Otra Vez

{ANDREW}
Here we have another post academy day. So I figure I have a little time on my hands, why not send a brief (maybe) message out to all our avid blog followers. I guess I should first off explain a little more about my last post since some of you seem to think I left you hanging. I clearly explained why I drank the Pepsi, because it was post academy day and it was either fall asleep from boredom, or drink the Pepsi. I drank the Pepsi, and didn't fall asleep for many hours. Even when I got home and wanted to sleep, I was still wired to go. This time I have no Pepsi, but I do have a lot of cold medicine. You see I got sick a couple days ago and am fighting off a nasty cold. What? A cold you say? But how? You are in the desert. It is supposed to be warm in the desert. Why yes, that is true. It is warm in the desert. The days are absolutely beautiful right now. But I am not working days, I am working nights where the temperature drops to 35-40 degrees. And this last week we had the luxury of working in the mountains, climbing peaks up to 7000 ft at 11pm. Not only is hiking at that time of night great fun but we usually have to do it LO (lights out) due to the fact that its one of the more dangerous areas we have.

You see average Joe Mexicans, they call themselves Jose not Joe, will jump the fence about anywhere and get caught like 5-6 times before they either give up or make it past without getting caught. It's no big deal to them if they get caught, they will just try it again tomorrow. However for those carrying drugs, money, and guns they take the high mountain route. It's a little bigger deal if they get caught, a potential 10 years in a federal prison isn't quite like "try it again tomorrow." And then you also have OTMs (other than mexican), these are people from all over the world who have sometimes paid $5,000 or $10,000 just to get this far. They don't give up very easily. It requires a "hands on" experience to subdue them. They love to run, or throw rocks, or bite, pretty much anything but obey commands.

So Tuesday we were told there was a sensor that hit and a possible group of 35 was on a certain mountain trail. We think hey, that sounds like fun, 9 of us and 35 of them is better odds than usual. Let's give it a shot. So we go into hunter mode. . .

By the light of the moon we begin stalking our prey. Carefully avoiding sticks and loose rocks that would give away our presence we ascend the hillside. Pausing every now and then to listen for movement in the trees, for a hint of their putrid scent on the air. Nothing. I try to maintain a steady breathing, not too loud to be heard. I stifle a cough. The temperature is dropping rapidly now, I can see my breath. As cold as it is there is still sweat running down my back as I climb another 600 ft. Something above me knocks a rock loose and as it comes tumbling past me my heart begins to race. My senses peaked I strain to detect any movement, any sound or smell that doesn't belong. Me ears tune in on a sound, is it breathing? I can't tell, I try to hold my breath to hear better. It sounds like he is moving towards me. I look around and try to alert my fellow agents. They are too far below, in my excitement I moved too quickly and am ahead of them. My muscles tense, as I focus my mind begins to speed up, running through the myriad of possibilities of what could happen in the following moments. Time slows. I slide forward the retention strap on my pistol.

Suddenly a deer bolts from the brush and bounds away to the east, prey, but not my prey. We continue on up to a height of about 7,000 ft and lay in. Now we become part of the terrain. Hidden, within the mountain itself. Enveloped within its folds of treacherous foliage. Sharp rocks, trees with more thorns than leaves, cactus, sudden ledges, sheer drops all grasping for the one wandering unaware. We disappear, and wait. And wait. The cold biting at any flesh uncovered, unprotected. Devouring the sense of feeling, the wind eats at your nerves until you go numb. Then you hear over the radio that the group is on the other trail. There are only two trails down from that sensor, we picked the wrong one.

That my friends is how I got sick. And yes the group was apprehended, most of them got away but we got the drugs they left behind.

Oh ya, I have a video clip but it is too long, so I am breaking it up and will post it later.