"Mike how'd you ever manage to get us a gig in a place as classy as this?" Micky asked in awe.
"I have my ways," Mike answered confidently.
In all honesty, it was pure luck. Mike happened to overhear a conversation by a man that needed a new musical act last minute for a jewel and art auction. He offered their services and the rest was history. Although, Mike wasn't going to admit that it was that easy.
"Well, now that we have a break," Peter stated, "I'm dying to go look around at all this great stuff!"
"All this stuff we would never be able to afford in our lifetime," Davy pointed out.
Micky put his arm around Davy. "That's part of the fun! Haven't you ever heard of window shopping?"
"You all can go on ahead," Mike said. "I think I'm going to go talk to the curator about payment."
"I'll go with you," Davy said before being accosted by Peter and pulled in another direction.
"Come on it'll be fun!"
"Famous last words," Davy complained following along.
Davy strolled along as Peter gawked at the paintings and sculptures. He couldn't help but smile at his friend's wide eyed wonderment.
"Aren't these magnificent?" Peter breathed.
"You know I've never really understood paintings like these. I mean the facial features are all wrong."
Peter turned to Davy. "It's a Picasso. That's kind of his thing."
Davy shrugged. And wandered over to a display case that Micky was pressing his nose against.
"Be careful! All we need is for you to break something."
"Look at all these priceless gems!"
Davy glanced at the starting bid cards next to each item. "Yeah priceless," he said sarcastically.
"Think of how much this entire room is actually worth."
"Probably more than anything we will ever come in contact with again," Davy joked.
He continued to amble around the space. He had to admit that there was a certain beauty behind all the glitz and glamour. He stopped by a water fountain near a coat check to take a drink.
"Alright boys, this is it. In a few minutes the plan goes into action."
Davy paused for a moment. He peeked around the corner to see five men plotting in the coat room. He pressed his back against the wall, covered his mouth with his hand, and continued to listen.
"We set off the fire alarm emptying out the building, and then we tamper with the lock system of the building."
"Why would we want to do that, boss?"
"Because then we are locked in the building with all this loot. We scavenge the place and make out like bandits!"
"We are bandits though!"
Davy's eyes widened. Those crooks were going to steal all the gems and art from the auction. He had to warn the others so that they could do something to stop this before it happened. He started to carefully slink away from the wall and he ran into something.
"Can I help you with something?"
It was one of the crooks from the coat room. Davy was shaken to his core. Did they know he was there and had heard everything?
"Just over here getting a drink, you know," he stumbled and laughed nervously.
"You sure that's all?" another came around the corner and asked accusingly.
"Davy there you are!" Mike came from behind and pulled Davy away. "Come on it's time to play."
Davy looked back and all five men had exited the coat room and were watching him. He was nervous but knew that he had to tell what he had heard.
"Mike, I need to tell you something important."
"Can it wait? We need to start playing before we get in trouble."
"You don't understand, Mike," Davy looked back and noticed one crook had stayed behind and was watching him from afar. He assumed the others were following through with the plan. "I overheard something."
"Was it about our playing? I knew that we should have changed the set list."
"No, it's about the auction. Someone is going to rob…"
Just then the fire alarms began to sound. There was a mad dash of patrons to the doors. Mike began ushering the band towards the doors as well. He was dragging Davy along by the sleeve. Davy managed to wretch away and ran into a hiding spot behind one of the gem displays.
"Peter! Micky! We have to go back for Davy!" Mike yelled over the screaming alarm.
The three followed through the chaos to reach Davy. As they got down beside him the alarm stopped and all the doors to the outside slammed shut.
"What are-mmmph…"
Davy covered Mike's mouth with his hand. He put his other finger to his lips to secure quiet from everyone. The three sat in still silence, when they saw the five crooks emerge from different places.
"Okay fellas, the place emptied out without a hitch. Did you secure the locks so that no one can get in?"
"Sure did, boss."
"Alright, let's get to work collecting the riches and slip out before anyone is the wiser."
"What about that kid from earlier?"
Davy gulped.
"I'm sure he left with everyone else and I don't think he'd be able to pin it on us if anyone is willing to listen."
The other three looked at Davy. He motioned for them to move to another location where they could talk more freely.
"What the hell?" Micky started.
"I overheard those guys talking about this plot to create a diversion and then steal everything here."
"So you decided that it was in our best interest to stick around?" Micky asked.
"We had to do something."
"Wouldn't it have made more sense to tell the cops what was going on!" Mike exclaimed.
"I agree with Davy. We have to do something," Peter said.
"That should tell you all you need to know about this plan, Peter agrees," Micky said rolling his eyes.
"What do you propose we do, Tiny?" Mike wondered.
"I hadn't thought that far ahead. I say that we throw a wrench in their plans by taking the stolen items from them and hiding them ourselves."
"And what makes you think we will be able to do that successfully and that they won't catch us and kill us!" Micky demanded.
"Because good prevails over evil," Peter spoke up.
"Listen I don't know what's going to happen but we have to try. Look they are filling up bags with gems. I say when they are close to being done we run out and grab the bags and make a run for the employee locker room we kept our stuff in. Then we lock up the gems. They'll never find them there," Davy explained.
"What if they catch one of us?" Mike was concerned.
"What are they going to do?" Davy asked.
"I don't know and I don't want to find out," Micky whispered. "I'm outta here!"
He tried to pull an emergency exit door in the room. It was locked.
"On second thought, maybe we lay low."
Mike sighed. "Alright, we're really going to go through with this we all have to make sure we understand the plan. Run out there everyone grab a bag, they should be easy to get because we will catch those crooks off guard. Then run to the locker room, stash the stuff, and be prepared to run more and follow my lead. Got it?"
Everyone nodded.
"Okay, they look to be about done," Mike whispered. "On my count. 1, 2, 3…GO!"
The guys rushed out and slipped the bags easily out of the crooks hands.
"Hey!"
The crooks began chasing the quartet as they made several twists and turns down different hallways eventually ending up in the designated spot. They threw the bags into a locker and turned the key, which Mike placed in his pocket.
"Let's get going! I think we lost them at a turn, but I'm sure they'll figure it out soon enough," Peter instructed.
Everyone followed Mike up a flight of stairs to find a vacant room to hide in. They turned a corner and saw the crooks at the other end of the hall.
"There they go!" one yelled.
The Monkees turned around and began running. Mike noticed a secluded door and turned the knob as he pulled the person nearest to him inside and they followed suit.
"I think we lost them. I don't hear anyone running anymore," Micky said catching his breath.
"We can't hide here forever I'm sure they'll come looking eventually. We have to figure out the next move," Mike asserted.
"What do you think Davy, this was your idea?" Peter asked.
He looked over his shoulder and Davy was nowhere to be found. The three turned in circles but there was no sign of him.
"Oh no we lost him!" Peter cried.
"Maybe he just went another way to cause confusion," Micky offered.
"I sure hope that's what happened…"
Davy struggled. He was running and then the next thing he knew someone had grabbed his arms and lifted him off the ground. The crooks had caught him and they were holding onto him tightly and covering his mouth.
"Let's take him down to the boss," one of them said gruffly.
Davy was kicking and wriggling around trying to get loose, but it was no use. These guys were too strong for him. He felt fear set in. He was captured and didn't know what would be in store for him now.
The crooks had brought him back down to where the incident had begun. The person holding him had set him down and now two crooks were on either side of him holding his arms.
"Let go of me!"
The man Davy recognized as the boss cam strolling up to him. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the kid that we met earlier today."
Davy felt his stomach constrict.
"I knew that you were going to be trouble, kid. Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?"
"A bunch of lowdown, dirty crooks," Davy spat.
"Ouch," the boss said smiling. "Allow me to introduce myself; I'm Anthony Antonelli, the leader of this ragtag bunch of misfits. Together we are known as the greatest jewel thieves around."
"Obviously not that great since you've been bested by some teenagers!" Davy taunted.
"This one's got a lot of spunk, I like that. It makes it more satisfying when I wear him down."
"Wear me down for what?"
"You're going to tell me where you and your little friends took my jewels."
"I'm not going to tell you anything!" Davy asserted.
Antonelli came closer. "Oh, I think you will. I have my ways. Boys, take him to the room."
The two of the goons pinned Davy's arms behind his back and shoved him along down the hall.
"You two, let the others ones know we mean business."
Mike paced around the room. The remaining three Monkees and searched rooms nearby looking for Davy with no luck.
"He couldn't have gone far since we didn't go far," Micky concluded.
"Well that only leaves one explanation…" Peter trailed off fearfully.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps coming down the hall. They hid behind some furniture and remained quiet.
"Listen kids," one of the crooks yelled down the hallway, "we've got your friend. If you want him to be okay then you'll bring us the jewels. Otherwise he's going to pay the penalty."
They heard the crooks walk away and slunk out of their hiding places.
"Oh no Davy!" Peter exclaimed. "What do you think they are going to do to him?"
"I don't know, but we have to go save him," Mike declared.
"The trouble is we don't know where he's at. This place is enormous," Micky said defeated.
"Well there's no one else here," Mike explained, "so we'd be able to hear movements and talking easily. Now we heard the crooks come and go in that direction, so we will head that way."
Davy sat spread out of a chaise lounge. His back was tied to the back of the lounge with his wrists tied in front of him and his knees tied to the lounge and ankles were also secured with ropes. He struggled against his bindings with no luck. He couldn't call out for help since he had a gag in his mouth. He was extremely nervous. He didn't know what those crooks were going to do to him since he wouldn't tell them what they wanted to know.
The door opened and the remaining crooks filed back in.
"Did you deliver the message?" Antonelli inquired.
"Sure did, boss."
"Good, the others will surely come looking for you. Then I will have you all to tell me where you hid the jewels. Though, I'm feeling generous today. I'm going to give you one last chance to tell me yourself."
The boss motioned and one of the crooks took the gag out of Davy's mouth.
"I'll never talk!"
A sinister smile spread across Antonelli's face. "Oh kid, I have ways of making you talk."
Fear clutched Davy's chest. "What are you going to do to me?" He cursed himself for sounding scared.
Antonelli chuckled at the question. "Well I can't very well kill you because I need information. Never been the type to rough a guy up either. I dabble in the kind of torture that will loosen any tongue just to make it to stop."
Davy gulped. He didn't know what that meant and he was afraid to find out.
"Jimmy, remove the kid's shoes for me."
Davy's face contorted in confusion as his shoes were removed and his bare feet exposed. Davy wiggled his toes with uncertainty and was having a difficult time catching his breath.
Antonelli handed something over to one of his henchman. "Johnny go work our friend over. No need to put the gag back in I need to hear him beg…and laugh. How ticklish are you, kid?"
Davy looked on in fear. He honestly had no idea. No one had tickled him since he was a kid when his sisters would gang up on him to get him to do things for them. Surely being that ticklish was something you outgrew, right? Davy didn't have to wait long to find out. He watched as the crook waved a soft, stiff looking white feather in front of his face. He went to the edge of the chaise lounge in front of Davy's naked soles and began to brush them softly with the feather.
Davy squirmed and tried to get away. It was no use though the ropes were tied too tightly. He bit his lip hard to not give Antonelli the satisfaction of hearing him laugh. He wasn't going to last too long with that though, he came to discover that he was very ticklish and couldn't take it.
"What's a matter, kid? Your lip looks worse for wear. Johnny, kick it up a notch."
The crook began to speed up his movements and twist and twirl the feather on Davy's feet. Davy couldn't keep his laughter inside anymore and began nervous laughter.
"Good that's what I like to hear. Only thing that would make it better would be some begging. You're at our mercy now."
"You'll-nneverrrr-breakkk-mmme," Davy gasped between giggles.
"I don't think so, kid. See we can do this all day and I don't think you can handle this for that long."
The crook continued his movements insufferably. He would change tactics to painfully slow movements on one foot at a time to feverish swipes across both feet. Once Davy would feel like he was getting used to the torment, the tactic would change up. The feather was large enough that it could tortuously tickle both feet fully at the same time. Davy continued laughing but was not going to break and beg or tell them where the gems were. The suffering lasted for what seemed like hours before Antonelli spoke again.
"Had enough, kid?"
Davy heaved breaths in trying to regain his composure. "I had enough before you started."
"Ready to talk yet?"
"No," Davy said defiantly.
"Okay, you asked for it. Jimmy, go help out Johnny over there."
Davy watched as Antonelli handed his goon two smaller and equally dangerous looking gray feathers. Jimmy handed Johnny one and kept the other for himself. They sat on opposite sides of Davy's feet and began working the feathers up and down his soles. While one would be working up and down his arches, the other would be focusing on his toes. It was more agonizing then before. Davy's laughter permeated the room.
Antonelli rubbed his hands together menacingly. "How are things going now?"
"Nnnoo mmmmooorrre," Davy begged. "I cannn't ssssstanddd itttt!"
"Well, you know what you gotta do to make it stop. Tell me what I need to know."
"Never!" Davy squirmed and let out long loud bouts of laughter.
Mike, Micky, and Peter collapsed onto the tile floor.
"We've been up and down the first and second floor and there's no sign of him anywhere!" Micky bellowed.
"You don't think they took him to another location do you?" Peter asked.
Mike shook his head. "There's no way. The jewels they want are here, there would be no reason to go elsewhere."
"We've looked everywhere though…" Micky said.
He was interrupted by some noises coming from a stairwell. Mike put his fingers to his lips and the three listened. They heard laughter coming from the basement. They looked at each other quizzically wondering what the laughter was about.
"I can't take it anymore!" they heard a familiar British accent squeal.
Followed by: "You're going to suffer the consequences, kid. You'll be sorry!"
"I already am…sorry," Davy giggled out.
"DAVY!" all three yelled at the same time and made their way down the stairs.
They snuck into a room labelled storage room and hide behind a shelving unit. They all looked on to see what was happening. They viewed a tied up Davy getting his feet tickled by two crooks with feathers. The laughter was almost sickening to hear and they all looked away.
"They are trying to torture the information out of him," Mike stated.
"What do we do?" Peter asked nervously.
Any planning was interrupted by Antonelli speaking.
"Alright boys, that's enough for now. I think the kid has come to his senses," Antonelli walked towards Davy and got close to his face. "I'll ask you again. Where are my jewels?"
Davy breathed in and out heavily. There was no way he could endure anymore tickle torture. "Alright, I'll talk."
"Where are they?" he yelled.
"In the employee locker room."
Mike slapped his forehead with his hand. "They wore him down."
"What do you expect? Would you have been able to handle that?" Micky inquired.
"I don't know, but I do know I have a plan. Come on!"
"I knew I'd break you, kid."
"Now that you've got your information, let me go!"
Antonelli grabbed Davy's chin. "Oh no sweetheart, you're coming with us. I can't trust that you gave me the right information. I need you for collateral. Plus those friends of yours are still lurking around."
Davy tensed up as the crooks untied his shoulders, knees, and ankles. He still wasn't safe and even if the crooks got what they wanted it still didn't mean they'd let him go. They may want to torture him more and eventually kill him. The crooks roughly picked him up and led him barefoot out of the storage room with his wrists still bound and the gag back in his mouth.
"I sure hope this works, Mike," Micky said skeptically. "I'd hate for them to keep torturing Davy."
"That's just it they won't get to because we'll steal him back."
The guys had taken all the gems out of the bags and hidden them in another place. They filled the bags with bars of soap hoping that the crooks wouldn't look in the bags. Then they would snatch Davy away and try to find an exit.
They heard shuffling coming from the right and went into the next row of lockers as not to be seen. They saw Davy being drug in with a goon at each side holding his arms. It was going to be harder to get him free than they thought. Mike had strategically left the locker key in the lock so it could be open.
"Alright kid, which on is it?"
Davy pointed his tied hands towards the locker. He noticed that the key was already inside which meant that the guys were closer to him than he knew. Antonelli took the bags out and handed them to the others. The crooks let go of Davy to grab the bags and Davy started to make a run for it.
"Boss, he's getting away!"
Mike, Micky, and Peter caught up to Davy and pulled the gag out of his mouth.
"Let him, we don't need him anymore. Since we've got the…" Antonelli looked in the bag and realized the switch. "After them!"
The reunited quartet ducked into a janitor's closet. Peter untied Davy's wrists. Davy rubbed his raw skin.
"Where have you guys been?"
"Looking for you!" Micky said louder than he meant to.
"What happened back there?"
"We may have switched the gems for soap," Mike answered.
"Where are your shoes?" Peter asked.
"It's a long story. Look they are going to find us again and trust me you don't want them to find you."
"I think we are already well aware of what they're capable of," Mike stated.
"Yeah Babe, are you okay?"
"I will be, but we have to get out of here!"
They heard a commotion going on outside of the closet.
"Freeze Antonelli Gang! Nobody move! We've got this place surrounded!"
"It's the cops!" Peter said with relief.
"They must have found a way to break the locks after all this time," Mike commented.
The Monkees emerged from the closet to see the crooks being handcuffed. Antonelli noticed them and tried to divert the attention.
"Officer it wasn't us! It was those kids. We were trying to stop them!"
"Tell it to the judge," the cop said as he led him away.
Another officer approached the group. "What are you all doing here?"
"Long story, sir," Mike explained. "But we have been trying to stop them getting away with the pieces here. We've hid the gems over here."
The band members gave their statements to police and were sent on their way. In the car, the group reflected on how lucky they were to have gotten out alive.
"Remind me not to pull a stunt like that again," Davy said.
"Don't have ask me twice, Tiny," Mike agreed.
"Here are your shoes, Davy."
"Thanks Peter. I don't wish that type of torment on my worst enemy."
"Was it really that bad? I mean it was just tickling," Micky asked.
Davy took a swipe at him knowing that the drummer was joking. "All I know is that I'm done with excitement for a while."