Molly crouched behind the hedge, peering through binoculars at the backyard birthday party. Pink balloons bobbed in the breeze while a dozen six-year-olds shrieked with sugar-fueled delight. She adjusted her black ski mask and whispered into her earpiece. "Target acquired. I count approximately fifteen gift bags on the present table." "Fifteen? That's it?" Bill's voice crackled through her earpiece from his position by the garden shed. "Last week we hit that bar mitzvah and walked away with thirty-seven gifts and a chocolate fountain." "Quality over quantity, Bill. These are premium gift bags. I can see the glitter from here." A clown honked his nose nearby, causing both children and Molly to jump. She steadied herself against the fence. "Remind me again why we're robbing children?" Bill asked. "Because you spent our Miami heist money on that ridiculous jetpack that doesn't even fly." "It flies! Just not very high. Or for very long. Or safely." Molly rolled her eyes. "Phase one begins in thirty seconds. Remember, you create the distraction while I grab the loot." "About that distraction..." Bill cleared his throat nervously. "I may have forgotten to bring the smoke bombs." "What? Those were crucial to the plan!" "But I did bring something better." The sound of rustling plastic came through the earpiece. "Balloon animals." "Balloon animals? Bill, we're professional thieves, not party entertainers!" "These kids have never seen a balloon giraffe made by someone who learned the craft in federal prison. Trust me, it's mesmerizing." Molly watched as Bill emerged from behind the shed wearing a rainbow wig that definitely hadn't been part of their agreed-upon disguises. The children immediately flocked to him, abandoning their games. "Where did you even get that wig?" "The clown dropped it. Nice guy, actually. Gave me some tips on my balloon technique before I tied him up." "You tied up a clown?" "Very gently! He's just taking a little nap in the shed." The birthday girl approached Bill with wide eyes. "Mister, can you make me a pony?" Bill began twisting a purple balloon with surprising expertise. "One pony coming right up, kiddo. Hey Molly, the present table is clear. Move in." Molly army-crawled across the lawn, keeping low behind the picnic tables. She reached the gift table and began stuffing colorful bags into her duffel bag. "Bill, how long can you keep this up?" "Well, I've got requests for three more ponies, a giraffe, a dog, and something called a 'unicorn-dragon-princess.' So probably another hour." "We don't have an hour! The parents are coming back from the kitchen!" "Then you better grab that last bag and run, because I'm about to attempt my most ambitious creation yet: a balloon helicopter." Molly grabbed the final gift bag just as the birthday girl's mother rounded the corner, carrying a massive chocolate cake and screaming at the sight of two masked intruders at her daughter's party.