// Tracklist

1. Prologue: Based on True Events

   The following is a dramatization of true events.

   In 2019, the company E-Bay declared war on two bloggers who wrote about their CEO’s pay.

   What you are about to hear is drawn from court documents, text messages admitted as evidence, and testimony given under oath.

   The perspectives are dramatized. The facts are real.

   Seven E-Bay employees went to prison. The executives who gave the orders walked away with fifty-seven million dollars.

   This is “Whatever It Takes.”

2. EcommerceBytes

   Natick, Mass, where the maples turn gold Home office hustle, twenty years strong Two monitors glowing in the morning light Ina on the keys, I handle the site Six hundred thousand readers check in every day Small sellers need a voice, and we show the way No corporate master telling us what to print Just the truth about the platforms and the money they mint

   EcommerceBytes dot com, that’s the name Started in the dial-up, stayed in the game When E-Bay changes fees, we break it down When A-ma-zon squeezes sellers, we’re around They call us small-time, but we got reach Every policy change, we’re first to teach Independent press in a captured space Somebody’s gotta say it to their face

   Just two people in a quiet town Writing what the big boys won’t write down Twenty years we’ve done it our way EcommerceBytes, every single day

   Made some enemies along the way Executives who don’t like what we say But that’s the job - you speak the truth They smile in public, then they bare their tooth Still, never thought it’d come to this Never thought we’d end up on somebody’s list Just doing our jobs from our living room Had no idea we were writing our doom

   April 2019…

3. The Article

   Another day, another story to chase S.E.C. filings pulled up on my screen, steady pace Public records, earnings calls, nothing hidden here Just connect the dots and make the picture clear Devin Wenig, CEO, let me see what he made Eighteen million dollars - that’s the price he got paid While the sellers on his platform watch their margins bleed Somebody should write this down, and that somebody’s me

   Just an article, nothing more Public facts from the public record store Did my job like I’ve done a thousand times How was I supposed to know I was crossing lines?

   Hit publish, watch it go live, close the tab Another day of journalism, nothing to grab Headlines come and go, this one seemed the same Just the CEO’s annual money game But three thousand miles away in San Jose A notification buzzed and ruined somebody’s day He shared the link, I didn’t know The dominoes were starting to fall in a row

   Eighteen million reasons to be angry, I guess When somebody puts your paycheck in the press But I didn’t make the numbers, I just wrote ’em down Didn’t know I just put a target on our town

   Finished for the day, closed my laptop screen Made dinner with David, normal routine Had no idea what I’d set in motion Three thousand miles of vengeful devotion Just an article about a CEO’s pay In San Jose, they were planning my bad day The texts were flying: “crush this lady, burn her down” But in Natick, Massachusetts, we didn’t hear a sound

   “Whatever it takes…”

4. Crush This Lady

   “Did you see what she wrote?”

   Corner office, Bay Area spread below Stock price healthy, golden parachute in tow But some blogger in Massachusetts got something to say About the eighteen million that I took home in pay Public record? Public problem? I don’t think so When you come for the king, we let you know Share the link to the team - boys, come take a look Some small-time writer thinks she wrote the book

   Crush this lady, burn her down Make sure her name becomes a joke in this town Want to see ashes, want to see smoke She thinks she’s press? That’s the funniest joke Whatever it takes - you hear me clear? I want this blogger living in fear

   Who does she think she is, writing about my pay? Six hundred thousand readers? That’s a slow Tuesday We move billions through the pipes every single day She’s a mosquito and I’m the spray Get Baugh on the phone, tell security to call We’re gonna make this blogger regret it all She wants to play journalist? Let’s play a game By the time we’re done, she’ll forget her own name

   “EcommerceBytes” - what a cute little site Husband and wife, think they’re doing what’s right Covering sellers, speaking truth to power Well power’s about to give them their final hour

   I built this platform from the ground up She’s just a critic with a coffee cup Lee-gal says we can’t sue - she didn’t lie So we’ll make her wish she never tried “If you’re ever gonna take her down, now is the time” That’s the text I sent - and that ain’t no crime Wymer texts: “biased troll needs to be burned” We got former cops on the payroll, trained and mean Time to deploy the security team

   “Jim? It’s Steve. We got a project for you.” “Whatever it takes, Jim.” “Whatever it takes.”

5. Whatever It Takes

   “Team’s assembled. Awaiting orders.” “You know the mission. Whatever it takes.”

   Jim Baugh, Senior Director, Security and Safety Got a call from the top that’s about to get crazy They want a blogger gone, want her living in fear Said “handle it, Jim” - message crystal clear I spent twenty years in law enforcement, legit Now I’m running ops for a company throwing a fit But orders are orders and the pay is good Assemble the team in the San Jose hood

   Harville, Cooke, and Gilbert on deck Popp and Stockwell running intel check Zea on analysis, pulling their files Two bloggers in Natick - target profiles Address, photos, daily routine Every detail loaded on the screen Former cops and spooks, we know the game Time to make these bloggers feel the pain

   Whatever it takes, that’s the mission tonight Whatever it takes to win this fight Whatever it takes, no boundaries, no lines Whatever it takes - the order’s signed We’re the professionals, trained to break For the company, we’ll do whatever it takes

   Phase one: psychological warfare Flood their inbox, make ’em scared Sign ’em up for newsletters they never chose Satanic Temple, Com-mun-ist Party - here it goes Phase two: physical deliveries Things that’ll bring ’em to their knees Phase three: surveillance on the ground Fly to Boston, don’t make a sound

   Little voice in the back saying “this ain’t right” But I silence it quick, got a job tonight We’re not the bad guys - they attacked us first Just doing what it takes to make their coverage reversed Right?

   Printed up the target packages clean Photos, addresses, daily routine This is what we’re trained to do, break and enter Psychological operations, fear at the center Corporate security with government tools Playing by none of the usual rules The executives want results, don’t care how Time to show ’em what we’re capable of now

   “Operation is a go.” “Whatever it takes.”

6. Pig Mask

   August 5th, 2019

   Woke up normal, checked my email like I do Inbox flooded with subscriptions - wait, who? Sin City Fetish Night? I never signed for this Satanic Temple newsletter? Something is amiss Comm-you-nist Party U.S.A., funeral home deals Hundreds of emails and none of this is real We never clicked subscribe, what is going on? Ina looks at me - something’s very wrong

   Pig mask on the doorstep, blood dripping down Who sends this to a house in a quiet town? Cockroaches in a box, spiders crawling free This is what happens when you anger E-Bay’s C-suite? What kind of nightmare did we stumble into? A Fortune 500 company - is this what they do?

   Next day, doorbell rings, nobody’s there Just a package sitting, giving us a scare Open it up and roaches scatter on the floor Ina’s screaming, I can’t take this anymore Day after that, a fetal pig arrives Preserved in fluid, death that never dies Then a book shows up - “Surviving Loss of Spouse” Someone’s telling us to get out of this house Funeral wreath next - “rest in peace” When does this harassment finally cease?

   Who approved this budget? Like, seriously? Somebody at E-Bay said “yeah, send the pig mask, obviously” Had a meeting about cockroaches? Drew it on a whiteboard? “Phase two: live insects” - this is what a Fortune 500 could afford?

   Pizza showing up we never ordered, every night Neighbors getting magazines with David’s name - not right Pornographic content sent to people down our street Then Craigslist ads inviting strangers for a “meet” Swingers, threesomes, posted our address Telling randos “come on by for some excess” We don’t know who’s doing this or why Just that somebody wants to see us cry Called the cops, they’re baffled, nothing like this before What’d we do to deserve this war?

   But this wasn’t even the worst part yet They weren’t done - oh no, not done yet The newsletters and the bugs were just phase one Wait till you hear what they had planned to be done

7. The Natick Job

   “Now boarding: flight to Boston Logan.”

   Red-eye out of SFO, headed east Three thousand miles to handle a beast Me and Harville in first class seats Expense account covering all these receipts Laptop open, reviewing the file Natick, Massachusetts - been planning for a while Suburban streets, quiet little town Time to take these bloggers down

   Touch down in Boston, grab the rental car GPS loaded, it ain’t that far Drive through the suburbs, find the street Little house where the targets sleep Set up surveillance, park down the block Watch their patterns, watch the clock When they leave, when they come back home Making sure they’re never really alone

   This is the Natick job, we’re operational Cross-country flight for something irrational But orders are orders, mission is clear Three thousand miles to spread some fear Used to catch criminals, now I’m the creep Following bloggers while they’re asleep This is what it’s come to, this is the game The Natick job - feel no shame

   Pull up behind them at the grocery store They don’t see us, that’s what training’s for Follow them home, nice and slow Professional distance, they’ll never know Harville’s got the GPS in a case Tonight we break in, leave no trace Plant it in their car while they’re in bed By morning, we’ll know everywhere they tread

   Got the documents in the glovebox just in case “Person of Interest” - official looking face If the cops stop us, we flash the file Say E-Bay’s investigating, charm and smile But deep down I know this paper’s fake Another line crossed for the company’s sake Used to be the good guys, wore a badge with pride Now I’m stalking bloggers, nowhere to hide

   Massachusetts plates on the Steiner car Can’t believe we flew this far For what? Some articles about the CEO? This is insane but here we go Standing in the dark outside their door What exactly are we doing this for? Whatever it takes - that’s what they said So here we are, filling them with dread

   “Garage is unlocked.” “Let’s move.”

8. Person of Interest

   “Target file complete. Ready for distribution.”

   Type it up official, make it look legit “Person of Interest” - yeah, this is it Photo of the Steiners, home address attached Threat assessment: fabricated, nothing matched “Subject has made threatening statements online” A complete lie but the formatting’s fine If cops pull us over, we flash this sheet Say “we’re corporate investigators, working the beat”

   Print it on the letterhead, proper and clean Most official-looking lie you’ve ever seen Two bloggers in their fifties, writing from home Now labeled as threats in an official-looking tome “E-Bay Global Security Investigation” Sounds real enough for any situation We made them the criminals with a stroke of the keys While we’re the ones skulking through trees

   Person of interest, that’s what the file says But who’s really the threat in this maze? We’re the ones breaking in at night We’re the ones who ain’t acting right Someday we’ll be the persons of interest When this whole thing comes out the foulest Fake documents, fake investigation We’re the real threat to this nation

   Midnight at the Steiner place, garage unlocked Harville’s got the tracker, I’m watching the clock Slip inside quiet, heartbeat in my ears This is what a career at E-Bay clears Plant it in the wheel well, magnet holds tight Now we’ll know every move, day and night Back to the rental, slip away clean Most professional stalking you’ve ever seen

   Remember when I was a cop? Served the law? Now I’m fabricating evidence without a flaw What happened to the oath I took back then? Guess I sold it when the salary hit double-ten But the little voice keeps whispering in my head “You’re the criminal now, no matter what’s said” Labeled them the persons of interest today But karma’s coming, there will be a day

   Everything documented, everything tracked Except for us - we covered our tracks Or so we thought, but we got sloppy too License plates and receipts, coming into view We thought we were ghosts, professionals clean But we’re about to star in a federal scene The persons of interest switched - wait and see Now the target’s gonna be me

   “Phase three complete. White knight ready to deploy.” “Copy that. Send in Gilbert.”

9. White Knight

   “Mrs. Steiner? This is Brian Gilbert from E-Bay. I heard about what’s been happening… I’m so sorry. I want to help.”

   Brian Gilbert, Senior Manager, Special Ops Former police captain, know how the game stops But today I’m playing a different role White knight strategy, save their soul Called Ina up with my sympathetic voice “I heard what happened, you didn’t have a choice” “Someone’s targeting you, this is serious stuff” “Let me help you out, I know it’s been rough”

   She doesn’t know I was on the call last night Picking out the pig mask, getting the address right Signed her up for newsletters, laughed about it too Now I’m on the phone saying “what can we do?” “E-Bay takes this seriously, we’re on your side” Meanwhile Harville’s outside, ready to ride The left hand terrorizes, the right hand heals This is what a billion-dollar company feels

   I’m the white knight riding in To save you from the trouble I put you in Offer comfort with the hand that swings Gaslighting’s my favorite thing Trust me now, I’m here to help While I’m the one who made you yelp White knight with a blackened soul Breaking people is my goal

   She’s grateful, can you believe it? Thanking me For offering protection she can’t see Is just a con, just a game, just a play To make her think that E-Bay’s okay Maybe soften her coverage, pull the punches While we coordinate over corporate lunches I’m the arsonist dressed as the fire brigade The villain in a hero masquerade

   People ask how you sleep at night When you gaslight victims, tell them it’s alright Answer is: like a baby, eight full hours This job lets me exercise all my powers Used to wear a badge, put away the bad guys Now I’m the bad guy in a good guy disguise Some call it evil, I call it a skill The white knight strategy, executed with will

   But here’s the thing about elaborate lies Eventually somebody opens their eyes The emails I sent, the calls I made They’re all logged, every card I played When this house falls down, I’ll be in the rubble Should’ve known this scheme would double my trouble White knight today, defendant tomorrow Trading corporate games for prison sorrow

   “Don’t worry, Mrs. Steiner. E-Bay’s going to take care of everything.”

10. License Plate

    “Ina… I think we’re being followed.”

    Three weeks of hell, living in fear Cockroaches, pig masks, threats severe But this morning something clicked in my head That van behind me - where’s it being led? Same van I saw yesterday at the store Same van outside our house the night before They think I’m just a blogger, just some scared old guy But I’ve had enough - it’s time to try

    Left turn, right turn, they’re still on my tail This isn’t coincidence, this isn’t fail I know what I see, I’m not going insane They want us scared but they picked the wrong lane My hands are shaking but my mind is clear One chance to prove what’s really happening here Pull up to a red light, casual and slow Reach for my phone, don’t let it show

    License plate - got you on my screen Most important photo I’ve ever seen You thought we’d just cower and hide But you just gave away the ride One picture’s worth a thousand words And this one’s going to flip the birds License plate - the beginning of the end Now watch your whole world descend

    Drove straight to Natick PD, handed them my phone “I don’t know who these people are but we’re not alone” Sergeant Sutherland looked at the plate on screen Called in Haswell - “you gotta see what this means” Rental car from Logan airport, California connection Suddenly they’re paying real close attention “Mr. Steiner, this might be bigger than you thought” Next call they made: FBI’s who they brought

    Twenty years we’ve been journalists in this town Never thought we’d be the ones bringing someone down Just an article, just honest work Now we’re taking on a Fortune 500 corporate murk They had money, they had power, they had a plan But they didn’t count on this middle-aged man With a phone in his pocket and the nerve to snap Now their whole operation’s falling in my lap

    FBI took over, subpoenas flying E-Bay executives started their lying But evidence doesn’t lie, the trail is clean From that license plate to the whole machine Baugh, Harville, Cooke, and the rest Gilbert’s white knight fails the test All roads lead back to San Jose All because I took that picture that day

    “FBI, how may I direct your call?” “I think a Fortune 500 company just declared war on me.”

11. Fifty-Seven

    “James Baugh sentenced to 57 months…” “Devin Wenig received 57 million in severance…”

    Fifty-seven months, the judge reads the sentence Cuffs click shut, this is my penance Twenty years a cop, now I’m the convict For following orders from the C-suite’s edict They said “whatever it takes” - I took it literal Now I’m in a cell and they’re living biblical Corner office gave the order, I’m the one who fell Same scandal, but I’m the only one in hell

    Fifty-seven million, sign right here Severance package, nothing to fear “Resigned” is what the press release says Not “fired for texts about burning the press” Board said my messages were “inappropriate” But not enough to make my exit less ornate September 2019, I walked away clean Richest departure that you’ve ever seen

    Fifty-seven, fifty-seven One man’s hell, one man’s heaven Fifty-seven months behind bars Fifty-seven million, fancy cars Same number, different fate Same scandal, different weight That’s the math of the corporate state The foot soldier pays, the king walks straight

    I sent the pig mask, I sent the bugs I terrorized bloggers like corporate thugs But who texted “crush this lady,” wanted ashes? Who said “burn her down” - now where’s his shackles? Wymer’s texts are evidence, clear as day But he got fired and I got put away They needed someone to take the fall I was the highest-ranking fool of all

    I shared a link, I sent some texts “Take her down” - what happens next Is not my problem, not my concern I didn’t know how bad it would turn That’s my story and I’m sticking to it Plausible deniability - I didn’t do it Internal investigation cleared my name Fifty-seven million, not an ounce of shame

    Fifty-seven, fifty-seven One man’s hell, one man’s heaven Fifty-seven months, orange suit Fifty-seven million, Armani boot Same number, different class Same scandal, different pass The structure protects the ones on top The soldiers fall, the bosses don’t stop

    Here’s how the magic trick works, watch close The one who orders never gets the dose Text “burn her down” but don’t say “stalk” Keep the distance, let the soldiers walk When it crashes, claim you didn’t know Deferred prosecution, put on a show Three million fine? That’s a rounding error The real criminals never face the mirror

    Harville got two years, Cooke got eighteen months Gilbert got probation, barely took the punts But me? I was the leader of the pack Fifty-seven months, no taking it back “Whatever it takes” echoes in my dreams Those three words tore apart the seams Of my career, my freedom, my name While the man who said them feels no shame

    Steve got fired too, but no prison time “Crush this lady” isn’t technically a crime When you’re the CCO with the right lawyers And the company needs some fall-guy destroyers The system worked exactly as designed Protect the top, leave the rest behind Golden parachute for the executive class The soldiers? They can kiss my assets

    Fifty-seven months… Fifty-seven million… Counting days… Counting interest… For a blogger… For a blogger… Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes.

    Same number. Different America.

12. Still Haunted

    Natick, Massachusetts. 2024.

    Five years since the terror campaign came Everything changed, nothing’s the same Baugh is in prison, the others too But when a package arrives, I still don’t know what to do Heart races, hands shake, open it slow What if it’s cockroaches? What if it’s a show? The trauma doesn’t care about conviction dates It just waits by my door like it always waits

    We won, they tell us, you should feel proud You took on E-Bay and said it out loud Seven people convicted, federal time E-Bay admitted to the corporate crime But Wenig’s on a yacht with his fifty-seven mil And Wymer’s somewhere working still Justice served? Maybe half a portion The full meal requires more extortion

    Still haunted by the masks and the mail Still telling the story, still on the trail Still publishing truth from our living room Still waiting for the verdict, still in the gloom We didn’t break, that’s something to say We’re still here, still standing today But the scars don’t fade with the years Still haunted, still fighting back tears

    Civil suit pending, we’re not done yet Want to make sure the world won’t forget Wenig and Wymer should face the jury Feel just a fraction of our fury Four hundred million in damages claimed For what they did, they should be ashamed Maybe they’ll settle, maybe we’ll trial Either way, we’re going the extra mile

    Sometimes I wonder if we should have just stopped Killed the newsletter, closed up shop Would’ve been easier, wouldn’t have this pain Would’ve missed this hurricane But then I remember why we started this The sellers who needed someone to witness The truth that needed someone to tell If we quit, who’d raise the yell?

    So here we are, at the end of the tale Winners and losers, freedom and jail The powerful still mostly walk free But we proved they’re not untouchable, you see A blogger couple from a small-town beat Made Fortune 500 admit defeat It cost us everything, peace of mind But the truth was something we had to find

    Still publishing EcommerceBytes today Still covering the industry, come what may Still haunted, yeah, the ghosts don’t leave But we’re still standing, still believe One photo of a license plate Changed a Fortune 500’s fate Whatever it takes, they said back then We’re still here. We’ll say it again.

    Still here. Still haunted. Still writing.

13. Epilogue

    She wrote an article.

    They tried to destroy her.

    I made an album.

    This is bitwize… signing off.