Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1317 Joint Operation (First Update)

Steve Rogers and Silver Sablinova were completely unaware of the debate unfolding in the Royal City meeting room; all they knew was that they were facing a group of terrorists who had hijacked small cargo ships and coastal villages. The Italian military had launched missile strikes a few weeks earlier against refugees attempting to flee the Syrian coast by boat, trying to reduce the number of refugees crossing into Italy. This action resulted in more smugglers increasing the frequency of their shipments, and more extremists seizing the opportunity to smuggle themselves to the Albanian coast, intending to enter Europe, the "paradise on earth," from there.

Border police and military personnel were the first to spot the smuggling cargo ship launching small boats. When they attempted to intercept it in a speedboat, they were attacked by armed men from a coastal village. The speedboat was hit by an anti-tank missile, killing all three officers and military personnel on board. Alarmed, the navy and air patrols immediately deployed to blockade the area, effectively trapping the cargo ship and preventing its escape to international waters. Although the village was sparsely populated, almost every family was involved in the smuggling operation to earn extra money. However, these coastal fishermen were merely the second link in this black market chain; their earnings were relatively small, and they were often exploited by underground banks overseas. Yet, this extra income was enough to offset years of hyperinflation and meager catches, allowing them to support their families.

From the moment the first smuggler transports refugees from the Syrian coast to Albania, through multiple intermediaries, they are eventually sent to Western and Northern European countries such as France, Germany, and Sweden, and finally to private refugee resettlement agencies. There, they receive money from European government-funded refugee resettlement projects and share the spoils with greedy and corrupt officials. This is how a black market supply chain is formed. Such a chain is inevitably exploited by extremists or criminal groups. Weapons sold to the Middle East by arms dealers are channeled back to Europe through smugglers, and well-trained armed personnel, mercenaries, and drug lords move seamlessly between Europe and the Middle East via this transport route.

When Steve Rogers' team and Silver Sablinova arrived, some of the refugees who had already landed, along with others on the cargo ship, had been kidnapped by extremists in the smuggling group, who were putting up a desperate resistance with weapons that had been delivered to them. These extremists demanded that the Latvian government provide them with transportation and escort to leave the country, and in return, release extremist prisoners held in British jails. If it were only one location where they had been kidnapped, Steve Rogers would have acted much earlier, but with two locations linked together, the difficulty of the operation instantly increased several levels.

"Otherwise, they'll kill every single refugee here!" Inside the armored command vehicle, Steve Rogers angrily slammed down the phone, ending the call with the terrorists on the cargo ship. He had never seen such tense human smugglers; even the drug cartel convoys he'd encountered at the US-Mexico border hadn't been this tense, to the point of risking their lives. "These extremists are strange," he said to his team member beside him. "Are they hiding something?"

Silver Sablinova, clad in a silver bodysuit and sporting long silver hair, sat calmly opposite Steve Rogers. She could answer his questions, but she wouldn't. The Regent's order to clear smuggling routes had caused prices for illegal weapons and contraband to skyrocket across Europe. Drugs and firearms imported from North America were far from satisfying the appetites of European crime groups, naturally creating an opportunity for some to make a fortune.

Meanwhile, all the smugglers and refugees who attempted to cross the border during that period vanished, an event easily reminiscent of genocide. For their own safety, the extremists no longer intended to cooperate with the smugglers; some of the unfortunate smugglers were even hostages themselves, making them natural targets for Steve Rogers' rescue efforts. This meant the courts were waiting for them, provided they survived.

"Once the frogman equipment arrives, I need a team with underwater demolition experience to dive into the cargo ship with me."

Although angry, Steve Rogers eventually found the best solution. As the commander of the operation, he needed to remain calm, which wasn't difficult for a battle-hardened veteran. The real challenge was that his special operations training wasn't based on World War II technology, and Latvia didn't offer him the abundant resources of S.H.I.E.L.D. However, the newly established naval base nearby actively cooperated, sending over equipment for underwater demolition, along with all the necessary tools and weapons, including amphibious silent projectile rifles and underwater propulsion devices. This greatly relieved Steve Rogers.

"Ms. Silver Sablinova, I need you to lead the team, along with Sam and Bucky, to infiltrate the village and rescue the hostages. The attack route has been planned, and we must move in unison after nightfall so that they have no chance to harm any of the refugees."

“We can disrupt their communications right now.” James Buchanan Barnes listened intently to the conversations overheard in the command vehicle, but all he heard were complaints and curses. He crossed his arms and said, “Disrupt communications between the cargo ships and the villages. Their discipline and training won’t keep them calm. By the time we begin our infiltration, they’ll be thrown into chaos by the loss of command, creating conditions for our infiltration.”

"Good suggestion, but the cargo ship might be able to hear the gunfire from here." Steve Rogers nodded. "Those extremists aren't professional soldiers. If one person fires, everyone will fire. That's something I've learned from past missions—not everyone with a gun is a soldier."

"What about air-dropping tranquilizer gas? As long as there's no gunfire and communications are cut off, neither the cargo ship nor the village will know what's happening," Sam Wilson asked. However, this plan was ultimately rejected. Both air-dropping tranquilizer gas and deploying personnel required extremely large areas. The method used by the Germans in World War II—releasing the gas upwind—was also impossible because the sea breeze would blow the tranquilizer gas back, and the extremists in the village would still pose a threat to the hostages. "In other words, there's a high possibility of hostage casualties in this operation," Sam Wilson shrugged. "Anyway, it's possible, isn't it?"

“Yes, we have to admit that.” Steve Rogers looked at Silver Sablinova, who remained silent beside the armored vehicle command center. “Are there casualty figures in the latest instructions?”

"No, but the Regency's office set the end time for the operation at 5 a.m.

Silver Sable Silver Sablinova unlocked the message with her key, confirming its authenticity and establishing her as the ultimate controller of the operation. She had already prepared her personal weapons in the Legislator command vehicle, and the other Wilderness Team members were also preparing for battle. The combined firepower of the five Legislator armored personnel carriers was sufficient to raze the small village and dock nestled between two low hills. She didn't mention casualty figures, because they were irrelevant; if Steve Rogers' operation succeeded, it would be propaganda; if it failed, nothing would happen.

“There are tourist attractions not far away. Tomorrow morning, tourists can see the cargo ship with binoculars as soon as they take a boat out to sea. As soon as relevant intelligence leaks out, foreign media will seize every opportunity to sensationalize what’s happening here. So we’ve jammed the signals at the nearby tourist attractions, but this can’t last long. We’re also trying our best not to disturb the fishermen’s fishing operations, because this is a covert operation.” Silver Sablinova then pointed to the trucks that were gradually stopping outside the command vehicle. These were supplies that had been transferred from the nearest military base half an hour earlier. “In addition to frogman equipment, the supplies also include bulletproof armor, which you must wear,” she said. “No matter what the situation, the Regent has ordered that there be no casualties.”

If you see chapter 1314, please refresh the page; I accidentally posted the next chapter.

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(End of this chapter)