Run: 2026-09-23-01M37Q09N3E463ZVAGFMNNA41T

Molly crouched behind a bouncy castle, binoculars pressed to her face, surveying the backyard like a general planning the invasion of a small, frosting-covered nation. Children shrieked past her in every direction, armed with party hats and zero situational awareness. Perfect conditions. Bill emerged from the azaleas wearing a rented dinosaur costume, sweat already pooling somewhere in the tail region. He'd argued against it for forty minutes, but Molly insisted nobody questions a dinosaur. She was right. A passing toddler saluted him. The presents sat on a folding table near the piñata, gleaming under paper plates shaped like cartoon stars. Molly counted eleven of them, including one suspiciously rectangular box that practically whispered "expensive gaming console." She licked her lips. Bill attempted to do the same but got dinosaur foam instead. "Remember, smile at the parents," Molly whispered. "I look like a convicted birthday criminal." "That's the disguise working." They advanced in formation, Molly pushing an empty gift wagon she'd disguised as a stroller, Bill waddling behind providing what he insisted was "tactical distraction" but was mostly just sweating audibly. A mother waved cheerfully at them. Bill waved back with his tiny T-rex arms and nearly toppled into the kiddie pool, which, Molly noted, would be the second time today. The presents were thirty feet away. The piñata swung ominously above, like a judgmental paper lantern. "I brought a decoy cake," Bill announced, triumphant. Molly closed her eyes and counted to ten.