Page 24 - North Star Magazine 2022

Resistance
A detectives’ room on the third floor of a New York City police station. The time is the present.
The room, which contains a holding cell, has an outdated, slightly disheveled look—as if no one has paid attention to its upkeep for some time. Portraits of Washington and Lincoln hang on a wall.
Holding a backpack tightly to his chest, ALBERT DREYFUSS shifts restlessly on a chair, next to a protest sign that reads “Fight the Power.” Two police detectives, RAY and BOB, pour themselves a cup of coffee. Their holstered guns are visible.
RAY
DREYFUSS
What, so you can poison me?
RAY
The coffee’s pretty bad here, sir,but we don’t intentionally poison people.
Cup of coffee, uh—Albert?
Sorry...
Am I your prisoner?
Bob laughs heartily but stops when Dreyfuss doesn’t react.
BOB
DREYFUSS
RAY
Prisoner? I wouldn’t go that—
DREYFUSS
RAY
Charging you? Uh, on what—
BOB
What Detective Fortuna is trying to say, Albert—uh, Mister...uh—what’s your last name again?
You ARE charging me...