A man. A tiger. A tornado. Jared Montaine owns a big cat rescue in Florida and faces financial pressures, getting over his ex-wife, and the challenge of suburbia creeping ever closer to his enclave for the animals. But when a tornado wrecks part of the refuge, Jared's worst fear comes to life: his Siberian tiger, Sultan, escapes. It's a big cat handler’s nightmare: a tiger on the loose, confused, lost -- and hungry. Jared races against the police, the media, and the hysterical public, all of whom are clamoring for the tiger's hide. He must re-capture Sultan before the cat is killed -- by traffic, by SWAT, or by a civilian who just wants to shoot a tiger. With fellow wildlife handlers at his side, Jared fights desperately to find and capture Sultan before the tiger injures or kills a human. Because that would lead to his worst nightmare -- having to kill the tiger he hand-raised from a cub. Jared’s commitment is tested -- to his animals, his refuge, and his belief that saving the life of even one tiger is worth losing everything.

The Tiger Whisperer

Sixty-five thousand dollars would buy a lot of meat for the cats. He thought of the cages that needed replacement, the addition of more habitats, the new homes he could provide, more medical care. He could give Peter a raise and maybe they could hire another assistant, someone just out of school who wouldn’t need too much money…


He gazed over the shabby room. He could buy a new television. Maybe get a real car instead of that junked-out truck. He was startled to realize he hadn’t owned a car since college; he’d driven the refuge trucks ever since his old Duster had died his senior year.


Roscoe leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Well, kid, whaddya think?”


“I’m not sure, Coach. You caught me off guard.” Jared lapsed back into the comforting names of their school days.


“What does your gut say?” Roscoe’s blue eyes focused on him, as intensely as those times when Jared fought to stay in a game, even near the end of his arm strength. Roscoe didn’t take any bullshit from his players.


Chapter 12