Blasted Past: Part Three

The weather was, to coin a phrase, 'changeable', as Ms. Madison's sports car approached the glowering bulk of the ancient country house that was now a private nursing home. Lady Sylvia, wrapped up in a think coat and scarf, shivered, looking uncomfortable.

"Why is she here?" the brunette shook her head. "I mean, couldn't he have moved her a little farther, like Hertfordshire?"

"There must have been a good reason." Ms. Madison shook her head. "There's a secret about her that he's never told anyone, not even me, to do with who Sparrowhawk really was."

The car came to halt outside the mansion, the girls processing to the door, Ms. Madison striding forward as one used to having some authority. Lady Sylvia hurried after her, feet scrunching on the gravel drive.

"You must be here about the kidnapping." There was already someone waiting at the door, a tall, thin lady with dark hair. "Did you know the patient well?"

"Not at all," Ms. Madison shook her head. "But he sent us."

"I understand." The lady nodded. "He has been good to us. All for the sake of one whose mind is lost, who we care for. Her must have loved her very much."

"He must have." Ms. Madison nodded. "And he's sent us to find her. And to visit vengeance on those who took her. What can you tell us?"

"Nothing." The woman sighed. "It happened at night. The men were masked. But they knew what they were looking for. Look... she sighed, I've told the police this a thousand times..."

"We're not the Police." Ms. Madison smiled grimly. "We will find her."

Blasted Past: Part Two

"Sparrowhawk." The Green Man confirmed, looking up at the image on the wall. "She was a young woman who wore a costume and mask in order to fight crime."

"And distract the bad guys, from what I can see," Lady Sylvia whispered to her colleague.

"Sshh!" Ms. Madison elbowed her in the ribs.

"I met her when I was just starting out," the Green Man went on, ignoring the interruption. "She was the greatest heroine I'd ever met, and every time I met her, I was amazed. But she came to love me, and I her. One night in Aberystwyth, West Wales, as we waited to track down a spy ring, we confessed our love. But it was never to be. For some reason, she went after the bad guys alone, leaving me asleep. She was ambushed and beaten almost to death.

"I nursed her back to health, but the experience had been too much for her. Her mind was gone, all I could do was nurse a lovely, innocent child in the body of a beautiful woman I had once loved. I had to place her in a private nursing home, visiting her as often as I could. Last year, I was able to track down and smash the spy ring, bringing dark vengeance on the wicked men who had destroyed Sparrowhawk."

There was silence for several minutes, as the force of the Green Man's words sunk in.

"Once," he went on, "I had thought that this would heal her, but I know now that was never to be. She remains my special lady, someone I care for deeply. Someone has found out about her, and has tried to attack me by attacking her."

"Then what do we do?" Ms. Madison whispered.

"You will go out and you will find her," the Green Man spoke urgently. "And, when you find who has done this thing, I will kill them. And, if they have hurt Sparrowhawk, I will make that death very slow and very, very painful."

Blasted Past: Part One

Ms. Madison and Lady Sylvia looked at the crumbling mansion. Hidden in an overgrown park, it was almost impossible to believe that they were only a few miles from London. The girls traded glances, before stepping into the house. It was just as derelict and dilapidated inside, albeit dark and creepy as well.

"Does he always live in places like this?" Lady Sylvia shook her head, wrinkling her little nose.

"I don't know," Ms. Madisin sighed. "All I know is he pays for me to live at the Savoy. If this is a necessary economy, I'm all for it."

The girls walked into what had once been a mighty saloon, now it was in darkness, save for the light of a projector, standing on a worm-eaten table.

"You know that I called you here because of a crisis of previously unknown proportions." The Green Man's voice echoed out of the gloom. "Now you will discover what that crisis is."

"Has someone discovered your hidden identity?" Lady Sylvia asked eagerly, "I mean, do we get to find out who's under that mask?"

"No." The Green Man chuckled, still sinister. "No on both counts. My identity is as closely guarded as ever. What has happened is a far greater evil. Two days ago, a nursing home in West Wales was broken into. The safe was left untouched, and valuable antiques were passed by. Only one room was broken into, and they did not take any item."

"What did they steal?" the blonde looked concerned.

"They took a person." The Green Man's tone was grim. "A blonde woman who has been in an almost catatonic state for the last decade. A blonde woman I once knew..."

"Sparrowhawk..." the two girls gasped together.

"That's right." The Green Man nodded, as the projector clicked, casting the image of a young woman in leather, smiling at the camera. "They took Sparrowhawk."