“As much as I would like to provide one, Annie, I’m afraid that I can’t. Do you know you have a string of frankfurters hanging around your neck?”

Annie ignored the question. “Can’t or won’t?” Annie snapped.

“Both!” Charles snapped in return.

“You think you can just waltz back to this mountain and pick up where you left off with no explanations? You left us flat, to fend for ourselves,” Kathryn screeched, her voice carrying over the mountain. “Your conduct is…was…unacceptable regardless of the circumstances. We deserved more, Charles,” she continued to screech. Murphy reared up and pawed at his mistress’s leg. “I-don’t-think-so!”

“You want us to trust you, but you don’t trust us? That’s not how it works, Charles,” Nikki said, frost dripping from her words. “Kathryn is right, your behavior is unacceptable.”

“My situation is different from yours, Nikki. I have to answer to Her Majesty. In the past, you only had to answer to me. If I could, I would answer all your questions. Unfortunately, I am duty-bound to say nothing.”

Myra squared her shoulders and leveled the gun in her hand. “NTK, is that it? If there is no trust on both sides, then it doesn’t work. I think I’m speaking for the Sisterhood when I say need-to-know doesn’t work for us.”

Charles looked at his ladylove and noticed that she wasn’t wearing her pearls. Chains with circles draped her neck. Annie was wearing the same set of chains. He didn’t like this new look. Myra wasn’t Myra without her beloved heirloom pearls. He realized at that moment that things had indeed changed here on the mountain since he’d left.

Isabelle stepped forward. “We found out the hard way that we don’t need you. Back in the day, we may have wanted you because you made it easier with your meticulous planning. We managed two missions. And even though we bumbled our way through them, we are standing here in front of you, guns drawn. On you! There is no reason to assume we cannot bumble our way through more missions. Actually, Charlie, we’re getting rather adept at meticulous planning.”

“You used my people. My people, ladies,” Charles said quietly.

“Your people are mercenaries, Charles. Mercenaries go where the money is. We have the money. I rest my case,” Alexis replied.

Charles took his time as he looked from one to the other, then down at his bag. Without another word, he picked up his bag and turned around to flick the power switch that would connect the power to the cable car. All he had to do was get in and then hit a second switch that would send the cable car to the bottom of the mountain. “Then I guess there’s nothing more to say. Good-bye, ladies.”

Yoko stepped forward but not before she clicked the safety on her gun. Her hand dropped to her side. “I haven’t spoken yet, Charles. I would like you to stay,” she said softly.

Charles turned back to face the women. He smiled, and his tone matched Yoko’s when he said, “I appreciate your vote, but I can’t stay unless it’s unanimous.”