Molly adjusted the wire in her ear, keeping her eyes locked on the colorful banner flapping in the wind. She signaled Bill to stay low behind the rhododendron. "Stop looking at the bouncy castle, Bill. Focus on the objective." "I can't help it, Mol. It looks structurally unsound," Bill whispered, crouching lower. "Are we sure this is a six-year-old’s party? The security is tight. I counted two moms with walkie-talkies and a guy dressed as Spider-Man who looks like he actually works out." "That’s not Spider-Man, that’s just a dad in a costume, and he’s not a threat if he’s trying to tie his own shoes," Molly snapped, checking her watch. "We have a strictly defined two-minute window. The magician is about to pull the rabbit out of the hat. That’s when the parents reach for their smartphones. Their visual field drops by ninety percent." "And that’s when I move?" "No, that’s when I move. You’re on crowd control. If any kid gets between me and the gift table, you deploy the diversion." "I didn't practice the diversion, Molly. I practiced picking locks," Bill argued, fidgeting with a set of tension wrenches. "Besides, look at the loot. It’s massive. There’s a box shaped like a spaceship. It has to be at least three feet wide." "We leave the spaceship. It’s a decoy. We want the small, dense boxes. Legos, video games, anything that looks like it contains expensive electronics," Molly explained, pointing a gloved finger toward the pile of wrapped presents. "We hit the table, we fill the duffel, we vanish like ghosts before the cake comes out. Cake time is chaos. We don't do chaos." "What about the ice cream? If they’re eating ice cream, they’re distracted by the brain freeze." "Ice cream is a variable, Bill. Variables get you caught. We stick to the timeline. Eye on the prize. We are professionals." "Do we at least get to keep the piñata?" "Bill, you’re a master thief. You don’t want a papier-mâché donkey filled with cheap candy." "I like the Tootsie Rolls. They hold up well in the van," he muttered, adjusting his ski mask so it looked like a jaunty beret. "Okay, I’m in position. The magician is doing the card trick. The crowd is gasping. He’s reaching into the hat." "Wait for the rabbit," Molly hissed, tightening her grip on the gym bag. "Remember, act natural. If anyone asks, you’re Uncle Gary and you’re looking for the bathroom." "Roger that. Hey, is that a pony?" "What? Where?" "Over by the fence. They hired a pony. That changes the escape route." "Forget the pony! We are not stealing the pony. We are stealing the presents!" "It would fit in the van if we folded down the seats." "We are not stealing a child's pony! Focus!" "Okay, okay. Rabbit is out. The crowd is cheering. The dad-Spider-Man is taking a selfie. Go, go, go!" "Cover me." "I’ve got your back. Just watch out for the kid with the sticky face. He looks like he’s watching us. He has the eyes of a hawk." "I see him. I’m moving in. Don't let the pony block the exit."