Run: 2026-09-02-01M1GTFWV9GBX23VXFNAGVXPXN

Molly studied the Pleasant Pines Community Center through binoculars while Bill inventoried his toolkit a third time. Across the parking lot, a clown wrestled a hulking air pump. "Balloons," she said. "Our intel is balloons and a bouncy castle." "The bouncy castle is the real problem. Sugar-fueled children never sleep. They're like tiny security guards with no pensions to lose." She lowered the binoculars. "What's the extraction plan?" "You grab presents. I handle the clown." "With what?" Bill held up a rubber chicken and a battery-powered party foghorn. "Fear is a spectrum, Molly." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "The entertainment includes a magician. What if he makes us disappear?" "He's a birthday magician. His greatest trick is surviving his own marriage." Molly sighed and pocketed the binoculars with exaggerated care. "Fine. But if a seven-year-old hits me with a foam sword, you're carrying me out." "Deal. Wear the pony costume." "Why the pony costume?" Bill nodded at the van, where a rental pony suit sagged against the window like something that had given up on life. "Because I already called the unicorn." Inside the community center, a child shrieked with joy. Both thieves flinched and pretended they hadn't.