| Director | Tearepa Kahi |
|---|
Community Sergeant 'Taffy' Tawharau has recently returned home to the community of Rūātoki to live with his elderly father. In addition to his policing duties alongside fellow police officer Blake, Taffy drives the local school bus. The Ngāi Tūhoe activist Tame Iti, who is a well known local community figure, runs a series of boot camps called Camp Rama (fire light) in the forests of Te Urewera valley. While these boot camps focus on survival skills and preserving Tūhoe identity, they attract the attention of the New Zealand Police's elite Special Tactics Group (STG) who believe that they are terrorists plotting to kill the Prime Minister.
After a troubled youth named Rusty fires a loaded rifle during an argument at a Rama campsite meeting, the STG step up their surveillance activities around Rūātoki, which unnerves Taffy and Blake. Taffy later finds Rusty vandalising a local bakery. Instead of arresting him, Taff takes Rusty to a Rama meeting. During the meeting, Taffy finds an STG operative spying on the camp and tracks him down to a van. The STG Team Leader Gallagher tells Taffy of their surveillance operations against Tame and attempt to enlist Taffy as an informant. Respecting Tame, Taffy refuses and later discovers that another local police officer Potaka is a police informant.
Taffy also convinces Rusty to make amends for his vandalism. Before Rusty can return to the bakery to clean it up, Police launch a nationwide raid against suspected terrorists including Tame Iti. STG reinforcements converge on Rūātoki, arresting several local residents in early morning raids. Taffy is ordered by an STG officer to drive a school bus with children to a stop-over. STG officers mistake Rusty's broom for a weapon and chase him to his home. One of the STG officers is accidentally killed when his gun accidentally discharges during a pursuit.
Believing that Rusty murdered the officer, Team Leader Gallagher launches a manhunt. Potaka pursues Rusty to the Whakatāne River and manages to convince the youth to lay down his arm. However, a vengeful Kimiora attempts to shoot Rusty but hits Potaka instead. Taffy is also detained on grounds of aiding Tame Iti. Despite sustaining a bullet in his shoulder, Rusty escapes with the help of Blake, who brings the boy to his parents. Believing that Tame Iti and his followers are terrorists, Gallagher uses the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 to impose a lockdown on Rūātoki, restricting local travel and movement. To prevent further bloodshed, Tame Iti surrenders himself to the authorities.
Taffy later escapes police custody and takes Maria hostage. In retaliation, Gallagher detains Taffy's father and threatens him in order to force him to reveal Rusty's whereabouts. As the manhunt continues, Gallagher clashes with fellow STG officer Kimiora, who grows wary of his superior officer's aggressive tactics. Using a helicopter, Gallagher's team later recaptures Taffy. Gallagher's helicopter tracks down Rusty's parents' ute. STG officer Kimiora shoots Rusty's father during the shootout but Rusty, his mother, and Blake escape the vehicle. While Dr Foon treats Rusty's injuries, Blake and Gallagher fight and subdue Kimiora, forcing him to stand down.
As the police lift their lockdown, Blake attends to the children detained on the school bus, reassuring them that the crisis is over.