catwalk to its destruction, but ends up hanging one-handed from a severed support cable. Despite the risks (and against the oft-repeated advice of the Trader) Ryan moves to help Gregori back onto the catwalk. However, Dean refuses to let him live, taking aim with his pistol at the Major-Commandant. Rather than force the young boy to kill him, Zimyanin deliberately lets go, falling to his death. Ryan and his son make their way down from the catwalk and escape to the redoubt under the cover of a snowstorm. The MAT-TRANS takes Ryan and Dean back to New Mexico without incident. As they exit the ruins of the redoubt Ryan spots a large column of smoke in the distance, coming from the direction of the Lauren ranch. Cultural references As Ryan and Jak are riding away from the Lauren farm, Doc Tanner runs after them for a moment while calling out, "Shane," mirroring the end of the film of the same name. While attempting to shake the sec hunter from the warehouse walkway, Zimyanin refers to Ryan and Dean as his "droogs", a fictional slang word for "friends" featured in A Clockwork Orange. External links JamesAxler.com 1992 American novels Deathlands novels 1992 science fiction novels Works published under a pseudonym Harlequin books