Author's Note: I'm going to test the waters and start writing again thanks to the support and love of my two beautiful friends and hopefully fans, Di and Mhairi. Because of that, this is dedicated to both of them. This will be set in a present era cause for what I want to do it's hard to write for 60s tech. Hopefully you won't feel much of a difference though. Also, I reuse some names I've already used in the past, but I just love them so much, so sorry if it causes any confusion, but hopefully not.
Chapter 1: Unearthing Secrets
Somewhere outside of Phoenix, Arizona in a deserted patch of dirt, dozens of men were working by moonlight. A campfire glowed nearby to keep the coyotes and javelinas away from their camp site. The men were gathered around a freshly dug hole in the ground, whispering to each other despite the isolation; their boss was nearby and he had very good hearing.
"I don't understand what we're doing out here," said a blonde haired man. "Why do we have to dig at night?"
"So someone doesn't see us," a brunette answered.
"It's pitch fucking black out here," a man with long sandy hair said. "Who's gonna see us? The damn coyotes will eat us out here pretty soon."
"Then I guess you had better hurry up and find what I asked you to find," said a fourth man with short brown hair emerging from a nearby tent. "I don't pay you to complain. I pay you to dig."
"Yes, sir," the blonde said digging the shovel into the ground once more. He knew they'd been out here days already digging holes and filling them in when they found nothing. He wasn't sure what his boss expected him to find, but the secrecy and urgency suggested it was something important. They'd been promised riches if they found it. Though he wasn't sure what "it" was. All the boss said was that it was something buried deep in the desert. He knew cowboys often buried their treasure out here, so maybe he'd get a cut of the profits from finding such a booty.
Within fifteen minutes, he noticed the air around them had fallen deadly silent. The coyotes stopped howling, the owls stopped hooting. Even the wind stopped blowing. He stopped for a moment to look around. The men working with him noticed, too. He dug his shovel into the ground once more and heard a strong metallic "ting" as it struck something. They'd found something. The three men dropped down into the four foot hole they'd dug and started brushing off dirt. A small metallic box with strange carvings etched into the side seemed to glow as he reached out to touch it. It felt warm under his fingers. He saw a latch on the front of the box and moved to open it, hoping to catch even a glimpse of the treasure locked inside.
When his fingers met the latch, however, a strong gust of wind seemed to emanate from the box blowing some sort of sand and dirt at him. At first it seemed a nuisance, but then he realized his flesh was burning. The three men screamed in agony while their boss backed away from the spot he stood above them, escaping the blast engulfing them.
"I found it," the man said over the screams of the dying men. "I finally found it."
Mike Nesmith watched his friend down on the beach from the room they shared on the second floor of the Pad. They had a large and beautiful beach house they could barely afford, but Mike would never want to leave it. Too many good memories. Down below, his friend Micky Dolenz sat on the beach watching the waves roll in. He was sullen this time of year and Mike knew why. It was a secret only the two of them shared. They hadn't told their friends Davy Jones or Peter Tork who were now slowly walking towards Micky holding a box. Mike often felt they were outright lying to their best friends, but knew he just couldn't tell them the truth. They had to lie by omission. To protect them.
"Hey, Micky," Peter said sitting down next to Micky on the sand.
"We got you a little something," Davy said handing the box to Micky.
"Why?" Micky asked looking at it with confusion.
"Because even though you never tell us why, we know you always get sad this time of year," Davy smiled.
"Not that you have to tell us," Peter added. "We just want you to feel better." Mike smiled to himself. They'd been friends nearly 3 years now, and each year they grew closer together. Mike saw these two men as his little brothers. Just like he saw Micky as his little brother long before he had met Peter and Davy.
"You guys didn't have to do that," Micky said. "I'm fine."
"I disagree," Davy said. "For about a week every year this time of year ever since we've known you, you're distant and always look really sad."
"We're your friends and we want to help you," Peter added.
"Thanks," Micky smiled. Mike knew no gift in the world could make his friend feel better. Mike had been trying for years. Nothing got through to him. Micky opened the box and pulled out a brand new pair of drumsticks.
"We know you don't need them, but we wanted you to have them anyway," Peter smiled. Peter's smile was infectious. Even from all the way up here, Mike smiled seeing the happiness on his friend's face. Micky smiled too, though it wasn't as bright as it usually was.
"Thanks, guys," Micky said putting the sticks back in the box. "I appreciate it, but you guys don't have to do things for me. I'm fine."
"Really?" Davy asked skeptically.
"Yes," Micky lied. "I'm gonna go for a walk if you don't mind. I just wanna think about some things."
"Ok," Peter said. "We'll put this on the counter." Micky nodded and stood up. He offered each of them a smile before starting down the beach. Mike's curiosity was peaked. For years, Micky had often disappeared at night. The sun was just beginning to set and Mike wanted to know what Micky was doing; where he was disappearing to so often. So he slipped on a jacket, shoes and grabbed his hat before quietly slipping out the front door. He spotted Micky pretty quickly, who had just driven down the street on one of the little mopeds they used for getting around short distances. Mike had the keys for the bright red Monkeemobile in his pocket and decided to follow in that. Micky might notice the band's car behind him, so Mike was very discreet and stayed a good distance behind. Luckily Micky never seemed to look back.
Following his friend like this felt like a betrayal, but he didn't know what else to do to help his friend. He needed to figure out what Micky was doing and where he was going if he had any hope of offering any kind of emotional help. Micky hadn't gone very far when he parked the moped outside a little building Mike had never been too. Reading the sign, Mike didn't want to go inside. He knew what Micky was doing here and he didn't need to see it. Mike sighed and waited in the car, parking it next to the moped. Not sure of how to deal with this, but he knew he had to confront Micky. Of all the things Micky could be doing, going here was the most unhealthy. When Micky finally emerged half an hour later, Mike got out of the car and leaned against it, arms crossed across his chest.
"Nice walk?" Mike asked when Micky approached. Micky must not have seen him because he jumped a little.
"Don't do that…" Micky started. "What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same thing," Mike said. "A strip club? That'd be the last place I'd think you'd ever go."
"You followed me?" Micky asked.
"Micky, you think this is ok?" Mike asked ignoring the question.
"I really don't care," Micky said. "It's my business and it's my life."
"If this is how you're dealing with this...Micky, it's not healthy!" Mike said getting a little angry. He was already angry at Micky for being here, but he had told himself for half an hour in the car Micky didn't know how else to cope.
"Stay out of this," Micky said. "Don't you ever follow me again." Before Mike could say anything else, Micky got on his moped and sped off. Mike wasn't sure what he should do now, but he knew someone who might be able to help him. He was supposed to meet her tonight anyway.
An hour later he was sitting in a hotel room waiting for her to show up. It was dark by now and she liked to move at night. When she slipped her key in the lock that he'd left at the front office for her, he stood up to greet her. Butterflies flied around his stomach when he saw her. Beautiful chestnut hair draped perfectly around her pale face accentuating her features and beautiful brown eyes. She smiled at him and neither said a word to each other as they moved to kiss. The butterflies in his stomach seemed satisfied as they calmed down.
"We need to talk," Mike said, regrettably pushing her away.
"Really?" she asked running her fingers across his chest. "I haven't seen you in a month and you want to talk?"
"It's Micky," Mike sighed sitting back down on the bed.
"What about him?" she asked looking concerned now.
"I followed him to a strip club tonight," Mike answered. "He's not dealing with this very well."
"A strip club?" she asked incredulously.
"I have to tell him," Mike said.
"You can't do that," she answered. "You know as well as I do what will happen if you tell him."
"Is that really any worse than what he's doing to himself right now!?" Mike snapped.
"He's alive right now," she said. "You tell him any of this, he won't be."
"I can't keep lying to him," Mike said.
"I only need a little more time, Mike," she said. "Just give me a little more time. I'm almost there. I almost have this all wrapped up. When this is taken care of, I swear you can tell him. He'll be safe then. You tell him now, he's gonna go crazy and get himself killed. Let me fix this first. Please."
"You found them?" Mike asked hopefully.
"Maybe," she answered.
"Tell me," Mike prodded.
"I think I did," she said. "I don't have the proof and I'm trying to get in, but I think I found him. He's back."
"Are you sure this is safe for you?" Mike asked worried.
"I'm trained for this," she answered.
"That's not really an answer," Mike said.
"I know," she answered. "I don't have an answer for you. But you remember what I said?"
"If you miss a meeting with me, something happened," Mike sighed. He couldn't even imagine it.
"And only then can you tell Micky," she said.
"Tell him to look for Maxie and Krystal," Mike said. "Even though I have no idea what that means."
"The less you know, the safer you are," she said leaning over to kiss him again.
"I can protect myself," Mike smiled.
"Yes, I know," she smiled back. "But you're rusty."
"Not that rusty," Mike laughed. He didn't get rid of the feeling of fear and despair he held for his best friend, but somehow when she held him and kissed him, some of his worry disappeared. He knew he'd have to talk to Micky, but he would figure out the details later. For now he would just enjoy being with the woman he loved with all his heart.