Chapter 7 - THE COALITION FORCES
With Toby successfully placated, the nursery power structure shifted. Maya sat cross-legged like a tiny infant general, with Leo to her left and Toby chewing happily on the handle of the rattle to her right.
"Alright," Maya whispered, her tone strictly professional. "Here is the new directive. The sun will rise in approximately three hours. That gives us one hundred and eighty minutes to execute Phase Three: The Great Kitchen Raid."
Leo’s eyes widened. "The kitchen? Maya, the kitchen is off-limits. It's a war zone."
"Which is precisely why the adults never expect us to breach it," Maya replied coolly. "I saw Mom hide a fresh box of animal crackers on the second shelf of the pantry. It's an accessible target if we utilize synchronized stacking."
Toby let out a happy squeak, completely unaware that he was being drafted into a heist.
"And how do we get past the baby gate?" Leo asked, raising a valid logistical concern. "It has a double-latch locking mechanism."
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Maya smiled, a grin so devious it belonged on a cartoon villain. "We don't open it. We use the cat."
Leo stared at her. "The cat? Barnaby hates us. Last time I pulled his tail, he looked at me like I owed him child support."
