by
Heath Hansen
Pop! Pop! Distant AK-47 fire pierces through the deep night silence. I’ve been sitting in my spot on this mountain for a few hours when I hear the gunfire. Up until now I had been plunged into the endless silence of a desert night in the Coronado National Forest. The sky above me burstswith stars more abundant than you could ever see in the city. When you are this far away, nature is overpowering. Pop! I hear another gunshot, this time it’s closer. The scouts are communicating with their group situated further south that it’s time to move forward across the Mexican/American border. I watch through the green hue of my Night Vision Goggles (NVG’s) unable tosee the group, but knowing they are there. Unfortunately for the drug mules attempting to move product into the US, they are unaware Arizona Border Recon (AZBR) is on patrol at this section of the border, upholding their motto and conquering “One Hill at a Time.”