A father on his second tour in Iraq. A mother trying to keep her children safe. A son on the brink of manhood. A daughter anticipating her tenth birthday. A party that will change their lives forever.
Assistant U.S. attorney Stanley Alpert was returning from a blind date when he was accosted by three gunmen. Originally intent on siphoning $1,000 from his ATM, the thugs revised their plan upon learning from Alpert that he had $100,000 in the bank. During the time they held him hostage in a Queens, N.Y., apartment, a bit of bonding ensued.—anonymous