Run: 2026-10-08-01M4DZ23MBJ366T63PQDA314XR

Molly crouched behind the hedge, peering through the gap at the glowing backyard. Balloons bobbed over a bouncy castle, and somewhere a toddler was screaming with pure joy. Bill slid in beside her, holding a clipboard. "Right. Phase one. We wait for the clown to finish the balloon animals." "Why does the clown matter?" "Because he's the only one who's watching the back door, and he's been looking at me funny since the christening." "You crashed the christening, Bill." "I was invited to the christening. I just brought my own cake." He tapped the clipboard. "Anyway, the presents are stacked on the picnic table. Forty-two of them. Mostly wrapped in that shiny paper that crinkles." Molly squinted. "That paper's a problem. Crinkle carries. The second someone unwraps a dinosaur, we're blown." "Which is why we're using these." Bill pulled out a pair of noise-canceling headphones and a roll of bubble wrap. "Silent operation." "You want to wrap our feet in bubble wrap?" "Only the socks. Trust me, I tested it on my neighbor's cat." "Did the cat survive?" "Mostly." He flipped a page. "Phase two. Distraction. Once the magician starts the rabbit trick, everyone will be staring at the top hat." "Magicians always end with the rabbit," Molly said. "Every single kid knows that trick. They'll be staring at the bunny like it owes them money." "Good. That gives us eleven seconds." "Eleven seconds to load forty-two presents into a van?" "Not load. Swap." Bill grinned. "We replace them all with identical boxes filled with rocks, then sneak the real ones out in the bouncy castle's inflation pump bag." Molly stared at him. "That's the worst plan I've ever heard, and I once helped you steal a hot dog cart." "The hot dog cart was a triumph." "The hot dog cart rolled into a canal." "Details." He checked his watch. "Okay. Clown's finished. Go." Molly stood, brushed off her jacket, and immediately stepped on a rubber duck. It squeaked loudly. Every head at the party turned. Bill sighed. "Well. Plan B." "We don't have a plan B." "We do now." He grabbed her wrist. "Run like you're late for cake." They sprinted across the lawn, bubble-wrapped feet slapping, as a small girl in a princess crown pointed and shouted, "Those are the robbers! Mommy, they're stealing the piñata!" "Nobody's touching the piñata!" Molly yelled, scooping up a gift bag as she ran. "Just the presents!" Bill tripped over the bouncy castle, landed face-first in a pile of foam balls, and emerged holding a single sock. "Bill," Molly said, skidding to a halt, "what is that?" "Phase three," he said solemnly. "Improvise."