Chapter Text
Akram had been clutching the phone in his hand for the past twenty minutes. His knuckles have gone white with how hard he’s gripping the damn thing.
“We’ll get him, Akram.” Rose places a hand over his own, stilling their shaking. The police van walls shake around them as they ride over one bump and another. “Look, we know he’s alive.”
“Alive doesn’t mean okay.” He shoots back.
“But he’s alive.” She pushes. “Which means he can heal.”
Akram grits his teeth.
The thing is, Akram doesn’t want him to have to heal more. Quite frankly, Carl’s already got several complexes and unhealed trauma’s. Why the hell do they want to add any more?
“How are we so sure this isn’t a trap?” Moria says from across them. She’s got her arms crossed, her face is stone cold.
“Carl wouldn’t let us willingly walk into a trap.” Akram snaps at her.
“Breathe, Akram.” Rose urges him. Akram twitches, trying his hardest not to snap at her but he swears if one more person tell him to breathe he’s going to–
“How are we even sure that Carl is the one that sent the text?” Moria continues, leaning forward.
“Wouldn’t they send us an exact location if it’s a trap, ma’am?” Rose asks, putting a hand on Akram’s shoulder to keep him from snapping. Moria clicks her tongue.
“You seem to be finding any reason to not go rescue Carl.” Akram notes, his voice is a little more calmer now.
“Look, DI Salim.” He sits up straight at his title. “I want to get Morck back, trust me. He may be a pain in the arse but he’s a damn good detective. But I also have to take into consideration the safety of my team.” She jabs a finger at him. “Including you. You’re lucky I’m even letting you come with us.”
Akram feels the fight in him deflate a little. He can’t exactly blame Moria for doing her job. He sighs.
“Understood, ma’am.” Moria nods.
Rose nudges her shoulder against Akram’s. He turns to her. She shoots him a reassuring smile. He tries his hardest to smile back.
The van suddenly comes to a stop.
He wastes no time hopping out. Rose follows right after him, clearly intent on following his lead.
“DI Salim! DI Dickson!” Moria calls out. Akram ignores her, shooting past the rest of the tactical team.
His heart beats with an urgency that screams Carl Carl Carl.
The cabin doesn’t look abandoned. The plants are neatly taken care of, curling vines that add character to its walls. There’s an obnoxious gnome stuck in the grass.
Akram crushes it with his foot.
He moves quickly to the front door, yanking it open without a second thought.
“Ready to do this?” Rose pops up beside him. He smiles at her grimly.
“Stay close to me.” He orders. She nods at him.
They move into the cabin slowly, flashing their lights around the room. Unlike the outside, the interior looks completely abandoned. There’s barely any furniture around, just rotted wood and a funky smell.
He moves quickly, eyes darting around the room. He doesn’t see any sign of Carl so he keeps moving forward.
Something tells him that there is no way Carl is being kept above ground.
“Basement.” He tells Rose, looking around for a basement door. She moves to the left, kicking some discarded plates and trash around.
“Over here!” He hears her yell eventually. He whirls around, marching over to where she is standing.
There’s a door that’s nearly impossible to see. It blends in completely with the wall. It doesn’t even have a door handle.
He yanks the basement door open and sprints forward.
“Akram!” Rose yells behind him, running to catch up.
He’s reminded, belatedly, of his time in Syria.
Of all the girls they’d find, dead or too tormented to live long.
Of all the people he’s failed.
He shakes his head, slowing his approach. Carl’s life is on the line.
Rose catches up with him. She puts a finger to her lips.
“We need to listen.” She says quietly, tilting her head. Akram stops by her side. He closes his eyes and listens.
He can hear the rest of the tactical team stomping around upstairs and he resists the urge to roll his eyes. He tries his best to block them out and listens for any signs of life in the basement.
It takes a minute but soon he hears some scuffling coming from a door down the hall. He and Rose share a look before moving in sync.
As they approach the door, he spots something in the corner of his eye. He turns his head to the left.
There, in one of the rooms, are two bodies. They’ve got blood flowing from their head and for a second Akram thinks they’re dead. It’s only when he sees their chests rise up and down that he realizes they’re alive.
He raises a hand to stop Rose, approaching the room carefully. He nudges one of the bodies with his foot, rolling them over.
As his light hits their face, he recognizes them to be one of the counselors they interviewed.
He girts his teeth. The team can find them and arrest them, he decides. Finding Carl is the most important thing right now.
He’s about to fully turn away when he notices something shine as his light passes by it. He zeroes in on it, momentarily confused at what he sees.
It looks like …a collar of some sort. It’s got two prongs on the back. Akram’s stomach sinks as he realizes what it is.
“Is that a…” Rose trails off beside him. His fingers tighten around his gun.
“Let’s go find Carl.” He whispers to her, leaving no room for argument.
He turns around and leaves the room, following the voices again. With practiced ease, he raises his gun and flashlight, beginning his slow approach.
“Jokes on you.” His heart stops at the sound of Carl’s voice. Raspy and tired, but alive. “I’m the cop no one gives a bloody damn about.”
Carl. Stupid fucking Carl.
Akram runs now.
He hears some more scuffling and a loud thud.
Akram runs faster. He can hear Rose run after him, shouting instructions to some of the officers behind them that have only just now caught up.
It doesn’t take him long to get to the door. He doesn’t think twice before kicking it in.
“Hands in the air!” He barks out. His eyes adjust to the room to take in the sight in front of him.
There’s a man, one of the counselors, on top of Carl. He’s got his grimy hands around the detective's throat. Akram feels anger, blinding hot, bubbling inside of him.
There’s also two kids, standing off to the side, watching with wide eyes. His heart clenches in sympathy, but he focuses on the matter at hand.
“Get off of him.” He commands, trailing his gun on the counselor. Carl’s eyes are bloodshot, blinking rapidly at him. Akram keeps his eyes on the other man. “Now!”
The counselor scrambles off of Carl. He looks terrified now, having lost all his faux confidence. Akram cocks the gun back.
“On the floor, now.” The man looks annoyed. He crouches slowly and carefully until he reaches a hand behind him. A lesser detective would have missed it.
Akram is not one.
“Don’t you fucking dare.” By now, Akram can hear the other officers catching up to him. He walks across the room swiftly.
“Should have expected another fag to show up.” The counselor spits with vitriol. Akram barely blinks before the back of his gun meets the man's face. His unconscious body hits the ground with a thump.
“Akram.” A weak voice croaks out before coughing. He whirls around, rushing to Carl’s side. The stubborn man is trying to get up. “The kids, get the kids.” He coughs out, bloodshot eyes pleading as they pierce Akram’s soul.
“Ok, ok, let me just.” He reaches out to Carl. Carl flinches away.
“Get the kids out of here first.” Akram’s heart breaks a little. But he knows Carl. He knows that in this moment, the best thing he can do for him is reassure him that his job is done. So he nods.
Akram approaches the kids cautiously. He sees that one of them is holding the keys in their shaking hand, unable to unlock their restraints.
“Danny. Nora.” He breathes out, amazed at the sight in front of him. They had been nothing more than missing poster signs for so long that Akram struggles to comprehend their very alive faces.
“You know who we are?” Danny asks. Akram nods.
“I work with Carl, we’re detectives. We’ve been . . .” He trails off, momentarily distracted by the sound of Carl trying to stand. He closes his eyes, resisting the urge to turn around and help. “We’ve been looking for you kids.” He eventually finishes. “May I?” He gestures to the keys.
Danny hesitates before dropping the keys into Akram’s waiting hands. He smiles at them reassuringly.
Carl is still attempting to stand as Akram makes quick work of the kids' restraints.
“You’re safe now.” He promises them. The rest of the officers had finally caught up, taking care of the unconscious men. “I promise.”
“Carl!” He hears Rose yell out. Akram turns around, watching Carl’s swaying form.
“Miss me?” Carl waves weakly. Rose looks torn between smacking him and hugging him.
“You need to go to the paramedics.” She insists.
It’s then that Akram takes full note of Carl’s injuries.
The man is covered in blood and bruises. His left eye is practically closed shut from how swollen it is. There’s red angry marks around his neck. He’s swaying in a way that suggests either blood loss or exhaustion. Maybe both. He’s favoring one leg over the other.
And despite this, the stubborn man has the audacity to shake his head.
“The kids.” He protests. One of the officers approaches. Carl eyes him warily.
“You need to go to the medics, sir.” The officer says and, to the horror of both Akram and Rose, reaches a hand out to grasp Carl by the arm.
“Let go!” Carl immediately struggles, gaining some adrenaline. He swings a fist out, hitting the man square in the face.
“Fuck!” The officer shouts out, backing away. Akram hears Rose snort next to him.
The officer looks ready to fight Carl when Akram steps forward.
“Leave him be.” Akram insists. He stands in front of Carl, ignoring the way the other man grapes at the back of his jacket to stand.
The officer clenches his jaw but relents.
“Prick.” He hears him mutter. Akram ignores him in favor of turning around.
“Carl.” He breathes out like a prayer.
“Hey.” The man lamely waves. “No need to get all mushy.” He snarks, wincing as his voice comes out extremely raspy.
Akram’s eye twitches. He moves his arms slowly as Carl watches him wearily.
“What are you–” The words are cut off as Akram engulfs the detective in his arms.
“Don’t do that again, you idiot.” Akram mutters. A second later he feels Carl’s arms weakly wrap around him.
“No promises.” Carl jokes. Akram resists the urge to lightly jab him. Given his current state, he’s pretty sure anything more than a drift of wind would knock Carl out.
“Let’s get the kids out of here.” Carl insists, backing away. He sways without Akram’s support.
“We will but you need to get checked out by the paramedics.” Rose crosses her arms.
“After them.” Carl nods towards Nora and Danny, who are watching them with interest.
“Deal.” Akram says quickly, knowing this is the best deal they’ll get.
Carl hobbles out of the cabin on his own accord, with Akram and Rose hovering beside him like he might disappear any second.
“Morck.” Moria greets them outside. “I see you’re still alive.”
“No thanks to you!” Carls says with false cheer.
Their boss rolls her eyes. She nods at Akram and Rose.
“Make sure he doesn’t kneel over and die.” She retorts. “I don’t want to have to deal with any more bloody paperwork.” She walks away to go talk to one of the other officers.
“Isn’t she so lovely?” Carl mutters. Akram rests a hand on his back.
“Carl.” He says patiently. “We got them.” He affirms. “We got them, okay?”
Carl eyes him. Akram can see tears wavering in his eyes. Rose steps away, clearly intent on giving them privacy.
“Will you please get checked out now?” Akram pleads. Carl purses his lips before nodding.
He leads Carl towards the medics carefully. Noting how, with every step, Carl seems closer and closer to the ground.
Eventually, he sinks a little further and Akram jumps to catch him.
“Easy, easy.” He coos. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you.” He helps Carl straighten up, putting one of his arms around his shoulder.
Carl half-walks and half-drags the rest of the way to the medics. As soon as they get there, the EMTs swarm them.
“Sir, we need you to step back.” One of them tells Akram. He purses his lips. When he tries to pull away from Carl, the man makes an alarmed noise.
“Carl, it’s okay, I’m going to be just over there.” He points next to the ambulance. Carl’s grip tightens on him and he begins to panic.
The detective's breaths are coming out in quick, raspy puffs. Akram allows himself to be pulled closer. He looks at the EMT’s helplessly.
Eventually, they conceded, allowing Akram to stay by Carl’s side as they evaluate him.
Akram tunes them out and instead just watches Carl.
The man’s eyes are half closed and he keeps nearly tipping to the side before jerking awake. When one of the medics suggests he has to go to the hospital, he snarls at them.
“I have to make sure the kids are okay and those bastards are put away for life.” Carl glares, struggling to sit up straight.
“Sir, you need medical attention–”
“I don’t give a flying fuck.” Carl spits out. He would have been slightly intimidating if it wasn’t for the way he was swaying.
The EMT looks at Akram helplessly.
“Carl.” The other man looks at him. “Rose and I will take care of it okay?” He rests a hand on Carl’s cheek. “You did it okay? We got those bastards. Nora and Danny are safe, thanks to you.”
“You cursed.” Carl giggles deliriously. Akram smiles.
“Rest now, Carl.” He says firmly.
It’s almost as if the man is waiting for permission. He wavers, pitching forward into Akram’s waiting arms.
Akram holds him close to his chest and, finally, breathes.