I do not own Monk.

There will be firecrackes up un the sky in the USA today, and I will be very glad to start out my owns around here, while reading some of your reviews...please??

MR MONK MEETS THE REDEEMER

Ch 6

Worried, Monk entered the hotel again and ran up the stairs. He needed to talk with Leland. When he arrived on his floor, Monk surprised two uniformed men who had just finished closing the door of an electrical panel. When they saw Monk going to the suite, they lowered their heads and quickly followed each other to the elevator.

Monk entered the room and walked straight to the phone, finding it strange that the men went straight to the main elevator, and not to the service one or to the stairs, as would be expected. Placing the handset next to his ear, Monk noticed a strange noise on the line. Something was not right.

Before going downstairs again, Monk carefully observed his room, taking inventory of every detail. Everything was as before, with the exception of the stripes left by a vacuum cleaner on the floor. Probably a maid had come to organize the already organized room. Monk took a bottle of Summit Creek from the fridge and got out of the room.

He crossed the hotel lobby towards Bianca's office, next to the reception counter. He greeted the receptionists and signaled to them asking if she was in there. They nodded to him, so Monk knocked four times sharply on the door.

"Pode entrar, está aberta," said Bianca from inside her office.

Monk understood Bianca's tone as an affirmative answer, and opened the door, holding the knob with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Hi, Mr. Monk! Have you rested already?" Bianca asked, surprised by the presence of Monk there.

"No, no, I needed to make an international call before, but I ... forgive me, Bianca, I prefer to make this call from a pay telephone. You know, it normally is cheaper then using the line in the room, and..."

"No need to apologize, Mr. Monk. I agree with you. I usually go to the telephone kiosk to make my international connections. Here, everything is indeed over taxed ..." concluded Bianca, gently smiling at Monk.

"We have a Telefônica three blocks from here. I'll go with you."

"No, no, you don't need to, Bianca, I can go by myself. You already have work to do and I do not want to interfere." Monk wanted to deceive her to stay; he rather went alone for making his private call.

"You're not interfering, Mr. Monk. I'm more than a little tired of this paperwork, and also this night will be busy enough around here. I must be with a clean and cool head to deal with the British Dinosaurs' small party...," Bianca said, standing up and taking her purse from behind her chair.

Monk sighed, helplessy, and the two left the hotel together, Bianca informing those at the reception counter that they soon would be back.

"You want to go by car?" asked Bianca. "It is very hot, and you're a bit over-dressed for Brazil's tropical weather. I see you are wearing a jacket on top of a long-sleeved shirt on top of an undershirt! I think walking three blocks under the hot sun is not a good idea, little boy!" said Bianca, teasing him with a motherly tone, and putting on her sunglasses.

"Yes, yes, It is better to go by car." said Monk, trying to protect his eyes from the sun with his left hand, while he carefully avoided stepping on the cracks of the parking lot.

Bianca laughed, and continued, "Would you like to buy a pair of sunglasses, Mr. Monk? Or maybe a tee-shirt, shorts, sandals ..."

"No, no ... I am okay, thank you," Monk said shrinking his shoulders as if imagining himself in sandals, shorts and a tee-shirt in front of everyone.

"Uh ... and tomorrow we leave Brazil, so I do not see why I should spend any money on clothes for one day," Monk said to Bianca while entering her car.

They took the avenue to the left, retracing the way they had come in that morning from the airport. To Monk's immense relief, this time they did not pass the shabby housing area or slum. Bianca pulled the car to a stop three blocks from the hotel.

Once Bianca parked the car, three individuals quickly approached them. One of them stopped near Bianca's window, and two others next to Monk's. The strangers movements were very fast, and suddenly there were pistols pointed at both Monk and Bianca. In the midst of quick commands that Monk could not understand, the strange men took control of the car with both of them inside.

In the full light of day, with plenty of witnesses around, Monk was kidnapped in the back seat of the car. He was trapped between two criminals with their shirts tied over their faces concealing their identities. They held two pistols at Monk's head.

Bianca was in the front seat, still driving, with another villain in the passenger seat, pointing a gun to her head.

Monk could not understand what they said, and Bianca was very nervous trying to talk to the young crooks. The man next to her forced the pistol harder against her head, and continued talking aloud, "Calaboca, dona. Calaboca e continua dirigindo."1

Monk remained silent, with his eyes wide open, trying to avoid thinking of what was next.

"Eu preciso explicar para ele o que está acontecendo," said Bianca, her voice trembling with fright and nervousness. "Ele não fala Português!"2

"Haha, o cara é gringo, malandragem!" said the guy from the front seat to his companions.3

"Então o cara tem dólares, mermão! Ele deve tá cheinho de verdinhas!" said the scoundrel seated to the right of Monk, placing the pistol in the Monk's ribs.4

"What ... what ... what ..." repeated Monk, desperately.

Author's note: I will translate down here the dialogues that appeared in this chapter. All important notes, remarks and dialogues that appear in Portuguese and are worth the transaltion, will be written here from now on.

1 "Shut up, lady. Just shut up and keep driving"
2 "I have to explain him what´s happening" ... " He doesn't speak Portuguese"
3 " Hey, the guy is foreigner, dudes!"
4 " So he must have dollars, bro! The guy should be loaded on the green ones!"

Thanx, Kathy!