BEN LEWIS

       Ben Lewis is a ski instructor and sometime bodyguard.
       For some time he had been proud to call himself a member of the British Royal Marines, wearing the green beret and sporting the coveted King's Badge. Then came the horrible honeymoon after marrying his childhood sweetheart and having his bride die in a freak accident. After that, all motivation had left him and within six months he ended his service and, in the words of his former C.O., went walkabout.
       He had no plans or hopes or intentions. He had to work to earn enough to live but truth be told he didn't really care that much about anything he did so he chose one thing he was especially good at and that was being a ski instructor. He chose the Swiss resort town of Champéry largely because it had good skiing and most of the really rich and powerful chose other locales.
       American Marines have a saying that once a Marine, always a Marine. Whether the Royal Marines have a similar saying or not is irrelevant because in the case of Lewis, it definitely is that case.
       In one adventure we have of him, a woman he was just giving lessons to has people out to kill her and Lewis takes exception to that so he does something about it.
       In another instance, a woman he had agreed to guard was murdered before his assignment started and in her dying words asked him to safeguard her phone. Though a lot of people tried some very rough things to get it from him and though he did not really have a dog in that hunt, he honored her request and kept his word.
       And when MI-5 asks for some help, though he probably would have preferred not to, he agreed.
       His joy in living might have perished alongside his bride but his dedication to duty and honor most definitely did not.

       I loved the idea of a ski-instructor causing all sorts of trouble for people. Of course we the readers learn he is an instructor because he chooses to be one, not because he couldn't be something else like he was trained to be. He kinda just wants to be left alone and isn't looking for trouble. Too bad some people can't do the former and the latter always finds him.
       Lewis is the kind of fellow I would like to have as a friend. I do not know how much I would hang out with him because people around him tend to become collateral damage but if I was in trouble, I would definitely like him there to help.