Run: 2026-09-03-01M1KA2S2ABE3Y9JD6XKRVE29Q

Molly adjusted the rearview mirror of the stolen minivan, where a pine-tree air freshener dangled next to a half-eaten bag of gummy worms. Across the street, the Henderson birthday party had reached maximum volume. A bouncy castle shaped like a pirate ship leaned dangerously to the left. Near the back gate, a folding table held a pyramid of presents wrapped in dinosaur paper, each bow trembling from the bass of a rented speaker. Bill sat in the passenger seat wearing a clip-on ponytail and the haunted expression of a man who had just watched the clown arrive on a unicycle. He held the party invitation upside down. "Walk me through it again," Bill said. Molly took the invitation, flipped it right side up, and pointed at the back yard. "We go in as the face-painter and the balloon guy. Nobody questions a woman with glitter." Bill pulled a balloon animal from his pocket. It was a limp snake with one bulbous eye drawn in marker. "I can only make these." "Then make a lot of them." He sighed and tucked the snake back into his jacket. "What's the exit strategy?" Molly pointed at the piñata shaped like a unicorn with a suspicious smile. It hung from a tree branch above a crowd of small, sugar-whipped guests. "You cause a candy avalanche. I load the wagon. We roll out the back gate during the screaming." Bill frowned at the back seat. A dollar-store doll was duct-taped to the handle of a collapsible wagon. Her plastic eyes stared at nothing. "That's Princess Felony. She's our lookout." "She's a doll." "She's undercover." They watched a toddler attempt to post a cupcake through the bounce house intake fan. The whole inflatable pirate ship quivered. A mother in yoga pants filmed the moment as if documenting a crime scene. The clown juggled three oranges but dropped one into the gift pile. Bill adjusted his clip-on tie. "What if the birthday boy asks about the presents?" Bill whispered. Molly pulled a party horn from her belt and gave it a short, rubbery honk. "We sing 'Happy Birthday' and point at the piñata." "Then what?" "Then you yank the rope, I load the wagon, and we disappear into the bouncy castle chaos." Bill nodded slowly. He removed a smoke bomb shaped like a rubber duck from his pocket and gave it a respectful pat. "It's not a perfect plan, but it's chaotic enough to work." Molly smiled. She snapped the wagon handle into place and smoothed Princess Felony's hair, which was just a painted swirl. "Chaos is just another word for unexpected party entertainment." They climbed out of the van and crossed the street with the confidence of invited guests. A child started crying. The clown lit a cigarette behind the bounce castle, then remembered where he was and ate it. "Remember," Molly said, "we're not stealing presents. We're re-homing them to a more appreciative audience." "Us." "Exactly. Now let's go make some kids very unhappy."