Seeking An S.O.S.: Behind The Scenes

36. Goodbye Earth

After the warden received a phone call that the SPANA agents had arrived at Washington airport from Florida, he was no longer thrilled to hear from them. In fact, he tried to hide the sorrow within his deep voice.

"I'm glad to hear you have all arrived safely, Mr. Lewis. How was your flight?" Smith asked as he frowned. He knew if the phone call was on video conference mode, the head administrator wouldn't have been happy to see his scowl.

Even though Smith enjoyed planning his sneaky plan to get rid of the five inmates, he grew fond of them during their stay, and it wasn't easy for him to say goodbye.

However, the warden knew it was time to let them go, as he signed a contract that could not be broken. And a promise was a promise to the end!

The warden also had a hunch that the youths would be overjoyed being released, even though their precious times together delighted him. Smith knew his attitude towards them in the beginning was a bit standoffish and regretted it. However, that was his job. A warden was supposed to act tough like a sheriff or a police officer. Smith believed that in these professions, those who appear to be weak and are unable to deal with the pressures of the job, tend to be belittled and avoided. Thus, as the stress of his work became higher, it wasn't a wonder why his attitude changed over the years.

Geez, I need a day off!

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To prevent any chaos from happening, the warden asked the guards to follow his strict guidelines to do their work quickly and quietly, as he didn't want to mistakenly alert any other prisoners that the crew would be leaving soon. He did not want other inmates to become envious as they were not chosen for the space travels.

One by one, each inmate was uncuffed and released from their cells in pure silence. Now that the members of the crew knew that they wouldn't be bound by handcuffs again, the chance at freedom was on their minds; even if it would only be a short time before their troubles would begin again.

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Martina, Harley, Roman, Bonnie and Clyde were then asked to wait in the prison's lobby after they changed into their original clothes they wore once they arrived at the facility two months ago. This delighted Bonnie the most as she could no longer stand wearing the orange jumpsuit she wore. In fact, after she left the restroom, Bonnie came out dancing in her trench coat, dark sunglasses and the only tattered dress she had left.

As Bonnie placed the orange jumpsuit in the hamper, she glared at it before tossing it away.

"I never want to wear this ugly uniform again!"

Hearing her outburst, the laundry ladies snickered. They knew how it must be a disgrace as it was a normal routine to hear this from former inmates who were released before. Yet, the women could not do much as washing the putrid smell the attire gave. If their supervisor heard their constant chats, they would also be penalized.

Once Martina came out with the rock band shirt and blue jeans she had on before she left Frankie's condominium, she smiled. She agreed with Bonnie on how it felt to wear your own clothes again.

Feeling the threads and garments that defines your individuality makes you who you are. She closed her eyes as she touched her shirt.

And I'll always remember you Frankie!

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Gazing out the window of the prison lobby, Martina noticed a black limo parked outside with the letters SPANA written on the side. A wide grin formed upon her face as she patted Harley on the back. Anxious to have her girlfriend wake up from her short nap, Martina wanted to express how happy she was that the time to leave Iron Heights had finally arrived.