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

Peter stepped between them. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Peter physically pushed Jared back, away from Lawton. The ERT team surrounding them lifted their weapons with a resounding metallic clack.


The sound made Jared go cold and blink. Peter stood in front of him, made him lean down and take deep breaths.


Peter’s voice was frantic in Jared’s ear. “Don’t let this guy manipulate you like that. Don’t even think about touching him, understand?”


Jared bent over, hands on knees, his vision swimming in front of him. The rush of blood in his ears sounded like the surf, the adrenaline bursting through his veins.


Peter looked over at one of the cops. “Can we go now?”


He nodded, motioned with his weapon, and the whole team left them there in the field. The chopper took off, blatting into the night sky. The cop cars drove away and the ERT truck crunched through its gears and moved back to the dirt road.


Chapter 71