Chapter 11 Helen Sandberg decided she liked Colonel Carter. He spoke clearly, he explained his ideas carefully, and he listened to what she said. He did not try to be diffi cult because she was a woman. Best of all, they had made a plan together. A good plan, she thought, it could really work. Perhaps. She looked at her watch: 2.23. ‘Right, Colonel, get your men ready. I’ll send you the fi rst prisoner down to you when they arrive. But where are they? Michael, have they arrived yet?’ ‘No, Prime Minister. Not yet.’ ‘Then where the hell are they? Can you get Inspector Holm on the car radio?’ ‘They’re trying, Prime Minister.’Michael spoke into the telephone. Colonel Carter left the room and Helen walked up and down slowly, watching the clock: 2.24, 2.25, 2.26... ‘They’ve got him, Prime Minister! He says... he says one of the cars has had an accident in the rain. He thinks he can be here in ten minutes.’ Michael looked up. There was no smile on his face at all now. ‘Ten minutes! What’s he driving - a police car, or a bicycle?’ Helen banged her fi st on the table. ‘We’ve got four minutes left. OK. I want to talk to the hijackers. Get them on the radio.’ She sat down at the table while Michael called the plane. Colonel Carter came in and stood behind her. A voice came on the radio. ‘Well, Mrs Sandberg. Where are our brothers? ‘They’re coming,’ said Helen. ‘They be here in ten minutes.’ ‘That is too late. I gave you half an hour. Your husband will die in four minutes.’ Helen pressed her hands fl at on the table, so hard that the ends of her fi ngers went white. ‘Please don’t do that,’ she said, ‘I’m sorry, Mrs Sandberg. But if my brothers are not here in four minutes, your husband