The Red Zone was quiet, for once. No flyers in the sky above him; no walkers in the streets below. The odd patrol of Marines or Blackwatch troops passed through in their APCs or trucks, all of them seemingly at a loss. Two long years, and no infected to be seen, but nobody was quite ready to throw a party.
Heller stood on the roof of their new safehouse, watching the sun rise. His daughter was still in bed, Dana probably likewise. He couldn't sleep- didn't have to sleep much, anymore. He held the phone in his hands, flicking the screen on and off as though waiting for something.
It was a long time coming. He'd taken up pacing to pass the time, the sun now high overhead as the morning dragged on, when the phone finally rang. He flipped it on, meeting Rooks' grim expression with his own.
"You're still in the city," the man observed.
"Take you long to figure that out?" Heller grumbled back. The man pissed him off, but Rooks had done him a solid. The least he could do was listen to what he had to say. "I got your text. Seems like every asshole in this city has my number. What the fuck do you want?"
Rooks just scowled into the camera at him. "I still have a lot of things to unfuck, no thanks to you, so let's just cut to the chase. I want you out of the city and out of my way. Take your daughter and go. I'll even provide a chopper."
"Like I couldn't get one myself." Heller resumed pacing, pulling the phone away for a moment so Rooks couldn't see his face. He wanted nothing more than to leave NYZ behind, but things were suddenly more complicated than that. Fucking Mercers. "I can't leave yet," he finally replied. "I have my own situation to unfuck."
Rooks raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't question further. Heller's murderous expression probably told him everything. "Then stay the fuck out my business and I'll stay out of yours. Do we have a deal?" He seemed to think for a moment, then added, "And that means no more eating my men. Jesus, do you know how hard it is to find a competent officer around here?"
"Fuck if I know," Heller smirked. "I haven't seen one yet."