Chapter 35: Rage

Tuesday 9-Oct 2007

"Good evening. Shocking news from Melbourne's eastern suburbs where two young children were snatched from a school under the very noses of police who had been sent to keep them safe."

The face of the news reader was sombre, conveying his concern at this terrible news.

"We cross now to our reporter on the scene."

The picture changed to show a reporter standing outside the primary school, its name and number clearly visible on the sign behind him. Since it was bright daylight, and the light was fading outside, Chris figured that it had been filmed earlier.

"Thank you Brian. Dramatic events here today, though as time passes the picture has become a great deal more confused. What we can tell you is that this morning, some Department of Community Services Officers came to the school, accompanied by police backup, to pick up a couple of orphan children for who they had safety concerns. What happened next is still a little confused, but a number of students from the nearby secondary school turned up a few minutes later, attacked the police car, somehow snatched the two orphans, and then escaped. Three students were arrested here, one for damaging a police vehicle and carrying an illegal weapon, and the other two for assaulting department personnel."

The picture had changed as the reporter spoke, firstly to show a picture of a police car with flat tires and a broken driver's window. It looked a little forlorn, and Chris couldn't help giggling. Geno had done that! Actually, he had been fairly restrained. Then the picture changed to show Geno, Joe, and Malcolm being led away to a divvy van by the police. That ended his giggling — that wasn't funny at all. Finally, the picture showed a tearful female — the one who had run into Malcolm, Chris recognised, drinking from a cup and being comforted by the other guy he'd seen.

"We have also been informed of a related incident at a nearby daycare centre. Apparently at the same time the department was also picking up a baby at the centre, another orphan from the same family. But the baby was kidnapped by another of the students instead. The department personnel were also assaulted here, and two other students from the same secondary school were arrested for assault and obstructing the course of justice."

For this, the picture simply showed the daycare centre; they hadn't got to the daycare centre quick enough to get any interesting pictures.

Chris shared a look with Shahia. This was getting serious. Far too serious.

"The police almost immediately issued a warrant for the arrest of Chris Mackenzie, who is believed to have been the ringleader for the kidnapping, and also for Shahia Esfahani-Baracat, who assisted him. Both are sixteen years old. The police believe that the three children are being held by these suspects now. The police have warned that they are desperate and dangerous, and should not be approached."

Chris grinned at the cries of outrage from the bed behind him. The picture had gone back to the reporter. He'd expected that they'd see photos of themselves, but there was none.

"We understand that a separate police unit was at the secondary school to arrest one of the suspects, but it appears that they missed the suspects by a couple of minutes. It's not clear whether that attempted arrest was related to this matter, but it appears to explain how the police were able to react so quickly."

Shahia had a horrified look on her face as she realised how close they had come to total disaster. Chris was finding it hard to breathe himself. What could he do if he had to face a police officer?

"Shortly after these events, the Department of Community Services held a press briefing on the subject."

The picture changed to the press briefing. Chris heard a sharp inhale behind him. "That's the bitch!" Shahia cried. Chris got his first look at the woman from the department who'd caused all this.

"We condemn this outrageous interference in the lawful conduct of the department as it performs its responsibility to ensure the proper care for all Victorian children. In particular the living arrangements for these children were clearly unsatisfactory, and we needed to become involved to protect these children."

There were hisses of hate from behind him. The picture changed back to the reporter. At this point the reporter had a pert grin on his face, though he continued in the same serious tone of voice.

"However since these events that occurred this morning and at lunch time, things have become a lot less clear. While the identities of the three children involved are suppressed, and we cannot name them, we have been told that sixteen year-old Shahia Esfahani-Baracat, the second named suspect, is actually the older sister of the three missing children, and that she has been providing their care since their parents died late last year."

The picture changed again, to shots of Chris's friends being pushed into police cars.

"Further, we understand that all those arrested are close friends of the four siblings. Of those arrested, one has a prior record, and is still being held. The other teenagers have been charged with minor misdemeanours, and released."

At this point, the reporters smile got very wide, and a photo of Geno appeared on the screen. "We have been told that the one still being held, Geno Pacchini, is refusing to co-operate with police, and that he has been claiming prisoner-of-war status under the Geneva Convention as a soldier in the battle for immigrant families."

Chris burst into laughter. That was typical Geno crap!

The picture cut back to the reporter, who was smirking. He said "We'll let you know how that one goes. The suspects are classmates. Two of the other teenagers arrested are actually their class captains." The picture changed to show Mr Cartwright picking up the four of them from the police station, the three guys laughing at some joke Mr Cartwright seemed to have made. Lisa, on the other hand, had a murderous expression on her face, and she was covered in mud, still all over her face even. You could see the trails where her tears had flowed, but now her face was grim and set.

"We understand that the girl in picture, Lisa Taylor, is a particularly close friend of the suspects. She lay in the mud in front of a car to prevent a department officer from following the female suspect after she had snatched her baby sister. Once these students were released, rather than going to their homes, they were driven back to their school and straight into a senior school assembly. We were not allowed into the assembly, but one of the students videoed it, and we have been given a copy."

Briefly, there was a shot of a one of the video girls from the working bee handing out DVD's to reporters. Chris was impressed. Mr Cartwright was a very fast worker.

The picture changed to a grainy home video type picture, a dark hall full of his friends and classmates sitting looking at a stage. Mr Cartwright swept into the picture, followed closely by Joe and Lisa. They charged up to the stage. Mr Cartwright turned. "Pupils, I know you are worried. Please listen to Joe and Lisa."

Joe stood on the edge of the stage, and spoke loudly. He came across quite clearly through the video. "This morning, Shahia got a message from Hassan that the department had come to take him and Alyssa away, and that they had escaped and were hiding in the school. Chris asked Malcolm, Geno, and I to run with him to the school. There was a police car there, so Chris asked Geno to disable it and create a distraction, while we rescued the kids from their hiding place. Chris broke into the school and got Hassan and Alyssa, but two adults tried to stop them, so we stood in the way and dragged them down. Chris, Hassan and Alyssa got away." He turned to Lisa, who still looked angry. In fact, she looked downright scary.

"Chris asked David and I to go with Shahia while she got Maria out of daycare. We ran up there and found a woman trying to take Maria away. Shahia grabbed Maria, and David and I stopped the woman from following her. I sat in the mud in front of the car — see — look!" She showed her skirt, the back of her blouse. The look on her face changed briefly from angry to triumphant. "And they got away."

"We've all just been released, except for Geno. I've been charged with obstructing the course of justice."

She took a step forward, right to the edge of the stage, and her voice changed tone, her anger clearly showing through. "Justice?! Right!" she snarled. "These are all my friends! Most of you know Shahia, know just how hard she's fought to keep her family together. You know how hard we've all fought, been part of it. And you all know Chris, you know what he's done for Shahia, how far beyond belief he's gone for them. And now they've been forced to run to keep her family together. Those of you who know them, do you think that Shahia isn't caring for them properly? NO WAY!

"Do you think this is justice, a fair go? That Chris and Shahia have been charged with kidnapping because they all ran away together? Do you think it's right that this family should be broken up because Shahia's an illegal immigrant, even if she's lived here since before she could talk? Do you think it's right that this family should be broken up because Shahia's not yet eighteen? Do you think it's right that Shahia should be sent overseas and married off to whoever pays the most?"

The last was almost a shriek. Lisa paused and looked around at the students, who were all spellbound by the anger emanating off her.

"I'm charged with obstruction of justice? I'll give them [beep] obstruction of justice. We're not going to let this happen!" There was a growl of support from the audience. "Shahia said that Australia is just a big group of us — it's whatever we make of it. And today, the last thing she said to me before she left was not to give up school. So tomorrow, and every school day from now on, I am going to sit on the road in front of the Department of Community Services doing my schoolwork. This is called civil disobedience — so no violence, I'll just sit there and block the road. If they arrest me, I'll let them carry me away — but I'll just come back, and do it again, and I'll keep doing it until it's safe for Shahia and her family to come back home. If you care for Shahia, her family, and for Chris, or if you care about what Australia means, join me there. And we'll be doing school work as best we can, not mucking around."