Molly rummaged through her arsenal of lockpicks, selecting a slender titanium model that would fit the intricate mechanism of the children's party entrance. "Alright, Bill, I've got the door covered. What's our plan for getting the presents out of there?" Bill snacked on a stolen éclair from the goodie table, the sweet cream filling oozing down his chin. "We need to move fast. The birthday boy's mom is going to start the cake ceremony imminently. I've noticed she's too distracted by her phone to notice us." Molly checked her watch, the sparkling face reflecting off the fluorescent lights above. "We've got 17 minutes before the first song starts. How do we disable the party monitors?" "I've got that covered. I hacked into the system during our reconnaissance. They're only streaming the party on two channels. We'll disable the second camera – the one pointing at the buffet – and they'll never suspect a thing." Molly's eyes sparkled at the ingenious plan. "You always were the tech whiz, Bill. What about the presents themselves? Any particularly useful ones we can grab?" "Oh, the good stuff," Bill gestured to the stash of unwrapped gifts. "Toys, games, you name it. That one's a Sony PlayStation – perfect for reselling online. And the girls should adore the dollhouse sets." A shrill warning siren pierced the air, followed by an embarrassed whisper from the monitor speaker, "And, um, can someone remind the kids that the punch bowl is not for drinking?" Molly groaned, glancing at Bill. "That's our cue. Let's move, partner!" As they crept into the party, a shrieking toddler careened into Molly's knee, clutching a raw carrot stick. "Baby cake!" it wailed. Molly hastily tucked the child behind her, laughing, while Bill expertly triggered the disable sequence for the backup camera. "Smooth as silk!" he proclaimed, leaping over a sprawled-out bunch of party blowers. Their targeted chaos of noise and small human obstacles, Molly and Bill bypassed the watchful gaze of the party monitor operator, which, distracted by its phone, let out an entirely unseen 'party like it's 1999!' commercial – totally coincidental – right over the party speakers. Under the din, the thieves made quick work of bundling their spoils into large duffel bags. Only a toddler, clutching a torn Teddy bear, caught a random frame on the 'temporarily' disabled camera – an endearing capture that would forever confound the parents of that very birthday boy. Breathless and smiling, Bill said, "Alright, we've got the haul. How do we split it?"