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

“Do you mind telling me what this is?” Peter’s voice was tight and annoyed. He handed the USF letter to Jared.


“I didn’t know anything about this. Roscoe pitched it to me on Monday night.” Jared took the letter.


“That sounds pretty weak. Universities don’t make job offers out of the blue.”


“This one did.” Jared looked out to the deck.


“And leave the cats?” And me here with them?


“I don’t know, Peter! I hadn’t decided.”


“And did you just expect me to run the whole show when you’re gone?”


“I guess—I mean, I thought with my salary we could afford to hire an assistant for you, someone to help out. You’d actually get promoted, be the general manager. And more money for you.” Jared tugged off his ball cap and fumbled with the bandage on his temple. “This wasn’t how I planned to handle this; I didn’t have a chance to get a game plan together when all this shit started.”


Chapter 78