Authors Note: The con continues. The last half of the chapter is the conversation Morgan hears through the com, which I found the most difficult to write because I couldn't type what was going on but still had to explain it. If you have any questions about 'how' did something happen, chapter 8 will explain the con, Morgan after all had quite a few questions. I did use a reference from Bones about a painter's brush strokes. ENJOY :)
Disclaimers: I do not own Leverage or 'The Daughter's' Painting or Bones.
Chapter 7
(SCENE: MUSEUM)
No blood. That's good. I had realized that the searing pain in my right arm was from the pipe that I hit as Eliot threw me to the ground. I could tell he was laying on top of me. Everything was going so fast yet it was in slow motion. "Are you ok?" Eliot whispered in my ear.
"Yeah. You?" I was breathing heavy from having the breath knocked out of me.
"Ok, take this. When I take Hastings get to the security room and Hardison will tell you what to do. Stay there until one of us come for you or give you the all clear to come out." Eliot placed his com in my ear and slowly raised up turning toward Mr. Hastings, still in a protective stance guarding me. I positioned myself so I could run when I got my cue.
"Listen man, let's deal with this, you and me. Let Morgan go." Eliot began moving closer to Mr. Hastings.
"I don't think so. I think I will keep both of you here." Mr. Hastings moved within feet of Eliot cocked the gun, placed it against his chest, and tilted his head. "Do you understand?"
All I heard was a low growl and Eliot yelling "NOW!" as he began to apprehend Mr. Hastings. I didn't waste any time, even though I wanted to look to see what he was doing and make sure he was ok. I took off running as fast as I could in my heels. I knew I should have wore flats.
"I'm in the security room" I informed Hardison as I shut myself in and locked the door.
All I could hear was the rambling of mom's worry and Hardison's instructions.
"Morgan are you ok?"
"Morgan I need you to find the line feeding into the computer."
"Hold on, I can't understand when both of you are talking. Mom I'm ok. Now Hardison what am I looking for?" I began looking frantically around the room wondering how in the world I was ever going to find the right feed. Hardison walked me through it step by step. He really knows his stuff. "Ok I got it. I think." I responded as I spliced the feed for Hardison.
"Yes you do. Parker I have control over the cameras, your free to go." Hardison gave Parker the all clear.
I let out a huge sigh and heard mom in my ear. "Morgan are you sure your ok? You're not just saying that to keep me from worrying?"
"Mom. Other than having the biggest adrenaline rush in my life I am ok. Just get this over with so I can get out of here."
It was Nate I heard next. "Morgan you need to start making your way back to Eliot, stay back and guarded until security arrives then get closer and play off Eliot's lead, your mom and I will be down there in a minute. Parker you better hurry up, Hastings had to alert security because all but 2 guards left Tara and are headed back downstairs in a rush."
I made my way slowly out of the security room becoming anxious at what I might see when I turned the corner. I rounded the corner to see that Eliot was still alive and that security was coming down the stairs. Eliot and Mr. Hastings both were on the floor, the gun was broken down near Eliot. Mr. Hastings was the first to speak when security arrived.
"Get them, get them! They are trying to steal my painting."Mr. Hastings was moving his finger back and forth pointing at Eliot and I.
"Whoa. We weren't after any painting. I got sick and Morgan was bringing me down here to the bathroom so I could vomit and leave without having to go through everyone." Eliot, making a sick face, explained.
There just went the hostage plan, but I beginning to trust Eliot and he acted like he knew what he was doing. He even looked sick, I don't know if he was acting or if he was actually hurt, but I would have believed his story. We then heard someone else on the steps, it was Nate and mom. Mom's eyes went straight to me, I don't think she believed I was ok until she saw it with her own eyes.
"What's going on here. Mr. Hastings, I thought I mentioned that I had my own security." Nate said, pulling papers out of his pocket. I was really lost know. I didn't think that Mr. Hastings getting away from Tara, coming down to the basement and pulling a gun on Eliot and I was part of the plan.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Mr. Hastings looked just as confused as I was. "He's in on it too." He then accused.
"Sure you don't. We met last night at the Host dinner. My wife collects Russian art and has been wanting this painting for her collection, she was so excited when I told her you were willing to sell it. I deposited the money in your account and we were coming down here like you asked to meet you at your van to get the painting." Nate then casually turned to Dr. Aramas who had came down the stairs behind him. "You see, we love your museum and all, but my wife is just too anxious to get this painting home, cost me an extra hundred thousand to get it before the show, but if she is happy then it is worth it." Nate added as he pulled mom into a side hug. Turning back to Mr. Hastings and looking at Dr. Aramas he added, "He didn't tell you?"
"They are lying! I swear. I didn't sell him anything." Mr. Hastings demanded
"But I have the papers right here, and that's your signature right, and there is the account that I wired the money to." By this time the local police were at the museum and joining us in the basement.
This was getting bad I thought."The painting is not in my van. It was in the storage room this morning." I could see and feel the confusion coming from Mr. Hastings words.
"Let's just go check on the painting and see where it is located." The sheriff took control of the situation.
Everyone was surrounded by the local police, they kept Eliot, and I at the stairs. Mom, Nate, Mr. Hastings, Dr. Aramas, and Dr. Grant followed the officers going to check in the storage room. Through the com I heard the voice of Mr. Hastings, "It's not here, they got it. They were all in on it."
Next was the sheriff again, "Hold on, Mr. Hastings where is your van located at?"
"Just outside the loading dock."
The only thing I could then hear was the shuffling of footsteps, and what appeared to be Mr. Hastings murmuring about how he had been robed. Then all the noise stopped.
"Well how about that?" I heard the sheriff say after hearing the door of the van open.
"How did that get there?" Mr. Hastings said, still sounding confused.
"There's your painting dear, see it has our name on the case. " I heard Nate this time.
Dr. Grant was the next voice I heard over the com. These things really pick up good I thought to myself. "That is not 'The Daughter's'."
Did the com break? All I heard was silence, then Mr. Hastings broke the silence, "What do you mean, that is not 'The Daughter's' painting?" Now Mr. Hastings was beginning to sound disgusted.
"I mean that is not the painting we verified the other day for you. It is a copy of 'The Daughter's painting' but it's not by Ekaterina Nikiporenko." Dr. Grant sounded a bit too pleased to share that bit of information.
The sheriff was next to speak, "Are you sure?"
Again with pride Dr Grant began, "Yes I am sure. An artist brush stroke is like a fingerprint and these are not the brush strokes of Ekaterina Nikiporenko."
"You sold me a fake!" Nate sounded agitated. After hearing some papers shuffle I heard Nate again, "What's this?" I couldn't tell what he was talking about but apparently it was not good for Mr. Hastings.
"They set me up." Mr. Hastings was short, you could hear panic in his voice.
The sheriff was next to speak, "Let me get this straight. First you blame the intern and her friend for trying to steal the painting, then you blame this gentleman and his wife for conning you when they have papers where you sold them the painting, and I'm willing to bet if we check your account we are going to find a recent deposit. Am I correct?"
"Check the security cameras that will show you I didn't have anything to do with this and will prove that they are all in on it." Mr. Hastings was sounding desperate.
A cold chill ran down my spine, I just knew if they check the cameras they are going to be able to tell that someone had messed with them. I let out a low whisper, attempting to disguise it as a cough to let Eliot know that we were screwed. "We're done for, they are going to check the cameras."
Eliot seemed calm. I was expecting him to say something but it was Hardison's voice I heard next, "Come on girl, you don't trust my skills. I got this."
Even with the assurance from Hardison I didn't breathe easy until I heard the sheriff speak, "Well this is interesting Mr. Hastings. I never had a criminal lead me right to the video of them stealing their own painting. This is definitely one for the books, if only all criminals were like you. Mr. Hastings you are under arrest for fraud and deception and I am sure by the time I finish talking to the couple out in the hall I will have a few more charges." I heard the clink of the cuffs as the sheriff read Mr. Hastings his Miranda Rights.
"They got him, they actually got him." I was in shock that this actually worked out.
We then saw everyone exit the security room, Mr. Hastings was in cuffs and was escorted out, the sheriff took mine and Eliot's story. I went with Nate's instructions from before and followed Eliot's lead. He went with the story of him getting sick and us trying to avoid everyone.
"Are you two ok, was either of you injured, do I need to call an ambulance?" The officer asked, I thought it was kinda late for that because if we had any serious injury we would have been dead by now.
"Morgan you hurt your arm, you might need to get it checked out." Eliot stated and the officer picked up and paged for an ambulance.
"What? NO! I am fine. It is just a bump, nothing a little ice won't take care of." I was not about to go the hospital over a bump. Eliot looked much worse than I.
"Are you sure your ok dear?" Mom asked acting like a concerned bystander.
"Yes I'm fine, I just hit a pipe when I fell down earlier. I really just want to go home." I assured her.
"Come on, I'll get you home." Eliot guided me toward the exit near the loading dock.
As we got in the truck I handed Eliot his com back and leaned my head back against the window and let out a long sigh.
"Aw come on now, it wasn't that bad." Eliot teased.
I just cocked my eyes at him and didn't say a word. As he took off toward home I laid my head back again and closed my eyes. I still had questions about how everything worked out but there would be time for those later, now I just wanted to get home and take some ibuprofen and put some ice on my arm.
