The Republic of Oz

by Ian Wisby

  “It’s my brother…He found out about my involvement. I had to neutralize him,” said Daniel.

  “That is unfortunate, Mr. Carmichael. But it is not a concern right now…We are almost ready to carry out Allah’s will,” said Mahmoud. Daniel didn’t reply straight away. He looked over his shoulder at his brother, Eric, who was still tied to the chair. His mouth was taped up, so he couldn’t speak.

  “Okay, fine. I am ready to leave. Where is the weapon?” he asked.

  “It is at the location. I will forward the exact coordinates to your mobile. But you need to get on the road now,” said Mahmoud.

  “Copy that. I’m heading out now. I’ll call you when I arrive,” said Daniel, and then hung up. He then turned to face his brother.

  He thought for a moment before walking up to him and ripped the tape off his mouth.

  “Damn it, Daniel. What the hell is this all about?” said Eric. Daniel struck his brother across the face.

  “Shut the fuck up!” he screamed. He started undoing the tape over his wrists. “We’re going for a little trip…Get up,” he demanded. Eric was reluctant to, and he gently massaged his wrists as the tape was quite tight. “Get up!”

  Eric jumped as his brother forced a gun into his face. He then slowly got to his feet, his hands raised. “Start walking to the car,” said Daniel. He stepped behind Eric and pressed his gun at Eric’s back. He forced him forward and then Eric opened the front driver’s side door.

  He climbed in and with shaking hands, he placed them on the steering wheel. He watched as Daniel came around to the passenger side door and he got in. “Right, start the engine, then head towards the city,” Daniel demanded.

  Eric followed his brother’s orders. He started up the engine and slowly reversed out of the garage.

  * * *

  ASIO Officer Simon Harper was closely monitoring the activity that had been ongoing inside the townhouse that belonged to the Islamic extremist terrorist group.

  Since the entire apartment had been bugged by the CIB, they were able to listen to every single conversation the terrorists were having. They could also see what they were doing inside the apartment.

  The CIB managed to install listening devices and tiny cameras inside the smoke alarms, a place where they wouldn’t suspect. Simon Harper had been listening to the conversations made by each of the occupants.

  There were four of them in total, one of them being Mahmoud Al-Hakim. Simon heard the conversation he’d just had with Daniel Carmichael. He could see two of the terrorist suspects coming into another room where Mahmoud Al-Hakim was. “Brother Mahmoud…The device is ready,” said one of the terrorists. Mahmoud was in the middle of performing his ritual Salat. He sat up and his eyes widened with excitement.

  “Excellent…Which one of you brothers have decided to carry out Allah’s work?” asked Mahmoud. The two men didn’t reply straight away and looked at each other.

  “I would like to carry out this mission for Allah.” Mahmoud stood up and walked over to the man who was sweating profusely. Mahmoud smiled and placed his hands on his shoulders.

  “Allah thanks you, brother Tariq,” said Mahmoud, and they both embraced.

  “What is the target?” asked Tariq. Simon held the headphones against his ear tightly, hoping to hear what the target is.

  “I will send you details of the target once you’re on the road…But it is close by,” said Mahmoud. Simon closed his eyes and let out a sigh of frustration. “You need to get on the road now,” he added. They went into the other room. Mahmoud and his brother assisted Tariq with putting on the improvised explosive vest.

  Once it was strapped around his chest, Mahmoud armed the device. It was now ready to be detonated. “Brother Khalil will accompany you to the target…Allah be with you,” said Mahmoud.

  “Allah Akbar,” Tariq replied with a nod.

  Simon Harper had been listening in on the entire conversation. He knew they were carrying out an attack soon. The only problem was that he didn’t know what the target was.

  He had to make a decision soon. As he sat there watching the monitors, he took out his mobile to dial a number. The call rang a few times before it answered. “Detective Sergeant Cooper.”

  “Hey, Cooper. It’s me, I’ve just learned some new Intel…Suspects are mobilizing. They are armed with the explosive device and en-route to the target,” said Simon.

  “Copy that, any idea what the target is yet?” asked Ethan.

  “Negative. Al-Hakim said he’ll give them details of the target once they’re on the road. They’re heading out now, Ethan,” said Simon.

  “Son of a bitch. Which means the attack is going down soon…Simon, you need to end this and bring Al-Hakim in. You might be able to stop the attack,” said Ethan. Simon let out a sigh and closed his eyes. He knew Ethan was right.

  “It’s risky, but you’re right. I’m sending in a tactical unit to pick up Al-Hakim.”

  “Good. Let me know when he’s in custody. I’ll come over and assist in the interrogation,” said Ethan.

  “Thanks, Ethan…Oh, by the way…Al-Hakim made a call to another potential suspect…His name is a Daniel Carmichael. Does that name mean anything to you?” asked Simon. The line fell silent after that. Ethan knew exactly who he was.

  “Jesus, son of a bitch…I know who he is…Are you saying that Carmichael is working for the terrorists?”

  “It looks that way. He called him about ten minutes ago. Carmichael is also heading to a location given to by Al-Hakim. I think they’re planning a coordinated attack,” said Simon.

  “Bloody hell…Alright, thanks for the Intel. Stay on top of these guys.”

  “Copy that.” Then Simon hung up.

  * * *

  Eric Carmichael’s heart was racing. It was as though he’d been standing under a cold shower for several minutes. He was just overwhelmed at the fact that his own brother was a terrorist.

  Not to mention that he was holding a gun at him and threatening to kill him. Eric was driving the car, while Daniel sat in the left passenger seat and held his gun at Eric.

  They were now driving across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and getting closer to the city. “What the hell is this all about, Danny?” Eric asked, breaking the silence.

  Of course, Daniel didn’t reply straight away. He just kept his finger on the trigger. “I can’t believe that my own brother would be a terrorist…After everything Mum and I did for you…I quit my job when Dad died to take care of you, and this is how you thank us?”

  “Shut up, Eric. Just shut the fuck up!” Daniel yelled, spitting everywhere. It made Eric jump slightly.

  “Just tell me, what happened to you? Why are you doing this?”

  “You wouldn’t understand, brother!” he put the emphasis on ‘brother’.

  “Help me…Help me understand what it is you’re doing.” Daniel just chuckled.

  “Because people like Mahmoud Al-Hakim opened my eyes. He helped me see what this country is truly like…Corrupt and greedy,” he said.

  “Oh God, you’re sounding like a twelve-year- old…Danny, these people are criminals. They’re terrorists!”

  “No. People like Al-Hakim are patriots. They care about what happens in the future…Today, we’re going to show this pathetic government what the future is like,” said Daniel. Eric was starting to get upset. Hearing him say that stuff was just traumatic.

  “I don’t know what this Al-Hakim person has done to you, but I know you’re not a bad person, Danny…What happened to that little brother I used to play cops and robbers with in the back yard?” Daniel started getting flashbacks of his childhood. He could see him playing and running around with his brother.

  “Shut your fucking mouth, Eric!” Daniel shouted, waving his gun at his face. “After we get off the bridge, take the first exit to the left onto Cahill Expressway,” he said. Eric sat there calmly as he possibly could and concentrated on his driving.

  After a few minutes, they were off the bridge, and E
ric entered onto the exit ramp. He looked up and could see a sign with several names on it. ‘City East…Eastern Subs….Airport.’

  “Where are we going, Danny?”

  “Just keep on this road until I say otherwise,” he said.

  CHAPTER 9

  “You can’t be bloody serious?” said the angry voice of Detective Inspector Mick Greer. He was somewhat confused by what he’d just found out.

  Mick was in his office with Detective Sergeant Ethan Cooper standing there.

  “I don’t know what else to say, Boss. Simon called it in. He said that Daniel Carmichael contacted Al-Hakim…During the conversation, he gave him instructions to go to a specific location,” Ethan replied. Mick just let out a sigh.

  “This is ridiculous…So, looks like Denali is in the clear then?” he said, and Ethan slowly nodded.

  “It would seem so. Looks like the brother framed his own fiancée,” said Ethan. “Are you going to tell her?”

  “I’ve got no choice. She’s technically an innocent woman. Not to mention it’s her fiancé. Have you got someone going over to the Carmichaels?”

  “Yeah, Detective Faulkner is on her way with backup. They should be there soon,” said Ethan. Mick nodded, and then he slowly got to his feet.

  “Well, time to face the music I guess,” he replied, with sarcasm. He then put on his jacket and headed out the door. Ethan followed him out of course, but he diverted back to his office.

  Meanwhile, Rana Denali was pacing up and down the windowless holding room, getting somewhat agitated. Wendy Carmichael was also in the room, and she let out a sigh.

  “For God sake, Rana, sit down before you put a hole in the floor,” she said.

  “I can’t sit still. I need to know what’s going on!” she said, loudly. She looked in the direction of the security camera as she said it.

  Just then, both of them looked up as the security door opened. Inspector Mick Greer entered. “I demand to know what is going on!” Rana snapped.

  “Ms. Denali, Mrs. Carmichael, I have some unfortunate news that I need to share with you,” said Mick, cautiously. Wendy knew there was something wrong. “This agency has been conducting an investigation into a possible terrorist threat against this city…ASIO has been monitoring an active terrorist cell who we believe to be behind the planned attack,” he continued. “Recently, they picked up a call between the terrorist leader, Mahmoud Al-Hakim, and an associate of his…Your son, Daniel Carmichael,” he explained. Wendy’s eyes lit up.

  “What the hell did you just say?” Wendy shouted. “This is some kind of trick!” Of course, Mick shook his head.

  “Unfortunately, it’s not, Mrs. Carmichael. ASIO recorded the conversation between your son and Al-Hakim…It would appear that he was the one who transferred that money into Hakim’s account, not you, Ms. Denali,” said Mick, as he looked down at Rana. She was too busy fighting back the tears.

  Her eyes swelled up with liquid. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “This is outrageous! My son is not a fucking terrorist!” Wendy snapped, getting upset.

  “I realise this is hard for you to hear, but it’s the truth, Mrs. Carmichael…I have detectives on their way to your house to confirm his involvement…In the meantime, I can replay the conversation Al-Hakim had with your son,” he said. He then placed a digital recording device on the metal table and played it.

  The conversation was sound, and it certainly was Daniel’s voice. Wendy was mortified by what she heard, and she began to tear up.

  “That is enough!” she cracked. Mick stopped the recording. He slowly got up and buttoned his jacket.

  “Ms. Denali, in light of this new evidence, we’ve decided to drop the charges against you…You are free to go,” said Mick. “However, we would like your help to shed some light on the situation regarding Daniel Carmichael,” said Mick. A single tear trickled down Rana’s cheek. She was upset, and rightfully so.

  “I don’t understand, how my son could be a terrorist,” said Wendy. Her lip trembled as she spoke.

  “Has there been any shift in his behaviour recently? Has he undergone any kind of trauma, or depression at all?” asked Mick, as he leaned against the table. Wendy cleared her throat to speak.

  “He lost his father a few years back. He died of cancer…He was attached to his Dad. They did lots of things together, camping, cycling that sort of thing,” said Wendy. “He took the death pretty hard, I mean, we all did. But Daniel suffered the most.”

  “It’s certainly plausible then that he’s suffered some kind of a mental break down…Did he spend any time away from home?” Wendy thought for a moment.

  “Ah…He went away for a little while after his Dad passed away. We didn’t hear from him for at least six weeks. He didn’t write, he didn’t call…He just vanished. Until one day he showed up out of nowhere,” said Wendy. Just then, Mick Greer’s phone started ringing.

  “Just a second, sorry.” He stood up and answered the call. “Inspector Greer.”

  “Boss, it’s Diane. We just got to the Carmichaels…There’s no sign of the two brothers,” said Diane Faulkner. “There is a sign of an altercation, so it’s likely they were here recently,” she added.

  “Okay. Any indication as to where they’ve gone?” asked Mick, as he walked over to the corner.

  “Sadly no. However, we did a search of the property. It seems we’ve found two copies of the Holy Quran. One’s obviously Rana Denali’s, but the other appears to be the fiancé’s,” said Diane. She wore a pair of rubber gloves as she flipped through the pages of the Quran.

  “Shit…Okay, keep searching through the house. We have to find out where Daniel is heading,” said Mick.

  “Copy that. I’ll get back to you.” Mick hung up the phone.

  * * *

  ASIO Officer Simon Harper had just put on a bullet proof vest. He withdrew his Glock 19 handgun and prepared himself to carry out a raid on the terrorist safe house.

  He was conducting the raid along with a team of Counter-Terrorism officers from the Australian Federal Police. They too were fully geared up in tactical gear and armed to the teeth with weapons and defence shields.

  There were about eight tactical police officers getting ready. Simon Harper came over to them and they were preparing to advance towards the property. As they were about to move in, Simon’s phone started ringing. “Harper.”

  “It’s Ethan, what’s your status?”

  “Tactical units are in place. We’re about to move in on the property. Has anything changed?” asked Simon.

  “No. We have no idea what the target is. We need Al-Hakim to talk now,” said Ethan.

  “Okay, copy that. We’re heading in now. I’ll call you once we have Al-Hakim,” said Simon, and hung up. “Okay gents. Let’s move in.” At that, the tactical officers readied themselves.

  They broke off into groups of four; the first group surrounded the main entrance, while the second group secured the back of the house. The first group were preparing to place a small explosive charge on the lock of the door.

  Once it was in place, the officer backed away. Another member of the group pressed the trigger. The explosive detonated, and the door exploded inward.

  At the same time, an officer tossed in a smoke grenade. Within a matter of seconds, the front hall filled with grey smoke. The officers immediately stormed the house.

  There was some gun fire, however, the officers managed to take down all the hostiles seconds after entering the house. Mahmoud Al-Hakim had been detained and an officer placed cuffs on his wrists.

  Simon Harper entered the property. He approached Al-Hakim. “Mahmoud Al-Hakim, you are hereby under arrest for conspiracy to carry out an act of terrorism…You do not have the right to remain silent,” said Simon. “Are all the other hostiles secure?” he asked, looking at an officer.

  “Yes, we’ve detained two other suspects. They’re being held in the other room,” said the officer. “We’ve also secured automatic weapons
and some explosives.”

  “What about the Semtex?” asked Simon, but the officer shook his head.

  “Negative. We’ve searched all areas of the property. No signs of the explosives,” said the officer.

  “Damn it…Alright, we need to get this guy ready for interrogation…We’re gonna have a little chat,” said Simon.

  Two officers came over and grabbed hold of Mahmoud Al-Hakim. They stood him up and led him into another room where he was forced into a chair. “Where’s the Semtex, Mr. Hakim?” asked Simon. Of course, Mahmoud just spat on the floor next to Simon’s foot.

  “Go to hell, pig!” Mahmoud shouted in Arabic. Simon just chuckled as he understood what he said. Simon learnt how to speak Arabic after he spent some time in the Middle-East during his service in the SASR.

  “You will go there after I beat you to death,” Simon replied in the same Arabic tongue. “What is the target, Mr. Hakim?” said Simon. Mahmoud just sat there, staring at Simon with an angry expression on his face. Simon punched him hard into his stomach multiple times. “What is the fucking target?” he screamed, again. At that, an officer came over to Simon.

  “Officer Harper. We’ve confiscated Al-Hakim’s mobile phone. He sent out two messages in the last ten minutes,” said the officer.

  “Who’d he send them to?”

  “It’s an unknown number, but the messages contain specific coordinates.”

  “Coordinates to what, exactly?”

  “We’re checking them now…First coordinates are, 33.8832 degrees south, by 151.2070 degrees east,” said the officer. Simon was running the coordinates through his head, trying to figure out where those coordinates were.

  “Shit, I know where that is,” said Simon. He immediately got out his mobile to dial a number.

  “Detective Cooper,” Ethan answered.

  “Cooper, it’s Simon again…We just found coordinates on Al-Hakim’s mobile phone. I think we just identified the target…They’re targeting Central Railway Station. You need to send in your people now,” said Simon.