Search Jump: Comments
    Chapter Index
    Back to Story
    Cover of [Joe Pickett 18] • The Disappeared
    MysteryThrillerTrue Crime

    [Joe Pickett 18] • The Disappeared

    by C.J., Box,
    In “The Disappeared,” the 18th installment of C.J. Box’s Joe Pickett series, the Wyoming game warden is drawn into a high-stakes investigation when a British tourist vanishes near a luxury ranch. As Pickett delves deeper, he uncovers a web of corporate intrigue, environmental conflict, and local secrets. The novel explores themes of justice, loyalty, and the clash between progress and tradition in the American West. Box’s signature blend of suspense and vivid wilderness storytelling drives this tightly plotted mystery, showcasing Pickett’s unwavering moral compass amid escalating dangers. The book reinforces the series’ reputation for authentic settings and complex, action-driven narratives.
    PreviousNext
    [Joe Pickett 18] • The Disappeared

    Chapter 16

    by C.J., Box,

    Nate Romanows­ki encoun­ters two strik­ing sights after leav­ing Sarato­ga: the Teub­n­er Fish Hatch­ery and the mas­sive Buck­brush Wind Ener­gy Project. The wind farm, with its hun­dreds of tow­er­ing tur­bines, dom­i­nates the land­scape, stretch­ing across thou­sands of acres. Nate is awed by the scale of the con­struc­tion, not­ing its poten­tial to pow­er a mil­lion homes in Cal­i­for­nia. How­ev­er, he is crit­i­cal of the project’s reliance on gov­ern­ment man­dates and tax incen­tives rather than mar­ket demand, high­light­ing the dis­con­nect between ener­gy con­sumers and the envi­ron­men­tal impact of such facil­i­ties.

    As Nate approach­es the wind farm, he expe­ri­ences phys­i­cal dis­com­fort from the tur­bines’ sub­son­ic hum and altered air pres­sure. He is stopped by a secu­ri­ty guard who ques­tions his pres­ence. Nate reveals his fal­con­ry back­ground, hint­ing at the tur­bines’ threat to birds, but the guard dis­miss­es his con­cerns. The encounter rein­forces Nate’s frus­tra­tion with the project’s unchecked expan­sion and the lack of aware­ness among those who ben­e­fit from it. His anger grows as he real­izes how the wind farm aligns with his broad­er con­spir­a­cy the­o­ries about envi­ron­men­tal and gov­ern­men­tal over­reach.

    After being denied direct access to the fish hatch­ery, Nate spends hours nav­i­gat­ing around the wind farm’s perime­ter. The sight of trans­mis­sion lines stretch­ing toward Cal­i­for­nia deep­ens his resent­ment. He reflects on the irony of “green” ener­gy dis­plac­ing wildlife cor­ri­dors and wish­es pol­i­cy­mak­ers and con­sumers could wit­ness the project’s true scale and con­se­quences. Nate’s dis­dain for the indus­tri­al­iza­tion of nat­ur­al spaces is pal­pa­ble, though he acknowl­edges the futil­i­ty of his anger, giv­en his lack of author­i­ty to change the sit­u­a­tion.

    The chap­ter con­cludes with Nate arriv­ing at the Teub­n­er Fish Hatch­ery, puz­zled by its remote loca­tion far from any nat­ur­al water source. This final obser­va­tion under­scores the theme of human inter­ven­tion dis­rupt­ing nat­ur­al order, mir­ror­ing his ear­li­er cri­tique of the wind farm. Nate’s jour­ney serves as a vehi­cle for explor­ing ten­sions between progress and preser­va­tion, leav­ing read­ers to pon­der the costs of renew­able ener­gy infra­struc­ture in wild land­scapes.

    Down­load PDF Sum­ma­ry

    FAQs

    • 1. What are three key facts about the Buckbrush Wind Energy Project that illustrate its massive scale and impact?

      Answer:
      The Buckbrush Wind Energy Project is described as an enormous facility with several notable features: (1) It will be the largest wind energy facility in the world with 1,000 turbines standing 250 feet tall across 2,000 acres. (2) Each turbine produces 3 megawatts of electricity, enough to power one million California homes via transmission lines. (3) The project is only about 10% complete when Nate observes it, indicating even greater future expansion. The scale is emphasized through descriptions of the sprawling construction site, massive turbine blades dwarfing transport trucks, and the way the facility dominates the landscape, making Nate feel “small” in its shadow.

      2. How does Nate Romanowski’s encounter with the security guard reveal both his personal concerns and broader themes about the wind energy project?

      Answer:
      The tense exchange highlights Nate’s skepticism about the project’s ecological impact and his frustration with bureaucratic indifference. When Nate mentions his falconry operation and how turbines “chop up” birds, the guard dismisses his concerns, showing how large-scale projects often overlook environmental consequences. Nate’s sarcastic remark about Californians not thinking about their power source underscores the theme of disconnected consumption—end-users benefiting from renewable energy while remaining unaware of its local ecological costs. The guard’s hostile demeanor and procedural focus (“not my problem”) symbolize the impersonal nature of such industrial operations.

      3. Analyze how the author uses sensory details to create a tone of unease around the wind turbines.

      Answer:
      The author employs vivid sensory descriptions to evoke discomfort: Nate feels changing air pressure that “pushes down on his head,” hears a “subsonic whooshing” that makes his stomach clench, and observes how the hum replaces natural sounds like wind through sagebrush. These details create a visceral, almost oppressive atmosphere, contrasting with Nate’s usual appreciation for natural landscapes. The turbines’ unnatural scale (their blades “propelling clouds”) and the “frozen steel ocean waves” of transmission lines further emphasize industrialization’s intrusion into wild spaces, reinforcing Nate’s—and likely the author’s—critical perspective on the project.

      4. What does Nate’s internal monologue about being “king” reveal about his values and the chapter’s central conflict?

      Answer:
      Nate’s hypothetical decree—forcing Californians to witness the facility’s impact—reveals his belief in accountability and direct engagement with environmental consequences. He criticizes the hypocrisy of mandating green energy without understanding its trade-offs, such as disrupting wildlife corridors. His disdain for the turbines’ noise (“punishing whoosh”) and acknowledgment that it’s “good” he isn’t king also show self-awareness about his anger. This passage frames the central conflict: the tension between renewable energy’s benefits (jobs, clean power) and its ecological costs, as well as the moral responsibility of those who benefit from such projects.

      5. How does the chapter juxtapose natural and man-made environments, and what effect does this have on the narrative?

      Answer:
      The chapter contrasts Wyoming’s wild landscape (“vast sagebrush-covered plain,” “Snowy Range”) with the industrial “epic prairie dog town” of turbines. This juxtaposition heightens the dissonance Nate feels: he relishes feeling small in nature but resents it next to human infrastructure. The fish hatchery’s “unlikely” location—away from natural water sources—further underscores humanity’s manipulation of ecosystems. These contrasts deepen the narrative’s environmental critique, emphasizing how industrialization alters landscapes and creates unintended consequences, even when pursuing “green” goals. Nate’s journey becomes a metaphor for navigating competing priorities of progress and preservation.

    Quotes

    • 1. “The turbines were so high and massive that it took twice as long as he thought it would to arrive at the Buckbrush Wind Energy Project. As he got closer, Nate was stunned by the scale of it.”

      This quote captures Nate’s awe at the overwhelming size of the wind energy facility, setting the stage for his critical perspective on industrial-scale renewable energy projects and their environmental impact.

      2. “The electricity produced is a result not of market forces but a combination of federal tax incentives and mandates imposed by state and local governments; the mandates were that a significant portion of their power come from renewable sources including solar and wind even though it is more expensive than traditional methods of electricity generation.”

      This passage reveals the book’s critique of politically-driven energy policies, highlighting the tension between environmental goals and economic realities in renewable energy development.

      3. “He couldn’t recall ever seeing such a sprawling man-made facility and it made him feel small. Nate relished feeling small in nature. He despised feeling small next to a thousand windmills.”

      This powerful contrast illustrates Nate’s philosophical stance - his reverence for natural grandeur versus his disdain for human industrial achievements that disrupt wilderness.

      4. “If he were king, he thought, he would require every California politician who mandated ‘green’ energy as well as every resident who would be the recipient of the electricity produced at Buckbrush to come see the massive complex where their power actually came from.”

      This quote encapsulates Nate’s central argument about the disconnect between energy consumers and the environmental costs of renewable energy production, suggesting willful ignorance in urban populations.

    Quotes

    1. “The turbines were so high and massive that it took twice as long as he thought it would to arrive at the Buckbrush Wind Energy Project. As he got closer, Nate was stunned by the scale of it.”

    This quote captures Nate’s awe at the overwhelming size of the wind energy facility, setting the stage for his critical perspective on industrial-scale renewable energy projects and their environmental impact.

    2. “The electricity produced is a result not of market forces but a combination of federal tax incentives and mandates imposed by state and local governments; the mandates were that a significant portion of their power come from renewable sources including solar and wind even though it is more expensive than traditional methods of electricity generation.”

    This passage reveals the book’s critique of politically-driven energy policies, highlighting the tension between environmental goals and economic realities in renewable energy development.

    3. “He couldn’t recall ever seeing such a sprawling man-made facility and it made him feel small. Nate relished feeling small in nature. He despised feeling small next to a thousand windmills.”

    This powerful contrast illustrates Nate’s philosophical stance - his reverence for natural grandeur versus his disdain for human industrial achievements that disrupt wilderness.

    4. “If he were king, he thought, he would require every California politician who mandated ‘green’ energy as well as every resident who would be the recipient of the electricity produced at Buckbrush to come see the massive complex where their power actually came from.”

    This quote encapsulates Nate’s central argument about the disconnect between energy consumers and the environmental costs of renewable energy production, suggesting willful ignorance in urban populations.

    FAQs

    1. What are three key facts about the Buckbrush Wind Energy Project that illustrate its massive scale and impact?

    Answer:
    The Buckbrush Wind Energy Project is described as an enormous facility with several notable features: (1) It will be the largest wind energy facility in the world with 1,000 turbines standing 250 feet tall across 2,000 acres. (2) Each turbine produces 3 megawatts of electricity, enough to power one million California homes via transmission lines. (3) The project is only about 10% complete when Nate observes it, indicating even greater future expansion. The scale is emphasized through descriptions of the sprawling construction site, massive turbine blades dwarfing transport trucks, and the way the facility dominates the landscape, making Nate feel “small” in its shadow.

    2. How does Nate Romanowski’s encounter with the security guard reveal both his personal concerns and broader themes about the wind energy project?

    Answer:
    The tense exchange highlights Nate’s skepticism about the project’s ecological impact and his frustration with bureaucratic indifference. When Nate mentions his falconry operation and how turbines “chop up” birds, the guard dismisses his concerns, showing how large-scale projects often overlook environmental consequences. Nate’s sarcastic remark about Californians not thinking about their power source underscores the theme of disconnected consumption—end-users benefiting from renewable energy while remaining unaware of its local ecological costs. The guard’s hostile demeanor and procedural focus (“not my problem”) symbolize the impersonal nature of such industrial operations.

    3. Analyze how the author uses sensory details to create a tone of unease around the wind turbines.

    Answer:
    The author employs vivid sensory descriptions to evoke discomfort: Nate feels changing air pressure that “pushes down on his head,” hears a “subsonic whooshing” that makes his stomach clench, and observes how the hum replaces natural sounds like wind through sagebrush. These details create a visceral, almost oppressive atmosphere, contrasting with Nate’s usual appreciation for natural landscapes. The turbines’ unnatural scale (their blades “propelling clouds”) and the “frozen steel ocean waves” of transmission lines further emphasize industrialization’s intrusion into wild spaces, reinforcing Nate’s—and likely the author’s—critical perspective on the project.

    4. What does Nate’s internal monologue about being “king” reveal about his values and the chapter’s central conflict?

    Answer:
    Nate’s hypothetical decree—forcing Californians to witness the facility’s impact—reveals his belief in accountability and direct engagement with environmental consequences. He criticizes the hypocrisy of mandating green energy without understanding its trade-offs, such as disrupting wildlife corridors. His disdain for the turbines’ noise (“punishing whoosh”) and acknowledgment that it’s “good” he isn’t king also show self-awareness about his anger. This passage frames the central conflict: the tension between renewable energy’s benefits (jobs, clean power) and its ecological costs, as well as the moral responsibility of those who benefit from such projects.

    5. How does the chapter juxtapose natural and man-made environments, and what effect does this have on the narrative?

    Answer:
    The chapter contrasts Wyoming’s wild landscape (“vast sagebrush-covered plain,” “Snowy Range”) with the industrial “epic prairie dog town” of turbines. This juxtaposition heightens the dissonance Nate feels: he relishes feeling small in nature but resents it next to human infrastructure. The fish hatchery’s “unlikely” location—away from natural water sources—further underscores humanity’s manipulation of ecosystems. These contrasts deepen the narrative’s environmental critique, emphasizing how industrialization alters landscapes and creates unintended consequences, even when pursuing “green” goals. Nate’s journey becomes a metaphor for navigating competing priorities of progress and preservation.

    Note