Patrick Wensley is an agent with the CSIS.
That acronym stands for, of course, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and is that country's primary source of intelligence of what is happening in other countries that could affect the people back home, not to mention doing something about the problem over there to keep it from coming back here.
We learn a good deal about Wensley right away.
He spent "his undergraduate years at Queen's where he studied Political Science and Languages in Kingston, Ontario; while attending the Royal Military College as a member of the Canadian Forces. He had always been fascinated by History because of his family background - they came over from England after the war. He chose to specialize in these areas so that he could fast-track his career path as an Intelligence Officer. He would go on to complete his Masters and Doctorate in International Relations (specializing in terrorism) at the London School of Economics. While he had a long list of academic credentials, the place where he had learned the most about the world - and himself - had been Afghanistan."
It would be in Afghanistan that he would see things during his several tours from 2001 to 2006 that would make him determined to do what he could to make the world a better place and see that the "bad guys" got stopped. "The best way he could think of accomplishing this was to become a spy and join CSIS...If terrorists were in the shadows, he wanted to be in the shadows to stop them."
His time in the Middle East working with the Israelis, using his skills with Hebrew and Arabic, made him exceptionally good at analysis in that age-old conflict. Later work with the Russians expanded his expertise, even if Russia would not listen to his advice.
When we meet him, he has returned to Canada and civilian life, for the most part. He chose, at 37 years old, to enter academic life as a professor at the University of New Brunswick while still remaining an advisor to CSIS as needed. He is married to Caroline, with whom he is very much in love, and the father of two young children, Allen, age 9, and Violet, age 4. He is very happy with his life and looking forward to it continuing as planned.
That is, of course, when two people in "dark suits and dark sunglasses" show up to tell him that he was needed.