Prediction Noted

The words are written in a neat, steady hand, with a boldness to the strokes that displays clarity of purpose. There are no blots or mistakes on the page, or any preceding it, the nib of the fountain pen scratching lightly on the paper, transforming observations and ink into history. The black leather cover of the notebook is crisp and cool to the touch, obviously quite old but well kept. The fingers gripping the pen are far more weathered. Age spots and irregular lines meshing the skin.

Underlines are made, indicating the end of a record.

The page is turned to begin anew.

New Subject, designated Eleven, Two, Two, Five (11-2-2-5). Location 8 - Bus Stop. Case - Brown Leather, no lock. $14,500.

Monday, October 24th. Case spotted at 3:14pm.

Older female, 60’s-70’s, smokey silver hair, vale green eyes. Colour-run orange shawl, simple blue dress and belt. Shoes cerulean, faded to white. - Team D assigned for observation enhancement.

Subject 11225 sat at the bus stop for approximately four minutes before spotting the case. Having now located and approached the case, she has made an earnest appraisal of her surroundings, apparently searching for the case’s owner. As per Location 8, the Subject is alone.

Significant weight of case’s contents has been noted, auditory confirmation of the contents’ paper nature also noted.

3:27pm - 11225 has opened the case.

Bemusement. A rare reaction, but most common to the Subject’s demographic.

I will note my prediction for 11225.

There is a pause. The pen moves to a separate notebook, this one garnet red, the attached band holding the page open. The only way to keep honesty is to mark the prediction in ink.

3:29pm - Only a vague attempt to count the money. Bemusement has grown more prominent. What a nice smile.

3:33pm - Bus has arrived. 11225 has closed the case. First moment of truth.

3:34pm - 11225 has relinquished the case to the bus driver, requested it be taken to the authorities. Prediction accurate.

A nice person indeed, 11225.

Observation no longer required. Team D withdrawn. Case to be reset at new Location 8.

A mark is made on a separate list.

Fingertips are licked, the page is turned. A whisper of static hiss in the air as a screen is activated. The nib touches down to the page.

New Subject, designated Eleven,Two, Two, Six (11-2-2-6). Location 4 - High Street Alleyway. Case - Black Leather, code 0440. $20,000.

Friday, October 28th. Case spotted at 11:47am.

Male, 20’s-30’s, brown copper hair, very curly. Nordic blue eyes, pale shaved face. White business shirt, faint baby blue checkering. Black trousers, black Oxford shoes, loosely tied laces. - Team L assigned for observation enhancement.

11226 almost missed it. As per Location 4, the case is pristine compared to its location and obviously does not belong in the dank alley. A furtive glance at surroundings, difficult to say if searching for the case’s owner or witnesses.

Approach made with hesitancy. Pupil dilation, fear response. Faded quickly.

I believe he muttered, “Silly place for a bomb.” (Note, Location 4 microphones need replacing).

Only the slightest of pauses before picking up the case. Weight noted, auditory confirmation of paper contents.

I know that look. Hope, wonder and incredulity, but a shadow under all. Prediction already formulated.

Another movement to write into the side book. Honesty is kept.

Prediction noted.

11:51am - Immediate failed attempt at the code. Further attempts have been made with randomly selected codes.

11:56am - Attempts are still being made.

12:01pm - 11226 finds the handwritten code taped to the opposite side of the case. Pupils moving rapidly, heart rate also appears increased.

12:02pm - A brief pause to ring employers. Naughty boy, lying about an emergency. Team L instructed to expedite observation enhancement of 11226’s home.

12:34pm - 11226 arrived at his apartment three minutes after Team L vacated. Cameras and microphones all situated and functional.

Apartment is sparse, yet still impressively messy.

Cat food on the bench, but Team L reported no sign of one living on the premises. Keep an eye out.

Very little in the way of deliberate decoration. A single art piece. Trees in winter snow, icy blue light filtering through. Actually quite beautiful.

The case has been placed on the kitchen table.

12:44pm - After further hesitation, 11226 has entered the code and opened the case.

12:45pm - Elation, wonderment, joy. Greed. Prediction holding steady. There is genuine joy there, but more than a little avarice.

12:49pm - Methodical process of counting out the money. Twenty stacks of fifty dollar notes, each stack twenty notes. Twenty thousand dollars. A fortune to 11226’s eyes.

He is smiling, using the notes like a flick book. Each stack he flicks through makes the sound of $1000.

12:53pm - Interesting. 11226 has opened a laptop. Holidays, vehicles, general goods, gambling.

1:55pm - Search continued for some time, no individual searches worthy of note. 11226 unable to commit to an idea. Algorithm notes that Subject glances back towards the money on average every eight seconds.

5:39pm - 11226 has finally put the laptop away and gone about his evening routine of food, etc.

10:45pm - After another fruitless expedition on the laptop, Subject has gone to bed. (Note - Presence of cat also remains a mystery, food untouched).

Saturday, October 29th.

3:11am - 11226 has awoken in an apparent panic. Rushing out to the kitchen, he seemed to be muttering about a film titled No Country for Old Men.

3:13am - Although he will not find anything, 11226 has begun going through each individual stack of notes, searching for a transmitter of some kind.

3:48am - It is not extensively damaged, but the search extended to taking a knife to the case itself. Unfortunate. It was a very good case.

4:15am - Paranoia assuaged, 11226 has returned to bed.

4:21am - 11226 is asleep once more.

10:08am - 11226 has awoken again, somewhat bleary eyed. The money remains scattered on the table.

10:30am - Instead of piling the money back into the case 11226 has taken the time to return the notes to stacks, securing them back in the paper ribbons they came in.

10:38am - I believe the organisation was for appearances sake. He likes looking at the stacks in the case. Perhaps this is the cause of his reluctance to commit to an idea of spending it.

11:32am - There is more to the reluctance than I first thought. 11226 has again started examining the money closely.

11:38am - Internet searches have moved to practical matters - ‘Are large cash payments legal?’, ‘how do banks track cash?’, ‘how do windfall payments work?’, ‘money missing, High Street.’

1:20pm - Panic has again taken 11226, he is scrambling to return the money to its case and close it. Case moved to a closet, with a jacket thrown over for good measure.

1:38pm - Cause for panic confirmed as the imminent arrival of guests.

2:45pm - A late lunch and board games appears to be the agenda. 11226 was genial to begin with, but observations indicate his eyes are flicking towards his bedroom with regularity.

6:43pm - Despite 11226’s growing impatience and subtle rudeness to his guests, they seem determined to continue their gathering and he has reluctantly agreed.

Sunday, October 30th.

1:29am - The guests have departed, they appear to be attributing the late hour and busy week to 11226’s agitation. Subject has checked the case and found it undisturbed.

2:12am - 11226 is asleep.

10:15am - 11226 has awoken.

10:44am - Subject has retrieved a single cash stack. The map reference on his phone indicates he is heading to the shopping mall. Remote observation activated.

Prediction accurate?

12:42pm - Well, well, well. 11226 has wandered for some time but again seems reluctant to use the money. His eyes tell such a story. Avarice and fear at war, the desire is there but will it win out?

2:05pm - 11226 has returned home, money unspent. He has resumed looking at the case, bitterness and longing mingling in his features. This is unusual, but not unheard of.

The pen nib taps on the paper thoughtfully. It hovers, the hand steady but decidedly not writing. Another movement is made instead, buttons pressed to the side.

Team L set on overwatch. Further observations pending notification of their call.

Wednesday, November 2nd.

9:03am - Three full days of inactivity. (Note: no word on any cat). 11226’s war has waged on, but today there is movement. He exited for work but has suddenly returned, snatching up the case. He moves with purpose.

9:19am - 11226 is in line at the bank. It appears he intends to keep the money after all. The line tests his patience.

9:25am - Waiting, waiting, waiting. The tellers have little sense of urgency, and 11226 appears to be breaking. Will he make it?

9:32am - 11226 has exited the bank. The case is in his hands. He couldn’t do it.

The hands are old, but they dexterously roll the pen between long fingers, spinning it idly in thought.

Was I perhaps wrong? What are you going to do, 11226? Has conscience taken you, or has fear?

9:50am - 11226’s mistreatment of our case continues. 11226 came home and pitched the case across his apartment. He is now rushing to reach work on time. The case flew open, the money has spread across the kitchen. Oh dear. Not a nice way to react.

8:50pm - 11226 has returned from a work dinner and is very slowly collecting the money from its scattered locale. Observations tell that he is inebriated. No ribbons this time, the money is being stuffed unceremoniously into the case.

11:23pm - 11226 is asleep, post further drinking and prolonged staring into the case.

Thursday, November 3rd.

9:55am - 11226 has called in sick for the week’s remainder, a somewhat less false claim this time. I doubt it is the alcohol still in his veins that truly plagues him.

1:44pm - Poor 11226, he cannot muster himself. One stack of notes remains intact, and he has been flicking it through his fingers for some time. The hesitancy I see now is not fear, but reluctance. A decision has been made, but he cannot bring himself to do it.

9:22pm - 11226 is asleep. No dinner, no activity. He has given up.

Friday, November 4th.

10:40am - 11226 has awoken but remains in bed.

11:24am - He moves. A half-hearted attempt at dressing himself, he does not appear well.

11:32am - 11226 has taken the case again but gone past the bank. Maybe I was wrong, is he about to hand it in?

11:47am -

The pen hesitates for a moment.

11226 has relinquished the case, not to the authorities, but to the location he found it, and is heading home. I was neither right nor wrong, test...inconclusive. 11226 will be reassigned with a later test date. Team L set to remove observation equipment when appropriate.

The nib deposits a single dot of ink into the page as it prepares to underline, but a sound interrupts the movement.

12:01pm - The cat is there. 11226 was moping at his table. She appeared at the window, pawing to be allowed in. Without hesitation 11226 obliged, pouring her a bowl of food. Before eating, the creature rubbed her head across 11226’s hand, providing him comfort. He reciprocated with ear scratches.

More generous of heart than I predicted. A strange one, 11226. Yet, this is why we check twice.

For my misreading, I will say this year, a nice person, 11226.

Observation no longer required. Case to be repaired and reset at new Location 4.

A mark is made on a separate list.

The page is turned in the notebook, ready for the next subject and test. The pen is held in hand as fingertips brush lightly down the list. Many more to go, and Christmas is on its way.