Run: 2026-09-02-01M1GTAKEEJAWJP8KMMB2MGVDA

Molly crouched behind a bouncy castle at the edge of Maple Park, binoculars pressed to her face despite the party being only twelve feet away. "Target acquired. We've got a clown, twelve hostiles, and a piñata of unknown origin." Bill slid down beside her, wheezing from the jog across the parking lot. "Twelve hostiles? Molly, they're children." "Children with sticky hands and excellent hearing. Never underestimate a seven-year-old, Bill. They're like tiny detectives with no concept of mercy." "Fine. What's the layout?" "Present table at three o'clock, guarded by a woman I can only describe as aggressively maternal. Pony rides in the back. The cake comes out at three, which gives us a nine-minute window." "Nine minutes?" "When the cake comes out, everyone looks at the cake. That's not opinion, Bill, that's science." Bill peeked over the inflatable barrier and immediately ducked back down. "Why are we doing this again? Last week you said we should hit the jewelry museum." "The jewelry museum had lasers, Bill. Lasers. This place has a bubble machine and a man dressed as a wizard who I'm fairly sure is high." "So what's the plan?" "I go in as entertainment staff. You're my assistant." "Assistant? I've done twenty heists." "And how many have gone well?" Bill was quiet for a long moment. "The zoo one was mostly fine." "An ostrich stole your pants, Bill." "The ostrich thing was handled." Molly pulled a rainbow wig from her duffel bag and held it out like a crown. "Put this on." "I'm not wearing the wig." "Assistant clowns wear wigs, Bill. It's protocol." "That's not protocol, that's just a wig." "You want the presents or not? There's a pony here. Do you know what ponies cost?" "You want to steal presents from children to fund a pony?" "I want to steal presents because it's easy, and the pony is a stretch goal. Focus, Bill." He snatched the wig. "Fine. But if the clown recognizes me—" "You did one kids' party in 2019. He's not going to recognize you." "He owes me money." Molly paused, binoculars lowering slowly. "The clown owes you money?" "Forty bucks and an apology. Different story. Point is, we've got history." "Then you stay on present extraction and I'll handle crowd control. When the cake comes out, you load the table into the wagon, we exit past the bubble machine, and we're gone before the wizard finishes his third trick." "The wizard does tricks?" "He's been trying to pull a rabbit from a hat for forty minutes, Bill. The rabbit is winning. It's very sad. Nobody will be watching us." Bill adjusted the wig in the reflection of her binocular lens. "What if a kid sees me?" "Then you hand them a balloon. Kids are easily bribed. It's their greatest weakness." "That feels wrong." "It's a balloon, not a felony. Now get the wagon. And Bill?" "Yeah?" "Duck. Bubble incoming." They both hit the grass as a wall of iridescent bubbles drifted overhead, one popping against the wizard's pointy hat in the distance. "That's our cover," Molly whispered. "That's beautiful. Move out."