Loyalty Brand.
Before long, just as Hal had intended, all of the bandits except a selective three, which included the aggressive-sounding man, were dead.
He had all the bodies sent into the Habitat for the Beasts to feed on while he faced the five that had been set apart.
He took a deep breath before pointing at the aggressive-sounding man who looked positively terrified,
"You! Give it to me" Hal said and beckoned.
The man looked confused,
"Give you what?" He asked.
Hal rolled his eyes at what he saw as a phony act,
"The communication talisman you use to contact your scout" he said in an as-if-you-don't-know tone of voice.
He refused to believe this bunch simply hid in bushes waiting for the next unfortunate sucker.
They must have had a scout to let them know when it was time to mobilize and lay an ambush. The scout was most likely not too far away from the checkpoint and not too close to the city.