Ada & The Queen (The Woodhouse Series #3)

Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

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*St James's Park/Scotland Yard/Buckingham Palace, Westminster*

Everyone ducked and screamed, the carriage losing its balance and almost toppling as guards focused on protecting the Queen.

I set my sights on the gunman.

He had run, although very slowly and I shot off after him, ignoring the warnings from my friends.

Running after gunmen will become my annual event at this rate.

I tried pushing past people but the crowd was so chaotic and busy that it was hard and I lost sight of the gunman.

A policeman had climbed off of his horse to keep order amongst the crowds, insisting that the royal cortege took priority and that it had to get to Buckingham Palace.

I snuck through the crowd and grabbed the reins of the horse, jumping on the back. It jumped onto its hind legs, frightening everyone as they made their way and I whipped the reins, the crowd dividing like the Red Sea as I went after the gunman.

Louis's faint call of my name over the crowd was picked up but I had to get this man.

He didn't shoot after me as he ran across St James's Park, towards Westminster Abbey.

I caught up to him in his stumbling mess, curious about his state, before I jumped off the horse, landing on top of him and falling to the floor, the horse continuing towards the lake and then stopping.

There were people around, watching as I tackled this man to the ground, but he punched me in the stomach, causing me to fall off him as he pointed his gun at me.

People around screamed and began calling for help as I held my hands up in surrender but then saw his eyes.

They were fully dilated and the whites were a yellow-colour.

The horse bucked suddenly, knocking him down and the gun out of his hands as I grabbed the pistol and pointed it towards him.

He was muttering - in pain and delirious.

That stallion must've done a number on him.

I urged the horse to calm down before he trampled all over him before I crouched down to the man, who was convulsing a little, my gun still held up ready in case this was all an act.

He was muttering something and as I touched his skin, it was cold to touch, but I could see on his neck blue veins and blue bruising.

"What?" I croaked as I heard properly what the man was saying.

"Sorry...sorry..."

Over and over - he was apologising.

To me? Or to the Queen?

"Adelaide!" Louis's voice came from the left of me and I turned to see him running over some police officers as I got up, still holding the gun at the man.

"You stole a police horse!" An officer cried as another went to make sure the horse was fine and the others picked up the gunman. "We should arrest you!"

"Absolutely not!" Louis protested as I looked at him. "That man shot at the royal cortege! He could've gotten away with it if she hadn't stopped him..."