Bonnie Alverez hated planning almost as much as  video games. Both gave her headaches.

Her husband Mitch was an Army Reserve logistician—a guy who planned everything—and a video game junkie. Despite her protests, Mitch and five-year-old son Emil played multiplayer Ninjio every night before lights out.

"Male bonding," Mitch called it.

Migraine inducing, Bonnie thought.

Otherwise, life for the Alverez family in El Paso was good—until Mitch's unit was called up for active duty. To ease the pain of separation, Mitch promised to continue playing Ninjio online with Emil during his tour.

Three weeks after arriving in Afghanistan, Mitch went missing. Search patrols couldn't find him.

But Bonnie did...in a nightmare. And so did Emil. Mitch's avatar continued playing inside Ninjio.

That's when Bonnie and Emil decided to mount a rescue mission. First, Bonnie needed a plan.

And then, she needed a gamepad...