Run: 2026-02-16-01KHKRCQ2PJYKJHK0QWVD4D67V

Molly crouched behind the garden hedge, the night thick with the smell of fresh‑cut grass and perfume from a barbecue. She heard distant giggles, the clink of plastic plates, and the muffled thump of a bass drum from a rented bounce house. The party was a jungle of balloons, streamers, and a towering cake that glittered like a UFO. Bill arrived on his scooter, his backpack bulging with lock picks, a flashlight, and a sandwich. “Alright, Molly, the kids are distracted by the magician’s disappearing act. That’s our window,” Bill whispered, checking his watch. “Do we really have to steal the presents? I thought we were after the cake,” Molly replied, eyes flickering to the frosting. “The cake is a decoy. The real loot is in the gift bags—each one packed with gadgets, candy, and a tiny USB drive,” Bill said, tapping his palm. “You’ve got a point. Those USBs could fetch a fortune on the black market,” Molly grinned, already visualizing the resale. “Just remember, we’re not stealing the kids’ toys. We’re only taking the adult‑level tech hidden inside the wrappers,” Bill reminded, his voice low. “Got it. I’ll disable the motion sensor on the back door with this little EMP gizmo,” Molly said, pulling out a palm box. “And the kids’ balloon animals? We’ll leave them. No one will miss a purple poodle,” Bill chuckled. Molly slipped the EMP into her pocket, feeling the cool metal against her thigh. Bill crouched beside the inflatable castle, his eyes scanning for a stray adult who might spot them. The garden lights flickered, casting a strobe glow over the lawn. A clown in oversized shoes waddled past, juggling rubber chickens that squeaked with each toss. The children’s faces were painted with glitter, mouths sticky with cotton. In the corner, a table piled high with gift bags sat under a banner that read ‘Happy Birthday, Superhero!’ The bags were wrapped in paper, each tied with a ribbon the party’s theme of capes and masks. Bill slipped a mirror into his glove, using it to peek around the fence. Molly whispered the code they’d rehearsed, a series of clicks and beeps that would lull the security camera into a false‑positive loop. “Three… two… one… go,” she murmured, and the EMP emitted a pulse that dimmed the camera’s night vision. The lights on the castle blinked, as if the party itself were winking. They slipped through a side gate, the grass crunching under their sneakers. Inside, the room was a kaleidoscope of pastel balloons, cartoon characters, and a mountain of gift bags that towered like a fortress. Molly knelt beside the biggest pile, pulling each bag open with ease. Inside, instead of toys, lay sleek tablets, miniature drones, and the coveted USB drives. Bill gathered the loot, stuffing it into his backpack while the children’s laughter rose. A sudden shout of “Surprise!” erupted from the birthday girl, but the thieves were already in the shadows, slipping out the same way they had come.