Ten time zones behind Moscow, Yuri Kirov was at home. It was half past ten in the morning. Laura left several hours earlier. She worked in nearby Bellevue at Cognition Consultants. As one of the three owners of the 2,000-plus-employee IT firm, Laura served as Senior VP of Operations.
At Yuri’s request, Amanda and Madelyn visited a nearby park. Yuri had informed Maddy’s nanny that the alarm company would be servicing the home’s security system this morning, which would require minor construction. He didn’t want Maddy exposed to the work. It wasn’t a complete fabrication.
With Yuri in tow, the two FBI technicians methodically shuttled from room to room, removing the dozen wireless audio-video devices inside the three-level home. The techs had been at it for over an hour.
“You’re certain that’s the last one?” Yuri asked.
“Yes sir. We have them all now,” the senior technician said.
“How many will stay outside?”
“The six existing cameras.”
A detail from the Seattle field office assigned to provide security of the Newman residence was currently in a home three doors away. Two person teams monitored the cameras around the clock. The FBI had leased the house while it monitored Laura during its pursuit of Yuri. After Yuri surrendered, the FBI decided to maintain surveillance of Laura’s residence due to potential threats from China and Russia, or so Yuri was told. Although the threats were real, Yuri also suspected that the FBI wanted to keep track of his activities.
After the technicians left, Yuri called Amanda’s cell and let her know the work was complete and it was okay to return home.
Yuri climbed into his Highlander and exited the garage. As he drove northward toward Redmond, he had mixed thoughts regarding surveillance. Both he and Laura were desperate to get rid of the interior spy hardware. But would the exterior cameras be enough? After one kidnapping and two subsequent close calls, Yuri worried that his family home was still vulnerable.