27Ipatiev House
Ekaterinburg, Russia
2:00 A.M., July 17, 1918
Stephen Morrison sat motionless, absorbed in thought while Yakov Yurovsky sat nearby, blowing smoke rings as he exhaled his cigarette smoke. Morrison looked at the small clock on the desk in the second floor room of the Ipatiev House. He and Yurovsky had gone over the plan several times after the two of them returned to the room over an hour before. They both felt confident that their men understood their assignments and would follow their instructions to the letter. Finally, Morrison spoke. “It’s time,” he said softly.
Yurovsky stood up and said, “We’ll meet you outside the cellar door in about forty-five minutes.”
“Just keep the men in line and quiet. We’ll get this thing over with.” As Yurovsky left the room, he smiled a
