, "So Tanya could kill him if we didn't return from Madam Rantha's house. That will not happen again!"
Peter had been held outside Madam Rantha's house and was almost stabbed to death when the Maltese Falcon literally had been dropped into his hands. But to cover for the theft, Maria was obliged to play the Good Samaritan and pretend her and her sons were retrieving it from the Monkees. Marco looked hopefully at his mother. "Hot poker, mama?"
Maria smiled and nodded her head. Marco walked over and pulled a hot poker out of the fire and once again stood next to Maria. "Now, mama?" He asked.
"Now, Marco!" Maria proclaimed. Marco began to walk towards the Monkees.
"Wait!" Mike shouted, "We'll work for you! We'll help you once again, Maria!"
But this time, Marco didn't stop. He kept walking over to Mike.
"No, stop!" Mike said, beginning to panic. "We said we'd work for you Maria!"
"I heard you, Monkee." Maria said evilly. "But it is time to face gypsy vengeance! Help your brother out my sons!"
Zeppo and Kiko ran over to Mike, pulled him to his feet and bent him over the open tailgate of the truck. Rocco ripped open the back of Mike's shirt. Mike struggled, but was held tight by the two gypsies.
"No, don't do that to him!" Peter begged as Davy and Micky looked on in terror.
But Marco simply walked over and placed the tip of the hot poker on Mike's bare back. He screamed in pain. Marco lifted the poker off Mike's back and placed the tip on another spot. Mike howled in agony and struggled to get away, but Marco applied to poker again and again to Mike's back. Finally, he was done, and Mike was simply tossed to the ground. Marco stuck the poker back into the fire.
"Let me do the next one, Marco." Rocco told him.
"Be my guest." Marco smiled.
Rocco picked up another poker and walked toward Davy.
"No, please no!" Davy begged, trying to move away. "I'll help you, we'll all help you!"
But he too was picked up and bent over the truck's tailgate. Marco ripped open the back of Davy's shirt.
Rocco calmly place the tip of the poker on Davy's back, holding it there until Davy shrieked. Finally, Rocco tired of the game and walked away, and let Marco and Zeppo throw Davy on the ground next to Mike.
"My turn now!" Zeppo laughed. He picked up another poker. Micky eyes grew wide in terror as he realized he was next.
He frantically pulled on his bonds, but he was tied tight.
"NO, let me GO!" Micky yelled as he was yanked to his feet and bent over the truck's tailgate.
Kiko ripped open Micky's shirt and held him down as Zeppo put the hot poker on Micky's back. The drummer howled in pain as the poker was touched to his back again and again. Finally, he too was tossed to the ground next to his moaning band mates.
Kiko now picked up a hot poker and advanced on Peter. The Monkees' bass player was crying and tried to shrink back against the truck, but he too was picked up, dragged over and bent over the truck's tailgate. Kiko smirked as Peter screamed as the hot poker burned his back. Eventually, he too was tossed to the ground next to the other three Monkees.
The gypsies watched for a while as their captives squirmed on the ground. Finally, Maria looked at her sons and niece.
"What shall we do to our Monkee pigeons next?" She asked.
"We can't hurt them too much, Aunt Maria, if they are going to be of any use to us." Tanya remarked.
Kiko snorted. "You did not spend year in jail being taunted for your accent, cousin." He said, "They must suffer more."
"What do you suggest, my son?" Maria asked. Kiko simply walked over to the truck and brought over a sack. He opened it and pulled out an object. Everyone, including the Monkees, could see it was a whip.
Maria chuckled evilly. "Very good, Kiko. Do it!"
"Let's tie them to trees first!" Kiko exclaimed.
His brothers agreed and dragged the four Monkees over to the trees that ringed the clearing. Their hands were untied and pulled to the front, and then tied to the trunks of the trees.
"Please, no more." Peter moaned.
But the gypsies didn't answer him. When they were done tying the Monkees, they took turns cracking the whip against their backs.
Finally, even Maria became concerned that their screams might be heard and told her sons to halt. Marco, Rocco, Kiko and Zeppo untied the Monkees and they collapsed to the ground. Maria walked over to them.
"Yes, boys, this is just the beginning of your servitude to us. When we get back to the trailer, we will start to instruct you on your duties."
None of the Monkees answered her. It was doubtful they could have.
Maria's four sons wrapped their captives in the tarps once again while Tanya doused the fire. The Monkees were tossed back onto the truck and soon everyone was on their way back to the circus. Once back with the circus trailers, the Monkees were transported into the gypsies' trailer while Kiko returned the truck. Most of the other trailers were dark and nobody took notice of what was happening.
Since it was late, the gypsies decided to go to sleep and deal with their captives in the morning. The Monkees were left wrapped in the tarps, heads uncovered but gagged, while the gypsies went to sleep.
Nobody made a move to give their captives any food or drink, nor any treatment for their pain. So the Monkees spent the night in pain and fear, wondering what would happen next.