"You must be Roman Reigns," the man smiled and shook his hand.
"I am," Roman said. "And you are?"
"I'm Bobby Roode. I run this place," Bobby said.
"Nice to meet you," Roman said.
Bobby let go of Roman's hand and the bigger man looked around. There wasn't much to give away what was going on in this place or where he was. It looked like a normal office but it looked staged, as if no one actually used it which he knew probably was the case. He had entered this place through a god damn silo on a field out in the middle of fucking nowhere. The only building outside was a farm with a heavy guard who called himself Big Show while laughing. There probably were other guards but he was the one who had taken Roman to the silo where Bobby had been waiting in this office.
"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly will I be doing here? They didn't let me in on the details except for telling me it's a secret place owned by the government," he said.
"But you have an idea, right?" Bobby smirked.
"Considering what I've been working with before, I'm probably gonna keep someone inside," Roman smirked back.
"Let me show you," Bobby said.
He walked to a heavy iron door and pressed in a code of numbers on a plate on the wall. The door opened and revealed an elevator. They stepped inside and started moving down. They were going underground which made sense with what he had been expecting.
"You hold someone here you really don't want out," Roman said.
"On the contrary. What we're working on down here allows them to go out. Not on their own or for a nice trip outside," Bobby said.
"Them?" Roman asked.
The elevator stopped and the door opened. Roman stared down a long hall with doors on both sides. Cells. He could see the small windows in the doors and he felt his skin crawl. Bobby stepped out of the elevator and Roman followed.
"We hold the biggest psychopaths here," Bobby said.
They walked down the hall and Roman looked in through some of the windows. Some of them were going crazy in their rooms while others just watched him watching them.
"We deprogram them," Bobby said.
"You make them better?" Roman asked.
"No, we make them worse," Bobby smirked.
That was the second time Roman saw that smirk and he suddenly didn't like it as much as the first time. There was something cruel hidden in that smirk.
"We break them down and turn them into killing machines. They go out to do tasks like take down a politician that is trying to ruin it for all of us. The police won't find them here, and if one is caught, he or she will just seem crazy and it can never be led back to us," Bobby said.
That was a big mouthful to take in and Roman just swallowed while looking at Bobby. He had no idea what to say to that. It sounded crazy and yet he had the proof right in front of him with the few cells he had already passed.
"So why am I here?" He asked.
"Ah, you're here for one special reason," Bobby answered.
He walked over to a door and motioned a finger in the air for Roman to follow. He walked over and looked in through the window. On a bed a black haired woman sat while brushing her hair. She didn't seem to notice them at all but Roman couldn't take his eyes of her. She looked so normal, like the girl next door. Pretty. That was the first word that came to mind.
"Noella," Bobby said.
"She doesn't look like a psychopath," Roman said.
"We got the worst of the worst here but still we always break them and brainwash them. This one..." Bobby nodded his head towards the window. "We can't break her."
"So what do I have to do?" Roman asked.
"Whatever you want. We're giving you free hands. We're well aware of your work and how you've gotten through to many killers and other crazy people. We need you to break her," Bobby answered.
Roman looked at her again. She still hadn't seen them.
"Step aside," Bobby said.
Roman stepped away from the window and watched as Bobby opened the lower part of it. It wasn't much, just enough to push a tray of food through. Small hands would be able to go through too. Hands like hers.
"Noella!" Bobby called.
"Bobby," she said.
Her voice sent shivers down Roman's spine. It was soft and silky. That was the best way he could describe it. He stood still as he heard what sounded like soft footsteps walking towards the window. Even though her hands would be able to fit through, clearly she wouldn't do it if Bobby called her over to him.
"Who's the new guy?" She asked.
Bobby turned his head with a grin and winked at Roman before turning his focus back to her again.
"Nothing escapes your attention," he said.
"He smells better than you. There's this citrus scent coming in here which is uncommon for a man," she said.
"Roman, meet Noella," Bobby said.
Roman stepped up to the window again and looked at her. She was close and she didn't look dangerous to him.
"Roman," she said. "I like your name. And you're way better looking than anyone in here so I hope you'll be the one bringing me food sometimes."
He chuckled a little. She was clearly trying to flirt but being locked up in this place for god knew how long had her rusty.
"You'll be seeing me a lot," he said.
She leaned towards the open window and sniffed.
"It's your shampoo," she said. "I hope you'll continue using it. I miss oranges and that scent makes me smile. It's almost as if I can taste them again."
Bobby closed the window without warning and left her in there only able to hear her own voice. The glass couldn't be broken and no sound travelled through it. He gave Roman a gentle push and they continued down the hall.
"Don't let her fool you, Roman," Bobby said.
"Fool me?" Roman laughed.
"I'm serious, Roman. That one is pure danger and she knows every trick in the book. If she senses weakness, she'll suck you dry like a leech and you'll never see it coming," Bobby said.