Wayne Shelton is an adventurer.
You could, as many who knew of him have over the years, a bodyguard, a mercenary, a soldier-of-fortune; each would have an element of truth to them but mostly, in my opinion, he loves adventure and has found a pretty good way to achieve it while still earning a more than decent living. One blurb I read about the man that seems to be not too from the truth is that he is "the man you call when you want the impossible done". Another description tempers the 'mercenary' label with a leading 'gentleman', which is definitely true as Shelton is quite smooth in his dealings with most people.
One very informative exchange between a prospective client's flunky and Shelton tells us a good deal about his standing in his field of employment. The flunky snidely pointed out that Shelton was not famous to which Shelton responded, "Famous, certainly not. But known well enough for rich industrialists to find me in order to assign me dangerous missions". And every mission is decidedly dangerous.
Shelton is by no means a young man when we are first introduced to him; he has just started on his sixth decade. His very handsome but undoubtedly weathered face is framed by his temples with their more than a tinge gray as well as streaks of that color through the rest of his hair and perhaps a bit in his distinguished mustache. His physique is still lean and strong and his reflexes would please far younger men but he feels every jolt or fall or body blow and each remind him he is not as young as he used to be. While he can, when forced, still hold his own in a physical fight, he would far prefer to find other solutions; money and the promise of a favor works very well for him.
We are given a bit of his history and we learn that "at 19 years of age, [he] commanded a special unit which infiltrated behind enemy lines in Vietnam. By themselves he and his team caused more damage than a whole squadron of bombers". After that tour and its experiences, he found trying to live a "normal life" was not for him. He tried his hand at smuggling contraband for a time and did very well at it but then, over the years, has transitioned to his current line of work; international impossible task solver.
Playing a major role in Shelton's life and his adventures is someone well worthy of her own line of stories: the dusty beauty Honesty Goodness. This very sultry woman with the short-ish black hair and a trigger temper is a pick pocket stage performer by profession and a grifter by inclination. She and Shelton are lovers and friends and colleagues from way back and she remains his very dearest friend throughout the series.