**
Flashback...
The Joker grumbled under his breath as this fourteen year old boy led him through the dark streets on the lower east side of Gotham. If one had never experienced the modern hell that was Gotham, they would assume that this was the worst part of the city. Unfortunately for the citizens, most of Gotham was like this with the exception of the palisades. Still, the lower east side was one of the poorer parts.
Prostitutes waved down cars on street corners, and drug dealers were busy making transactions in alleyways. The Joker and Marcus heard a couple having a shouting match in an apartment above a discount shoe store. The sounds of shattering glass soon followed, though no one in the other apartments bothered to call the police. The people in this town knew to mind their own business and to take care of themselves. The Joker fiddled with his knife, prepared for anyone to sneak up behind him and stab him in the back. The Joker could almost smirk at the thought of anyone trying to rob him. They would quickly find out that he was far more dangerous than any crack dealer on these streets. Even with the voice of Jack still lingering within his mind, he would be any brainless thug's worst nightmare.
The Joker couldn't believe he had agreed to follow this kid. What was with him anyway? He should have been scared shitless when he saw this deranged clown. Instead he almost behaved like he was a fan. The Joker watched the shorter young man trotting ahead of him and let out an exasperated sigh. "Alright kid. We've been walking for well over an hour now. Where are you taking me? Not to your little clubhouse I hope? I don't have time for this crap. I've got work to do!"
Marcus had mentioned something to him about there being 'others.' He hadn't said much about them. The Joker worried that he was leading him to his tree house where a bunch of his little friends were waiting dressed in war paint they bought from the Halloween store, and with plans that had been mapped out with crayons. "Don't worry, we're almost there!" Marcus chirped excitedly.
Finally when they reached an entrance that led underground, Marcus stopped and looked around, making sure that no one was watching. There was a sign above the stairs that read 'Eastside Amtrack' and another sign had been pasted over those words that read 'This Station is Closed.' Marcus motioned for the Joker to follow him down the stairs. The Joker, his face still set in a grumpy scowl, shrugged and complied.
Marcus led the Joker down the dark underground tunnels, and the Joker grimaced when he saw some rather large rats scurrying across the floor. They passed by a couple of sleeping homeless men who had taken refuge in the abandoned tunnels. There had long been rumors in Gotham about an entire society that had been formed underneath the city. The possible inhabitants of that society were nicknamed 'mole people' by the surface folk. Many claimed it was an urban legend, though some insisted it to be true.
Gotham's economy had gone down the tubes within the last ten years. There wasn't enough money to even bother fixing many of the abandoned underground stations and now the main public transport system was the Gotham Central subway station that they had recently built. The Eastside Amtrack was left to whatever homeless people wanted to use it. This included drug addicts, escaped convicts, ex inmates who had recently been released with no money, and mentally disabled people who had been thrown on the streets by homes that could no longer house them.
"So is this what you do on your free time kid? Play in sewers and abandoned subway stations?" The Joker grumbled as he followed Marcus through the dark tunnel. "Where are your parents anyway?"
"Dead," said Marcus nonchalantly as he trotted ahead of the Joker, scaring away some more rats that were in his path.
"Ah," said the Joker, quickly shrugging off that awkward moment. "And how long are you going to lead me through this uh, dark and incredibly foul smelling maze?" The Joker griped. "I thought you said we were almost there? This better be worth it kid. I hope you know that I'm not someone you want to jerk around with. If it turns out that this hasn't even been worth my time I'll..."
"We're here!" Marcus buzzed excitedly, cutting the Joker off in mid-sentence. A broken down train was up ahead in the tunnel blocking their path, and a staircase had been built in front of the train leading up to the top of it. Marcus turned around and waved to the Joker to follow him. "Come on! They're waiting!" He happily trotted up the stairs.
The Joker grumbled some more, feeling a tad confused. "Slow down kid!" he growled and swiftly followed him up the stairs to the roof of the train. "Whose waiting?" Marcus ran across the train, the Joker following close behind.
"The others!" Marcus chirped.
"Goddamn it, what others?!" the Joker growled, growing more impatient. "Kid, if this is some fruity little club of yours I swear to God I'll..."
The Joker felt like his words had been trapped in his throat when the dark tunnel ended and they had arrived at another underground station, the working lights from the ceiling hitting his eyes. Down on the floor below an entire mob gathered together. It was so crowded the people were standing elbow to elbow. The crowd seemed to be mostly made up of men. Some were wearing clown masks while others were wearing 'war paint' similar to that of the Joker's. Many wore nothing on their faces at all, their natural features being enough to frighten a grown man on their own.
The disturbing looking group was busy chattering amongst themselves forming a mess of garble that echoed across the abandoned underground station. Marcus suddenly yelled across the crowd, his rather high voice hurting the Joker's ears as he was standing very close to him. "Attention sons of anarchy!" Marcus yelled. The entire room suddenly grew silent and all now focused on the two figures that stood on the train, their eyes expressing quiet awe. "Our leader has arrived!"
For a split second, the room was so utterly quiet that one would be able to hear a pin drop. And then their shouts erupted, the men roaring in chorus. "YEAH!" The Joker almost felt himself fall backwards at their abrupt yelling. His eyebrows furrowed as this entire group of mindless sheep chanted before him as if he was their god. They threw their fists into the air and many revealed that they were holding weapons. Some were holding large machetes while others held clubs and baseball bats.
"We shall be victims to society no longer! He will lead us to victory! For we are the Joker's disciples!" Marcus yelled again, and another roar of approval from the crowd erupted.
The Joker raised an inquisitive eyebrow. This was rather shocking. And for a moment the Joker felt like he was onstage again in front of his most enthusiastic audience yet. Though this time, he was already planning for this audience to be a part of his act. They just might prove to be quite useful.
**
With his henchmen still quite confused (and some a tad jealous, though they would never admit it) the Joker carried a bubbly Stacey back up the stairs. They were both still giggling heartily and Stacey kicked her legs while the Joker cradled her in his arms. The Joker didn't even acknowledge his men as they watched him depart to the upper floor with his delirious little pet. Truthfully, his men were quite annoyed. If any of them had interrupted the Joker during a meeting they'd have gotten a gunshot to the knee.
The Joker carried Stacey to their bedroom, which seemed to be becoming a routine for them, and Stacey squealed as he tossed her on the bed. But this time, instead of it being a squeal of terror it was a squeal of playfulness. Stacey immediately stood up and started bouncing on the bed like a five year old who had just eaten a container full of ice cream. The Joker didn't know exactly what was in those drugs, but whatever it was, Stacey was having such a good time that he was almost tempted to try some himself! Almost. But he wouldn't. The Joker chose to keep his mind under control. He didn't even drink alcohol. Lord knows he didn't need anymore mind altering influences.
The Joker crossed his arms again, looking rather strict and trying to stifle his grin. "Stacey Gordon," he spoke in a scolding tone. "You know what happens to little girls who jump on the bed don't you?"
Stacey immediately stopped bouncing and landed on her bottom, looking up at the Joker and sticking her lips out in a pout. "Ya know...sometimes you act like a grumpy old man," she crossed her arms and shot him a look like he was killing her fun.
The Joker raised his eyebrows and snickered. "Well, you are only sixteen years old aren't you?" The Joker had to keep himself from cackling at that comment then he sat on the bed next to her and pulled her over to his side. He stroked her cheek with one hand and cuddled her close to himself with the other. "Or maybe you're even younger? You certainly are acting it today. Hmmm. What are we going to do about that?"
Stacey blushed and bit her lip remembering exactly what he had said to her when he told her not to leave that room. The Joker reached over Stacey's lap and slowly pulled off his other glove. It was almost seductive. He tossed it aside and then his bare hand sneaked up the back of Stacey's shirt tickling the small of her back. Stacey gasped and then a tiny giggle escaped her lips as she felt goose bumps forming on her arms. The Joker leaned into her ear, his hot breath tickling her skin. "Didn't daddy J tell you to stay in this room baby doll? Hmmm. It seems we have an o-be-di-ence problem here. Little girl not listening to her daddy. Just what are we to do about this pre-dic-a-ment?"
Stacey giggled nervously, but the Joker's voice was softer than usual and so was his touch. He began rubbing her back and if Stacey were a cat, she'd be purring by now. He brought his hand up further and he squeezed her shoulders easing any tension she had in her muscles. Stacey closed her eyes and sighed in pleasure. The Joker grinned slyly and pulled off his other glove with his teeth. His hand trailed up her skirt where he began stroking her bare thigh. He felt her shiver as he massaged her inner thigh and he inched closer and closer towards her womanhood.
Within Stacey's drug induced stupor it appeared that physical touch was enhanced times a hundred. The wheels in her head were turning, turning, turning yet all the worries she ever had as Stacey Gordon had been locked deep within her subconscious and in her childlike state she didn't have a care in the world. The Joker very lightly brushed his fingers over her panty covered pussy and Stacey felt that faintly familiar warm gush of wetness spilling out of her feminine lips. She could feel the roughness of his manly fingers even through the thin fabric of her panties.
She felt him use a little more pressure now, and the Joker felt her body jerking a little as he rubbed his thumb harder over her clit. Stacey felt tension building up all over her lower area, and it was so pleasurable it was almost torture. She was so sensitive and the Joker was barely using any pressure at all, but it still felt like a surge of lightening accumulating over her entire lower half. The Joker licked his lips and felt his cock straining in his pants when his fingers felt Stacey's warm fluids soaking her panties. Stacey let out a small involuntary whimper, and when the Joker heard this he eased off the pressure with a knowing smile.
He brought his hand back down her inner thigh. "Mmmm, you're soaked babykins," he whispered gruffly. "Awww little baby. So sweet and innocent. Do you even know what an orgasm is?" He had to stifle another snicker, wondering if Stacey had forgotten a lot of her sexuality in her drugged up state. Stacey may have currently been in a childlike state of mind but she was still in the body of a full-grown woman and her body was reacting as such.
"Uh...um," Stacey breathed, her cheeks now vibrantly flushed. The feeling of the Joker lightly stroking her inner thigh had her speechless. The Joker let out a low chuckle. She was so submissive and he loved it. So she currently had the mind of an innocent little girl, so what? He always loved role-play. He was a pervert anyway. Even Jack himself had quite a bit of depravity in him.
Stacey felt him lightly run his finger over her womanhood again. "You know what happens to little girls who are dis-ob-e-dient?" Stacey could almost shiver at the sound of his low voice alone. He brushed a finger over her throbbing pussy again. "I guess I'll have to remind you," another gentle squeeze of her thigh. "Remind you that I'm the boss here little bunny. I'm going to pull down those little panties again and spank your cute little tush." Stacey felt another involuntary gush of wetness spilling into her panties and the Joker felt her leg twitch hard after he had finished that last sentence. "Oh, ho, ho that doesn't turn you ON does it?" the Joker teased, now showing off his toothy grin.
"Oh daddy J. The petting...down there. It just feels so good. Please don't stop," Stacey whimpered in a small voice, her eyes still shut in ecstasy.
"My, my, you are a bad little girl aren't you?" The Joker purred. "My naughty little harlequin." In his mind he was already dancing with joy. This time, he was going to make her beg. Beg him to be inside of her. She was his now. She was completely under his spell and for the first time Jack and the Joker were equally pleased and were willing to work together. Both wanted to keep Stacey Gordon under their spell. Jack wanted her as his own little Emma replica and the Joker wanted to use her to mess with Gordon and Bats. For the two personalities this was a win-win situation.
The Joker pulled his hand away from Stacey's womanhood and Stacey whimpered. "No, no, no, no my little girl doesn't deserve to be pleasured quite yet. She needs to be punished first," the Joker tsked. He picked her up and sprawled her across his lap.
"But, but...!" Stacey gasped when she felt him slowly push up her skirt, and she felt his hard cock pressing into her stomach. Then she felt him slip his fingers into the waistband of her panties, and very slowly start to tug them down. He did it so slowly it was as if he was trying to tease her. Stacey felt the cool air of the room touch her exposed bottom as the Joker slipped her panties down, and then she felt a tingle in her pussy when the air touched her feminine folds.
The Joker slipped them down to her knees and then he scooted her further up on his lap to where his cock was digging into her pelvis. Stacey felt his manhood twitching beneath her groin as he admired her round little backside and gapping wet pussy. Stacey felt so vulnerable, so exposed and she could almost feel his hungry eyes eating up her nakedness.
Stacey gasped and flinched when she felt his warm, rough hand lightly stroke her round little butt. He started to scold her, as if it was a routine (which it pretty much was) and Stacey felt butterflies in her stomach as she dangled over his strong lap waiting for him to begin the spanking. He made her feel small and helpless, though for some reason she trusted this deranged clown. After all, he saved her didn't he? He protected her and took care of her. He could never really hurt her could he? He seemed to adore her.
Stacey sucked in her breath as the Joker suddenly removed his hand from her bottom. Her little ass cheeks clenched up and then the Joker let his hand fall with a loud 'slap!' to her lower bottom. Stacey felt his cock twitch beneath her once more as the Joker admired the jiggle that her bottom made after the impact from his hand. Then she felt his warm, strong hand vigorously rubbing out the sting. He slid his hand away from her cheek and over her feminine folds ever so lightly, tormenting her, feeling her entire body tense up and loving every minute of it.
Then he pulled his hand away again and slapped her other cheek, not too hard but hard enough to cause a nice sting. Stacey felt an odd tingle in her pussy as the Joker's hand smacked her bottom. Each time his coarse hand made contact with her lower bottom and thighs, it sent a shockwave through her entire vaginal region. She felt her own warm fluids dripping down her legs, and now she was subconsciously raising her bottom to accept his smacks. She felt her entrance opening for him, relaxed and aching for his touch.
The Joker could smell her arousal and if it were possible, he felt his own manhood grow even harder as her musky scent came in contact with his nose. He suppressed a snicker as he gently ran his fingers over her lips again, teasing her, making her long for him to be inside of her. He wanted to tease her. He wanted her to beg. "Stacey. Open your legs for daddy precious," he ordered and gave her bottom a firm pat.
Instead of waiting for her to comply, she felt him roughly push her legs apart himself. His hand gripped her inner thigh and then Stacey felt two fingers part her lips. She could feel air seeping into her entrance and ravenous eyes glaring into her most vulnerable spot. She waited for him to do something, but he hesitated. She spread her legs open even further, beckoning his hand to play with her. "J," she squeaked. "Touch me please."
"Daddy J," the perverted clown corrected her.
"Daddy J," Stacey responded in a small voice. "Touch me. Please. Please daddy," she sounded so much like a little girl after that, that even the Joker himself felt a little depraved. But he loved it. Oh boy did he ever. He loved having total control.
Stacey felt him slip his finger into her awaiting entrance and she gasped, feeling like it had almost come out of nowhere. "Is this what you wanted princess?" he asked in a crafty voice. Stacey slowly nodded her head, biting her lower lip. The Joker smiled down on his little pet. He kept his finger in her for a moment, tickling her insides and then pulled it out. "Uh, I don't think you really deserve to be pleasured quite yet baby doll."
Stacey huffed out of frustration. "Aw come on! You've spanked me enough!" She was rewarded with a sharp slap to her backside and she let out a high-pitched yelp.
"Excuse me?" The Joker growled. "I'll decide when it's enough little bunny." And then he began spanking her in earnest, faster and at a steady pace, but still only enough to cause a slight sting. Stacey wriggled over his lap, only to further torment his own aching arousal. Her hand reached back to try and protect her bottom but the Joker quickly grabbed it and pinned it to the small of her back. "Ah, ah," he scolded. "Now if you think for one second I'm gonna let you..." his words trailed into a quiet grunt as he felt Stacey rubbing her pelvis over his crotch.
Stacey pressed her clit down onto the bulge underneath the Joker's pants. If he decided that he wasn't going to play with her, she'd do it herself. It was almost subconscious. She reverted to a time when she was a teenager, pleasuring herself alone in her room. She was sensitive, and it didn't take much to bring her to climax. She inadvertently began pressing her hips down harder onto the Joker's crotch.
The Joker grunted again. "Now little bunny, you'll get your reward in a minute, if you're a good girl. But first daddy J has to..." His hand stopped in midair, and he blinked when he felt her shuddering over his lap. She moaned softly and her entire body shivered. He could feel her climaxing over his pants.
Stacey had been rubbing her clit so hard on the Joker's bulge that she couldn't take it anymore and she exploded in a fit of ecstasy. The Joker released his grip on her arm. He crossed his arms and smacked his lips, watching her orgasm over his lap. He assumed she was done when she stopped shivering and she now lay limp over his thighs, her head drooping down and her long hair dangling onto the carpet. "Are you quite done?" The Joker asked, almost annoyed. He was pleased that he had actually gotten her aroused enough to orgasm, but also a little irritated that she didn't listen to him and wait for him to give her that orgasm with his own hands.
"Maybe," Stacey giggled. "I told you to touch me. But um, it didn't seem like you were going too so I decided I might as well take care of it myself and...ouch!" The Joker growled and gave her rear end another good smack, harder than the rest.
He picked her up off of his lap and stood her in front of him. Still sitting down, he was so tall that he didn't have to bend her over much so that their noses were touching. Stacey smiled at him sheepishly. "Um..."
"Little imp! You think you can disobey me? I was going to give you a nice long lotion massage and a good licking, but since you seem to like disobeying me, I'm just going to go ahead and take what's mine."
"Eeee!" Stacey squealed as he abruptly stood up and tossed her over the bed, forcing her to lie on her stomach. Stacey tried clawing away, put she felt him roughly pull her back towards him from behind and smack her backside yet again. He held her in place and she heard him unzip his pants.
"Oh no you don't Joker! Get back in your hole! We aren't going to traumatize our pretty bunny again. Not when we have her just where we want her to be!" Jack scolded himself in his mind. Then Stacey heard the Joker slap himself across the face a couple of times and he shook his head like a wet dog, forcing himself to snap out of it.
Stacey yipped when the Joker collapsed on top of her from behind. She heard the jingle of his belt as he pushed his pants down to his ankles and he began kissing her roughly on the back of her neck, then traced his lips all the way to the small of her back. He brought his face back up to her ear. He kissed her surprisingly gently on the side of her face. "Daddy J loves his little bunny," he whispered gruffly, but in a gentle tone of voice. Then he swiftly pulled away from her and patted her ass again. The tone of his voice quickly changed on his next command. "Get on your knees for me. Now."
Without waiting for her to respond, Stacey felt his hands snake around her hips and he yanked her lower half up to where she was on her knees. She felt the head of his cock sliding over her pussy lips, and then she felt the head slowly slip easily into her wet entrance. The Joker put his hands around her small waist and yanked her back further. Stacey sucked in her breath as she felt her tight pussy stretching to accommodate the Joker's large girth.
Even though he had defiled her many times before, Stacey still felt incredibly tight around his large member. The Joker felt her vaginal walls slowly ease up around his manhood. Stacey was tiny. Her body was petite and she really did look similar to a little girl whenever she stood next to this tall behemoth of a man, who stood at almost six foot four. And his size matched his height. He was huge, and whenever he entered Stacey it was a little painful as first.
Stacey winced as she felt her muscles begin to relax around his cock. The pain was slowly subsiding as the Joker held himself inside of her for a few moments, allowing her to get used to his massive girth. His fingers trailed lightly over her back to further ease her tension. That damn Jack was being overly nice again. He wanted her to enjoy this. Enjoy it the same way his Emma did.
Stacey felt her whole body tingling as he began to move in and out of her slowly, carefully. She felt his large girth slip out of her and then slowly slip back in, deep, so deep she could feel it hitting her cervix. But soon the discomfort of his large size turned into pleasure. The Joker groaned as he felt her muscles clench around his cock. Tight, so tight, he couldn't last much longer.
Stacey felt a rush of orgasmic pleasure surge through her entire being when the Joker increased his rhythm. She felt his hips slapping into her already slightly sore backside, and her nails dug into the bed comforter as the Joker conquered her from behind. Stacey squirmed when the Joker dragged his nails across her sides, and then his hands grabbed her hips again and he moved her body himself, forcing her to move with his own steady rhythm. He could feel her pulse rising along with his own. His long arms reached underneath her chest and he grabbed both of her breasts, gently squeezing them and then his thumbs played with her nipples.
And then like a caveman, he pushed her head down into the covers and forced her to raise her bottom higher. She moaned as he rammed his penis so deeply inside of her, as far as it could possibly go. Thoughts swirled in the Joker's head about the female body being an amazing thing. Stacey was oh so tiny, and yet her tight little hole could stretch so much. The Joker entertained the idea of using his fist, but Jack very quickly snapped him out of it.
Finally he could take no more, and Stacey felt his warm fluids spill inside of her accompanied by a low animalistic grunt escaping his throat. She sucked in her breath as he partially collapsed on top of her from behind, being careful to hold his own weight so he wouldn't crush his fragile little sex kitten. He still held his cock inside of her, and Stacey felt her walls throbbing around his girth, which was still hard but slowly softening. She could feel his hard stomach heaving in and out on her lower back from his heavy breathing, and his sweat causing his skin to stick to her own.
Stacey lay lifeless now, submissive and completely out of energy. The Joker leaned down and she felt his soft lips gently kiss her moist cheek. Then he gradually picked himself up off of her, and she felt his penis slowly slipping out of her wet hole. She felt two strong hands grasp both of her thin arms and slowly turn her over so that she was lying on her back. Her eyes were still closed from exhaustion and her cheeks were flushed cutely. She appeared to the Joker as if she were still in a heightened state of pleasure.
The Joker smiled down on her, and Stacey felt his rough thumb trail over her full lips and gently part them. Stacey lightly ran her tongue over his thumb and her eyes slowly opened. Her blue orbs looked seductive, almost catlike as she gazed up at her clown lover. The Joker bent down and kissed her lips, his own tongue wrestling with hers. Then he parted from her, and softly stroked her cheek. "You are quite beautiful when your cheeks are flushed so pink little bunny," he whispered.
He admired her pale skin and how it seemed to turn pink so easily. He loved how his hand left a nice print on her pale little bottom every time he spanked her. The red color was a nice contrast with her creamy white skin. The Joker almost chuckled when he thought of something else. He pecked her on the lips once more. "Be back in a second little bunny. Just stay right here and relax. Don't move."
"Yes daddy J," Stacey breathed, as the Joker trotted away for a moment. Stacey shut her eyes again and lay still on the soft bed. Her eyes fluttered opened again when she suddenly felt the Joker's hand rubbing something cool and creamy onto her forehead. "Daddy J, what are you...?"
"Sh, sh, sh," The Joker quieted her. "Just close your eyes for a moment baby doll. Daddy J just wants to see something."
The Joker took some of his own white makeup and smeared it onto Stacey's face. Then he took some of his black makeup and painted her eyes very carefully, instructing her to keep them shut until he was finished. And then for the final touch he took some of his own lipstick and dabbed it across her full lips. He didn't do it messily like he did when he ran it over his own scars. He made sure it looked more flattering on her.
When he was finished he looked down and admired his work. "Now open your eyes for me baby," he cooed. Stacey's blue eyes fluttered open again and the Joker grinned at his own makeup job. "Gorgeous. Simply adorable," he doted. He admired how the black makeup around her eyes seemed to further enhance her pretty blue orbs. "Why...you almost look as gorgeous as I do now," He snickered.
Stacey stood up and socked him in the arm. "J!"
The Joker giggled. "Daddy J," he corrected. "Aw doll. I just wanted to see what you looked like with some of my...war paint," He yanked her to her feet and pulled her naked body against his own. He tickled her chin. "Now let's get in the shower and wash off this sweat shall we?" The Joker could almost see his little pet blushing under the white makeup. He had some more fun plans for them that would take place a bit later.
**
It was 3:PM at the police station. Jim Gordon was sitting at his desk like a zombie. He had gone home at six in the morning to catch a nap after another long night at the office, and now he had been back again since 10:AM. His eyeballs were so dry and sore from lack of sleep it felt like they were going to fall out of their sockets. Lifting up his glasses, he took some eye drops and dropped them in his eyes.
Then he sipped yet another cup of coffee, already feeling his heart rate increase do to all the caffeine he had recently been consuming. He started going over the Joker's old case files yet again, tired of feeling sick to his stomach. How much stress could a man in his fifties take?
He nearly spilt his hot coffee all over himself when his cell phone rang. He sighed and picked it up and looked at the Caller I.D. It was his wife, Barbara. He almost didn't want to answer it. He had been so busy comforting his poor distraught wife that he felt he had hardly anytime to deal with his own nerves. He had to be the strong one. He was the police commissioner after all. He let out another heavy sigh, knowing he couldn't ignore his wife. He pressed the talk button and held it to his ear. "Hello?" He answered wearily.
On the other line, Barbara sounded hysterical. "Jim, Jim!" she cried. "You have to come home right now! Oh my God, Jesus Christ Jim! Come home now!" She wailed and then trailed off into blubbering speech that didn't make much sense over a cell phone.
"Barbara, Barbara calm down!" Said Jim. "Slow down. Breathe. Tell me what happened." He nearly dropped his cup again when Barbara told him. He immediately hung up the phone and rushed home.
**