Run: 2026-02-20-01KHXPG7RE1DH2MWNYM852VVQ6

The rainbow-balloon arch over the *Bouncy Castle Emporium* sagged like a drunk clown’s smile, its once-vibrant hues now dulled by the relentless assault of sticky toddler fingers. Molly adjusted her oversized sunglasses—stolen from a tourist in Key West—and nudged Bill with the toe of her sneaker. He was hunched over a clipboard, scribbling notes with the intensity of a man defusing a bomb. Which, in a way, he was. The bomb in question was a piñata shaped like a unicorn, currently being ogled by a child with a lollipop the size of a baseball bat. “You realize,” Molly said, “that if we get caught, the headline’s gonna be *‘Bandits Baffle Birthday, Baby’s First Felony.’*” Bill didn’t look up. “Worth it. You see the gift table? That’s not a table. That’s a *treasure island*.” He tapped his pen against a sketch of the venue’s layout, where he’d labeled the snack station *DISTRACTION CENTRAL* in all caps. “We go in as the magician’s assistants. I ‘accidentally’ set my sleeve on fire—” “You *what*—?” “—while you ‘help’ by redirecting the kids to the *‘emergency cupcake station’* we planted by the exit.” He grinned. “By the time they realize the presents are gone, we’re already selling the LEGO sets on eBay.” Molly sighed, watching a three-year-old faceplant into a pile of confetti. “I hate that this is the most ethical job we’ve pulled in months.”