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

“Come on, Jared, let’s go. Open those baby browns for me, come on.” Peter’s voice was taut, tense.


“Huhhhh?” Jared could only moan. Why is the bed wet?The carpet beneath him was soaked with water. He felt cold and cramped. Shards of glass twinkled on his bare chest. When he elbowed up, his eyes went twitchy, spasming in his head.


He knew the symptoms. He’d been hit in the head with a baseball once and this felt the same way. He was woozy, shaky and flushed, and his stomach fisted in his belly. He dry-heaved twice and rolled over on his side.


“Jared, can you talk to me?” Peter held his face, his cool fingers felt rough and callused.


“Yeah, I can talk.” Jared sat up. His entire body felt as if he’d been beaten. He grimaced and wiped his face; sticky blood wet his fingers. Lots of it.


“Maybe you should just lie still until the ambulance gets here. You might have something broken.”


Chapter 19