Chapter summaries Badlands Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Badlands Chapter 2: The Skeleton in the Badlands

Spoiler Notice

This chapter breakdown reveals key plot points from Chapter 2 of Douglas Preston’s Badlands. If you haven’t read it yet, you may want to pause here.

Summary

At dawn in the Ah-shi-sle-pah badlands, cinematographer Alex Bondi and director Luke Desjardin prepare a drone establishing shot for an indie Western. Bondi successfully navigates the drone past a distinctive rock spire, capturing golden light. On the return flight, the camera picks up a human skull and scattered bones, along with tattered clothing and a shoe. Desjardin insists on filming the remains for the movie, overriding objections that they are real. Bondi makes several passes until the battery dies and the drone initiates an emergency landing. Desjardin demands a retrieval party into the punishing heat, but assistant director Cobb refuses, pointing to the skeleton as a warning. The chapter ends with Cobb declaring they must call the police.

Key Events

  • In the pre-dawn dark, a hungover Desjardin pressures Bondi to fly the drone for a sweeping badlands shot.
  • Bondi’s flight captures stunning footage past a fifty-foot black spire.
  • The camera reveals a human skull, bones, a rotten shirt, and a shriveled running shoe.
  • Desjardin wants to incorporate the real skeleton into the film, insisting on multiple takes despite low battery.
  • The drone’s battery fails and it makes an emergency landing in the labyrinth of hoodoos.
  • Desjardin erupts, demanding they hike to recover it, but Cobb cites the danger and insists on calling the police.

Character Development

  • Alex Bondi: Professional and skilled, but increasingly troubled by Desjardin’s recklessness and ethical lapses.
  • Luke Desjardin: A volatile, cocaine- and alcohol-fueled director who treats real tragedy as raw material.
  • Cobb (Assistant Director): The voice of reason and safety, willing to stand up to the director.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Exploitation vs. Reality: The clash between artistic vision and the sanctity of human remains.
  • The Brutal Landscape: The badlands are a deadly environment, mirroring the moral danger of ignoring limits.
  • The Skeleton as Foreshadowing: The unknown desert death hints at past tragedies and warns of future peril.
  • Technology as a Double-Edged Sword: The drone enables discovery but also becomes a liability, stranding evidence.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter plants the central mystery—a body in the wilderness—while establishing tone and character conflict. The discovery isn’t a random bone; it’s a skeleton with clothing, suggesting a specific, unreported death. Desjardin’s monstrous disregard demonstrates the moral erosion that permeates the story, and the crew’s decision to notify authorities sets the investigation in motion. The setting itself becomes a character, isolating the production and foreshadowing the perilous journey to come.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Desjardin insist on filming the human remains instead of immediately stopping production?
    Desjardin sees the skeleton as “perfect” footage, raw material for his movie. His blurred professional boundaries and relentless drive, fueled by substance abuse, cause him to disregard ethical and legal obligations. He values the shot more than the potential crime scene.

  2. How does Cobb’s reaction to the drone emergency landing contrast with the director’s?
    Cobb immediately assesses the physical danger of hiking into the badlands in the July heat, citing the skeleton as evidence of how deadly the terrain can be. He prioritizes crew safety and legal protocol, while Desjardin only cares about recovering the drone and shot.

  3. What thematic role does the desolate landscape play in this chapter?
    The Ah-shi-sle-pah badlands are not just a backdrop; they actively shape the action. Their labyrinthine hoodoos make the drone both necessary and vulnerable, and the harsh sun threatens anyone who ventures in unprepared. The landscape reflects the story’s tension between human ambition and nature’s indifference, and it physically isolates the crew, trapping them with their discovery.

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