Hunt Stockwell winced slightly at the expense as he put a rush on his order, using a sample that had been collected from Peck prior and a sample that one of his Ables had picked up from the possible father. Genetic testing was relatively new, but so far, the results had been reliable.

The test would of course be expensive, especially since he was going to jump to the head of the line ahead of dozens, possibly even hundreds of pending tests, but it would be quicker and more definitive than sorting through a bunch of paperwork which may not give him an accurate answer.

He may have set Peck's team up in order to get his hands on them, and may be perfectly willing to leave an agent behind if a rescue attempt might put the mission in danger, but he wasn't one to mistreat an investment, especially not one as valuable as Peck. If you wanted the best, you had to pay for the best.

Let it not be said that he didn't take care of his men.