Central Park Film Noir/part 2

The attention that it creates when Jörn tackles the hooded person to the ground causes Jörn to shout at everyone watching,

“this is nobody’s business— this is a personal matter!”

“I was calling 911–“ a jogger tells him

This is when Jörn goes over to the jogger and takes his phone and ends the call. But he does all this dragging the hooded mugger who looks no bigger than a high school freshman and when I catch some of his features, he looks about that age

I see there are now two others who have showed up. They seem to know Jörn and they don’t look like they are native New Yorkers. Their features and manner of dress suggest otherwise and their accents I cannot place; not Swedish, not Northern European either

“Lemme go!” It is a young kid with a thick Brooklyn or Bronx accent, “he gave me a hundred bucks!! Idunno who the fuck he was— see?” he unravels the bill which is crisp and new looking

Jörn looks at me,
“are you ok?”

I realize I am still on the ground and actually stunned about what has just occurred and watch them in a daze as if watching a performance on stage

When he asks this I start to wonder too. My ankle.... I rub it and try to rotate it but it hurts. I stand up,
“Ouch....” I say and force myself to walk on it

“Show me the note, min lilla duva,” Jörn reaches his hand so that I may place the note in his hand

The other two ‘gentlemen’ seem curious about me and study me subversively

“He’s just a kid,” one of them says

I see Jörn’s expression when he reads the note

“Let me see that,” the other one says

“Can I go?!” the kid tries to shake off Jörn’s grip

“No, you’re coming with us,” the first one says and slips a handcuff around one of the boy’s wrists. He closes the other cuff on himself but he does this whilst looking around to be sure no one sees

I wonder where they are going

“Can you walk?” Jörn asks me when he sees me hobble

“I think so— of course it had to be my bad ankle,” I say

“Here, lean on me,” he says and puts his arm around my waist and lays his hand on my hip for support

We start to walk and I manage to keep up their pace through the park

There is a dark blue van parked adjacent to the Plaza that says “Laundry Services” in white. They open the back door and push the kid through as they follow inside. I notice there is no laundry inside; before they shut the two back double doors, I catch a glimpse of some complicated electronics inside and several monitors showing live footage of what looks like side streets

“Come,” Jörn motions to the passenger side of the van

The others are all in the back

“”Where are we going?” I ask but he just opens the passenger door and waits for me to get in before he shuts it and goes around the front of the van looking around to see if anyone is watching and then he gets into the driver’s seat beside me