Molly adjusted her oversized hoodie, the pockets stuffed with lockpicks and various tools of the trade. "Alright, Bill, spill it. What's the plan?" Bill, always the meticulous one, pulled out a crumpled map of the event hall from his battered backpack. "Okay, so the party starts at noon. Parents and kids will be swarming all over the place until around three. That's our window." Molly raised an eyebrow. "You want to hit the place in broad daylight?" "It's a children's party, Mol. Who suspects a heist at a children's party? Besides, we'll be in and out before anyone even realizes what's happening." She shook her head but grinned. "Alright, so noon till three. What about security? There's gotta be at least a couple of rent-a-cops." "Exactly. Two security guards, both ex-military," Bill said, pointing to two red dots on the map. "They'll be focused on keeping the kids safe, not guarding the gift table." Molly whistled. "Nice. What's our cover? We can't just waltz in as party crashers." "Entertainment, my dear Watson. We're the backup clowns." She stared at him, eyes wide. "Clowns? Bill, seriously? You know I hate clowns." "It's perfect! Who looks twice at a clown? Plus, we can stash the loot in our giant pants." Molly groaned but nodded reluctantly. "Fine, clowns it is. What's next?" "We scope the place this afternoon, get a feel for the layout," Bill said, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "The gift table will be near the stage. That's our target." "What about the kids? They're not exactly going to ignore two clowns making off with their presents." "That's where the balloons come in," Bill replied with a sly smile. "I got these—" he pulled out a bunch of metallic balloons shaped like animals "—and these are filled with a harmless but potent knockout gas. Just a little prick and it'll put them all to sleep. Temporarily, of course." Molly's eyes widened. "Knockout gas? Bill, isn't that a bit extreme?" "Trust me, it's safe. I got it from a reliable source. And it's either that or we go in full ninja style, which I doubt will end well." She sighed. "Alright, let's hope no one has an allergic reaction. So, we're in, we grab the gifts, and then what?