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

Ten minutes later, Jared’s office phone jangled. It was Brian, the monitor at the front gate. Jared listened, feeling his face go so hard and cold that Peter and Steve stopped eating. He hung up with a sharp, “I’ll be right there.”


Jared looked at them. “The fucking FEAPA is here for his ‘duly authorized’ inspection.” 16


Scott Cowan stood outside the gate with another man Jared didn’t recognize. The new man was short and balding and wore a black cowboy hat. His uniform khakis stretched over ornate red and black leather cowboy boots.


Cowan called over to Jared as they approached. “This is an authorized inspection, you have to let us in.”


“This is my supervisor, Garrison Fields.” Cowan motioned at the new man.


Jared shook his hand through the gate. “Nice to meet you.” Like hell. “But we have some extreme circumstances here, you understand. The tornado did some dam—”


Chapter 41