“Salem alejkum!”

“Alejkum salam.” The light of the rising sun hurt his eyes as he opened the door, and returned the greeting of his tall, but stockier companion. Instead of shaking hands, they put hands on shoulders, nodding. “Let’s gather the others!Clearly, the larger man opened the worn gray Ford Ranger door for the slenderer man. Behind the B-pillar, a few bullet holes decorated the off-road. “Let’s not forget the case.”

“Of course, here you go.” He handed him the laptop bag, which was also worn and clearly had been used a lot. The thin man hugged it tightly, holding it as tightly as if he were holding his own child. Then they set off.

They drove through the streets of Bidu with the windows down somehow easing the morning heat. The big guy wiped the salty water droplets from his forehead like a diligent schoolboy, watching the residents waking up and starting their day in the agave-strewn town surrounded by a rolling desert sea. Everyone did their usual thing, except for the people in the Ford. They gained two more companions, yet just one possessed a similar thin laptop bag. They were in a hurry.

It wasn't long before they reached the Israeli-Palestinian border from Bidu. There was a long line of cars in front of them and behind them as well. The waiting was making everyone in the car tense, except for the thin man in the passenger seat, who was stroking his long, gray beard as if it was just a cat sitting on his lap. Then the border guard waved at them. Finally, they were next at the checkpoint.