Eleanor felt like shit. There was no other way to put it. Deep down in the bottom of her heart, she felt stupid, ridiculous, and just downright crummy. She wanted to curl up in a ball and hide from the world. She did not want to be here, all dressed up at some stupid charity party alone. Sure she would smile whenever a colleague or friend said hello, but in all honesty all she wanted to do was scream. She knew why she felt this way and she knew all too well that she brought it on herself.
She stood in front of a marvelous painting with different shades of blue spread across the canvas, each telling a different story. A dark navy blue, full of torment and animosity swirled into a brilliant forget me not light blue that captured the essence of a perfect summer day. It was spectacular, way out of her price range, but Eleanor was drawn to it. Perhaps because it reminded her of someone she knew or to be more exact, someone's eyes.
She had been avoiding Neal and all of his fifty eight calls more out of guilt than anger. She had been so stupid and so quick to judge last night that she didn't even give him the chance to explain. Eleanor had spent the whole day thinking about last night. She tormented herself over and over with the image of some woman sitting on Neal's kitchen table, her hands all over him. She had the right to be mad didn't she? From where she stood it looked as if he was cheating on her! Who wouldn't be mad? But then she thought of his face. The look of pure terror in his eyes was enough to make her bite her tongue. The sound of his pleading voice, dripping with honesty, begging her to listen made her cheeks burn with guilt. But did she listen to him? Hell no! She was so full of rage and hurt that she ran from him, without giving him the benefit of the doubt.
God she was such an idiot! She had managed to screw up her first real relationship she had had in five years in a matter of minutes. When did she get to be like this? When did she become the over jealous, restricting girlfriend? Maybe she was doing Neal a favor, maybe they shouldn't be together. Her phone began to vibrate in her clutch and with quick hands she reached for it. Neal's number shone brightly on the LCD screen and Eleanor felt her breath catch in her throat. Her heart ached for her to answer it, just to hear his voice, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. What could she say? 'Hey Neal sorry I acted like a psycho jack ass last night. Let's make up and be friends again.'? She needed more time to think things out.
"There you are Eleanor! Your father and I have been looking for you!" Her mother said wrapping a hand around her arm. "We need your opinion on a piece of art we want to buy." Eleanor just sighed and let her mother drag her away.
"Neal, relax, we have both the exits covered and cameras on all the exhibits. If anything goes down we can handle it." Peter said in between bites of his sandwich.
"Peter please, just let me go see if she's in there." Neal pleaded his heart pounding in his chest. He was sitting in the cramped surveillance van, Peter's Deviled Ham sandwich stinking up the stale air. On one of the computer monitors was the exterior of the Sampson gallery, dark purple banners hanging from the windows, with the words 'Lennox Hospital Annual Charity Party' written in gold letters. Now Neal remembered why the name Sampson sounded so familiar. Ellie's work party was being held there.
"I can't risk it. Just call her."
"I did, she didn't answer." Neal said defeated.
"What's going on between you two?"
"Nothing." Neal lied quickly.
"Alex?" Peter guessed. Neal looked over at the agent with guilty eyes. "Neal when are you going to learn?"
"It's not like that, nothing happened between me and Alex."
"Does Ellie know that?"
"I didn't get the chance to tell her, she won't answer my calls."
"Give her some time Neal." Peter said going back to watching the monitors and eating his sandwich. "Eleanor is a reasonable person, she'll come around." Neal just bit his lip. He turned his chair to face the monitor that covered the gallery lobby, his eyes searching for her familiar face.
Somehow Eleanor was able to escape her mother's firm grip and found herself back at the blue painting. She couldn't even begin to express the joy she felt when she heard that her parents would be packing up and leaving tomorrow. Their stay had been exhausting and left Eleanor feeling that she needed a vacation. It was morbidly funny how she could feel so crappy over the whole Neal dilemma and yet so happy at the thought of her mother leaving. Her head was beginning to throb as a man, sharply dressed walked up to her.
"Beautiful piece." He said leaning forward to examine the painting.
"Yeah, a bit pricy too." Eleanor said with a smile. The man standing next to her didn't look that familiar. He had straw colored hair that framed his young face. He looked barely over the age twenty. "Forgive me if I'm being rude, but do you work at the hospital? I've never seen you before."
"Just started last week, I'm Dr. Carmichael." He said extending his hand and flashing a bright smile. Eleanor took his hand and tried her best to return the smile. If there was a new doctor at the hospital then she would have know about it and there was something in his smile that made her uneasy.
"Would you excuse me a minute?" Eleanor asked politely as she took a step back. She needed to get to a guard as soon as possible. This man was not here just to look at the art; he was here for something else. The smile fell from the young man's face as his eyes darted over to a taller, much scarier man standing in the shadows. The scary man grabbed Eleanor from behind, preventing her from leaving the room. His thick hands clasped around Eleanor's waist holding her close to his large body.
"Goin' somewhere sweetheart?" he asked in a slimly voice.
"Get your hands off of me!" she hissed struggling in his tight grip.
"Can't do that sugar, we can't let you go run and ruin our plans." He sneered, his breath hot on her neck.
"Let's do this!" the young man said pulling a ski mask over his young face and a gun from the back of his pants. Eleanor watched in horror as he fired off a few shots moving into the lobby. The scary man followed behind him dragging Eleanor along kicking her legs up in the air. Three more men appeared out of the crowd of hospital employees welding guns and ski masks. "This is a robbery! Everyone on the ground!"
Neal had finally found her. She was standing alone in an exhibit room by a rather nice painting. Her arms were crossed and a sad expression hung on her face. He'd never seen her looking so beautiful. She had on a purple silk dress that hugged all of her curves in all of the right places. She looked stunning, and sad. Neal got lost for a moment, just looking at her, but then something strange happened. Another man, dressed in an expensive suit walked up to her and the painting. They talked and then he extended his hand for her to shake. The look on Eleanor's face spoke volumes, confusion, panic, and fear. Something wasn't right. Eleanor took a step back but was caught by a hulk of a man holding her tight. Anger washed through Neal at the thought of another man touching her.
"Peter!" Neal called to the agent who was already on his feet, his gun drawn.
"Stay in the van!" Peter yelled as the sound of gunfire rang out.
"Eleanor is in there!" Neal began to protest.
"Damn it Neal for once in your life, listen to me and stay here!" he shouted before he ran from the van, two agents close behind.
The scary man's hands were rough and hard on her stomach. She struggled and fought against him, kicking him and scratching him, but his grip only got tighter. Two men from the group quickly took out the two rent-a-cops knocking them out cold with the butt of their guns. The other two began cutting paintings out of their frames and stuffing them into a black bag.
"Sit tight sweetheart." The scary man said in her ear, his hand caressing her side. Eleanor could feel bile rise in her throat as she fought harder. Just then the glass doors of the gallery opened to reveal Agent Burke along with two other agents. Relief swept over Eleanor but was quickly diminished when the scary man pulled out a gun and shoved it against her head. Someone screamed and Eleanor could tell it was her mother. She tried her hardest to hold back the tears of fear that threatened to spill over.
"Freeze FBI!" Agent Burke shouted his gun drawn and pointed at the scary man. His eyes darted to the other four men stuffing priceless pieces of art into the duffle bag, unfazed by the three FBI agents. "I said freeze!" he shouted again taking a step forward. A chill ran down Eleanor's back as she heard the gun cock in the scary man's hand.
"No so fast there fed." He growled. "I would hate to blow her pretty little head off."
"Let her go!" Agent Burke said watch as one of the masked men finished cutting out a painting.
"Or what? You gonna kill me?" the scary man sneered. "She'll be dead before you even pull the trigger!" Eleanor let out an involuntary whimper as the scary man buried his head in her hair, smelling her. "It would be a shame to kill her, so sweet; I'd like to take her home if you know what I mean."
"Let her go, and we can talk this out."
"We all know that's not likely to happen agent." One of the masked men said placing the duffle bag on his shoulder. "But thanks for coming; it sure made for an interesting twist." With that, the scary man pushed Eleanor onto the floor. Her head hit the marble floor with a sickening crack as the crew ran to the back exits and into the night. Through blurry eyes, Eleanor could see Agent Burke waving to his fellow agents to follow the thieves as he ran to her side.
"Ellie, Ellie can you hear me?" he asked pulling her up in his arms, lightly taping her face.
"Yeah." She said blinking her eyes.
"Are you hurt?"
"My head…hurts." She said her hand gently touching her hair line. It felt warm and sticky. She brought her hand down and saw blood shinning on her finger tips.
"Boss," one of the agents said running up to Agent Burke. "We lost them, I'm sorry sir, they're gone."
"Damn it." Agent Burke said still holding Eleanor. "Call an ambulance."
"Don't worry about it Agent Burke." Eleanor said waving him off and sitting up. "We're in a room full of doctors after all."
"Yeah I guess you're right. Can you stand?"
"I think so." She said letting him help her to her feet. She looked around her. Wide eyes and scared glances were everywhere but the pair that stood out to her, was a pair of brilliant blues standing in gallery door way. Neal was white as a sheet, his hair messy, and his eyes full of fear. She wanted to run to him but before she could take a step her parents and Dr. Stevens swarmed around her.
"Oh Eleanor are you ok?" her mother asked wrapping her in a tight embrace. "I was so scared and that man! Oh I'm just so glad that you're safe!"
"Here Ellie, let me take a look at you." Dr. Stevens said stepping in between her and her mother. Eleanor stole a glance back at the door but Neal had vanished.
"Are you going to be ok Ellie?" Agent Burke asked looking at her with concern.
"Yeah... yeah I'm fine." she said giving him a weak smile.
"I need to take you back to the office." He said still holding onto her arm. Eleanor just nodded and let him lead her out of the gallery. Her head was throbbing and spinning at the same time. Everything was moving so fast, she just wanted it all to slow down. The night air was thick with flashing lights and the yells of FBI agents and police officers. Agent Burke walked up to a female agent that Eleanor recognized as Agent Barrigan.
"Diana is going to take you and you parents back to the office, I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Ok," Eleanor said giving him a weak smile. "Agent Burke, thank you."
"As soon as I can, I promise." Eleanor nodded and got in the passenger side of Agent's Barrigan's car. As she closed the car door she saw Neal standing beside a multipurpose van a stricken look on his face. He looked horrible, like everything that just happened was his fault. Eleanor sunk down in her seat and closed her eyes. The way she felt before was nothing compared to how she felt now. This was all her fault.
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