Yellowstone: Wind in the Smoke

Montana was a state controlled by its leaders, where rights and crimes were paid off with money. The powerful lived like gods, while those who weren't simply had to keep their heads down, and nothing bad would happen to them.

It's true that the powerful don't control everything, but they remain on a level higher than anyone else who dares to challenge them.

Dante knew this well, so after a long silence, he asked, "I heard you owe a large sum of money, right?"

"How did you know?!" Donnie was shocked. Who had Dante become in the last two years?

No one knew about his debt. He hadn't told a soul, yet the young man in front of him had somehow found out.

"That's not the issue. If you were smart, you wouldn't bury your head in the sand," Dante said with a cold smile. His calm demeanor completely shifted, revealing his true personality to someone who might soon be his cop.

"Yes, I owe money..."

Dante nodded silently and continued questioning: "I have three questions: How much do you owe, to whom, and why exactly do you owe that money?"

"Casino debt, the private loan is what's got me in trouble. My debt should be about 6,000 now." Donnie didn't know how Dante had found out, but he wasn't stupid enough not to understand that he was being bought.

Dante pulled out a stack of bills, not bothering to count them, and simply placed them on the table. He stood up and extended his hand: "This is ten thousand, enough to cover your debt. If you work for me above my father or anyone else, trust me, you'll have many more gifts like this for yourself and all the trustworthy cops under your command."

Donnie hesitated for a moment, then stood up and shook Dante's hand, not without pocketing the money first. "You can call me anytime, anywhere, and as long as it's within my jurisdiction, I'll help you."

"It seems we understand each other, Donnie." Dante smiled, pleased that the man seemed to grasp what he was referring to.

...

Ten minutes later, Dante and Rip were standing at the entrance of the police station. After sorting out the gun permit issue, they were about to head home.

Everything had been processed, and Donnie would take care of the next steps for social security, the driver's license, and the hunting permit, which would only take two or three days.

"Well, I still have a few things to take care of, so you can head back first," Dante said, glancing around.

Rip wanted to refuse, but he didn't have the patience to explore the whole town at Dante's slow pace, so he said, "I'll send someone to pick you up if I can't do it myself."

"I heard there's a midnight competition. I'd like to go check it out. If you're there, we'll run into each other, so don't send anyone." Dante appreciated the offer, but he had a few things to handle, so after saying goodbye, he wandered aimlessly through the town's streets.

From what he understood, Susie Glass would arrive in Montana in less than twenty-four hours. He had men ready to pick her up and bring her to him before she went astray.

He wasn't a fool. At least now, he appeared more confident but was far more cautious about who could be his enemies.

To put it bluntly, there was a hidden enemy who might be attacking his organization, so he had to think about who it could be.

"Are you sure you took out everyone who attacked me that night?" Dante was a bit uneasy. Few people knew where he was, but if someone was indeed seeking revenge, it would cause problems he didn't want.

Dante clung to his old thoughts, and the only way someone would be seeking revenge was if there were family members wanting to settle a blood debt.

It wasn't unusual for gangsters to have family members everywhere—even in zoos. Everyone was a cousin, married to someone's brother.

Both Mexican gangs and regular gangsters had extensive families, which could cause problems. If they were smart, they wouldn't attack him, but in this business, there were no smart people.

Dante sat outside a restaurant and ordered the best dish on the menu with some appetizers.

As he enjoyed the view, William appeared and sat down, holding a physical folder with information.

"Is that for me?" Dante casually looked at William, who was familiar with his boss's behavior.

"Yes, it's the list of people investigating Ghost and the wolves."

Dante took the folder, and without reading it, asked, "Anything that benefits us?"

"One of the prosecutors is an old acquaintance of Ghost. They went to high school together, and there are rumors that they were even in a relationship. She's also been seen with Ghost on one occasion."

"Is she investigating him because she knows who he is, or do they have no idea?" Dante was thrilled by the incredible story he had just uncovered.

"I think neither of them knows who the other really is, so this information could be useful to whichever side wants it." William left it hanging, knowing that Dante could either provide this information to the prosecutor's office and gain strong allies within the judiciary or help Ghost and secure a powerful ally in the criminal world.

It's true there was a moral code among criminals that said you don't sell each other out, but Dante wasn't part of that group, so he would patiently wait to see which move would benefit him the most.

Also, they still hadn't found out who attacked him, but they had a rough idea of who it might be.