Free Rock Hard by LJ Vickery

anyone who tried to touch her. That number included Marduk, paramedics…and Nergal, so it was time for Enlil to go before he complicated things even more. Marduk gave him in imperious gesture with his head. Enlil begrudgingly took the cue.
    Enlil walked away, becoming invisible as soon as he was out of sight. Marduk walked the other way, toward the street, cradling Tess. He knew she was about to get a good dose of what-the-fuck.
    “How does one call 911?” he asked sheepishly. Tess squinted up at him.
    “Are you for real?” she wondered aloud, then sighed. “If you haven’t got a cell phone, use mine. It’s in my fanny pack.”
    He knew what a cell phone was, but had never used one. As for fanny pack…he knew “pack” it rested at her back. But fanny? Moving his hands cautiously, he attempted to open the zippered compartment that rested above her shapely behind. Ah! He silently glowed, realization dawned. He gleaned what fanny meant and it was about to become his new favorite word!
    Extracting the small screened device was the only thing he was able to do with the foolish contraption. He took a good, long look, then shook it a little. He put the blasted thing up to his ear, brought it back down, and turned it over…then over again. How did one start the damned thing, anyway?
    Tess watched his antics, unable to keep her chin from dropping in disbelief. She obviously thought him an idiot that he couldn’t work the phone. He gave her a look that had once cowed millions, and all she asked was, “What planet are you from anyway? Give that to me before you break it.”
    He drew his eyebrows together, handed it over and, within seconds, her fingers performed a magical tap-tap and she was speaking into the machine.
    “…we’re actually coming down from the cemetery now, right across from the police station.” She paused. “Yes, yes…a mugger and we’re both a little banged up. I’ll probably need stitches.”
    A police car was waiting for them at the bottom of the hill.

Chapter Seven
    The officer who picked them up filled out his report as they waited in the emergency room, a cold pack pressed hard against Tess’s cheek. He seemed satisfied with their story and accepted the fact that Tess said Marduk lived with her. Marduk experienced a moment of confusion when asked for a last name and spit out the first thing that came to mind.
    “Morton,” he sputtered, “Marduk Morton.” How freakin’ glib was that? The alliteration seemed ridiculously lame, but the officer hadn’t even flinched, and only asked how to spell “Marduk.” Gods, how the population has changed. At one time in the fledgling New World, you had to be named Josiah or Nathaniel or any of those milquetoast names if you were to have a chance of blending in. Apparently, these days, Marduk wasn’t even a blip on the screen.
    The officer finally left, assuring them that they had cars patrolling the Sea Street neighborhoods for the mugger and, if they found him, they would call the pair in for identification. Tess thanked the policeman with a warm, if lopsided smile, and Marduk had to hold back his bellow of displeasure. Tess should not be smiling at anyone but him.
    He picked up her hand and deliberately caused her chair to shake. When she turned incredulous gray eyes up to his, he felt a small stab of satisfaction. See if the officer in his fine uniform can do that! He managed to look innocent while she looked at him suspiciously.
    Tess’s name was finally called and, rather than let her go, Marduk stood up and accompanied her and the efficient nurse down the hall. The woman went slightly pink after catching a good look at his yellow running shorts, but managed to remain professional, leading them through a set of double doors. They were shown into a small, curtained room.
    “You can hop up onto the bed, Miss Abelard,” the nurse said. “I’m just going to take your temperature and blood pressure before the doctor comes in.”
    Marduk had