Chapter 6: Chonks' Jobs
Claude needed the money to blow up the "Les Cargo", the ship rumored to be the Cartel's SPANK factory. But 8-Ball needed $100,000 in cash to do the job, and Claude didn't have enough. He needed more, and a life of robbery isn't going to help. He headed to Trenton, and the payphone near Joey's garage is still ringing. He answered it. It was Marty Chonks, the owner of the dog food factory where the payphone was located.
"The name's Chonks, Marty Chonks. I run the Bhin' Dog Food around the corner. I got money troubles, but hey, who doesn't right?" Claude knows money troubles. "I'm meeting my bank manager later. He's a crooked bd that keeps bumping up the loan payments so he can cut a slice. Take my car, pick him up, and bring him back here. I've got a surprise for that blood sucking leech."
Claude hung up the phone, and went inside to get Marty's car, a shiny yellow Perennial. He got in, and headed to the bank in Chinatown. Despite a few skirmishes with the Triads, who ain't happy about their blown business, he still survived, and the car only suffered a few scratches. Claude found the bank manager, a kindly British gentleman. It's hard to believe that this person was a leech that Marty said. "Ah, Mr. Chonks sent you, didn't he?" He said after getting in the car. "Let's go and pay the fellow a visit."
Claude drove the Perennial to the dog food factory, and stopped near the main door. The bank manager alighted, and went inside. Marty did surprise him alright. Although nothing was seen, the manager yelled, "Get your hands off me!" Those were his last words. He was then killed by Marty, although the means were unknown. But the job wasn't over. Marty then shoved the manager's lifeless body into the Perennial, and instructed him t take it to the crusher in Harwood. Claude sighed, and drove the Perennial to Harwood Junkyard, the same place the Forelli brothers and their associate met their demise. There, he got off the vehicle, and the crane did the rest. He went and "borrowed" the nearby Pony and drove off to find Marty. The meager $1000 he paid him to take the car to the crusher still wasn't enough. He drove to the payphone, which was still ringing, and answered it.
"I hired some thieves to break into my apartment … and steal some stuff so I could claim the insurance as you do." Marty spoke on the phone. "The thieving bds are threatening to tell the insurance company, if I don't give them a cut, can you believe it? I've left a car inside the factory gates. Use it to go and pick them up from their turf at the Red Light District. Then bring them back here so I can make them see Marty's point of view." Man, this guy's a freak, Claude thought to himself. But a job's a job, so he went inside the factory to see what Marty's car is this time. It was a shiny blue Sentinel. He jumped in, and went to the thieves' hangout in the Red Light District, a bright-red painted café. He saw the 2 men, presumably the thieves that Marty hired to break into his apartment. He pulled over next to them, and let them in. The thieves said nothing, but Claude knew what to do: bring them back to the factory so Marty can get his hands on them.
Once again, Claude drove to the factory, and the thieves alighted, and went inside the factory. Soon, one of the thieves spoke after seeing his partner being thrashed. "Easy there, partner." But it was too late, the 2 thieves were killed. Marty then paid Claude $3000 to get the Sentinel resprayed. Claude muttered to himself, mainly because he didn't like working with the paranoid Marty Chonks, and drove the car to the only Pay 'n' Spray in Portland, in the Red Light District. There, he paid the mechanics to get the car resprayed. It was done, and then Chonks paged. He told Claude to bring the Sentinel back to the garage. Claude did as he told, and could finally be over with this business. However, things weren't smoothly going as always. The payphone rang again. Claude sighed, and answered the phone again. He prayed that the next job won't involve killing another innocent person. His prayers weren't answered.
"The business is going to go under unless I get hold of some serious cash soon." He said on the phone. "My wife has an insurance policy and all she's been ever to me is a hole in my pocket. Go and pick up my wife from Classic Nails and bring her back to the factory." Claude furiously hung up the phone, and went inside to get the car, this time it's an Esperanto. He jumped in, and drove to a shop called "Classic Nails" in the Red Light District. Marty's wife works there, and he had arranged to meet her at the factory. Claude pulled over to let the wife into the car. "Marty wants to see me?" She asked Claude. He just nodded his head. "Well, it had better be quick because I have to get my hair done." Now Claude understands how she's been a burden to Marty; she only cares for her personal interests.
Claude then drove the Esperanto to Trenton, and entered the Dog Food Factory. There, Mrs. Chonks exited the car, and went inside. Marty then did his dirty deed. "Hey … stop!" Mrs. Chonks yelled, but Marty went ahead and murdered her. Then, he stuffs the dead body into the trunk of the Esperanto, and paid Claude $2000 to dump the car into the sea. Claude took the car to Portland Harbor, and parked the car near the "Les Cargo". Luckily, there were no signs of the Cartel nearby. Claude jumped inside a nearby Yankee truck nearby, and gently pushed the Esperanto into the water. The doomed car fell headfirst into the water, and sunk to the bottom of the sea. Success, Claude thought to himself. He then drove back to Trenton to find out if Marty had more jobs for him. Unfortunately for Claude, Marty does indeed have another job for him.
"Damn, I'm in trouble." Marty said to Claude, who he felt that had been very reliable. "Turns out my wife was seeing some guy I owe money to. He's got real angry and he wants payback! I've agreed to see him … he thinks I'm gonna pay him off … but my guess is … Liberty's dogs are gonna get yet another flavor this month." Claude was getting worried working for Marty. Heaven knows when he's going to be next on Marty's hit list. Nonetheless, he picked the Stallion waiting for him inside the factory, and drove to find this person that Marty had agreed to meet. He pulled up to the nearby apartment at Chinatown, and there was a man waiting for a pick up. The man went inside, and introduced himself as Carl. "Marty sent you, huh?" he said. "OK, I'm gonna show that creep the meaning of business." Claude then drove the car to the factory, and Marty, for a change, was standing at the factory compound. Obviously he's got something planned for Carl. Carl got off, and they met.
"Carl, hi." Marty greeted. "I err need more time to get your money, but if you'll just step into my office … "
"It's far too late for that, Marty." Carl snapped. "You had your chance, but now I'm taking over the business … LOSER!" Carl aimed a shotgun at Marty, and shot him. Marty lays flat on the compound. He's dead. Carl then hands Claude $4000 for a job well done, and went inside the factory. However, Claude had something in mind. He decided to end this whole dog food business once and for all. Welding a baseball bat, he struck Carl from the back when he wasn't looking, and beat him up. He then took the shotgun from Carl, along with all the money he had, but it still wasn't enough. Claude then decided to go see El Burro.
