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

She eased down onto the sofa, mouth open.


Valerie recognized the battered front gate, the cages that were down, saw her little office trailer turned over, vinyl siding punched in. “Oh my God, that was where I worked!”


The anchor spoke in that slightly pompous, nasal-y TV newsperson voice. “And to recap, an adult tiger reported loose from the refuge is still at large. We’ll bring you further developments later.”


Sultan was out? Or was it Eloise? Either way, a huge problem.


She kept her eyes on the screen and dialed the refuge. Two different volunteers came on the line and tried to deflect her questions and she snapped at them, losing herself a little. “This is Dr. Valerie Wilson. I need to speak to Jared or Peter—right now!”


Chapter 75