Paul Bannerman is the leader of a group of freelance agents.
At the age of 24, Paul Bannerman received word that his mother, Cassie, had been killed in an explosion in Europe. In her capacity as an art buyer for major museums, Cassie had traveled extensively and had often taken her son with her on the trips during his summer vacations from school. Now she was dead and Paul, having just graduated from college, wanted to find out why.
What he found out would change his life and set the foundation for a new career for Cassie was also an American Intelligence operative, codename Mama, who was the control of a small army of contract agents until she was set up and sold out by her own people (the CIA).
Paul's seeking the truth would have certainly resulted in his own death if he had not been 'adopted' by several of Mama's agents. They taught him the ropes and helped him achieve his revenge against the men who killed his mother. They also, unintentionally, created Cassie's successor. Paul had become leader to most of the same agents who followed his mother. He had become Mama's Boy.
For fifteen years he led his group of agents in assignments for most of the Western nations. During that time he gained a reputation, if not a mystique, as someone one did not mess with, someone who return suffering with more suffering, and someone who always got the job done.
During one of the assignments he did for his mother's previous employers, the CIA, Paul learned of a operation in place to 'reclaim' agents who were no longer able to operate in the field. Eight cities across America were used as so-called 'halfway cities' in which the agents could be brought back into mainstream life.
Most agents, Paul would learn, didn't make it and had to be 'removed' for the safety of general public. But some did. And that gave Paul the idea that he could make it work for his band of loyal followers.
Not wanting, however, to put his fate into the hands of the fickle and oft-times CIA, he went one step better. He took over one of the cities. He moved to Westport, Connecticut.
He staged no coup. He committed no act of aggression against the townsfolk. He and his people just moved in, bought houses, started businesses, and retired.
Of course, when various agencies sent people in to bother his people, either with offers of work or threats of imprisonment, they were returned in less than perfect shape. The harder the attack on his people, the worse the condition upon return. Sometimes the offending parties were never seen again.
After a while the word spread to not mess with Mama's Boy or his people. Some folks, unfortunately for themselves, never got the memo.