Yellowstone: Wind in the Smoke

"What's happening?" Vito Corleone, leader of the Corleone family, listened to the distant explosions and gunfire, while the radio was filled with messages of people dying.

His butler, Luke, pale-faced, muttered, "The message I sent to the High Order has gone unanswered. They won't intervene for what happens to the Corleone family."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Vito took another swig of tequila and murmured, "It's that damned American's fault. He promised me he could take down the leader of the Sons of Anarchy, and look where we are now."

"Sir, from the very beginning, everyone warned you there was no reason to attack the Sons of Anarchy. If they were thriving in the arms trade, their success would be fleeting with their other ventures."

The truth was, the Corleone family had no reason to feel threatened by the Sons of Anarchy. But the sheer power they wielded made Vito believe they would eventually come after him.

What greater fear does a man face than the one born of his own thoughts?

Dante had entered his mind, making him doubt even his intention to kill him.

The Sons of Anarchy's behavior took a drastic turn when they partnered with Felipe Lobos' cartel. After Viggo's death, it was certain they would seize control of operations in New York.

Having a rival with such exponential growth in business was a headache, so Vito sought a way to eliminate Dante.

But the problem was, he didn't know him. He only knew the man was nicknamed Dan and lived in New York.

Vito found it impossible to track Dante until he linked his identity to Susie Glass, the princess of the Glass family and a prominent socialite closely tied to the Sons of Anarchy.

From then on, it was a waiting game to see when she would return to New York. Unexpectedly, Dante traveled to London to attend Jack Glass's fight.

Vito learned this thanks to Stanley Johnston, a controllable man who had long sought to eliminate the Glass family's businesses.

Through their connections, Vito issued a fake assassination order using the High Order's power to kill Dante. To ensure success, he hired Caine, one of the most efficient assassins.

What Vito didn't foresee was how difficult it would be to kill Dante. Now, with the High Order possibly replacing him with the Sons of Anarchy, they had sold him out directly to his enemy.

"Those High Order dogs! How could they side with Dan?" Vito's voice was hoarse from shouting.

"I don't know…"

At that moment, the mansion's walls shook with violent explosions, causing everyone to hit the floor.

"Damn it…"

Gunfire, explosions, and screams of pain drained the color from Vito's face. He knew exactly what was happening. Quickly, he and the others in the room prepared to retaliate.

However, just as Vito grabbed his pistol, a group of hooded men stormed in, shooting anyone holding a weapon.

"Damn it!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Aaaahhhh!"

Clang!

"Alright, I surrender! Please, don't hurt me anymore." Vito raised his hands in terror, realizing how effortlessly these men had breached his mansion, guarded by more than forty security personnel.

"Is this the target?" One man pointed a flashlight at Vito's head.

Eddie, looking haggard and wearing combat gear, approached. After checking the information on a tablet, he nodded slightly, confirming the target.

"We've got him."

"I'll pay you three hundred million rubles. You can escape to Russia, where the Sons of Anarchy won't touch you."

Eddie, watching this burly man begin to cry, felt anxious. What if these people decided to take the money and betray him? But his fears were unfounded. No one with the tattoos would betray Dante for money.

"Do you think we're in this for money? What we enjoy most is cleaning the streets of scum like you, who hoard wealth instead of giving it to those who truly need it."

This was the stark difference between Dante and his rivals. They constantly underestimated him, believing his workers could be bought.

The old Dante was a complex man, a visionary trapped in a world where people ignored the suffering around them. What started as an illegal business in arms and cannabis trafficking evolved in his mind into something greater when he remembered his brother Kayce—a vital cause.

For Dante, it wasn't just about money or power but repairing the fractures of a system that had abandoned its own.

Through carefully orchestrated operations, Dante funneled profits into a covert network supporting retired soldiers—men and women left behind by the system. Those who had sacrificed everything for their country, only to face canceled pensions, meager incomes, and bodies scarred by war. Forgotten by the nation they had fought for.

Dante's enterprises secretly funded prosthetics for disabled veterans, covered costly medical treatments, and built shelters for these soldiers to find safety without relying on the state. He invested in small businesses to help them regain independence and dignity—again, without state dependence.

Though his business operated in the shadows, his purpose was clear: an act of redemption in a world where justice rarely came through legal means.

The Sons of Anarchy treaded a fine line, knowing every decision could destroy them. Yet, they were convinced that if they didn't act, no one else would. For them, the risk was worth it. They didn't see themselves as heroes, but in the quiet of the night, as they counted the lives they had saved, they found something resembling peace.

Vito, of course, could not see this reality and asked, confused, "What kind of idiot wouldn't accept money?"

The man tying Vito's hands smirked slightly. Looking at Eddie, who was equally perplexed, he replied, "Curious why no one here is swayed by money?"

"I do wonder why they're so loyal to Dan…" Eddie murmured, unsure of the source of this unwavering loyalty.

"If you've been to war, you know the bitter truth most choose to ignore: No matter the country, soldiers abandoned by their nations—the men and women who gave their all, believing they fought for freedom, welfare, and the future of their people—often find out too late that the flags they carried represented not their loved ones, but the interests of a select few."

Eddie hadn't gone to war but recognized much about it.

Soldiers were told they defended their homeland, fought for freedom, or preserved peace. But many realized their battles served political, economic, or strategic agendas benefiting elites, leaving the people in the same poverty, injustice, or insecurity as before.

Upon returning home, these soldiers faced a cruel paradox: those who sent them to fight quickly forgot them. They were treated as disposable tools, remembered only in patriotic ceremonies and hollow speeches, while they struggled with psychological trauma, financial hardships, and institutional neglect.

"So why not take the money?" Vito asked again, utterly baffled.

"You're not listening, idiot… Many abandoned soldiers carry the burden of betrayal, realizing their sacrifices changed nothing for the people they thought they fought for."

"Some can't reconcile their ideals with the system that used them. But here stand the Sons of Anarchy and our leader. Ninety percent of the organization's earnings are distributed to hundreds of thousands of soldiers and families still grappling with trauma."

This is why Dante couldn't be betrayed—he had created a flawless system.

The harsh reality was that Dante had witnessed post-traumatic stress in his brother Kayce. The physical and emotional wounds, the sense of lost humanity. Instead of support, many veterans were treated as outcasts, especially if they openly questioned the systems that sent them to war.

"That's why I won't be betrayed." A cold voice echoed from the back of the room, and Dante's figure emerged.