That sounded good. Almost too good to be true. He'd liked the back and forth with Charles. He'd liked the challenge. But did he even remember how to collaborate in that way? After they parted, he'd returned to his old fallback of relying on himself.

"Talk. And if we can't agree?"

Does she tell him to fuck off like Charles had all those years ago?

We want the same thing.

I'm sorry, my friend. But we do not.

"Then what?"