SrCuervo
patreon
68
🕑 Added 2024-12-21 07:45:33 +0000 UTCWind in the Smoke
Chapter 68 - The Length of the Problem
“So that’s what it’s about, huh? Yes, send about six more agents to support my brother and secretly protect him.” Dante was in the middle of changing when he received a call from William, who informed him about some things he hadn’t known about the situation.
In just a few hours, he learned that there was a lot of activity at the Painted Horse Casino Hotel to celebrate the fact that Thomas Rainwater had become the new president of the Broken Rock Reservation.
The president was hosting Senator Huntington, who had just toured the reservation and was about to discuss her experiences with Rainwater.
Nothing significant, but the interesting part came when Dante understood Thomas Rainwater’s resentment toward national politics, specifically the idea that Native Americans had to stop being Native if they wanted a better life.
Senator Huntington seemed willing to change this policy, but according to Rainwater, it was up to Native Americans themselves to reclaim what they deserved. He made it clear that they intended to take back what was theirs and hoped she would help them spend their money wisely.
Dante also discovered that the cattle raid hadn’t gone as planned. A significant amount of barbed wire had been cut, and some of the cattle were grazing on reservation land. That’s why most of the cattle had been moved to an entirely different area, and efforts were underway to retrieve the lost livestock.
Dressed in an outfit prepared by Beth, Dante wore a black jacket over long-sleeved shirts. He even sported a black hat with a long feather in the back.
He didn’t forget to carry his registered handgun, which he’d obtained thanks to Donnie. He also brought a rifle, just in case things got more interesting.
Under normal circumstances, Dante wouldn’t get involved in his brother’s work as a livestock agent, but they needed extra hands, and he wanted to keep his family safe.
Compared to his other brothers, Lee was more hot-tempered and deeply resented anyone trying to mess with his family, as was the case now.
The tension was palpable, and it was clear they would need more than a few armed hands to resolve it.
“You don’t need to get involved. Stay behind me, and nothing will happen.” Lee didn’t know how to express his concern for Dante, but he hoped his brother understood.
“Trust me, brother. I’m a passive guy.” Dante climbed into the truck, followed by other livestock agents heading to meet the ranchers whose cattle had gone missing. Behind them, another truck with agents under Dante’s orders followed as backup.
“Where are we headed?”
“To the border with the Indian reservation. There’s nowhere else the cattle could have gone.” Lee felt that the people on the reservation were looking for trouble.
He wasn’t in the mood to put up with them, especially the ranch owners whose cattle had been stolen.
Dante looked at his brother and the other agents, sensing that the situation was much more tense than just a misunderstanding.
“This is getting interesting.” He didn’t expect things to get this complicated as a livestock agent, but now he was witnessing the unexpected.
For some time, many ranchers had tracked the lost cattle, and all signs pointed to the reservation.
All vehicles—off-roaders and quad bikes—headed in that direction at full speed.
The Duttons were a family that had spent over a century and a half accumulating land in Yellowstone, defending it through both legal and illegal means.
Dante knew that there were people on the reservation who hated them, and apparently, someone with power had arrived to stir up trouble.
When they reached the location, the cowboys had gathered, including the president of the Livestock Association, Emmett Walsh, who radiated fury from the moment they arrived.
In the distance, they could see the cattle that had strayed from nearby ranches, grazing on the other side of a clearly cut fence.
Additionally, armed individuals on the other side of the fence were obviously not there with good intentions.
“These bastards want to play with fire. Lee, I want that cattle back, or I’ll die here fighting these assholes,” Emmett Walsh fumed, stepping forward to ensure they stopped him from doing anything reckless.
“They’re not letting us retrieve our cattle.”
“Bastards, they even cut the barbed wire.” Emmett Walsh, mounted on his horse, approached and yelled, “That’s our property!”
“I can’t hear you. Come a little closer,” one of the armed men, clearly of Native descent, taunted Emmett, who was livid.
Dante watched this with a faint smile and murmured, “Things definitely won’t end well here.”
“Yes, I agree.”
When Emmett heard the man’s comments, he glared and asked, “Do you think I wouldn’t dare?”
“You shouldn’t, but trespassing on our land is in your blood.”
As a hot-blooded man, Emmett Walsh couldn’t resist the provocation. He dismounted and crossed the cut fence.
“I’ve had enough of you…”
But at that moment, Robert, Kayce’s brother-in-law, stepped forward and knocked Emmett down before he could reach the man who hadn’t stopped making insulting comments since their arrival.
This was the last straw. Both the livestock agents and the men from the reservation raised their rifles, pointing them at each other.
“When that cattle entered our land, it became ours to do with as we please,” Robert whispered to the fallen Emmett.
Lee, who had been standing behind, stepped forward with his rifle, crossed the fence, and aimed it at Robert’s head, warning, “If anything happens now, you’ll be the first to face the consequences.”
“No, no, no, little brother, hold on a second.” Dante approached Lee, stopping him. Looking at Robert, he said, “By your logic, if your mother stepped onto our land, we could do whatever we wanted with her. What makes her any different from our cattle?”
“You son of a bitch…” Robert wanted to grab his rifle to shoot Dante, but Lee, stunned by Dante’s comments, raised his rifle, ready to blow this extremist’s head off.
“There’s that murderous look…” Dante shook his head, keeping his eyes on Robert. Then he said, “You’re already dead; you just don’t know it yet. Using my brother like this is utterly unforgivable. Kayce probably doesn’t even know you’re looking after stolen cattle.”
Robert smirked slightly and muttered, “You think I’m scared of you…”
But before he could continue, Dante ignored him and helped Emmett to his feet. “I’m sure this man would have beaten you to a pulp at your age. Don’t think for a second we’re afraid of you. Nobody’s scared of an ex-soldier with anger issues.”
However, before Dante could say another word, the helicopter carrying his father from a meeting approached and began to descend.
“Saved by the bell. Believe me, I don’t hate Native Americans, but you’ve earned the top spot by a long shot,” Dante said, looking at Robert, who just smiled.
Comments
Nato J
Robert is just tool, used by Rainwater to start a war. Only difference is now Dante is back and he has more weapons than they do.
