The Writing on the Wall

"He sent another set of infra-red images from the Dachl. Those might yield results."

"Please Cc me on all emails with Herr Scheubel and keep me posted. We're counting on you to get results on this."

"I'm on it."

I need a coffee, Wade rubbed his temples. The pulse above his eyes threatened to develop into a headache. He couldn't give findings that weren't there.

The throbbing in his temples now somewhat assuaged by a fresh mug of coffee, he opened the file attached to the email from a very annoyed-sounding Scheubel. Looking at the file, the first thing Wade saw a non-Germanic crescent above some of the "s's," "c's," and "z's." They were capped by a sexy little, mysterious smile. The Mona Lisa of letters, he smiled thinking of Sanja's mysterious smile. He imagined Sanja smiling up at him after he kissed her the first time. He remembered how her fingers brushed through his hair, against his scalp. And he remembered the feel of her pencil erasure nipples poking his chest when he pressed her against his chest... No! Concentrate! He forced himself to return to the words on the screen: what sound did "š" represent? He tried to recall to his undergrad linguistics classes where they had to transcribe a phone conversation phonetically. Oh, yes! "š" equals "sh!" Now he remembered. Sanja's mouth had felt so good on his lips and around his cock Friday night. He remembered the feel of her hot breath, and wet, silky tongue as it slid up and down his hard member. Wade, focus!

"How's it going?" Sanja came over from her desk a few hours later.

"I got a new set of images looking under the paintings on the Dachl. It seems to be German in some instances."

Wade could smell Sanja's perfume as she leaned over him. She was so close his hand brushed against her firm, bare thigh. "Are you not wearing a bra?"

"Strange. Some are loanwords from German in Serbian, like Paradijser, but others are German, but written in this totally deformed way. Look: menš, mixati, Kajserić.

"But that's modern Serbian. Those didn't exist in the 15^th century."

"This can't be from the 15^th Century."

"I'm not an expert on medieval painting, but it does strike me as odd that these images come up right when we tell Scheubel, the carved characters don't mean anything."

"The strokes of the letters aren't paint strokes either."

"Too bad there's no way to check the authenticity of the images."

"Maybe there is..." Sanja tapped a finger against her upper lip. "I'll ask Jörg. If anyone is an expert on infrared images and art, it's him."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Wade encircled Sanja's slim waist with his arms and pulled her to him.

"Don't worry," she ruffled the hair on the back of his head. "I know how to handle him." She pressed her lips against his, running her tongue across his lips."Mm, du scheckst nach Apfel und Karamel. (Mm, you taste like apple and caramel)"

"So, come on. Seriously. Why did you disappear Friday night?"

"OK, ehrlich gesagt (OK, honestly)." She scanned the room, no one else was there but she lowered her voice anyway and leaned in closer so Wade could feel her hot breath on his neck. "I was pretty mad at you for making that mess on my face. Das hat die Jungs total aufgereizt. Sie wüden mich nicht in Ruhe dannach lassen. (That totally wound all the guys up. They wouldn't leave me alone afterwards)" The puffs of air against the hairs on his neck sent tingles down his spine and neck. He gasped when Sanja gave his neck a light nip. "You have no idea the shit I got for that."

"I tried to hold back, I really did."

"You need to speak louder. I can't hear you in there sometimes."

"Wait? That's Scheubel speaking!" Wade turned up the volume on his laptop. "Archeologists and historians have been working on reconstructing memorials and art from the time of the Hapsburg-Ottoman Wars when rebel forces from what is now New Yugoslavia worked together with the Hapsburgs to defeat the Ottomans. These efforts coincide with trade nego..."

"I thought he said the university couldn't help."

"If Scheubel is working on the trade delegation, why is he so interesting in historical carvings and paintings? it doesn't make sense,"

"He hasn't changed since we were in University together." Sanja leaned against Wade's desk, arms crossed.

"You've met him before?"

"We attend a lot of the same protests and demonstrations while we were at Uni. On opposite sides. He was always against immigration. I was for it. They don't close the border or build a wall to the north, where most of immigration is coming from. Their north Germanic neighbors fleeing flooding, but they close the southern border to stop my friends and family, who are fleeing civil war and starvation. Ridiculous. He always had that self-assured smirk when arguing with someone. He hasn't changed at all..."

They were both silent for a minute, lost in their own thoughts.

"We'd better get back to work." Sanja gave Wade a quick peck, briefly running her tongue long his lips teasing them open, but not sliding inside. Wade's lips would have leapt off his face to try to catch hers when she righted herself. "I'll start searching the university archives when I'm done with Jörg."

...

Wade turned on his radio again in time to hear a representative from the Ministry of Arts and Culture was describing how a newly renovated fresco from the Hapsburg-Ottoman wars was being reopened." Wade recognized Scheubel's voice on the radio. 'Evidence is now surfacing that our Goldenes Dachl commemorates how the country worked together with our southern neighbors against the Ottomans." The voice of the original announced returned. "However, this is not how the New Yugoslav delegation saw it. The Yugoslav delegation reacted strongly, accusing the Tyrolean delegation of playing into a blurring of the historical record of discrimination against the Serbs and Croats after the Ottoman Wars. They have canceled further meetings, dashing any hopes for a quick resolution to the standoff."

"I just heard from Jörg." Sanja burst into the meeting room later that afternoon her chest heaving up and down with each deep breath, her cheeks flushed. The office was almost empty. "He said that the letters looked like they were an old spray paint job that a novice had tried to wash off. Schau mal. A close-up picture of one of the smiling "S" underneath the painting displayed on the screen in front of them.

"According to Jörg, the pattern at the edges match with what you see with spray-painting than with a paint brush. The coloring is also different, which he says suggests that someone went back and removed the paint."

"Hm, that's not uncommon. Do we know if it had any restoration was done recently?"

Sanja shook her head. "I didn't find any records, none are publicly available anyway."

"So, that could mean that these were drawn recently. But when were the pictures taken?"

"The question is, did Scheubel know they weren't old when he gave them to us?" Sanja sat on the edge of the table next to Wade, legs crossed, which made her skirt rise up her thighs, exposing the tops of her black stockings.

"Good question. I don't know if we'll ever find out. I already emailed him our results."

"I hope you checked what you wrote before sending it this time."

"I did." Wade stood up and kissed her. combing his fingers her thick, dark hair.

Sanja pulled him towards her and kissed him back. Her tongue soon wrestling with his. She rested her arms on his shoulders, massaging his neck.

"Nun, was haben wir denn hier? (Well, what do we have here?)" Sanja ran down his chest before slipping down between his legs and stroked up and down the length of his cock through his pants. Wade moaned at the feel of her warm hand slipping underneath his underwear and once again wrapped around his hardening cock. "Du hast mich doch vermisst, oder? (Missed me, did you?)"

Wade reached for her blouse, and undid each button, revealing her white undershirt. He made to pull her undershirt up, but she stopped him. "You want a mouthful?" she cooed, tickling him under the chin with a finger before she untucked her shirt und lifted it inch by agonizing inch up and up along the faint line that divide her taut stomach. She paused right when he got a glimpse of under-boob when Wade kissed along her belly and nibbled her rib cage. She pushed him away and lifted her shirt up higher. It caught on the peaks of her breasts for a moment before at last coming over her nipples. Revealing her firm breasts capped by thick long, nipples to him.

She buried his head against her chest and gasped when he flicked his tongue against a dark nipple. "Ah!" She gasped when he sucked her whole breast into his mouth. He sucked her thick bud into his mouth until it hardened in his mouth.

She dropped to her knees as she pushed his pants and boxer shorts lower, exposing his, rapidly hardening, cock. She licked the bottom of his balls before working her way up his shaft tip. He jerked his hips and moaned at the feel of her hot breath and wet tongue around him.

She licked the head of his cock, tasting its muskiness, before she eased him into her mouth. She swirled the tip as she sucked increasing the pressure with each rotation. Pop! She released him, then slid once more up and down the length of his shaft, pausing everything so often to kiss and his length. Wade gasped at the feel of the suction from her lips releasing on his hard member. Her hand slid up his inner thigh to cup his swelling balls. She squeezed them and combed her fingers over them. Before ducking down to lick them again. Wade gave a short yelp when he felt her suck one into her mouth.

Wade let his fingers run through her soft hair as she bobbed up and down on his cock before diving down and taking as much of him down her throat as she could.

"Oh, that feels great," Wade moaned, picking up speed as he got into his stride.

"Aber spritzt nicht auf mich dieses Mal (Don't cum on me this time)"

"I won't."

"Steck dein Schwanz in mir, (Put your cock in me)" Sanja spread her legs where she sat perched on the desk and her black panties to the side, revealing her bare pussy. Wade couldn't get his jeans down quick enough.

Sanja guided him between her firm legs right to her lips. Sanja's silky warmth enveloped him as Wade eased into her. Her Kegel exercises must be paying off. His cock twitched appreciatively when she squeezed him inside her. Wade ran a hand up her smooth thigh, hiking her skirt up to cup her perky butt.

Slowly Wade thrust in and out, in and out to his own rhythm of a slow tango. He had waited a long time for this and wanted to savor it.

"Hm, ja. Das ist schön für mich. Ist es schön für dich? (That's nice for me, is it nice for you?)" Sanja moaned. She circled a nipple through his shirt with her thumb.

"Ja, sehr." Dirty talk was not his strong suit. In English or German. He kneaded her mounds up and down like she enjoyed, and he thrilled when she coed in response.

Sanja rocked her hips back and forth to match his thrusts, which threw Wade off his rhythm. He bent down and kissed the dark-haired beauty's lips, enjoying their softness, before sliding his tongue into her mouth and wrestling hers.

He righted himself and started his rhythmic thrusting again. Thrusting into her anew. She wrapped her legs around his hips, he almost couldn't breathe, her thighs were so strong. "Oh, ja, du fühlst so gut. You feel so good," Wade groaned and started pumping faster when he felt the familiar twitch in his loins.

"Bist du am spritzen? (Are you about to come?)" Zorz sat up.

"Ja."

"Come in my mouth. I wanna taste you with my juice allover your cock."

"OK," Wade pulled out of her in a flash, got down on her knees and started stroking his cock furiously.

"Oh, yeah, I'm coming!" Wade felt his knees go weak as the pleasure in his loins built up. With a loud groan it burst out of him. He caught himself on the desk. Sanja tried to catch him in her mouth. She caught part of the first jet in her mouth, the rest streaked across her cheek.

"Ach, du scheisse! (Oh, shit!)" Sanja swore as Wade burst his load against her soft chest. Jets of hot, white cum streaked across her boobs. Sanja recouped long enough to get Wade into her mouth again where Wade burst down her throat for a third and final time.

Sanja choked and pulled him out of her mouth, pointing his cock away from her with one hand while she held another in front of her mouth while she swallowed.

"Wirklich? Schon wieder? (Really? Again?)" She hissed, glaring at him before they both jumped at the short rapping at the door.

"Moment, bitte! (Just a second?)" she called out as. Wade zipped his pants up and she pulled her undershirt down in a flash and pulled her blouse together. There were growing stains on her shirt where Wade's cum had landed globed together on her chest even through the undershirt.

"Ja, bitte?" Wade arranged himself at his laptop, panting. Sanja hurried over to her own side of the desk and started buttoning her blouse up. She took a big chug from her coffee cup. She avoided looking at Gabi as the older woman came in.

"So, you were able to get the information Herr Scheubel wanted?"

"I think so. The words underneath the paintings are German loanwords in Serbian, though we're not sure if they're authentic. They seem to be mod..."

"The Dachl is supposed to be a commemoration of a great victory of a battle where the Serbs, Croats, and Hapsburgs fought together against the Ottomans." Sanja at last, popped out from behind her laptop. "However, beyond the names of Vienna, written the German way and Belgrade, and Zagreb, nothing of significance. They're probably just a way of showing that the emperor was tolerant of the Serb and Croat groups in the country.

Gabi stood up. "Let him worry about that Mr. Scheubel wants to prove that this was a symbol of friendship between the Hapsburgs and Belgrade. We only need to give him the information that's there and he can do what he wants with it." She gave them both a funny look before walking out the door.

"I can't believe you did that again!"

"Ouch! Hey, I said something this time, didn't I?" Wade rubbed his shoulder where she'd punched him. "It's not my fault she surprised us like that."

Sanja's swiped a Kleenex under her chin and chest. "Ach, Proklet bio. Was sie wohl von mir denkt! Idiotca! (Oh, fuck! What must she think of me? Idiot!)" She collapsed into her chair. "I need a drink," Sanja sighed, staring at the titles on the ceiling.

"Want to go to the Roof? It's in the near of here" Oh, my God! My English is getting more German by the day!

"Sure, I'll get my coat." Unaware of Wade's pained expression, Sanja ruffled his hair and headed out of the room.

Chapter 3 - Confrontation

The stones underneath the arches of the train tracks were rough and that dark, dirty gray that is common on bricks that are often exposed to exhaust from cars and grim flung around by cars. Wade had Sanja pressed up against the smooth, in comparison, bricks of the wall leading to the entrance of the Roof. They caressed each other's bodies, enjoying the curves and muscles underneath their coats. Sanja smiled at him and wiped a wet, stray hair out of his eyes, before kissing him again. Her fingers wrapped behind his neck. "Let me go, or we'll never get there." She laughed.

Next to the piece of wall Sanja had just vacated, a bit of graffiti caught Wade's eye: šajs egal was stenciled below a spray-painted on raised middle finger. Next to that was written: Hajde u Beč - Nah majne štat. They reminded him of graffiti from the paintings from earlier.

Sanja wrinkled her nose. "This Multikulti thing is so kitschig. (corny)"

She left Wade behind where he stood starting at the graffiti. It was Multikulti but it was more aggressive and challenging the majority to accept the author as part of their city and to accept this designation of it. These must be new. He watched the flashing light of the neon sign above play off the rough-hewn bricks, why did those words look so familiar? He took a photo through his Instagram app.

His phone beeped to signal a new email.

...

"Scheubel emailed me, He wants to talk to us about the results of our research." Wade joined Sanja at a table in a corner away from the bar where a beer was already waiting for him.

Did you write reply to him? Prost."

"Yes. I told him we'd be at the Roof." Wade replied after setting his beer down.

Sanja's fingers glided along Wade's chin and down his chest. "Why are you still using that American phone? "I you got a local phone you'd have English and German auto-correct.

"The new SIM card works fine in my old phone." Wade slide his hands around Sanja's waist and pulled her closer. "Besides, I didn't have the money for that at the beginning."

"Do you think Scheubel knew the pictures were forged?"

"It looks that way. He needed the Dachl to show friendship between the two countries." Wade took another sip. "He needs them to represent friendship between the two countries to help promote this trade agreement. But it blew up in his face. The New Yugoslavian delegation was furious he tried to whitewash what the Hapsburgs did by showing a lovey-dovey scene of comradery between the two countries. It doesn't look like those embargoes on wine are going to get lifted any time soon now."

"But why bring us into it? He already had an idea of what the Dachl represented."

"He probably just wanted someone to confirm what he already thought."

Wade turned to see figured, silhouetted against the strobe lights stagger over to them. When the figure stepped in front of the blue lights behind it illuminated a familiar face.

"You set me up!" Scheubel staggered over to them, the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, his face was flushed and sweaty. "You knew whatever was written under those paintings would set the Yugoslavs off. Why didn't you tell me?"

"It was a bunch of random words mixed into meaningless strings of letters. It might have simply been coincidence." Wade recoiled at the disheveled sight before him.

Scheubel's once slicked-back gelled hair was now sticking out in all directions, the top two buttons of his shirt were undone and his tie hung loosely around his neck. His upper lip was wet with perspiration. And his gate suggested he'd already had a few too many.

"Those 'random words,'" Scheubel caught himself in the nick of time overreaching for a chair and almost knocked Wade and Sanja's drinks over from collapsing his elbows into the table as he crashed down. "Those 'random words,' were a message to all the Serbs who can here, to hate the Habsburgs for ruling over them. They had forgotten, but those pictures reminded them loud and clear!"

"You don't know about the history of animosity between the two countries?" Sanja stared at Scheubel in amazement. "A history that goes back hundreds of years, if not more? Isn't there someone on your team who was familiar with current politics there?

"I never thought to look," Scheubel shrugged.

"But you knew about the Dachl?"

But Scheubel didn't respond. His gazed transfixed over Sanja's shoulder in disbelief and distain. "Is that woman giving a blowjob?" The two followed his gaze a corner of the room where a woman was kneeling in front of a man. Even from across the room, they could make out her head bobbing up and down, her shirt yanks up below her elbows. Wade caught her slipping a hand into the man's jacket pocket. Sanja squeezed Wade's and as the man almost buckled and the woman jerked away. Standing up so fast, all the blood must have rushed to her feet, the woman hid whatever she'd taken behind her and yanked her shirt down, while the man zipped his pants up. She ran the back of her wrist across her mouth before turning away and walking into the crowd. For a split second the flashing lights glinted off a wad of cum still clinging to her chin.