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

A kiosk of rakes and brooms lay splayed in one aisle, Jared had to skip over the wooden handles. A stand-up display of decorating magazines was knocked over, the shiny pages gleamed in the store’s fluorescent lights. He skidded as he plopped one booted foot on Martha Stewart’s smiling face, selling some gee-gaw.


The store’s public address system screeched on and a woman’s quavering voice bounced throughout the warehouse. “Shoppers, we have uh—a slight situation here. There appears to be, ah, there is a -–uh, large animal in the store.…” The PA buzzed off for a few seconds, then came on again, voices whispering in the background. “Please, everyone, stay calm. There is a tiger loose in the store. Please just stand still, we’re calling the police right now, everyone stay calm.”


Chapter 92