CHAPTER 4 - The Not so Great Escape

The train ride down was put to good use. She went over her plan again in her head. The issues of smuggling in an extra dress was settled by her wearing them both at once, one over the other. A similar solution solved getting underwear for Heather. Ellen had on her normal panties, under a pair of padded panties that she would give to Heather to enhance his girlie figure.

The issue that haunted her for a long time was his bust line. He had little girl itty-bitty titties; but, even with a padded bra, they would not be large enough, hence the need for the breast forms. She bit the bullet and brought an oversized bra, her plan called for her to put it on and add the forms over her own breasts. She would look a tad busty but decided they would get them into the prison. She had always wondered what it would be like to have pornstar sized breasts, for a short time she would find out. Luckily, the oversized dress would camouflage her new dimensions and not draw unwanted attention to her chest.

The major concern was how she was going to get out without a number card. Her plan called for her slipping out of his cell early and mingling with the woman in the courtyard leaving at 2. That would leave Heather on her own with the numbered card for several hours, but it should work. If Ellen was stopped, she would simply claim she dropped it in George’s cell and go back for it.

@ @ @ @

The evening before the great escape George slept like shit, he tossed and turned all night. He woke up exhausted and excited. The day finally arrived, sunny and hot. George waited for his wife’s return and was counting the minutes. He skipped the normal breakfast of refried beans and tortillas and spent the time washing his body with hand soap and a rag using the water from his sink. Time seemed to stop, waiting until noon when the wives and girlfriends were allowed in. He spent the time daydreaming about her. He was such a lucky man; she was quite a woman. With the many sides to her personality. Depending on her mood, she could be Mata Hari, a sensuous wife, a successful business woman, a guardian angel, and cheerleader all rolled into one.

The train arrived on time. She took her case to the baño de las mujeres. She went into a stall and put on the extra bra over her normal one. She filled it with the forms before slipping on both dresses. Then she forced a long-haired wig over her own hair and combed it into place. She wore a pair of open-toed sandals, with another pair in her purse. Finally, she filled her purse with all the required cosmetics and a sewing kit. Satisfied she had everything she checked herself in the mirror.

Going to the ATM, she withdrew several hundred pesos for cab fare and emergencies like bribes, if needed. She locked the travel case in a station locker. It had all her necessities such as a change of underwear, jewelry, makeup, perfume, two purses, pantyhose and sunglasses, plus a complete change of clothes for both her and Heather for their return trip. Confidently, she took a cab to the prison and waited with the other ladies for noon.

@ @ @ @

As the gates swung open, Ellen joined the rush. She waited her turn, identified herself and got her number. She dropped it into her purse for safe keeping and headed for George's cell.

Not bothering to knock, she pushed open his door. She rushed in her body flushed with adrenalin. and closed it behind her. She found George sitting rigidly on the edge of his bed. Not bothering with niceties of a greeting, she ordered, "Get up and strip honey, we have a lot of work to do!"

When Ellen stormed into his room, it startled him. He looked up and saw Ellen. She wore an extra-large loose skirt and carried a large colorful bag as her purse. Entering his cell, she emptied the contents of her bag on his cot and spread them out. In addition to the normally found items in a woman’s purse, a flood of cosmetics, a bottle of nail polish, a travel size antiperspirant, a disposable razor, a mini travel size perfume atomizer and sandals came tumbling out and were spread out on his bed. Everything designed to be explainable, when she was searched.

She slipped off her dress to reveal she was wearing another underneath; she withdrew the silicon blobs and took off the padded bra and added them to the collection of objects on the bed. She wore a normal plain white bra that would serve for their planned breakout and wouldn’t attract unwanted attention. She also took off the wig she was wearing, revealing her own hair under it. She laid it out carefully on the bed. She stepped out of her padded panty girdle, designed to provide her husband with some feminine curves. She laid it all out on the bed. She had George strip for an inspection. Six months in prison had eliminated his spare tire, she estimated his waist measurement couldn’t have been over 28 inches.

The two of them stood there, Ellen dressed and George stark naked. George was terrified, Ellen needed to do something to relieve his nervousness. She pulled George into her arms and held him. It took a while but George finally gave in and relaxed. They both realized if something went wrong this might well be the last time that they could be intimate.

While George stood naked, Ellen retrieved the razor and ordered him to stand perfectly still. She explained that she would only shave the area absolutely necessary. His legs were sheared from the knees down, then his arms from the elbows to his fingertips. She handed him her Secret deodorant and ordered him to use it.

"Sit on the bed, Heather." She directed as she pushed the elements of his disguise to one side to make room.

Ellen used tweezers to pluck the sparse hairs on his face so that it was smooth. Then she sat back with a very satisfied look on her face. “Now we need to do something with your eyebrows! Most women have two, not one!” Ellen joked.

She leaned in close and began plucking and trimming his eyebrows to give some arch to them. Satisfied, she moved on to the next phase and took a file and a bottle of nail polish off the bed. At warp speed, she gave him a pedicure while his toes dried, she gave him a manicure using the same red polish.

She then disrobed. George started to get excited. Ellen smiled at his reaction, flattered. "Relax dear. We don't have time for that right now. Wait until tonight, I promise you an evening you will never forget."

Then, as promised, she picked the padded panties off the bed and had Heather slip them on. Their main function was to give George womanlier haunches. She reached in and tucked his testes back up in his abdominal cavity from which they came. Then she tucked his man thing back out of the way. She next picked up the breast forms and retrieved his bra from the bed. She hooked it around his chest and positioned the forms into it and adjusted the straps. She stood back and was pleased at what she was seeing, his form was shaping up nicely.

She told him to sit while she got what she needed next. He sat gingerly on the bed with his boy parts all squished. What she did next shocked her husband, she got her sewing kit, selected a long straight needle. Pinching his earlobe, she drove the shiny skewer through the lobe. After he stopped whining, she inserted an earring post through the hole.

"What the hell was that?" Whined George.

"Heather, it is a cultural thing. Latino's, especially most Mexican woman, have pierced ears. These will help you blend in. This is necessary. Just relax. We'll be home tomorrow. Once you take it out, the hole will heal closed. Now brace yourself while I do the other one."

Three minutes later, he had two attractive turquoise teardrop earrings swinging from his lobes.

"Now for the fun part, your makeup. This is so important. If we can get it right, it will hide so much. You won't believe the difference it will make."

All George could do was to nod. With his nails dry, she spent ages with the foundation, blusher, eye-shadow, eye-liner. She then drew a demure brow arch over each eye. In a medium brown color just enough to give a womanly definition to his former manly brows. Next the pièce de résistance a rich raspberry red lipstick that matched his fingernails followed by several coats of shiny lip-gloss. She could see how the lipstick brought out an exaggerated but sexy pout. The finished product gave George the girl next store look. At last, she was done and she handed him his dress.

He hesitated, but Ellen was in no mood for this. "Damn it, be a man George and put on your dress. We don't have time for this foolishness."

His protestations aside, he complied. Once he had it on, Ellen buttoned it up and then tied a brightly colored scarf loosely about his neck to conceal his Adams apple.

After his makeup she combed his wig, wanting everything to be perfect.

The sandals were next then he was handed his purse, with his card number and for authenticity sake some makeup in it.

Thanks to her efforts, he came out better than either of them thought possible. He was cute in a Mary Tylor More type of way. He was not beautiful by any stretch of the imagination; but would fit right in with any group of mothers at the local PTA meeting. Ellen felt a tingle in her stomach, she knew this was going to work. He would be a free man within a few hours.

He was so anxious; he was afraid he would pee his panties. His hands reached for the edge of the bed to steady himself. His pulse and breath quickened as the pores of his skin began to sweat profusely, threatening to spoil everything Ellan had done. His chest heaved that set his gelatinous mounds quivering. He tried to catch his breath. Ellen stood back and examined her creation with a cool but evaluating gaze.

She pontificated, "Look at you Heather, try to be objective. Don’t focus on your face, concentrate on the whole picture. Now, tell me. Are they legs that would make you whistle? Your face is not beauty contestant material, but the overall image says there is a mature woman standing here."

She had him strolling around the cell, not so much for the practice; but more so to calm him down.

George walked to the sink and stood staring at the reflection before him and suddenly got cold feet. It was a little surreal to see someone else's face in the mirror. The person he had been was filled with self-loathing; he wasn't a man any longer. Dressed as a woman, he felt a high degree of vulnerability and wondered if this wasn’t how all women felt. He wanted out of prison; but was this the right way to do it?

He turned to his wife with his arms outstretched and inquired. "So, does this make me less of a man to you? I feel like such a powder puff."

Ellen sensed his indecision. her eyes flamed with anger, "So that's what you're worried about? We are about to break the law and escape from a heavily guarded prison and your biggest concern is about your manly pride. Well, I obviously don't see a man here now. Are you currently manly? No absolutely not!

"Honey, take a look in the mirror, you may not be a runway model; but at this moment you are 100% believable."

Her voice softened, taking the sting out of her previous statement.

"On the other hand, are you sexy? You bet! I know what's under that dress and it gets me really excited. Looking beyond all this, I see a man, a husband brave enough to show his feminine side to escape a horrible situation. That makes him a better person in my mind. Is that what you wanted to know?"

George had stiffened at his wife's initial outburst, but he was visibly relieved when Ellen had not followed it up with a vicious attack on his manhood.

"Yes, thank you. It makes me happy to hear you say it. That aside Ellen, I don't think I can go through with this."

He looked like he had lost his best friend and also lost his nerve. "Ducky, the clothes and makeup are merely props until we can get you back home. They don't say anything about your masculinity. Look at Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie. You are a man pretending to be a woman. Nothing more. This certainly doesn’t make you gay if that is what you are concerned about. Besides, it is way too late to back out."

"Wait a minute, you promised I could back out at any time!"

"True you can change your mind but there will be consequences.

“For example, you currently have really pretty red shiny nails. The bad news for you is that I didn't bring any polish remover. How will you explain your hands and feet to the other inmates?"

"I’ll scrap the polish off."

This wasn’t the place or way she wanted to tell him her big secret, but he left her no choice. She then held him at arm's length and looked directly into his eyes as she told him, "More importantly, I have to get you out of here. Our baby is going to need a father."

George grasped, "Oh, my goodness…you mean?"

"Yes dear, after all those years of trying it has finally happened. Our baby will be here in about 7 months, I am not positive of the exact date. So, we need to get you home where you belong."

They just held each other for the longest time. Until it was time for her getaway.

On the inside George was doing a happy dance, a baby would ensure his legacy. He vowed he would be the best father in the world.

She finally broke his embrace and gave him a couple of light squirts of perfume before hugging him tightly again. "It's White Diamonds perfume. Don't you just love it? I wear it when I want to feel particularly feminine. It's such a soft, feminine, flowery, pretty scent." George was deliriously happy that he was finally going to be a father. He momentarily forgot about the danger he was about to face.

Then just as she stood to go out the door, she remembered something. She took George's wedding ring that she had been wearing on her right hand and had Heather slip it back on his left hand saying, "Now that is back where it belongs." Then she handed him his handbag, he glanced in and saw it was filled with lipstick, powder compact, lacy handkerchief, and finally - feeling extremely daring - a couple of condoms and a tampon. She smiled at her husbands shocked reaction. "I don’t anticipate you needing either of these items, remember you just came from a conjugal visit those will add authenticity to your disguise." She then added her wooden number chip.

George hated to but had to ask, "What happens if the guards stop you and demand your numbered card?"

"I’ll simply tell them I forgot it in your cell. Then I will come back here and we will figure out something to do. Now relax nothing is going to go wrong. My plan is perfect. I have thought of everything." Bragged Ellen.

Ellen did one last sweep of the room to ensure she left no evidence of prisoner 875479’s transformation into a senorita.

"Heather, I will be waiting for you across the street. Remember that, once out the gate, walk don't run to me."

Then, with a cheery goodbye as she slipped out of the door she said, "Vaya Con Dios, mi amor."

George was a quivering mass of jelly. Having nothing else to do he checked his cell one more time to ensure they didn’t leave any clues that would give the Federales any indication how they had escaped.

@ @ @ @

Ellen made her way to the court yard where she tried to blend in. She waited for the bell to signal that it was time to go. She mingled among the other woman, trying to make herself anonymous in the crowd. Protocol called for each woman to go into the guard shack and check out and get her name removed from the visitor's log. She got to the door and bent over as if she was adjusting a strap on her sandal. When the first group left the building, she simply fell in with them and walked past the scrutiny of the nearby gate guards. The chaos of the holiday press helped to mask her presence.

Once out, she breathed a little easier and calmly crossed the street and took a seat in a small café across from the gate to wait. She took a seat that had an unobstructed view of the entrance. She was too nervous to eat so over the next few hours she had one coffee after another. Being an attractive gringa, she attracted some unwanted attention. She kept her head down and appeared to focus attention on her espresso and cell phone.

There was only so much she could do with her phone. Her purse got inventoried a dozen times. The time dragged on. A few minutes before 5, she paid her bill and stood outside in the dusty street with her heart beating like a drum. Nervously, she fingered the locker key in her purse.

@ @ @ @

Nothing left to do, George moved to the door and leaned against it. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited in self-imposed darkness. He wasn’t certain he could do it, and yet something pushed him on. He did something next he hadn’t done since he was a small child. He prayed not for himself, but for Ellen and his unborn child. As he did, a calmness washed over him that gave him the courage to try this. George had been standing behind his cell door for an eternity. He was unable to shake the feeling of impending doom. The consequences of getting caught trying to escape dressed as a female were almost unimageable. He struggled to keep his breathing under control as he waited.

Since prisoners weren't allowed watches, he had no idea how long he had been standing there. Once the five o'clock bell rang, George’s heart raced, he opened the door of his cell and stepped out onto the landing dressed, for the first time outside, as a girl. He thought his heart would burst. He took one last look back to ensure everything was alright. He had bunched his clothes under his blanket to look like he was asleep in bed. He closed the door.

He took a deep breath to settle his nerves and ventured out into the valley of death. He fell into the rear of the crowd of ladies moving toward the gate. He could feel beads of sweat rolling down his back, gluing his dress to his skin.

He tried to remember everything he had been taught and concentrated on his walk and mannerisms. Before he knew it, he was only feet away from the guard box.

As he approached the guards raised dais, he couldn't hear as blood rushed through his ears. His throat was like the Sahara. He was an emotional basket case. He reached into his purse to find the card. He was so jumpy he had a difficult time grasping it. Keeping his head down he reached up and handed the chip to the sentry. The guard took a few seconds to find the open slot. Without saying anything he waved him on.

George took two steps and a guard who was ushering the ladies out yelled, "Alto!" Which he knew meant stop. George’s heart sank and there was a moment of panic. All the guards turned to see what the problem was. He froze thinking the gig was up. Inside his head, he was screaming 'run' freedom was only 75 feet away.