Run: 2026-09-03-01M1M0CPMAMCJPHYEBZAYDK1YD

Molly crouched behind a plastic palm tree, her duffel bag open to a rainbow of rubber chicken tongs. "Bill, if you set that off, we're robbing a kindergarten." Bill adjusted his elf hat. "The presents are inside, Molly. Also, the sprinkles. And the juice boxes, the glow sticks, the rubber bands, the sticker sheets, and that one weird robot shaped like a toaster with eyebrows." She tapped the party map. "Five minutes to cake. You take the gift table, I take the snack table. No cake, no guilt." He swallowed. "Guilt? I once stole a museum's entire napkin drawer." "You were a janitor." "I was a specialist in small linen crimes." Molly grinned and checked her phone. "Thirty seconds. Remember the code: three giggles, one scream, two balloon pops." "Balloon pops are not a password, that's a panic." "It's the party's secret handshake. The host is a retired spy." Bill lifted the gift table cloth. "Whoa, there's a drone." "Good. It's our getaway vehicle. You're the pilot." "I'm the one who can barely parallel park a shopping cart." "You once parallel parked a shopping cart into a fountain." "It had water, Molly. I call it amphibious driving." The party horn squealed. "Run?" "Walk, fast. Presents first, dignity later." Molly grabbed a box. "This one's heavy." "Probably stuffed animals." "It's wiggling." "Then it's a toy, not a hostage." Bill grabbed a rocket ship. "I got this." "Put the rocket in the duffel." "Where's the duffel?" Molly pointed to a tablecloth. "Under there." "Under the tablecloth? That's not even a real hiding spot." "Everything here is temporary." A child pointed. "He sees us now." Bill froze. Molly winked. "He wants the birthday magician. You, sir, are the magician." "I'm Bill." "Bill the Magic Bill. Now wave the rocket." He waved the rocket. The child clapped. Molly dumped three more presents into the duffel. "Bill, the cake timer is beeping." "Again? We're not taking cake." "We're taking the cake if it has batteries." "It does not have batteries." "Then we take it if it has frosting." Bill grabbed the cake. "Okay, but if it's chocolate, I blame you." "It's white. Probably vanilla." "Vanilla is a betrayal." "It's the color of sneaking." They reached the door. Molly stopped. "Wait. There's a parent." "Hide the duffel behind the tablecloth." "The real one?" "The plastic palm tree." Bill shoved the duffel under the tree. The parent smiled. "Bill, hold the shiny thing." Molly picked up a marker. "Sure, your Majesty." Bill held the balloon. Molly signed it. "Bill, go." "I'm going, but I'm taking the balloon." "It's ours now." They slipped outside. Bill lifted the duffel. "It's lighter." Molly counted the presents. "We only have four." "The party had forty." "The rest are in the parent's house." "Then we go back." "No. We're out." Bill looked at the rocket ship peeking out. "Was that a present?" Molly grinned. "That's the prize." They disappeared down the street, the balloon squeaking behind them like a tiny getaway car.