Ms Mikhael, a 43-year-old mother of three from Glenwood, is a project manager at Westpac – just opposite the now infamous chocolate cafe at Martin Place.
As one of the 17 hostages, Ms Mikhael became the face of the tragedy last night when she was forced to post messages and videos on social media, making the demands of the gunmen, Man Haron Monis, public.
In one message, she wrote: “Dear friends and family, I’m at the Lindt Café at Martin Place being held hostage by a member of the ISI. The man who is keeping us hostage has asked for small and simple requests and none have been met.
“He is now threatening to start killing us. We need help right now. The man wants the world to know that Australia is under attack by the Islamic State.”
Shortly after another message was posted – and its words were no doubt unimaginable for her to type: “He is going to kill us,” she wrote.
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Her posts, which were made on her Facebook page had more than 1000 messages from loved ones and people she had never met praying for her safety.
Family members pleaded with others not to share her posts, fearing for her life.
“Please do not share any statuses on (Facebook) from the hostages,” wrote Marcia’s niece Christine Mikhael.
“Please do not share or spread any messages released by the hostages as the terrorist is using them as a means of communication.
“This could put my aunty and the others in grave danger.”
Hours later, Ms Mikhael was carried out by two police rescue workers, visibly distressed and still wearing the business suit she wore to work a day earlier. She had a gunshot wound to her leg.
She has since been taken to hospital in a stable condition and is surrounded by her family, including her husband, George.
Ms Mikhael’s story is just one of many that Sydneysiders are attempting to fathom today. How can someone be caught up in such a horrifying ordeal while buying a morning coffee in Sydney’s CBD?
It’s a situation many of us will never be able to understand – least of all Ms Mikhael.
