Run: 2026-10-08-01M4DAF8HJVGMJAFPFTZH6ENSZ

Molly crouched behind the hedge, peering through the gap at the glowing windows of the Henderson house. Balloons bobbed against the porch railing. Somewhere inside, a hundred sugar-crazed kids were screaming the lyrics to a song about a dinosaur. Bill slid in beside her, holding a clipboard he'd clearly stolen from a gym teacher. "Right. Phase one. Do we have eyes on the target?" "The target is a pile of presents the size of a Volkswagen," Molly whispered. "And yes, I have eyes on it. Through the front window. Next to the piñata." "Excellent. And the guard?" "There's no guard, Bill. It's a birthday party for a six-year-old." "Everyone has a guard, Molly. Sometimes the guard is a grandmother with a rolling pin." "Her name is Doris, and she's been dancing the limbo for twenty minutes. She's not a threat." Bill scribbled on the clipboard. "Fine. Phase two. The getaway vehicle." "The minivan is parked around the corner, engine running, with the back seats folded down." "Good. Why is there a bouncy castle in the yard?" "That's not part of the plan." "It's a very large obstacle, Molly." "It's a very large distraction. Once the kids are in it, nobody's looking at the front door." Bill tapped his pen against his teeth. "Okay, I like that. But what about the cake? I'm not leaving without the cake." "We are not stealing the cake, Bill. Nobody steals cake." "I steal cake. I stole a wedding cake in Ohio." "That was a mistake, and you still have frosting on your sleeve from it." He glanced down, then quickly brushed his cuff. "Focus. Phase three. The actual extraction. Who goes in first?" "You do. You're the one who looks like a Santa impersonator." "I look like a distinguished gentleman in a red coat." "You look like Santa's bouncer." Bill grinned. "Fine. I'll go in as the magician. Nobody questions a magician." "Bill, you cannot do magic." "I can make a Christmas present disappear. That's magic enough." Molly sighed and checked her watch. "Ninety seconds. Grab the gifts marked with blue ribbon, the expensive ones. Leave the socks." "Socks are a sin." "Socks are the family's only gifts for the twins. Leave them." Bill nodded solemnly and tucked the clipboard under his arm. "Alright. For the record, this is the most ridiculous heist we've ever planned." "Yes," Molly said, pulling her ski mask down. "And it's the only one with a bouncy castle." They rose from the hedge together, just as the song ended and a chorus of tiny voices erupted into cheers from inside the house.