Love unsettling stories.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to redacted, declassified mysteries, early and ad-free,

as well as another twisted tale from Bollin Studios and Wondery called Wartime Stories,

also hosted by me, Early and Ad-Free on Wondry Plus.

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Thank you. Start your free trial today. Just before midnight, on December 14, 2010, Border Patrol agent Brian Terry stumbled through the rugged

terrain of the Arizona desert. The 40-year-old steadied himself and breathed in the

dry winter air. He and his team were a little more than 10 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

They were looking for bandits who were targeting drug smugglers. This part of the desert was a

major hotspot for criminal activity, in part because the jagged landscape was difficult for vehicles

to navigate. It was the perfect place for smugglers to cross the border, especially under the

cover of darkness. Terry could sense the exhaustion in his fellow team members. With their

Christmas break just hours away, they were all eager to get some well-deserved rest.

As soon as Terry got off, he would head straight to the airport to fly home to his family in Michigan.

A sudden alert jolted everyone to attention.

There was activity in Peck Canyon close to the border, where something or someone tripped

a sensor.

Terry's thoughts about home vanished.

Now it was time for action. The team descended into the rocky canyon. Moving through

this terrain was dangerous enough in daylight. Now, at night, every shadow could hide a deadly threat.

Terry squinted into the darkness, tensing as he spotted several figures about a hundred

feet ahead. He and his team readied their weapons. Following standard protocol, they'd start with

...