The Fifth Vote

It's a perfect Wednesday evening on the banks of the Ohio River, and Councilman Dylan Webb is riding high. Recently elected, both powerful and popular, Webb's gearing up for a rare dinner date amid his busy schedule.

In a matter of minutes, it all turns upside down. Two muggers corner Webb outside his home and force him into his own car at gunpoint. For the next hour, he drives the streets of Cincinnati trying to convince his abductors not to kill him.

He's ultimately freed, but the moment of...