With a shriek, she found herself falling.
Her fingers gripped the ledge with all their might. In a nimble and swift pace, she regained her fortitude and unleashed a couple of ultimate whacks onto the window. It popped open!
Without wasting a second to gloat over her victorious efforts, she took off the sling bag from her shoulders and threw it out of the window. She heard it plop on the ground outside. Squeezing herself through the window, she almost let out a yell when she heard gun shots. Biting down on her lip to stop from screaming, she hustled and concentrated in easing her body out of the window. Now with fingers gripping the outer ledge, she took in a deep breath and released her fingers. Like her feline namesake, she landed on all fours on the grassy ground, outside the toilet.
Dean burst into the toilet to find it empty and he knew Elena had slipped away right under his aristocratic – like nose. One of the widely opened windows above made him jump on top of the sink and grab the ledge. Pulling himself up, he saw the outside was empty except for two nuns who were standing at the nearby bushes, talking to each other. The window was too small for his frame to fit but was the perfect size for Elena's body to squeeze through. He dropped to the floor and ran out of the toilet.
Elena's head popped out from behind the bushes. In good sense, she had dived for cover and had done so just in time as she spied Dean's head and shoulders looking out from the same window she had climbed out from just seconds ago. The window frame wouldn't have allowed his bigger body to squeeze through unlike it did for her smaller frame.
Patting her chest to calm her terrified heart, she crawled out of the bushes and looked up to see the kindest pairs of eyes looking down at her. The two nuns looked at her in confusion and then at each other. One held each other's hand and pulled her away from the young woman with a strange looking blond hair. Elena shot to her feet. She ran after them. Salvation was near and she wasn't about to let it get away from her.
The nuns went about their way hastily, looking with apprehension at the woman speeding after them, they crossed themselves and prayed in French for themselves for the good Lord's protection from all evil.
Elena spotted Leo running inside the hospital's main doors and saw a taxi wait by the main entrance. "That must be the one Mel told me about." She spoke to herself softly and ran, whilst keeping her eyes on the main doors, in case Dean should run out. Her eyes searched for her red headed friend and groaned when she couldn't see Mel anywhere. But something else caught her eye – Dean's shining silver Ferrari. She could see her reflection on it. The car mocked her, warning her that there would be no escape from its owner.
Mel's heels went clickety, clackety loudly on the hospital floors. Bang! Bang! Bang! Her heart pounded with each gun shot and she risked a look behind her and saw Dean bolt into the ladies' toilet.
"Holy Guacomole, Ele!" She hoped that the Heavens would be kind and let Elena evade Dean. She needed it.
Bang!
This time it was the sound of Mel banging onto a wall.
"Hey!" A loud male voice forced her eyes to whip to another pair of green eyes, the same color as her own.
"Going somewhere in a hurry, red!" Leo asked stepping into her space.
Mel's lips parted in wonder. What a gorgeous piece of work this man is... She mused to herself. If it had been a different set of circumstances, Mel would have probably been the first to ask him out on a date. "I'm sorry." She side stepped but he took a huge step back and got in front of her again.
"Who are you?" He asked sizing her up from top to toe.
"Why do you wanna know?"
"American!" He said in a loud voice that made Mel want to jump out of her skin but she maintained her poise.
Mel let the bag's straps fall from her shoulder. Without warning, she let it swing onto Leo's face. He ducked. Mel cursed out aloud. "Shit!" She swung again. He stepped away from her having anticipated the second hit.
"Where's Elena?"
Mel froze, her bag in mid-air. They know! She had to act fast. Now! Opening her lips, she let out a loud scream, catching everyone's attention. When she saw the security guards and other visitors running towards her, she shouted hysterically. "He molested me!" She pointed at him with one hand while the other hand covered her chest.
"What the-"
Leo found himself hurled to the ground with two men on top of him. A crowd gathered around Leo and one of the security guards sat a heavy knee into Leo's mid - back.
"Leo!"
"Eeks!" Mel squeaked in fear, hearing Dean's voice. "That one! He molested me as well." She yelled to the crowd.
Some men in hospital scrubs moved towards a very angry Dean who was rushing towards Leo. Before, he could do anything, they pounced on him.
Mel ran for dear life as fast as her legs could carry her.
Elena bent down and pulled the gun out of her heel's straps. With every bit of anger boiling in her, despair and resentment that Dean had created in her, she pointed the gun at the car. The emotions rose within her like an angry volcano, about to unleash its destructive fiery lava. He was responsible – her life had been turned upside down. She had enough. He had the audacity to kiss another woman right before her eyes and who knows he was probably planning to keep Leila or some other woman as a mistress after the wedding. She was part of a deal to him – like the cherry on top of the cake. He didn't care that The Peridot had been her father's labour of love, toil, blood and sweat. And he had threatened to tear it apart if she didn't marry him. She would find a way to get The Peridot back – she promised herself that. And thanks to him, she had been left with no choice but to lie to the very people who cared for her and made her best friend get messed up in things Mel shouldn't even be involved in.
Like she had seen Dean click the safety off on the gun, she did the same and fired. The impact made her fall flat on her buttocks and she looked on as the air rushed out from the front tyre. An idea occurred to her. Scrambling to her feet, she picked up the gun and fired at the Bugatti parked next to the Ferrari. Another tyre went flat. Aiming the gun at Dean's Ferrari, she fired repeatedly – each shot was a manifestation of the contentment flowing through her veins. She knew Dean held a high level of affection over his cars and took pride in his vast collection of the luxurious, fast, and furious metal beauties.
From the corner of her eye, she spotted something bright coming towards her. A pink Volkswagen was heading her way. She dashed to the middle of the, right in front of the oncoming car. The Volkswagen came to a screeching halt and Elena ran to the front passenger seat.
"Oh, Seigneur Jesus!" Cried the nun at the passenger seat, clasping her hands and stared wide – eyed.
Elena flung open the car door and pointed the gun at the nun. Both nuns screamed.
"I'm so sorry, I have to do this." Elena pointed the gun at the nun behind the wheel. Her lips twisted sympathetically at the white – faced nuns staring at her. "Out!" She made gestures with the gun at the nun at the passenger seat to get out. Fearing for her life, the nun got out and Elena nodded her head to the back seat. Obediently, the nun sat at the back seat and began calling upon the Lord for rescue.
Elena jumped into the car and slammed the door shut. "Entrance!" She pointed at the hospital's entrance.
The nun at the wheel looked where she pointed and then back at Elena. The pink Volkswagen remained stationary.
"Oh God," Elena groaned. "I don't want to do this, especially to you."
She pointed the gun at the nun behind the wheel. The other nun began to moan and groan in French, for the gracious and Mighty One to deliver this young woman from her insanity or to rain fire and brimstone down on her.
Elena didn't care. She would state her case with the Almighty later. "Entrance!" She demanded as the pointed at the hospital's main entrance and back at the nun.
The nun nodded pitifully and Elena's stomach churned at the sight. Damn you Dean. See what I have to do just to get away from you.
The pink Volkswagen came to a screeching halt and Elena popped her head out of the window, searching for Mel. There was something going on inside the hospital as a crowd had gathered but she couldn't see what exactly. "Where are you Mel?" She bit down on her lip.
Elena saw something red break away from the crowd and almost let out a cry of victory as Mel ran out from the main entrance. Mel looked inside the cab. Puzzled, she looked around.
"Mel!"
Mel searched. She saw Elena's head stick out of a pink Volkswagen.
Elena opened the door. At the same time, Dean broke free from the crowd.
Mel jumped in and shut the door.
"Drive! Fast!" Elena screamed at the nun..
Mel's eyes widened at the gun in Elena's hand.
Dean raced after the pink Volkswagen.
"Faster!" Elena screamed when she saw him catch up.
Dean's fingers were now at the pink passenger door.
Roaring, the car sped.
"Fuck it!" Dean shouted and ran down another lane of cars.
He wasn't about to let his bride – to – be slip right through his fingers. The pink Volkswagen will make a turn and this would be the time for him to hijack the car and grab his wife – to – be. Dean reached the open space between two lanes of parked cars and waited.
"Dean is in the front!" Mel spoke with rapid breaths.
Elena knew, for her eyes never left Dean's form as he took off in the other direction. And now he stood right in front of the fast approaching car.
"Don't stop!" She shook her head at the nun who was talking fast and Elena did not comprehend a single word.
"Move, Dean!" She said under her breath.
The pink Volkswagen began to slow down and Elena stared in horror at the driver.
"No!" She shifted in her seat. Lifted her foot and stomped it down onto the accelerator. The car picked up speed and headed directly towards Dean.
"Jesus!" The two nuns screamed.
"Ele, you'll bang him!" Mel shouted.
"Get out of the way, Dean!" Elena yelled. "Move!"
The car was just a few metres away but Dean stood rooted to the ground. He wasn't moving, even if hell froze over. She wouldn't dare run him over. He knew her. Elena would bring the car to a stop. Then he will take over and grab her.
"Aaaaaaah!!" The nuns screamed as their car sped on towards the young man standing in the middle of the road.
"Ele, don't!" Mel was shaking Elena's shoulder in the car.
"Damn it, Dean! Move! Move!" Elena shouted repeatedly as her foot stayed on the accelerator.
The pink Volkswagen was speeding towards Dean.
"Dean!" Leo shouted as he leaped onto Dean's body and both men went crashing down.
The pink Volkswagen ran over the spot where Dean had stood a few seconds ago.
Elena stuck her head out of the window and looked behind. Dean and Leo ran to their cars and saw them stop. Dean kicked the bumper.
Elena smiled with glee and victory as both men became smaller and smaller as the car fled.