#Jerry Wainwright

[krispyweiss]

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Day No. 3, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Oct. 1, 2023

Not only are they fascinating to watch, hummingbirds have fantastic taste in music.

How else to explain the little avian hovering about Sierra Hull’s soundcheck and late-morning set at the Banjo stage on Day Three of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass?

Little birdie picked a good place to flutter around as Hull and her band played an energetic bluegrass-with-drums set, which Mr. and Mrs. Sound Bites took in in full after catching a few songs of Jon Langford & the Bright Shiners’ Scottish protest music at the Rooster.

Peeling off to catch parts of sets would be the theme for a first day of October stacked with outstanding performers who put the Hardly Strictly in the formerly Bluegrass-only fest inside San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

But first, a full set by Eilen Jewell - playing a guitar borrowed from Chuck Prophet - on Rooster, which found the singer and her band playing tracks from Gypsy and Get Behind the Wheel and simply slaying with a note-perfect rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Green River.” Guitarist Jerry Miller is nearly as important as Jewell to the band’s success, adding twangy, country-rock spice to Jewell’s songs of love and adventure.

Then, back to the Banjo stage where musical chameleon Gabby Moreno served up slices of cumbia and American rock ‘n’ roll back-to-back and sung them in Spanish and English.

After a quick visit to Prophet and the Mission Express on Rooster, the Sound Biteses floated over to Swan for Valerie June. Wearing a loud orange outfit and backed with pedal steel, organ and rhythm section, June spun an impossible-to-categorize web of funk, soul and Americana while playing banjo and acoustic guitar and meting out songs such as “Call Me a Fool.”

Peeling off once again, the Sound Biteses were back at Banjo in time for the Travelin’ McCourys, with Punch Brothers/Might Poplar (whom we missed in favor of Emmylou Harris) banjo man Noam Pikelny filling in for Rob McCoury, and a blistering set of pure bluegrass that included “The Shaker” and “Scarlet Begonias,” with a triple-time back end, filling the park the Grateful Dead played so many times.

“Seems appropriate,” Ronnie McCoury said as your diarists peeled off yet again to the tiny Horseshoe Hill stage, for a packed 100th-anniversary tribute to Doc Watson by Mitch Greenhill, playing one of Watson’s guitars, Nora Brown and Stephanie Coleman with guest slots from Andrew Marlin, June and Langford.

“Summertime,” June’s rendition of “Handsome Molly,” Langford getting the lyrics to “Tom Dooley” from a piece of paper and “Southbound” were all on offer. And it all ended with the glorious experience of a couple hundred people singing “Keep on the Sunny Side” under the foggy skies and tall trees of Golden Gate Park.

After this life-affirming interlude, the Jerry Douglas Band was pushing blues-rock and jazz flecked with bluegrass on the Swan stage. Another peel and back to the Banjo where Rufus Wainwright played solo-acoustic and his singular voice wafted across the large expanse to the Arrow stage where Tommy Emmanuel dealt the festival’s penultimate set to a relatively small, but appreciative, hard-listening audience.

Gasps filled the air as Emmanuel played inhuman runs on his acoustic guitar on such songs as “Sixteen Tons,” “Deep River Blues” and “Blue Moon.” He introduced a phantom band as he played a bassline, then percussion and rhythm before adding lead and left the audience agog as he played them simultaneously. He wrapped up his portion with the instrumentals “Imagine” and “Beatles Medley” as Harris began her closing set back where the day began on Banjo.

With a four-piece band of multi-instrumentalists behind her, Harris concluded HSB in grand style. “Miss the Mississippi and You,” “Pancho and Lefty,” “Hickory Wind,” “Evangeline” and “The Boxer” all filled the cool, early-evening air and added a extra layer of wistfulness to the end of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2023.

Read Sound Bites’ Day One review here

Read Sound Bites’ Day Two review here

10/2/23

[roseshavethoughts]

Killdozer (1974): A Must-See Cheesefest

Killdozer (1974)

Synopsis – Construction workers battle an unmanned bulldozer energized by an alien force. Director – Jerry London Cast – Clint Walker, James Wainwright, Robert Urich Genre- Science Fiction | Horror Released – 1974 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4 out of 5. This 1974 made-for-TV film, directed by Jerry London and based on a novella by Theodore Sturgeon, emerges as a thrilling and surprisingly poignant…

[bzedan]

Ah, July. Not the hottest month (that is August or September), but it is very a Summer Month. June is mostly (and technically is like two thirds?) a Late Spring Month, but in July summer has arrived and they are decked out in sparkles and sweating everywhere triumphantly.

So I wanted songs about water and outer space and agitation between chill summer vibes and snappy summer bops. There's some new music on there, including the single from CRJ's latest, which I ADORE. More neo-disco please! OH also enjoy the best possible cover of Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf," it's jazz. This is very a playlist to half-ignore while lazing about something else, it's all vibes, can be put on shuffle, and some of the songs'll grab ya, but who knows which on which playthrough.

Related media to some of the songs:

Just listening to Masstor's "Self Control" you might not realise that it's being sung by a giant blue orc? monster? guy in the most amazing creature/costume build (he's got so much available movement! it looks like Not A Bitch to get in and out of!), but here's the music video so you can experience the entirety of the vibes.

Janelle Monáe's The Age of Pleasure is such a killer summer album, the vibes in the "Waterslide" music video are fabulous, and please do check out the other videos for this album, it feels like they just rented a sick house for a weekend and knocked all the videos out while cavorting poolside.

Jim Sullivan's U.F.O. is a household favourite, and his story is a sad and semi-mysterious one. It's one of those "you hope it was a miracle... but probably not" situations.

There are multiple Bart Graft tracks on here, big recommend as background music for working, it's dance stuff but often chill. It's all vibes, I love it.

Anyway here's a link to July's playlist on Spotify, with the track list below the cut.

And embedded if you like that sort of thing:

'The Swimming Song' - Loudon Wainwright III  

'Pool Party' - Rudy Willingham  

'Spaceship' - Kesha  

'Give Us the Wind' - Future Islands  

'U.F.O.' - Jim Sullivan  

'Under the Boardwalk' - The Drifters  

'Turn Off the Lights' - LEN  

'The Visitors' - ABBA  

'Shy Boy' - Carly Rae Jepsen  

'Only Love Can Save Us Now' - Kesha  

'Season in Hell' - Dum Dum Girls  

'Self Control' - MASSTOR  

'Kokomo' - The Beach Boys  

'Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) - Single Version' - Enya  

'Good Vibrations' - Brian Wilson  

'Like Whiskey' - Dixon Dallas  

'Is It Cold In The Water?' - SOPHIE  

'Water Slide' - Janelle Monáe  

'Waterpark Inmersion' - El Guincho  

'Under the Water Fountain' - Bart Graft  

'Worship' - Ari Abdul  

'On the Water' - Future Islands  

'Gespaard's Poolside' - Bart Graft  

'Carry On, Turn Me On' - Space  

'As We Go Up, We Go Down' - Guided By Voices  

'Heroes and Villains' - Brian Wilson  

'Sunshine' - Oliver Tree  

'Vitamin C - 2004 Remastered Version' - CAN  

'Beam Me Up' - Midnight Magic  

'If You Love Me - Si Me Quieres' - Tito & Tarantula  

'Happy - Live Acoustic From Space' - Kesha  

'In My Blood' - Vitamin String Quartet  

'Brand New Key' - Melanie  

'Mellow Yellow' - Donovan  

'Hungry Like the Wolf' - Dinah Eastwood  

'I'm in Great Shape / I Wanna Be Around / Workshop' - Brian Wilson

'Let's Go Swimming' - Arthur Russell  

'Grease' - Future Islands  

'Sliver Of Ice' - ANOHNI  

'Temba, Tumba Y Timba' - Los Van Van  

'Motivate Ya (feat. Kelly Price)' - Big Freedia  

'In the Summertime' - Mungo Jerry  

'Underwater' - Sun's Signature  

'Steal My Sunshine' - LEN  

'Good Lookin'' - Dixon Dallas  

'Come For Me' - Sunflower Bean  

'Summer's Cauldron - Remastered 2001' - XTC  

'The Girl from Ipanema' - Astrud Gilberto  

'I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire - From "A Small Light: Episode 3"' - Sharon Van Etten  

'Moon Journey' - Mort Garson  

'The Night Terrors - Saint Etienne Mix' - Matt Berry  

'Under Pressure' - Queen  

'Welcome To My Island' - Caroline Polachek  

'Down By the Sea' - Men At Work  

'One & Only' - Oliver Tree  

[closertotheheart]

Photo by Jerry Wainwright.

[playlistjunkie]

Best Get Ready Playlist by Tyler Childers

3/7/20 - WhiskeyRiff.com - by Wes Langeler

• Housefire - Tyler Childers

• Leaving Lousiana In The Broad Daylight - The Oak Ridge Boys

• Plastic Saddle - Nat Stuckey

• East Indian Princess - Laudon Wainwright III

• Country Squire - Tyler Childers

• Lets Invite Them Over - George Jones

• Don't Feed the Animals - Shooter Jennings

• Things Goin' On - Lynyrd Skynyrd

• Matthew - Tyler Childers

• Ugly Woman - Jerry Reed

• Mama Bake a Pie (Daddy Kill a Chicken) - Tom T. Hall

• Girl On the Billboard -Jim & Jesse

• What I Really Mean - Robert Earl Keen

• Peace of Mind - Tyler Childers

• One Night Stands - Hank Williams Jr.

• Lousiana Man - Buck Owens

• Awful Lot to Learn About Truck Drivin' - Red Simpson

• A Week in County Jail - Tom T. Hall

• Ever Lovin’ Hand - Tyler Childers

• Chick Inspector (That’s Where My Money Goes - Dick Curless

• County Boy - Ricky Skaggs

• All Your'n - Tyler Chillers

• Loser's Cocktail - Dick Curless

• It’s Such a Pretty World Today - Wynn Stewart

• That Just Kills Me - Wynn Stewart

• Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young - Faron Young

• Crazy Arms - Jerry Lee Lewis

• High School Confidential - Jerry Lee Lewis

• Hillbilly Fever - Jerry Lee Lewis

• Settin' the Woods on Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis

• My Home Ain't in the Hall of Fame - J.d. Crowe

• Take Your Shoes Off Moses - Ralph Stanley

• Gemini - Tyler Childers

• Rank Stranger - Ralph Stanlay

• Over the Glory Land - Ralph Stanley

• Amazing Grace - Ralph Stanley

• I'll Answer The Call - Ralph Stanley

• Going Up Home to Live in Green Pastures - Ralph Stanley

• Boogie-John Hartford

• Holding - John Hartford

• Joseph’s Dream - John Hartford

• The Cover of "Rolling Stone" - Dr. Hook

• Welcome To Goose Creek - Goose Creek Symphony

• Whupin It - Goose Creek Symphony

• Creeker - Tyler Childers

• Chicken Train Stomp - The Ozark Mountain Daredevils

• Tarheel Boys - Town Mountain

• Lawdog - Town Mountain

• Up the Ladder - Town Mountain

• Foggy Old London - Jimmy Martin

• Bus Route-Tyler Childers

• Milwaukee Here I Come - Jimmy Martin

• One Loaf Of Bread - Dave Evans

• Harlan County - Jim Ford

• She Turns My Radio On - Jim Ford

• Long Road Ahead - Jim Ford

• Working My Way to LA - Jim Ford

• Under Construction - Jim Ford

• Pinball Blues - Moore & Napier

• Mama's Got The Know How - Doug Kershaw

• Third Rate Romance - The Amazing Rhythm Aces

• Typical American Boy - The Amazing Rhythm Aces

• Countrified - John Sanderson

• Haunted House - John Anderson

• I've Got Me a Woman - John Anderson

• Prop Me Up Beside the Jukebox (If I Die) - Joe Diffie

• Don’t Come Home a Drinkin’ - Loretta Lynn

• Gettin’ Happy - Dolly Parton

• Fancy - Bobby Gentry

• Memphis, Tennessee - Bobby Bare

• Wolverton Mountain - Southern Culture on the Skids

• Muswell Hillbilly - Southern Culture on the Skids

• Banana Puddin' - Southern Culture on the Skids

• Put Your Teeth Up on the Window Sill - Southern Culture on the Skids

• Give Me Forty Acres - Jim & Jesse

• Six Days On the Road - Jim & Jesse

• Hole in the Ground - Larry Cordle

• Death Metal in a Minivan - Dinosaur Burps

• Dungeon Map - Dinosaur Burps

• Nap in the Face of Danger - Dinosaur Burps

• Aswdwnwl - Dinosaur Burps

• Orange You Is Peachy - Dinosaur Burps

• Don’t Touch Me - Tammy Wynette

• Fuck You - CeeLo Green

• Don't Pay the Ransom - Nat Stuckey

• 4th Of July / He Stopped Loving Her Today - Shooter Jennings

• Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly - Aaron Tippin

• Kiss This - Aaron Tippin

• Tight Fittin' Jeans - Conway Twitty

• Hello Darlin' - Conway Twitty

• Slide Off Of Your Satin Sheets - Johnny Paycheck

• Woman (You Better Love Me) - Johnny Paycheck

• Country John - Allen Toussaint

• Shoot Low, Sheriff! - John Anderson

• Steam Powered Aereo Plane - John Hartford

• O.D.’d in Denver - Hank Williams Jr.

• Fax Me a Beer - Hank Williams Jr.

• She's All I Got - Johnny Paycheck

• Stop the World (and Let Me Off) - Waylon Jennings

[goalhofer]

2023 World Baseball Classic U.S.A. Roster

Pitchers

#0 Adam Ottavino (New York Mets/Brooklyn, New York)

#21 Kyle Freeland (Colorado Rockies/Denver, Colorado)

#29 Kenneth Kelly (Arizona Diamondbacks/Scottsdale, Arizona)

#33 Michael Lynn (Chicago White Sox/Brownsburg, Indiana)

#38 Devin Williams (Milwaukee Brewers/Florissant, Missouri)

#39 Miles Mikolas (St. Louis Cardinals/Jupiter, Florida)

#43 Brooks Raley (New York Mets/Uvalde, Texas)

#47 Jason Adam (Tampa Bay Rays/Overland Park, Kansas)

#49 Kendall Graveman (Chicago White Sox/Alexander City, Alabama)

#50 Adam Wainwright (St. Louis Cardinals/St. Simons, Georgia)

#51 Brady Singer (Kansas City Royals/Tavares, Florida)

#52 Daniel Bard (Colorado Rockies/Greenville, South Carolina)

#53 David Bednar (Pittsburgh Pirates/Mars, Pennsylvania)

#55 Thomas Pressly (Houston Astros/Irving, Texas)

Catchers

#10 J.T. Realmuto (Philadelphia Phillies/Del City, Oklahoma)

#16 Will Smith (Los Angeles Dodgers/Louisville, Kentucky)

#66 Kyle Higashioka (New York Yankees/Huntington Beach, California)

Infielders

#1 Jeff McNeil (New York Mets/San Luis Obispo County, California)

#7 Tim Anderson; Jr. (Chicago White Sox/Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

#8 Trea Turner (Philadelphia Phillies/Lake Worth Beach, Florida)

#15 Bobby Witt; Jr. (Kansas City Royals/Colleyville, Texas)

#20 Pete Alonso; Jr. (New York Mets/Tampa, Florida)

#28 Nolan Arenado (St. Louis Cardinals/Lake Forest, California)

#46 Paul Goldschmidt (St. Louis Cardinals/Wilmington, Delaware)

Outfielders

#3 Markus Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers/Oak Hill, Tennessee)

#12 Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies/Middletown, Ohio)

#27 Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels/Millville, New Jersey)

#30 Kyle Tucker (Houston Astros/Tampa, Florida)

#31 Boyce Mullins II (Baltimore Orioles/Snellville, Georgia)

Coaches

Manager Mark DeRosa (U.S.A. Baseball/Carlstadt, New Jersey)

Bench coach Jerry Manuel (Jessup University Warriors/Rancho Cordova, CA)

Assistant bench coach Brian McCann (U.S.A. Baseball/Duluth, Georgia)

Pitching coach Andy Pettitte (U.S.A. Baseball/Houston, Texas)

Bullpen coach Dave Righetti (San Francisco Giants/San José, California)

Hitting coach George Griffey; Jr. (U.S.A. Baseball/Winter Garden, Florida)

1st base coach Lou Collier (Kansas City Royals/Chicago, Illinois)

3rd base coach Dino Ebel (Los Angeles Dodgers/Barstow, California)

[docrotten]

KILLDOZER (1974) – Episode 204 – Decades Of Horror 1970s

“How do you go about killing a machine? It’s too heavy to hang and it’s too big to put in the gas chamber.” Firing squad? Ole Sparky? Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Jeff Mohr – as they return to the boob tube for another memorable, made-for-TV, horror movie from the 1970s: Killdozer (1974)!

Decades of Horror 1970s Episode 204 – Killdozer (1974)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Decades of Horror 1970s is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of the podcast and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.

After being possessed by a strange force in a meteorite it unearths, a giant bulldozer goes berserk and begins attacking the construction crew.

  Director: Jerry London

Writing Credits: Theodore Sturgeon & Ed MacKillop (teleplay); Herbert F. Solow (adaptation); Theodore Sturgeon (novella, Astounding Science Fiction, Nov 1944)

Selected Cast:

Clint Walker as Lloyd Kelly

Carl Betz as Dennis Holvig

Neville Brand as Chub Foster

James Wainwright as Dutch Krasner

Robert Urich as McCarthy

James A. Watson Jr. as Beltran

Look out, Duel (1971). Move over, The Car (1977). Talk to the hand, Maximum Overdrive (1986). ABC TV’s Killdozer (1974) is here to rule! Well, best intentions, eh? Based on a story by acclaimed writer Theodore Sturgeon, though he had little to do with the final script (according to the author’s account), this is the tale of a mysterious invisible force that possesses a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer to chase and mow down the cast (Clint Walker, Neville Brand, Carl Betz, Robert Urich, James Wainwright, James A. Watson Jr.) on a remote island off the coast of Africa. Originally criticized as being outlandish – not too far from the truth – the film has gained a following over time and has since become considered a cult classic. Often recommended by Patreon members and Decades of Horror fans, it’s finally time for the Grue-Crew to chime in with their thoughts.

At the time of this writing, Killdozer is available to stream from Plex. The film is available on physical media as a Blu-ray from Kino Lorber Studio Classics.

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1970s is part of the Decades of Horror two-week rotation with The Classic Era and the 1980s. In two weeks, the next episode, chosen by Chad, will be Death Game (1977), starring Sondra Locke, Collen Camp, and Seymour Cassel. Death Game was remade in 2015 as Knock Knock, directed by Eli Roth and starring Keanu Reeves. How does the original hold up?

We want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com. 

Check out this episode!

[thinkingimages]

Work in progress, a skirt panel by Mary Ann Schildknecht, who was taught to embroider by nuns while she was serving a two-year jail sentence in Milan on a hashish smuggling charge.

via Native Funk & Flash - An Emerging Folk Art (1974) - SWEET JANE

[krispyweiss]

Have a Little Faith in John Hiatt, Who Turns 70 Today

John Hiatt had enough faith in himself that he toiled in relative obscurity for a decade-and-a-half before finding success.

As he turns 70 today, Aug. 20, 2022, Hiatt is a solo act in his own right and one of America’s most-respected songwriters to boot.

Like Three Dog Night’s “Sure as I’m Sitting Here?” Hiatt wrote it.

Have you gotten weepy to Rosanne Cash’s “The Way We Make a Broken Heart?” Hiatt wrote that, too.

Do you smile when Bonnie Raitt’s “Thing Called Love” invades your sound holes? Yep. It’s Hiatt.

Hiatt’s 20-plus solo recordings are as diverse as the artists he’s written for - something for everyone whether he’s collaborating with Ry Cooder, Loudon Wainwright III, Elvis Costello or Jerry Douglas, making an album with Little Village, playing solo and acoustic or touring with Buddy Guy.

Have a little faith in the guy. It’s his birthday, after all.

8/20/22

[nekasuz]

Alex and Lee, 1974.  Photo by Jerry Wainwright for Native Funk and Flash. madmuseum.org

[kwebtv]

The Right Stuff -  Disney+  -  October 9, 2020  -  November 20, 2020

Historical Drama (8 episodes)

Running Time:  60 minutes

Stars:

Jake McDorman as Alan Shepard

Patrick J. Adams as John Glenn

Colin O'Donoghue as Gordon Cooper

James Lafferty as Scott Carpenter

Aaron Staton as Wally Schirra

Michael Trotter as Gus Grissom

Micah Stock as Deke Slayton

Eric Ladin as Chris Kraft

Patrick Fischler as Bob Gilruth

Nora Zehetner as Annie Glenn

Eloise Mumford as Trudy Cooper

Jackson Pace as Glynn Lunney

Shannon Lucio as Louise Shepard

Recurring

Sacha Seberg as Wernher Von Braun

Jordan Woods-Robinson as Mike Turley

Rachel Burttram as Betty Grissom

Jade Albany Pietrantonio as Rene Carpenter

Laura Ault as Jo Schirra

Chandler Head as Cam Cooper

Lucy Capri as Janita Cooper

Taegan Burns as Laura Shepard

Avery Burns as Julie Shepard

Kyra Johnson as Lyn Glenn

David Bolinger as David Glenn

Victoria White as Marge Slayton

Christopher Cassarino as Henri Landwirth

Mamie Gummer as Jerrie Cobb

Kaley Ronayne as Dee O'Hara

Josh Cooke as Loudon Wainwright Jr.

Danny Strong as John A. Powers

Elizabeth D'Onofrio as Doris

[whatevergreen]

Bay Area fashion designer/artist Kaisik Wong, by Jerry Wainwright, San Francisco, 1974

[cardest]

Tennessee playlist

I’m going to Memphis! This is the mighty Tennessee - Memphis & Nashville playlist. You can’t tell the story of rock n roll without mentioning Memphis. Mississippi and Nashville, such a great history of music in this region. Chuck D hits things off with the ultimate introduction. Hit play here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1_X9nesbW37-9FNLiJWOQ1f

This playlist has it all. Soul, blues and rock n roll. We take a journey back to the beginning of country as well, with Nashville and finish up at Dollywood. Hope you dig it.

Tennessee - Mississippi - Arkansas

001 Henry Rollins & Chuck D - Rise Above 002 Clutch -  Devil & Me 003 Paul Simon - Graceland 004 Isaac Hayes - Memphis Trax 005 Scott Walker - Thats How I Got to Memphis 006 AC/DC - let there be rock 007 Johnny Cash -  Country Boy 008 Chuck Berry -  Back To Memphis 009 Jay Reatard - Gree, Money, Useless Children 010 Lukah - Black Dragon 011 King Curtis - Memphis Soul Stew 012 Rosetta Howard & the Harlem Hamfats - Delta Bound 013 Nots - In Glass 014 Pere Ubu - Memphis 015 Loretta Lynn - The Pill 016 Howlin Wolf - Smokestack Lightnin 017 Rory Gallagher - The Mississippi Sheiks 018 Crime and the City Solution - Streets Of West Memphis 019 River City Tanlines - Met You Before 020 Johnny Cash - Going To Memphis 021 Al Green - Get Back Baby 022 Kim Salmon & The Surrealists - The Zipper 023 Booker T & the MG - Melting Pot 024 Pussycat - Mississippi 025 Boswell Sisters - Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On 026 Aretha Franklin   - Muddy Water 027 The Cramps - Garbageman 028 HASH REDACTOR - Good Sense 029 Optic Sink - Personified 030 Angry Angles - Blockhead 031 Big Star - Thirteen 032 Memphis Jug Band -  Going Back to Memphis 033 North Mississippi AllStars - K.C. Jones (On The Road Again) 034 Bass Drum Of Death -  Bad Reputation 035 Today Is the Day -  The Devil's Blood 036 Walk the Line Soundtrack- Get Rhythm 037 Jack White -  Temporary Ground 038 Jerry Lee Lewis - A Damn Good Country Song 039 The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - Rumors 040 Saving Abel - Pine Mountain (The Dance of the Poor Proud Man) 041 The Oxford Circle - Foolish Woman 042 Bobbie Gentry - Greyhound Goin' Somewhere 043 Reigning Sound - A Little More Time 044 NINA SIMONE - MISSISSIPPI GODDAM! 045 Laurie Anderson - Hiawatha 046 Glen Campbell - Burning Bridges 047 Dolly Parton - Hillbilly Willy 048 Elvis Presley - Guitar Man 049 Blue Oyster Cult - Divine Wind 050 Sammy Hagar - Halfway To Memphis 051 Izzy Stradlin   - Memphis                       052 Johnny Cash -  Run Softly, Blue River 053 Iron Horse - Unchained 054 The Cramps - Human Fly 055 Faces - Memphis 056 Jack Oblivian - Rat City 057 The Cooters - Bustin' Loose 058 Mott the Hoople - All The Way From Memphis 059 Dusty Springfield -  Breakfast in Bed 060 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tupelo 061 Chicago - Blues In The Night             062 Crossin Dixon - Guitar Slinger 063 Strummin' With The Devil - And the Cradle Will Rock 064 Stray Cats -  Can't Go Back to Memphis 065 Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds 066 Suzi Quatro - Can't Trust Love 067 Lost Sounds - There's Nothing   068 Ike & Tina Turner ~ River Deep, Mountain High 069 Neil Diamond - Memphis Flyer 070 Julien Baker - hardline 071 The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Memphis Soul Typecast 072 Isaac Hayes  - Groove-A-Thon 073 Otis Clay - Trying To Live My Life Without You 074 Tim McGraw - Don't Mention Memphis 075 Eric Burdon & War - Blues For Memphis Slim 076 Homemade Jamz Blues Band - Blues Train 077 Sweet Knives - I DON'T WANNA DIE 078 Cream - Four Until Late 079 Grateful Dead - Golden Road 080 Huey Lewis and the  NEWS - Function At The Junction 081 The Cramps - I Was A Teenage Werewolf 082 Jesse Winchester_ The Brand New Tennessee Waltz 083 Dorsey Burnette - Tall Oak Tree 084 Field Music - Time In Joy 085 Jay Reatard -  Blood Visions 086 The Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women 087 Quintron & Miss Pussycat  - Block the comet 088 Al Green - Let's Stay Together 089 The Mountain Goats - Getting Into Knives 090 Johnny Cash -  Tennessee Flat Top Box 091 Robert Pete Williams & Robert “Guitar" J. Welch - Mississippi Heavy Water Blues 092 MARY JAMES - MAKE THE DEVIL LEAVE ME ALONE 093 Ministry - Mississippi Queen 094 U.S. Bombs - Rocks in Memphis 095 Nazareth - Jet Lag 096 The Bar-Kays - Holy Ghost 097 Ty Segall - Despoiler Of Cadaver 098 His Hero Is Gone - Like Weeds 099 Jerry Lee Lewis - Memphis Beat 100 Generation X =  King Rocker 101 The Doobie Brothers - Wild Ride 102 Bad Company - Whiskey Bottle 103 Black Stone Cherry - When The Weight Comes Down 104 Buddy Miles - Memphis Train 105 Memphis Slim - Rockin' The House (Beer Drinkin' Woman) 106 David Clayton Thomas  - Wish The World Would Come to Memphis 107 Lost Sounds - Better Than Somethings 108 Alice Cooper - Ubangi Stomp 109 Tom Waits -  Don't Go Into The Barn 110 Hank Snow - Music Makin' Mama From Memphis 111 Phil Ochs - Heres to the State of Misssippi 112 Reigning Sound  - Your Love Is A Fine Thing 113 Pixies -  Letter to Memphis 114 Bob Dylan - Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again 115 The Colorblind James Experience - Considering A Move To Memphis 116 B.B.King - Rock Me Baby 117 Carla Thomas - B-A-B-Y 118 Aquarian Blood - A Love That Leads To War 119 Nights Like These - Scavenger's Daughter 120 Rufus Thomas - Walking the Dog 121 Clutch -  The House That Peterbilt 122 Lyal Strickland - O Arkansas 123 Don Bryant - How Do I Get There 124 The Sensational Barnes Brothers - Trying To Go Home 125 Squirrel Nut Zippers - Memphis Exorcism 126 Faster Pussycat - Tattoo 127 The Rolling Stones - Memphis Tennessee 128 Alcatrazz -  Sons And Lovers 129 Evil Army - Violence And War 130 Deep Purple - Somebody Stole My Guitar (Purpendicular 11) 131 Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs 132 UFO - Natural Thing 133 Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys - Tennessee 134 Confederate Railroad - Queen of Memphis 135 The Box Tops - The Letter 136 Jerry Lee Lewis - Night Train To Memphis 137 Reverend John Wilkins - Trouble 138 Phil Lynott - Kings Call (feat. Mark Knopfler) 139 Old Crow Medicine Show - Motel in Memphis 140 Candy Lee- Here in Arkansas 141 Pharoah Sanders - You've Got To Have Freedom 142 Molly Hatchet - Mississippi Moon Dog 143 Rwake - Crooked Rivers 144 CARL PERKINS & PAUL SIMON - A Mile Out Of Memphis 145 Eddie Floyd - Knock On Wood 146 Al Green - Talk to me 147 Mush - Eat the Etiquette 148 PJ Harvey - Memphis 149 EX-CULT  - Clinical Study 150 Isaac Hayes  - Mans Temptation 151 Lil’ Jon & Eastside Boyz - Rep Yo City 152 Rufus Wainwright - Memphis Skyline 153 Stray Cats - 18 Miles to Memphis 154 Amasa Hines - Earth and Sky 155 Joe Henderson -  Back Road 156 Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash - Memphis Woman 157 Norma Jean - Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste 158 Fess Parker - Ballad of Davy Crockett 159 Assjack -  Redneck Ride 160 Brother Andy & His Big Damn Mouth - Social Lube 161 The Replacements - Alex Chilton 162 Ann Peebles - The handwriting is on the wall 163 The Highwaymen -  Big River 164 The Cult - Memphis Hip Shake 165 STEVE EARLE -  Hillbilly Highway 166 The BO-KEYS featuring OTIS CLAY -Got To Get Back 167 Rush - Tom Sawyer 168 Class Of '55: Memphis Rock & Roll Homecoming - Birth Of Rock And Roll 169 Hank Williams Jr - Memphis Belle 170 Sam Moore & Dave Prater - Soul Man 171 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Bloc Bloc Bloc 172 Kenny Rogers & The First Edition  - Just Dropped In 173 Linda Heck - pictures of dead people 174 Carla Thomas - Sugar 175 Three Mafia 6 - Mystic Stylez 176 Osborne Brothers- Rocky Top 177 The Beverly Hillbillies Theme Song 178 Wilson Pickett - Barefootin' 179 Dolly Parton - Jolene 180 Charlie Daniels - long haired country boy 181 The Civil Wars - From This Valley 182 Jill Jack - Gettin' On In Memphis (The Elvis Song) 183 Huckleberry Finn and His Friends - Opening title 184 Dead Cross -  Skin of a Redneck 185 Johnny Cash - I Never Picked Cotton 186 Old Crow Medicine Show -  Wagon Wheel 187 Isaac Hayes  - That love feeling 188 Aretha Franklin - I say a little prayer 189 Little Milton - What Do You Do When You Love Somebody 190 Howlin' Wolf - Spoonful 191 Weird Al" Yankovic - Money For Nothing / Beverly Hillbillies 192 The Oblivians - I'll Be Gone 193 OT Sykes - Stone crush on you 194 The Mad Lads  - Come closer to me 195 The Box Tops - Choo Choo train 196 Bobby Blue Bland - dreamer 197 Wanda Jackson - Rip It Up 198 Junior Parker - Love Ain't Nothin' but a Business Goin' On 199 The Nightingales ft. Tommy Tate - Just a Little Overcome 200  The Louvin Brothers - Satan is real 201 Overture "Big River" - (1985 Original Broadway Cast) 202 Ike & Tina Turner - Shake 203 Playa Fly - fly shit 204 Adia Victoria - Different Kind Of Love 205 Grateful Dead - Tennessee Jed 206 Red Hot Chili Peppers - Backwoods 207 Otis Redding - Tennessee Waltz 208 Nashville Pussy - The Late Great USA 209 The Paperhead - The true poet 210 Tomahawk - South Paw 211 Night Beats - Her Cold Cold Heart 212 Forest of Tygers - human monster 213 LOSS - All Grows on Tears 214 Charlie McCoy - Wayfaring Stranger 215 Dick Stusso - Modern Music 216 Eddie Noack - Aint the Reaping Ever Done 217 Jason & the Scorchers - Greetings From Nashville   218 Jasmin Kaset and Quichenight - A Single Right Word 219  Gospel Keynotes - Give Me My Flowers 220   WEEN - Scrape the Mucus off My Brain 221 Shannon Shaw - Broke My Own 222 The Jesus Lizard - Blue Shot 223 Eddy Arnold    - Tennessee Stud 224 Clutch - Pure Rock Fury 225 Today Is The Day -  Who Is The Black Angel? 226 Hank Williams Jnr - Tennessee River 227 The Dead Weather -  Bone House 228  Every Mother's Nightmare - Long Haired Country Boy 229 Motley Crue - She goes down 230 Waylon Jennings - Tennessee 231 Dolly Parton - Down On Music Row 232 Jello Biafra & Mojo Nixon - Lets Go Burn Ole Nashville Down 233 The Byrds - Nashville West 234 Sharon Van Etten - Every Time the Sun Comes Up 235 Bill Anderson ~ More Than A Bedroom Thing 236 Dottie West - Route 65 To Nashville 237 Intruder - The Martyr 238 Johnny Cash - Smiling Bill McCall 239 Lynard Skynyrd - Workin For MCA 240 The Everly Brothers  - Nashville Blues 241 Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood - Elusive Dreams 242 Nashville Bluegrass Band - Im Gonna Love You 243 Ringo Starr - No-No Song 244 Hank Williams - Hey, Good Lookin' 245 The Lovin Spoonful - Nashville Cats 246 They Might Be Giants - James K. Polk 247 Commander Cody  -  Back To Tennessee 248 Wanda Jackson - Shakin' All Over 249 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Grand Ole Opry Song 250 Tomahawk - Flashback 251 Megadeth -  Dystopia 252 Dolly Parton -  Train, Train 253 The Clovers - One Mint Julep 254 Trampled By Turtles - Whiskey 255 Tom T. Hall - Nashville is a Groovy Little Town 256 Muddy Waters - I am the blues 257 Foo Fighters - Congregation 258 Pavement - Strings Of Nashville 259 Joe Ely - Tennessees Not The State Im In 260 Waylon Jennings - Nashville Bum 261 The Charmels - As Long As I Got You 262 Eve Maret - Do my thing 263 SABATON - 82nd All the Way 264 Halfway To Hazard - Welcome To Nashville 265 Nashville Pussy - Go Motherfucker Go 266 Indigo Girls - Nashville 267 Snarls - Walk In The Woods 268 Steeler - Cold Day in Hell 269 Strummin' With The Devil  - Jamies Cryin' 270 spazz gummo love theme 271 The Cramps - Cornfed Dames 272 Saxon -  Solid Ball Of Rock 273 Al Green - Tired of Being Alone 274 Soul Friction - It's Out Of My Hands 275 Today Is the Day - Wheelin' 276 Jackie Lynn - Odessa 277 The Jesus Lizard - Nub 278 Bully - Where To Start 279 Sonny Boy Williamson II - Lonesome Cabin 280 Tomahawk - God hates a coward 281 The Louvin Brothers - Knoxville Girl 282 Tom Waits - Jitterbug Boys 283 The Evil Dead Soundtrack  - Bridge Out 284 Wanda Jackson - Thunder On The Mountain 285 Elvis Presley - Where Do I Go From Here 286 Booker T & the MGs - Back Home 287 Ezra Furman & the Harpoons - American Highway 288 Joe Ely - dream camera 289 Assjack - Tennessee Driver 290 Nashville Pussy  - We Want A War 291 Dwight Yoakam - A Thousand Miles From Nowhere 292 Hank Williams, Jr. - Knoxville Courthouse Blues 293 ZZ Top - My Head's in Mississippi 294 Nitty Gritty Dirt Band -  Honky Tonkin' 295 Dead Weather - Die by the Drop 296 The Black Belles - What can I do 297 Dolly Parton  - Cowgirl And The Dandy 298 The Secret Sisters  - I've Got a Feeling 299 Justin Townes Earle - Aint Got No Money 300 Tomahawk - M.E.A.T 301 Jex Thoth - The Places You Walk 302 Bill Carter - Road To Nowhere 303 Bill Dees (Roy Orbison back vocals) - Tennesse Owns My Soul 304 Karen Elson  - The Ghost Who Walks 305 The Who - Whiskey Man 306 Hank Williams III - Crazed Country Rebel 307 The Lost Sounds - I Get Nervous 308 Big Star - September Gurls 309 ZZ Top - Whiskey n Mama 310 Johnny Cash - God's Gonna Cut You Down 666 Isaac Hayes - Hyperbolicsyllablecsesquedalymistic

Hit play: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1_X9nesbW37-9FNLiJWOQ1f

[gustafsnightangel]

A Softer Side Part 3

“Why not?” Karl snapped.

“The transactions happen same day as the snatch, but it closes at 11:59pm the night of his wife’s death.” He pointed to the screen. “I think the delivery of the girl would happen after the money is in the bank.”

“Good point.”

“I’ll be on the lookout for both.” Wainwright said.

“Under any circumstances do not engage. We need it on record to nail him later when we take him down in court.” Strand added.

“Providing he lives to see court.” Steve mumbled.

“Death is too quick for this asshole.” Karl growled. “He deserves so much more.”

“Not you I’m concerned about boss. Once you nab him, the syndicate he supplies is going to declare open season in his ass.”

“Here’s hoping they do something stupid like that so we can weed them out too.” The itch between his blades told him he was so fucking close to finding her and he had a gut feeling she was in that house. “While he’s out snatching the baby, Jerry and I will be searching his house.”

“You think his girl is in there?” Steve asked.

“Counting on it. I’m certain she knows everything about the operation and can help bring it down.”

“Two words boss, Stockholm Syndrome.” Jerry said gently.

“I know, but I have to hold onto something.” Karl breathed. “Get him up to speed, I’ll be in my office making some calls. Meet in here for lunch and we can go over the op before the team gets here tonight.” He left them to it and walked to his office.

******

With his team assembled, the op in place, duties assigned, they all sat in the conference room and ate dinner, the tacos from the joint around the corner keeping the team in good spirits. Strand stood near the board, studying the information, tuned into listening to the team blow off the apprehension. They were all itching to get going.

“Boss, I’m heading out to tail our boy. He hasn’t moved or anything but I want to be there when he surfaces.” Steve said quietly.

“Let us know when he’s out of the house.” He looked at his watch. “We should get going too, we’ll park around the block until he’s out, just like we planned.” The team quietened at their conversation knowing orders were about to be given. “Let’s go to work.” He said gruffly.

“Good hunting boss.” Wainwright pulled his coat on and fished the keys out of his pocket.

“Same goes. Don’t lose him.”

“I’m part bloodhound.” He grinned and Karl couldn’t help the chuckle.

******

“Lights are on in the house boss.” Wainwright reported as team Hunt and team Strand parked a few blocks away. The waiting game was the worst, especially when you knew lives would be irreparably damaged in the process.

“What do you think we’ll find?” Jerry asked as he continued his searches, refining details, tugging every thread for answers that would give them the upper hand tonight.

“I would hazard a guess the main house will have a basement with his girl stashed away. The shed and storm shelter will have a staging ground maybe, or houses the girls ready to be transported after they’re sold.” He said flatly. “We could find everything or nothing.” He added.

“I think we’ll find something, the account username and portrait was too much of a coincidence.”

“But it’s still a coincidence until we prove otherwise.” Strand growled.

“We will.”

“So confident.” Karl joked.

“Gut feeling.” Jerry shot back. The smirk making Strand chuckle. The kid was growing some balls when he talked with him, good, he loathed people that were sniveling pussies.

“He’s on the move, stand by.” Steve’s voice crackled over the radio. They collectively held their breath as they waited for Donovan to leave. “All clear, in pursuit.”

“Let’s go.” Strand commanded.

“Wait up.” Jerry said carefully. “He has perimeter alarms. Look.” He turned the laptop around to show the invisible lasers. “The camera I installed on the fence filters laser light. Naked eye can’t see them but we can with this.”

“Can you disable?”

“That would require hacking.” Hunt said cautiously.

“Do it.” Strand was blurring the lines and knew he had to in this instance.

“On it.” He watched Jerry focus and his fingers fly across the keyboard. “I think we’re going to have similar issues inside. It’s like Fort Knox.”

“Just get me in there Hunt.” Strand growled, his inpatients getting the better of him as he ground his teeth.

“You’re clear in the yard, the house is taking a bit and the shed is on a separate system.” He said still working furiously to get them into the house.

“House first.” Karl knew the girl was in there, had to be with this level of security.

“You’re clear.” Jerry said abruptly and continued to work without even glancing up at the team.

“We’re going in. Clear the security on the shed, then take the team and check it out.” Karl instructed Jerry. “Let me know when you’re going in.”

“On it.” Hunt said as team Strand exited the van.

Strand stood at the perimeter of the property. “You still got eyes Wainwright?”

“Still en route.”

“Copy.” With two of his team stationed at either exit, the other two at his back Karl picked the lock and cracked the door, eerie silence greeted him.

The two at his back cleared the upstairs bedrooms, while Strand cleared the main level and took pictures on his phone of the portrait and other areas of interest. The place was neat freak clean, not a speck of dust or lint to be found, even the tin food in the pantry was lined up ruler straight from what he could see through the frosted glass panels. “Touch nothing.” He whispered. “Move nothing.”He secured the same tiny cameras they’d used on the fence outside strategically around the house, hoping it would give him a birds-eye view of the girl at some point after tonight if he didn’t find her downstairs.

“Security cleared for the shed.” Jerry said quietly.

“Copy.” Was Strands only reply. He pointed to one of the team and indicated to stay at the top of the basement stairs, the other to follow him down and stay at the base of the stairs in case any hostiles were guarding the girl.

It was a typical basement, he surmised once he clicked his flashlight on and searched the illuminated sections. Water heater, furnace, but no nick nacks, no discarded clothes or files, no boxes, no girl. “Too neat.” He breathed and scanned the walls systematically for imperfections. “I know you’re here sweet girl.” He whispered to himself. “Talk to me.” He ran his fingers over the concrete walls internally begging for it to jump out at him, an opening, a latch, anything, he couldn’t be wrong about this. His feet scuffed over some fine dusty type concrete powder and as he looked down saw a faint line beneath it. He took a photo before brushing the dust away to reveal a concrete trapdoor. “Fuck me!” He breathed and grinned like a kid at Christmas. “Davis, come into the basement.” He murmured through the coms to the guy on the base of the stairs. Strand pointed to the floor.

“How does he open it?” Davis asked and got on his knees with Karl to wipe away more of the dust revealing the entire opening. “Crowbar or tire iron.” He said answering his own question as his finger ran over scrape marks and an indent chipped from frequent use.

Strand stood and wandered over to the furnace and water heater, the only alcove in the room. Eyes searched, fingers darted into crevices until they hit iron. Bringing the tire iron back over they worked to lift the slab of concrete out, a steep opening into what looked like a large room greeted them, so did silence.

“We found a sub basement. Going in.”

“Were into the shed. Those keypads were a bitch.” Jerry replied.

“Stay here Davis.”

“Copy that boss.”

******

Strand dropped down into the sub basement room, the ladder more cumbersome for someone of his build, pitch black greeted him. There were no windows, no lights, nothing but a silence that clanged in his mind so loudly he flinched. Maybe he’d been wrong all along. Davis handed him his flashlight and he let the beam wander the ceiling and walls, there was a toilet in one corner and he figured the room was at least twenty feet square. The beam of light stopped in its tracks as the keening whimper echoed in the room. His heart lurched into his throat, could it be her?

“I’m not here to hurt you.” He said softly. “I’m here to help.” Flashlight searching.

Nothing prepared him for the image his light revealed. Huddled into the far corner was a naked form, manacles on her wrists and ankles, chained to the wall, to the floor. Her hand reached up gingerly, trying to cover her eyes, the light painfully bright for her. How long had she been down here he wondered?

“I’ve found her.” He said, his voice raspy with emotion at what he was seeing and the fact he’d finally laid eyes on her.

He set the flashlight on its end so the beam hit the ceiling dispersing the light and dimming it for her eyes. Crouching where he stood he watched her carefully, the full width of the room between them, and let her get used to the light and his presence, this would be slow going.

“This is a staging area boss.” Hunts voice crackled through the coms. “No girls here, but he was preparing for them, all freshly stocked and ready for three teen girls.”

“Document, install the cameras, take photos, everything, then get out and lock it up. Touch nothing, move nothing. This guys a neat freak and will know something off.”

“Copy boss. How you getting the girl out?”

“Working on it.” Was all Karl murmured, his eyes never leaving the malnourished woman in front of him. She wasn’t a girl, far beyond prime merch age, but she knew too much so he’d stashed her down here to keep his own empire safe. Karl seethed. He was resigned to the fact they may not have time to extract her tonight without alerting Arthur and it fucking burned him. The manacles were going to be a problem.

“Can you tell me your name sweet girl?” He asked gently, she didn’t respond, just stared at him with wide terrified eyes, waiting, waiting for the abuse to start. “He didn’t give you one did he?” Karl stripped off his heavy coat as she shivered violently, probably more out of fear than cold, even though it was freezing down here. Moving toward her slowly he draped his coat over her and moved back as she pressed herself into the wall trying to get away from his approach, his touch.

“Suspect has arrived at the snatch point. Surveilling and recording now.” Wainwright’s voice mixed with static confirmed.

“Copy.” Karl moved to sit against the wall roughly an arms length from her, her cowering form shrinking further and further into the wall. He couldn’t force this, she had to come to him, to want him to help her. “We’re following him, documenting the snatch. We have all his online transactions.” He said softly as he looked over at her. He saw she was listening to him, that was a start. “You know, I’ve been looking for you for about twenty years sweet girl.” He murmured. “I was handed your case fresh out of the academy, cold even then by fifteen years.” He fiddled with his phone and set it to record her, hating the thought of this being on file but needed to be. “I had superiors tell me it was a lost cause, that you were either already sold or dead. But I knew, I had this gut feeling and knew, you were still alive, knew I’d find you with him. You’re his first snatch, he kept you for himself.” He looked over at her as she moved, the chains clinking against the concrete, the weight forcing her limbs to remain stationary. “And he’s discarded you because you’re now older than his wife was when she died.” The thought just coming to him. “You’ve been down here for years haven’t you.” It wasn’t a question, he saw the evidence in her body, her lack of food causing severe malnutrition, the muscle atrophy, he’d barely kept her alive. “Davis can you send down a bottle of water from the van? Don’t use anything in the house.” Drugged probably, to keep her quiet, and Arthur would know they were here of anything was touched.

They sat in silence until he saw a bottle of water appear at the trapdoor opening. He collected it and gave Davis some instructions to collect the ration pack in the van, he’d leave her something in case they couldn’t get her out tonight. Sitting back down he cracked the seal and took a drink, mainly to show her it wasn’t drugged or poisoned. Holding it out for her, her eyes darted from it to him, back to the bottle. “It’s just water sweet girl, I promise. I’m not here to hurt you.” She could barely move her arms the chains were so heavy, the sharp clink as the links moved against the concrete. Strand shifted closer to her, slowly getting to a point where he could help get the water to her mouth. He didn’t force her, just held it near her lips, the choice to drink completely hers.

It was a huge success when she took a few tentative sips, her fingers wrapping around the plastic to pull it from his grip, the possessive nature of the movement enough to tell him she’d had to ration out her food and water to make it last.

“I have more water.” He said softly. “I’ll get you a few more ok?” She stared at him with fearful eyes.

“He’s making the snatch.” Wainwright reported.

“Copy.” He was running out of time, and he’d have to leave her here. Davis came back with the ration backpack from the van and a few bottles of water. He sat next to her and unwrapped a granola bar and took a bite before handing it to her, those sorrow filled eyes never leaving him. “They’re not much but it’ll keep you going until I can take you out for a nice juicy burger, or tacos, and maybe a milkshake.” He said gently with a smile as she nibbled on the bar. Trust, this was all about trust and he hoped she wouldn’t hate him for having to leave her here and come back for her.

“He has the kid, traveling to drop off site. Start packing it up you guys. You have about thirty minutes to get you asses out.” Steve said sternly.

Karl saw her flinch at the news, the ear piece not exactly quiet. Silent tears streaked her cheeks, she knew, she knew what it meant for the child, what it meant for the teen, what it meant for her. To his surprise she buried her face into his arm and wept, fingers clawing at him, the grief overwhelming her, a plea for him to stop it.

“Boss you need to get out of there.” Jerry said as his team locked up the shed and storm shelter.

“Working on it.” He ground out. This was where he’d planned to tell her he was leaving and would be back for her, but he couldn’t, he just couldn’t do it. “I’ll be right back ok, give me a moment to talk with my team.” He had to pry her fingers from him, the separation almost as unbearable for him as it was for her.

“He’s made the drop. Teen is in the car with him. I repeat, the teen is in the vehicle.” Steve growled.

“Ok listen up and don’t argue.” He snapped over the coms unit. “I’m staying. Everyone out, back to the van.”

“All due respect boss, but the fuck you are.” Jerry spat.

“I can’t leave her Jerry. We have rations and water, you guys need to work the case and the moment the exchange for the teen is completed as in he hands her, over you fucking arrest his ass.”

“What if he comes down there?”

“Then he comes down here and we revert to plan B.”

“We don’t have a plan B.”

“We do now.” Karl growled. Plan B would be putting a bullet in Arthur’s brain and he’d be more than happy to do so. “Lock me in Davis, you saw where I got the tire iron from, make sure it goes back the exact same way. Sweep the dust over the trapdoor and get out. Don’t touch anything.”

“You sure boss?”

“I’m sure, she’s more important.”

Davis handed him his weapon and a few clips for good measure. “If they come for her you’re gonna need it.” Strand nodded and watched as the trapdoor was lowered into position and all the freedom sucked out of room.

******

“Get out of there.” Steve said a little concerned. “We’re about five miles from the house.” Strand grabbed the flashlight and secured his weapons beside him as he sat against the wall next to his Jane Doe.

“House is clear. Engage security.” Davis said, Karl could tell he wasn’t happy about leaving him under the house. Not his fucking call. He wasn’t losing her again.

“Security engaged and we have visuals on all cameras positioned. Heading around the block now.” Jerry’s voice was equally irritated, not his call either.

Wainwright drove past the house just as Donovan pulled into the drive, the vehicle rolling past his usual parking spot to pull up at the rear of the house.

“Yeah, we still see you, you fucker.” Jerry muttered as Arthur got out of the car and hauled a stunning teen out of the back seat, she’d been forced to lay down so not to be seen, drugged no doubt.

Jerry gave Strand the blow by blow account of Arthur settling the girl in, only stopping when Donovan explained in explicit detail what was going to happen to her and the way she would be used.

“Tell me you got that recorded?” Strand asked quietly as he could hear Donovan over the open channel.

“I did.”

“Good.” The team could be angry at him for staying, but they’d do the job regardless.

“12:01 and the auction has just opened up. Grabbing all her details and photo, also collecting every sick fucker that bids.” Jerry was riding on hatred now and Strand had to reel him in.

“Hunt!” He snapped. “Park the fury. We’re all fucking angry with this one, but shelve it. Methodical, collect the evidence against Arthur, then we nail the others.” He verbally whipped the boy.

“Understood sir.” Jerry contained his retort. “She’s a fucking virgin Karl.” He added.

“I know.” He breathed, settling himself down. “I know. We’ll get him, and once we have him, we get the rest of them.” He sighed out.

“He’s leaving the shed and coming into the house.” Jerry reported. “Nothing to indicate he knows we were in there.”

“Good, that’s what we want. Wainwright, take a partner and go sit on the drop off for the child that was snatched, start digging. Also, have dispatch divert the call from the parents of that child to us so we can bring them in and keep it locked down.”

“Wait, he’s going out again.” Jerry interrupted.

“Tail him Steven, then hit the drop off house. I’d say he’s going to a favorite hooker or to sample the non premium merchandise. No way he’s paying for it.”

“You want us to come get you guys out?” Davis asked.

“No, too risky for now. Work the case. I have my own work to do.” He looked at the frail woman beside him, those eyes wide with a mixture of fear and hope, hope that he’d get them both out of here, fear that he wouldn’t.

******

While Donovan had settled into an early morning of sexual frivolity, Karl breathed out a heavy sigh and rested his head against the concrete, glaring at the ceiling as if it would tell him some unknown secret. He was brought out of his thoughts by Jane pressing the open water bottle against his arm gently. Sweet girl, he thought, so much kindness in you after all you’ve been through. “We have plenty.” He smiled down at her. “You drink that one ok? I’ll take the next one.” He watched her take a sip and then hand it back to him. This time he accepted it with a smile and saw a wary smile in return, progress he thought.

“Can I see them?” He asked pointing at the bindings around her wrists. She curled into herself and shrank away from him. “I’m not here to hurt you sweet girl, I just want to help, maybe I can figure out a way to remove them.” She thought over his offer, could see her squash the fear and bury it as deep down as she could, her inner strength nothing short of miraculous. She had no reason to trust him, none, with the exception of he’d smiled at her, and given her water and a granola bar. He was a male and he could only guess at what that was doing to her psyche. This tall man, sitting beside her, locked in a concrete cage together, her chained to a wall, naked.

Still huddled against the concrete she moved until her fingers were almost touching him, the weight of the chains and manacles making her movements difficult. He saw the wince of pain as the steel scrapped against already chaffed skin beneath the metal. How long had she had them on, he wondered? Slowly shuffling closer he took the weight of the steel in his hand and tried not to touch her, that seemed to make her uncomfortable, even the thought of it had made her flinch. “Can you rest it on my knee?” He asked and he tenderly placed the steel where he wanted it so he could use both hands, electronic locks. Using his phone he snapped a few photos and sent them to Jerry with a brief outline of what he was dealing with. “I have a friend, Jerry.” He explained to her and tapped his ear piece. “Good kid, a wiz with electronics. Maybe he can figure out how we get you out of them.” Soft sea green eyes looked up at him, mesmerizing, soulful. “I’m not leaving here without you ok.” He told her bluntly, even if he had to kill every one of them on his way out.

She nodded and pulled her hand back, huddling away from him again, the closeness, both verbally and physically, becoming too intimate for her to handle.

To save the batteries in the flashlight he flicked it off, the soft whimpered cry had him flicking it back on and studying her, fear rippled across her body. “I’m right here sweet girl ok? I need to save the batteries.” He flicked the light off again. “I’m right here ok, I’m not going anywhere without you.” His heart ached at the keening sound of a wounded child coming from her, it sliced him deeply. The sound lessened as she probably drifted to sleep, the absolute darkness calling for him to sleep too. “Guys I’m going to keep the coms on, but get some shut eye. Wake me when he’s on his way home, I want to be awake when he’s in the house.”

“Copy.” Came Jerry’s voice, much calmer now they’d had some time to shove the rage away.

He drifted, his brain not fully succumbing to sleep as it knew he was still on duty. During his semi slumber he heard her shift, curling up against his arm, clutching him as if he’d evaporate. She shivered from the cold, the fear that still coursed through her. Slowly and carefully he moved his arm to wrap around her, drawing her to his side and getting her naked form away from the cold concrete as much as he could. Feeling her flinch and then tense he half expected her to pull away, but she didn’t. Once she realized he wasn’t going to rape her, hurt her, she held onto him tightly. “Get some sleep sweet girl, I’ll keep you safe from him, he’ll never touch you again.”

******

They both crashed out, exhaustion claiming them hard until Jerry’s voice snapped Karl awake in an instant. “He’s heading your way boss.”

“Copy. Let me know if and when he’s headed to the basement.”

“Will do.”

Strand could feel she’d shifted more in the night, climbed into his lap and curled up against his chest, her head tucked under his chin. He flicked the flashlight on low to give off enough glow to study her. Pulling the coat up and over her shoulders he tucked her in a bit more before ensuring his weapon was close at hand and flicking the light off again. “Sit rep.” He growled softly.

“It’s about one in the afternoon and we’ve got a shit load of data flowing in. I have financials, top layer only so I don’t spook him, which I’m tracing back to our boy and a few other people I’d like to chat with later. The auction is up to 3.6 million and change for the teen in the shed, and Meekland is on the warpath, specifically for your ass. Just a heads up.” He finished in that cheery sarcastic tone that would land the kid in hot water with a woman one day.

“Good to know. Wainwright?”

“He’s staking out the drop off for the infant last night, seeing if he can get some cameras in there.”

“Plan is still the same for the transaction for the teen, soon as he hands her over and the money’s in the bank we nail these assholes.”

“Copy that boss. I’m still working on the restraints.”

“Copy that.”

She shifted in his lap, his arms instinctively wrapping around her to keep her safe and he felt her tense. “Easy now, you’re ok sweet girl.” He murmured, his voice gravelly, and felt her relax slightly, more progress. This was why he couldn’t leave her, this connection was critical to getting them both out of here alive.

The dark was oppressing, he thought as he held her. When was the last time she’d seen daylight, a sunset, another human being other than the monster that put her here? How was she still sane? Or a more valid question, was she as much of a monster as he was, conditioned to be what he’d moulded her into?

“He’s just pulled up and heading for the shed.”

“Copy.” Karl went on high alert as a thought crossed his mind. What if he came here after checking in the teen, what was his routine after a snatch? “Shit!” He swore and she flinched in his arms.

“You ok boss?”

“I didn’t think about his after snatch routine. Snatched the baby, went to blow off some steam with the hooker, comes back to check on the teen and the auction. When does he check on his girl in the basement? The woman in the basement that is his substitute wife? The woman that’s going to be blamed for dying, for killing their child, for leaving him?” Karl was so angry with himself for not making that connection sooner.

“Fuck!” Jerry swore. “He’s going to...”

“Yeah he is and I’m going to have to let him.” He ground out. “Sweet girl I need you to hop off real quick.” He said gently, willing the woman to move her ass so he could move their supplies out of sight, himself included. She looked up at him and gripped his shirt, pleading with him not to leave her. “I’ll be right here, but I need to get into a position where I can fight.” He said hastily, his tone gruff, and it made her scamper away like a wounded animal. Now, he felt like an asshole. Moving quickly he flicked the flashlight on low and relocated the supplies to the behind the pillar near the toilet, it would be perfect coverage for him to blend into the shadows if Arthur ventured down this way. He had a sick feeling she would cop the brunt of his grief and anger at his wife’s death, for not living, not allowing the child to live. Digging out his phone he set it to record.

“He’s on his way into the house.”

“Copy.” Crouching down beside her he pried her fingers from his coat. “I’m so sorry.” He choked, she’d never forgive him for this. The ground he’d made yesterday to get her to trust him would be irreparably shattered. He left her curled into the corner of the room, much like he’d found her only hours ago, and took up his position near the toilet. Flicking the flashlight off he plunged their world into a depressing darkness, her soft whimpers the only sound.

“Strand?” Meekland a voice came through the coms loud and clear.

“What?” He snapped.

“If you have the shot, take it, don’t put her through that.”

“Do you honestly think I would stand here, mere feet from her, and allow that asshole to rape her. Fuck you Sarah.” He spat and the line went oppressively silent. Strand seethed at her comment. As if he’d stand by and let that just happen as he watched, even he had lines he wouldn’t cross.

“He’s coming down to the basement boss.” Jerry’s voice was only a whisper.

“Copy.” He racked the chamber of the weapon, a bullet seemed far to easy for this guy, but it would be his end if he went to rape her.

The scrape of concrete against concrete as the trapdoor was slid open heightened his awareness. Setting his phone to record he readied himself to defend them both.

“Time for you to eat Lenore.” Arthur said cheerily as he climbed into the room. “You’ll want to clean yourself up ready for our celebration tonight. The little cherub was delivered this morning, the little teen queen beauty already fetching up to 4.1 million, a nice payday to retire on.”

The guy was delusional, Strand thought. Donovan crouched down in front of her. Don’t do it asshole, don’t make me give you the easy way out. He heard her whimper as Arthur groped her, fingers invading harshly. His smile turned nasty before standing again and collecting the bucket of water from the top of the stairs, unceremoniously dumping it on her. From the way she shivered violently, it was freezing cold.

“Scrub.” Arthur barked, tossing the soap at her.

On any other day, he would have killed Donovan six time over for that alone, but let it play out. There was much more at stake here. He watched her scrub furiously as bucket after bucket of cold water was thrown at her, over her. Placing a meager meal at her feet in the puddle of water he looked over her.

“Eat.” He growled and she sank to her knees and ate as best she could, limbs shaking from the cold, the weight of the manacles impeding her movement. “Tonight you will be punished twice over for that bitches crimes.” He sneered. “I’ll take what’s mine, what’s owed to me from the grave out of every inch of you body.” He snarled, his hands yanking her to her feet painfully by her hair and groping her some more.

Karl shuddered at what that meant. Not this time asshole, we’ll be long gone. He watched Arthur let her crumple to the floor, turn on his heel and climb out of the hatch. Strand held his breath as the trapdoor closed and the silent darkness enveloped them again.

“He’s in the kitchen boss.” Jerry’s shaken voice confirmed and he let out that breath slowly before replying.

“Copy.” He took a steadying breath and willed the adrenaline away, because now he had to mend the rift with this girl, if he could. Arthur’s visit might have shot that plan to shit, seeing as though he’d promised her he wouldn’t let that prick touch her again. He could hear her crying, the soft sobbing of a woman so destroyed, so brutalized, and he’d allowed it happen this time. “Let me know if he’s on his way down again.” His gut roiled, he felt like asshole he was.

“Will do, he’s heading out to the shed.”

“He’ll want to check the auction and torment the teen some more.” Strand spat.

“You ok boss?” Jerry said softly.

“No, Jerry I’m not. I let him touch her when I promised her I would protect her.” He sighed and switched off the camera, sending him the video to add to the file.

The soft glow of the flashlight reflected off the water on the floor, the slight slope to the far corner draining most of it away from her. How many times have you gone through that sweet girl to know where the high ground in the room is, he wondered?

“Hunt tell me you have a way to get her out of these fucking chains?” He snapped as he watched her try and move into a comfortable position out of the water, her teeth chattering violently.

“Nearly there.” Came the reply. “I’m finding his source code for them, trickier because I can’t hack into them, they’re airgapped.” Karl heard the frustration and backed off, scrubbing a hand over his scalp, the kid was busting ass on multiple tasks, none of them easy.

“Copy.” He sighed and grabbed his coat, the rations, and a bottle of water. Sitting on a dry patch of concrete he watched her watching him as he set the flashlight close, his weapon closer. “I’m so sorry.” He whispered. “I promised you and...” He stopped talking as she shuffled over timidly, her body shaking with cold, hair still dripping. “No.” He said shaking his head as she started to rest against the concrete. “Curl up in my lap like before, get warm sweet girl.” She looked at him, those sea green eyes would haunt him for the rest of his life. Gingerly she reached for him, uncertainty, terrified. It took nearly three hours before she climbed into his lap, her head resting on his chest under his chin. She shivered violently as he pulled the coat around her and tucked her in. “Sleep now, rest. You’re safe.” So trusting, he thought, so forgiving, which made him feel undeniably worse for leaving her to Arthur. Feeling the water from her hair start to seep into his shirt he gently pulled it out from between them and over the collar of the coat. “I’m going to save the batteries ok? I’m not leaving sweet girl.” He murmured and plunged them into darkness once more.

He felt her drift, her body go lax as he talked with his team, the sound of his voice probably soothing her enough to pull her under. Cradling her to him he felt something tug inside him, a soft yearning for a woman that saw through the snarling ass kicking facade that was Karl Strand, to a softer side of him. He had one, the girl in his arms was the first to pull it from deep within him.

“Hey boss?” Jerry yawned.

“What?” He growled, more through frustration of where his own thoughts had gone too than of being hailed over coms.

“Put your phone next to her cuffs, I need a way to hack in.” Karl did and could tell the rookie was tired and pushing hard.

“Through my phone?”

“You got any service in that concrete box?”

“Barely a half bar.”

“That’s enough.” Karl could hear the grin in the kids voice. “Our buddy has an alarm on these cuffs that will alert him if they’re ever unlocked. Don’t sweat it.” He said quickly. “I’m not unlocking, just... snooping.”

Strand fished out his phone and held it against the keypad of the manacle currently resting on his chest. Her tiny hand fisting in his shirt made him smile, to be wanted so completely by someone hit him squarely in the gut. And this isn’t healthy, he thought, you can’t go falling for this girl.

“Do you see any numbers ticking over on your phone like a slot machine?” Jerry asked.

“Yes.”

“Good. It’s searching for his source code. Each of the four locks has a different lock code but if I get the source code we can bypass and unlock all of them at the same time. Not right now of course.” Jerry said reassuringly. “Just snooping.”

“Snoop all you want Jerry.” He chuckled and lost his breath as those sea green eyes looked up at him. Shit, he thought, fucking shit I can’t get involved with you sweet girl. “Where is he?”

“Still in the shed with the teen.” He said disgustedly.

“What’s happening?”

“You don’t want to know.” Jerry muttered.

“I do or I wouldn’t have asked.” He growled.

“He’s showing her video of what’s going to happen to her, the really hard core shit.” Jerry went quiet for a moment. “Wainwright said to tell you that they have eyes on the kids in the drop house. Looks like an orphanage really, kids are well housed and looked after. There’s a wing for babies, young kids, and teens. No one older than 16, no boys.”

“Oh they’ll have them on a completely different syndicate.” Strand growled.

“Yeah, thought of that too so my computer is running some sniffing software. I can dive in later.”

“Websites?”

“A few, similar setup so I’m thinking same syndicate, different supplier. Donovan just does girls, I haven’t found anything to suggest boys on his merch list.” Jerry said wearily.

“That’s something I guess.”

“I guess.”

“Has he touched the teen?”

“Nope and I think that’s what got him frustrated earlier. These three are, or will be, the prime merchandise, virgins, innocent, clean, untouched. Higher profit margin. Speaking of profit margins, I’m almost into his financials. He’s got some hidden accounts I’m weeding out under the radar.”

“Good work Jerry.”

“We’re getting there boss. Davis is going to take over watch while I get some rack time. I need to be sharp tonight.”

“I’m going to do the same, because yes, we all need to be sharp tonight.” He looked at his phone to see the numbers has stopped scrolling. “You still need my phone near her cuffs?”

“Nope I got what I need. I’ll set the sniffer to do it’s thing while I’m napping.”

“Thank Jerry.” He said, sitting his phone by his weapon.

“Anytime boss.”

******

The glow of the phone screen lit the room enough for him to see her silhouette curled into him, her hand reach up to stroke his jaw, eyes always searching, calculating. He wasn’t prepared for her lips meeting his, the sudden jolt of excitement and fear to shoot through him. The way his body responded without his consent, his brain shorting out allowing him the luxury of kissing her back, deepening it before he came to his senses. Cupping her face in his hands gently he pulled her away from him.

“No.” He said softly. “That’s not what I want from you sweet girl.” He breathed, the raggedness of his voice shocking him. Watching her closely she shifted and dropped her hands to his belt buckle. “No.” He said again and took her hands in his pulling them back to rest at his chest, his cock more eager with her touch than his brain. “Sweet girl I don’t want that from you.” He said gently. Not unless it’s of your own free will, he added silently. “I just want to get you out of here, get you somewhere safe so you can be free.” He tucked the stray half dried wave of hair behind her ear and watched as she bowed her head, the tears falling silently. “Sweet girl don’t cry.” He said tenderly, his fingers brushing her cheeks softly. “If the circumstances were different I’d have no problem with letting you do whatever you wanted with me, but we can’t. Not here, not now.” Not ever he thought, because she’d never want to see him again after this. Pulling her close, he snuggled her into him, her soft sobs breaking his heart.

She was only doing what had been ingrained in her from birth, conditioned to pleasure, to give a man that had abused her all her life whatever she thought he needed, what he’d taught her.

“I won’t do what they did to you sweet girl. Force you against your will, take advantage of this situation, take advantage of you.” He held her tightly as she tried to press herself against him more. “You’re safe with me.” He whispered and felt his heart shatter at knowing he wouldn’t be able to keep that promise once they were out of this room. She would go her way, he would go his, even if a relationship was a possibility, he wasn’t good for her and deep down he knew that, he wasn’t relationship material. Her sobs eventually subsided into sniffles and then fell silent as she slept, safe for the moment and warm.

******

“Boss?” Hunts voice crackled in his ear.

“What is it Jerry?” Strand had dozed off too, the exhaustion pulling him under hard.

“It’s 11:45pm and the auction closes at 11:59pm. We’re all set ready for the transfer of funds and the hand over of the girl.”

“Good.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and stretched as much as he could, she was a waif, but heavy enough to put his ass to sleep. “Wait until the teen is in the buyers car and Donovan is clear.” He instructed. “I want to take him down in here when he comes for Jane Doe.” His growl was feral.

“We have the buyer takedown ready to rumble on your call.”

“I want both parties thinking they got away with a clean exchange before we pounce. None of this can be leaked to other buyers, we don’t want them changing habits on the website until we can bring them all down.” He thought about it a little. “Meekland?”

“What Strand?” She still sounded pissed from his outburst earlier.

“No deals for these assholes. They go away for life or I will hunt them down personally on my own time and put them away permanently, with a bullet. Are we clear?” He murmured coldly.

“Crystal.” She snapped. He’d backed her into a corner when he’d pulled in his own team, his off the record team. She should have known better than to give him free reign.

“Keep me in the loop.” He said sternly and let the coms fall silent again. Smiling into the darkness he laid a hand over hers to still the nervous fingers toying with his shirt buttons. “When I get word he’s left I need you to do as I ask you, when I ask you, ok sweet girl?” He wasn’t expecting a verbal answer but felt her head nod. “I’ll keep you safe.”

“The auction just closed and he’s on the phone with the buyer.”

“Copy.”

“Oh hello Mr. Nasty Piece of Shit!” Jerry growled. “Chinese mob. Oh this’ll be fun.” His sarcasm grating on Strand’s every nerve.

“Knock it off Jerry.” If Karl was there in person he would have cuffed the kid up the side of the head.

“7.6 mill just hit his account, handover at 1am. They’re negotiating the location.” The coms link went silent for a few minutes. “Sequoia National Forest, just outside of Lake Isabella.”

“Go.” Strand barked, and felt Jane Doe flinch at his tone.

“Going.” Hunt said as the team readied. “Davis is taking team B by air, they’ll get there first and secure the area.”

“Cast the net wide, tighten when Donovan is out.”

“Copy. He’s moving the girl. Son of a bitch dosed her.” Jerry said as the camera showed her bobbing and weaving as she walked.

“That’ll make things tricky, be careful.”

“Yeah. Ok he’s pulling out the drive, and he’s clear. I’ll call you when we’re close.”

“Copy.” Karl breathed.

******

The coms were silent for nearly forty minutes, Karl enjoying the last moments he’d have with her before all hell would break loose.

“Were in position, waiting for Donovan and the buyer.” Jerry said quietly.

“Copy.” He ran his fingers through her semi dried hair and held her close. “When the handover happens leave your com open, I want to hear it.”

“Copy that boss.”

“Team B in position.” Davis’s voice chimed in.

“Copy.” It was all falling together nicely, Strand thought, maybe a little too nicely.

“Donovan’s car just pulled up.” Jerry said. “It’s only 12:47.”

“The girl still out cold?”

“Looks like, no silhouette in the back seat, but heat signatures for two.”

“He’s done this before, she’ll come around just enough for the handover to walk but still groggy. No screams and no fight.” Strand chewed on his bottom lip, he hated sitting out a takedown.

@hausofobsession @ill-skillsgard @grandpa-sweaters @authentic90skidd @tuckersgirl @fairlyfallacy @flowers-in-your-hayr @raewritesfiction @stinkerbelle007 @kamie-b @mrsaugustwalker @skrsgardspam @loliwrites @trippedmetaldetector @lihikainanea @fay-walden

[tparadox]

The Survivors

[tabloidtoc]

OK, February 10

Cover: At Home With New Mom Cameron Diaz and the Story Behind the Name Raddix 

Page 1: Big Pic -- In Paris for Haute Couture Week Kaia Gerber closed Givenchy’s show in a wedding gown and matching veil 

Page 2: Contents 

Page 3: Contents 

Page 4: Happy and healthy and hard at work Demi Lovato is all set for her return to the spotlight 

Page 6: Varsity Blues Bombshells -- an explosive documentary about the college admissions scam sheds new light on the scandal that rocked Hollywood 

Page 8: Tarek El Moussa’s daughter Taylor is pushing him to propose to Heather Rae Young, Kate Hudson’s gearing up to spill her diet and workout secrets in a tell-all, amid reports that Fox is in preliminary talks for a revival of 24 Kiefer Sutherland will only do it for $60 million for one season 

Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet  -- Screen Actors Guild awards -- Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston, Lupita Nyong’o 

Page 11: Lili Reinhart, Michelle Williams 

Page 12: Who Wore It Better? Clemence Poesy vs. Thandie Newton 

Page 13: Gwyneth Paltrow vs. Jasmine Tookes 

Page 14: News in Photos -- Duchess Kate Middleton at Ely & Caerau Children’s Centre 

Page 15: Rami Malek and Lucy Boynton, as part of the Greenpeace Campaign Gustaf Skarsgard and Marion Cotillard trekked to Trinity Island

Page 16: SAG Awards -- Jane Lynch, Jamie Foxx and daughter Corinne, Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep

Page 17: The cast of Stranger Things -- Cara Buono and Finn Wolfhard and Noah Schnapp and Millie Bobby Brown and Priah Ferguson and Gaten Matarazzo, Helena Bonham Carter, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro 

Page 18: The stars of A Soldier’s Play -- Jerry O’Connell and David Alan Grier and Nnamdi Asomugha and Blair Underwood, Liv Tyler, Candace Cameron Bure shows off her latest children’s book on GMA 

Page 20: Brody Jenner at the opening of S Bar, Matthew McConaughey meets some of the child stars of Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles show Love, Jennie Garth

Page 21: Dolitte costars Harry Collett and Robert Downey Jr. autograph a vibrant statue

Page 22: Karolina Kurkova at Sean Penn’s annual Core gala, Channing Tatum amped up in the crowd at the Magic Mike Live premiere in Berlin, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda filled in as guest hosts on Ellen with their Grace and Frankie costars Sam Waterston and Martin Sheen as guests 

Page 24: Inside My Home -- Britney Spears’ stunning villa 

Page 26: Channing Tatum and Charlize Theron dating 

Page 27: Liam Hemsworth’s loves ones are happy to see him put the drama with ex-wife Miley Cyrus in the past but they’re equally concerned that his new romance with Gabriella Brooks is just a distraction for his heartache and he should just be single for a while but he’s not listening, Chris Pratt’s time-consuming new project The Tomorrow War has put a damper on his marriage to Katherine Schwarzenegger, after nine months of dating Florence Pugh and Zach Braff have decided to live together

Page 28: Hours after photos were published of Jesse Metcalfe cozying up to multiple women it was announced that he and his partner of 13 years Cara Santana had called it quits, it’s been two months since Justin Timberlake was caught holding hands with Alisha Wainwright but Jessica Biel is still reeling over his actions, Baby Boom -- Ashley Graham and Justin Ervin, DJ Khaled and Nicole Tuck, Christina Milian and Matt Pokora, Bar Refaeli and Adi Ezra 

Page 29: Now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have relinquished their royal duties Meghan is taking advantage of their newfound freedom by revamping Harry’s look so he looks the part of a Hollywood husband 

Page 30: Cover Story -- Cameron Diaz’s baby joy 

Page 34: Pink Comes Clean -- the pop star is opening up about fame, family and those early-aughts feuds 

Page 38: 10 most Epic Super Bowl Halftime Shows of all time

Page 42: Nicole Scherzinger’s body secrets -- she dishes on overcoming her insecurities and adopting a healthy approach to fitness 

Page 46: Style Week -- How Charlize Theron’s hairstylist Adir Abergel got the $15,500 Tiffany bracelet down the part of her hair for the SAG Awards 

Page 49: Color of the Year -- Classic Blue -- Jordana Brewster 

Page 50: Style -- Romantic ruffles and soft colors and feminine florals -- Sophie Turner 

Page 52: Game On -- Maria Menounos and Ciara 

Page 54: Entertainment 

Page 55: Q&A -- Jade Catta-Preta 

Page 58: Buzz -- Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston’s touchy reunion at the SAG Awards sent these celebs into a frenzy -- Brittany Cartwright, Rumer Willis, Ellie Kemper, Jerry O’Connell, Hilary Duff, Jamie Lynn Spears 

Page 60: Hollywood Heat Meter -- Kelly Ripa quit drinking around the time Ryan Seacrest became her cohost, Rihanna rebounding with A$AP Rocky and Drake, NeNe Leakes is quitting RHOA, Pamela Anderson and Jon Peters secretly wed in Malibu, Jamie Foxx’s parents divorced 25 years ago but they both live with him, Sound Bites -- Ken Jeong, Sarah Hyland, Emilia Clarke, Claire Danes 

Page 62: Aquarius -- Harry Styles 

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Joshua Jackson