Yellowstone: Wind in the Smoke

"Sir, everything is still in order."

"Any attacks reported?"

"None. The high order has honored the deal they made with the organization."

Dante rose from his chair after finishing the call and approached the cabinet, ready to inspect the weapons stored there.

As his fingers touched the edge of the cabinet, the two wooden doors opened silently and unnaturally inward, revealing a faint blue light that illuminated rows of neatly arranged weapons.

Without showing any emotion on his face, Dante's gaze focused on the black suit hanging on a mannequin, waiting to be worn.

His brother knew nothing about this safe house. It was more than just a hunting cabin—it was a refuge. There were many like it scattered across the country, some more sophisticated than others, but there was always one near wherever he typically stayed.

"If they want my life, the cost is something they won't be able to bear." Dante knew he would always have enemies—rabid dogs eager to dethrone the lion. That would happen even if he solidified his reputation as he was doing now.

In both his past life and now, there were always people who felt no fear.

Dante had built a reputation; everyone knew not to mess with the Sons of Anarchy. Yet, even more brutal organizations than the high order existed.

"The Chinese triads, the Russians, the Latin cartels, the Japanese…" Dante listed his potential enemies, who would undoubtedly be a major headache to deal with.

As he thought about them, his hand grabbed a modified pistol, and he realized he needed to strengthen his foothold in Montana.

He had his men, well-armed groups, but it wasn't enough.

With this in mind, and knowing there hadn't been much activity lately, he decided to make a call. "Donnie, we need to meet."

"For God's sake, do you know what time it is?" Donnie's groggy voice came through the call.

Dante smiled slightly and said, "It's not bad news. You should be glad."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right…"

The bonuses the Sons of Anarchy gave to the police officers on Donnie's payroll were very generous. Thanks to Dante, they had improved their lifestyles and were quite grateful to their unofficial boss.

Their tasks weren't overly complex; the most difficult was ensuring that trucks passed freely and preventing anyone from inspecting shipments leaving Montana.

Many officers protected the facilities being established in Montana, while others simply arrested the right people and handed over wanted individuals to the Sons of Anarchy.

The best part was that all the targets were criminals—no innocents. No one would miss them once they disappeared.

Donnie considered Dante far better than the Beck brothers, who were brutal when dealing with anyone interfering with their plans.

"What do you need?"

"We'll discuss it tomorrow. I'll send you the address. Be here after sunrise," Dante said, thinking about the best time to go fishing in the morning.

When the call ended, Dante reflected on all the improvements he could make to the local police under Donnie's leadership.

Looking around and seeing there was nothing else to do, he decided to sleep—at least for a few hours before dawn.

…

The next day, Dante woke early and went straight to the river to prepare his fishing gear for the morning.

Kayce's ranch was nestled in the mountains, near a dense forest. It was an ideal place, which explained its high price.

Since his brother had never listened to the favorable business proposals Dante had for him, he decided to give him this ranch, which was close to the family ranch. Kayce also had a job training the horses that Dante's people would use in areas inaccessible by truck.

Returning to the main issue, Dante wanted to improve the state of affairs in Montana and support his brother Jamie's political career.

To begin dominating the sectors most detrimental to his businesses, he started with the police.

If his family had built Montana, he would continue developing what they had neglected with great interest.

Starting with the police, the most powerful tool Dante currently had.

Seated by the river, dressed in a conservative cowboy outfit, he watched the sheriff's truck from Gallatin County, Montana, approach. It was Donnie, one of his men on the payroll.

"Dante, it's a surprise to hear you've returned," Donnie said as he approached, looking around to figure out who owned the ranch.

Dante gestured to a chair beside him and said, "My departure from the country was untimely, but now that I'm back, I want to discuss some things about your police department."

Straightening his posture and with a serious expression, Donnie asked, "What do you have in mind?"

"The officers need better equipment."