Yellowstone: Wind in the Smoke

"They're following us," Susie said, glancing at the black car trailing them in the rearview mirror.

Dante, sensing the situation could turn interesting, pressed a button on his smartwatch. "Alright, let's get them off our trail. But first, let's head somewhere secluded."

He wanted to ensure it was just the one car tailing them. Once he confirmed this, Dante pulled a pistol hidden in his jacket and attached a silencer. Watching the vehicle follow them into a deserted alley, he turned to Susie and asked, "Do you have any issues with killing someone who isn't a professional assassin?"

"None. If they're out to harm us, we'll take them down," Susie replied, her eyes fixed on the car as its driver remained motionless.

Without further discussion, Dante and Susie exited their vehicle and began firing at the car.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bullets shattered the windshield effortlessly, piercing the bodies of the occupants inside. Once their magazines were emptied, Dante cautiously approached the car, scanning for any traps.

"Cover me. I'll check inside."

Susie stayed back, her weapon trained on the occupants, ready to act as Dante inspected the interior.

Though the silenced gunfire was still audible, it didn't draw attention from the surrounding area. Dante proceeded cautiously, peering inside the car.

"Who… who the hell are you?" the driver gasped, spitting blood as he locked eyes with Dante.

The man's expression was a mix of fear and confusion, as though he couldn't fathom the skill and efficiency with which Dante had taken them out.

"Why were you following us? Your friend here might not make it, but if you answer my question, I'll call an ambulance," Dante said, aiming his pistol at the driver.

"He's coming… to avenge us…"

"Who's coming?" Dante pressed, his tone sharp.

"He'll take your loved ones once he accepts the job…"

Before the man could say anything further, a barrage of bullets ended his life. Startled, Dante turned to see Susie lowering her weapon.

"Why bother listening to that nonsense?" she said as she reloaded her magazine.

"This was part of the investigation—"

"It was just gibberish. Clearly, he was a professional who wouldn't reveal his secrets."

Dante sighed, surveyed the mess, and called a cleanup crew to discreetly handle the aftermath.

Minutes later, a black van pulled up at the other end of the alley. A team of individuals in full-body suits emerged and began methodically cleaning the area.

As they worked, Dante reflected on what he had learned. For some reason, he felt this was more than just an assassination attempt.

Were they after him or Susie?

The answers would come only through direct contact with the Glass family's enemies. For now, though, it wasn't the right time for confrontation. He planned to observe the situation and gather more information.

Back at the truck, Susie was reloading ammunition when she asked, "Were those people bad?"

"Certainly. They were influenced by a powerful figure. The question is, were they here for my head or yours?" Dante replied, looking up and continuing, "Do you think I'd collapse over killing innocents? It happens all the time. In extreme cases, threats must be eliminated. Sometimes, collateral damage occurs during my missions. While I take responsibility for the affected, not everything is within my control."

His explanation made sense.

Susie understood that collateral damage was an inevitable part of their line of work. The ignorance most people lived in shielded them from the harsh realities of such a dangerous world.

"The job's done, but we didn't find anything. What do we do with the bodies?" one of the cleanup crew asked.

"Burn everything," Dante ordered, heading to the driver's seat of one of the support vehicles.

"Understood!"

With everything cleaned up, Dante canceled Susie's side mission, and they left the scene. Their next destination was to meet Susie's brother, who was training to become a champion.